Mud House Year

Pinterest Wednesday

I'm going with an easy one this week.  This is one of the first recipes I pinned on Pinterest and it comes to us from Buns in my Oven.  It seemed too good to be true.  I was a bit skeptical.  I rarely fry food but am becoming more comfortable with occasional fried okra or refrigerator biscuits.  And when I say comfortable, I mean fried food is comfort food.  If okra tastes good fried, you can imagine how good a fried biscuit is.  Anyway...I love my digital thermometer.  It is a reassuring tool when venturing into cauldrons of boiling oil.  This is what you need:

Refrigerator biscuits.  Get the flaky kind.

Sugar                                                Paper Towels and Slotted Spoon                                      Oil and Thermometer 

Mud House Canned Biscuit Donuts

Ingredients:

1 tube (or more) canned refrigerated biscuits (I get the flaky layers kind)
1/2 cup sugar
hot oil, for frying

Here's what you do: 

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Using a donut cutter (or the cap from a 2 liter soda bottle), cut the center from each biscuit.
3. Pour sugar onto shallow bowl or plate.
4. Place a few donuts in the pan of hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on one side, about 1-2 minutes, and then flip and fry until gold brown on the other side.
   
5. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towels.
6. Dredge each donut in the sugar to coat both sides and all around the edges.  You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the sugar.  I just like them with plain sugar.
7. Serve hot.
   
   They don't have the yeasty lightness of a fresh doughnut but they are surprisingly good.   They should be eaten right away as they become heavy when they cool down.  I wasn't sure how to rate this one.  They are not as good as real donuts but they are SOOOO easy.  I'm giving them 4 1/2 Prickly Pear Margaritas and a big thank you to Karly at Buns in my Oven. 
       
   Enjoy!
   
   
    

 

Halloween Macarons

There is something about this time of the year that sparks my imagination and I throw caution to the wind.  For days, visions of macarons have been dancing in my head.  Not just any macarons, mind you, but macarons wearing little pumpkin costumes.  I decided to attempt another batch of these finicky little monsters, color them orange, and add a little green stem.  Most importantly, I wanted a truly luscious chocolatey filling because nothing says "Halloween" to me quite like chocolate.  If you don't already know about my long, horrifying history with macarons, you can read about it, and find my basic recipe here.  To add the little stems to the macaron shells, set aside a teaspoon or two of the shiny, white meringue before you fold it into the almond/powder sugar mixture. Add some green gel food color and mix until the meringue is uniformly green.  Use a toothpick to place a mini-dollop to the center of the macaron before baking.  Do this to half of your macaron shells.  

I'm happy to report that I continue to have good results with my Mud House propane gas stove.   I'm not sure this batch actually looks like little pumpkins but the chocolate caramel ganache filling is to die for...

Mud House Chocolate Caramel Ganache
5 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, heated
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note:  It is important to warm the cream because it will be added to the very hot cooked sugar.   The cream boils furiously when added to the hot sugar, so be sure to cook the sugar in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the boiling cream.

Chop chocolate, place in heat proof bowl, and set aside.  
Bring cream to a boil.  Turn off heat and cover pan to keep cream warm.    

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water until all the sugar is moistened. Heat on medium-high, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Stop stirring and boil sugar undisturbed until it turns a deep amber. An instant-read thermometer will register 370 degrees.  I usually remove it from the heat just before it reaches temperature then slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.  Use a silicone spatula to stir the mixture, scraping the bottom.  Return to cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is combined and the caramel has dissolved.  Remove it from the heat and add butter, stirring gently.  Let the caramel mixture cool for a few minutes before adding it to the chocolate.  Adding too-hot caramel to the chocolate may cause the ganache to separate.  You want the caramel warm enough to melt the chocolate but not too hot.   Once you add the caramel to the chocolate, allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for a minute while the chocolate melts.

Then stir very gently until the mixture is uniform and smooth.  Add the vanilla, stirring to combine.  Stirring too rapidly can may cause the ganache to separate.

Allow ganache to stand uncovered for 1 hour, then cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until firm enough to pipe onto meringue shells.  Use a piping bag and tip to pipe a large "Hershey kiss" sized dollop onto the flat side of mararon shell and sandwich with another shell.  Give a slight twist to the top shell as you sandwich it to the bottom shell.

Enjoy! 

Mud House Pumpkin Whoopie Pies For An Almost Halloween Birthday!

Happy Birthday Kathy!  That's Kathy in the red costume.  A few years after this picture was taken, I married the handsome hobo, top-right.

In honor of my sister-in-law, Kathy,  I am posting this recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies.  Kathy's birthday is today!  She is an almost-Halloween-baby and that explains why she loves everything Halloweeny and everything pumpkiny.   I adapted this recipe from epicurious.com.  It's easy and delicious as written so I made only a few minor changes.   I just wish I didn't live 2000 miles away so I could actually whip some up  and deliver them to Kathy's door.

Mud House Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Cookies:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 large egg
1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
Whisk together sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until well combined, then stir in flour mixture.Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, drop a scant scoop's worth of batter onto a lined baking sheet to form 1 mound. Make 15 more mounds, arranging them 2 inches apart.

Bake until springy to the touch, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.
Scoop and bake remaining batter on the other parchment-lined sheet. You should have a total of 32 cookies.

Leave oven on.

Candied pecans:

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup pecans

Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
Stir together sugar, salt, and 1/2 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Heat over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Stir in pecans.
Spread mixture on lined sheet pan and bake until coating is bubbling and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely on pan on a rack.

Coarsely chop candied pecans.

Filling:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon or 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

While cookies are baking, beat cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and bourbon and mix on low speed until smooth.
If necessary, chill filling until firm enough to hold its shape.

Put it all together:
Fill a pastry bag with filling.  If you don't have a pastry bag, fill a zip-lock plastic bag and cut of the corner. Pipe filling onto flat side of one cookie,  Sandwich with another cookie.  If necessary, chill whoopie pies just long enough to firm up filling again, about 30 minutes.  I did not find it necessary to chill cookies before adding pecans.

Gently press pecans onto filling around middle of each whoopie pie to help them adhere to filling.

A  one-ounce ice cream scoop makes a good-sized whoopie pie.  This picture shows them next to one-inch square Crunchers.  Our dinner party guests ate two pies each for dessert.  If you want smaller, bite-sized pies, use a tablespoon to drop dough onto the cookie sheet.  An ice-cream scoop does result in nice round cookies, though.

Notes:
Definitely go to the slightly extra trouble of making the pecans.  The nutty, sugary crunch is a wonderful counter-point to the smooth, sweet filling. 

I made half of the filling with bourbon and half with vanilla.  I liked the vanilla better.  It's important to use good quality vanilla.  I love my Mexican vanilla.  It's a bit pricey but a it lasts a long time and definitely worth it.

Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead, and kept unfilled on racks at room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel.
Filling can be made 1 day ahead, and chilled, covered.
Pecans can be candied 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Helpful equipment:
Pastry bags and tips
Large, flat baking pans (warped pans result in odd-shaped whoopie pies).  I recently ordered this one from Amazon and have been using it successfully for macarons and whoopie pies.
One-ounce round ice cream scoop
Parchment paper
Good quality vanilla 

 

Happy Birthday Kathy!

 

 

 

Pinterest Wednesday

Soup!  Crock pot!  Yes!   The weather is in the mid-80s here at the Mud House and that's what we call soup weather!  This week's Pinterest Wednesday recipe is Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup and it comes to us from Skinny Taste.  It has the added advantage of being a low-fat recipe however, I'm afraid some of my personal touches made it less so.  This soup feels like home to me.  It's full of ingredients that I've cooked with all my life.  I've copied the recipe  from Skinny Taste and I've indicated where I've made my changes and additions.  I've also made a few suggestions in "Notes" below the recipe.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup 

This is what you will need:

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth (I used regular sodium chicken broth)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish).
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn (I used Mexican hominy)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons because I really love Mexican oregano).
2 - 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (I used skinless bone-in chicken thighs instead)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream (optional)
I also added Mexican limes to squeeze on the soup before eating.

This is what you do:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes.

 Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil.

Add cilantro and remove from heat. 

Pour into crock pot and add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir.

 Add the chicken thighs; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Notes:

The soup was not spicy enough for me so next time I will double or triple the amount of chipotle peppers.  I will also add some of the chipotle sauce from the can.

I used more oregano because I love the flavor in soup.  Get Mexican oregano if you can.  It has a distinctive flavor which is perfect for making Mexican inspired dishes.

If you have the option to grow cilantro, by all means do so.  Fresh picked cilantro is far more flavorful than what you usually find in stores.  Go ahead and add a 1/4 cup before you put the soup into the crock pot but add much more to garnish the soup right before eating.  Cilantro's flavor diminishes during cooking. 

If you are unfamiliar with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, they are smoked jalapenos and quite spicy. Their heat increases as they cook so use caution.  I actually added more than the recipe calls for but I like the smoky spicy flavor.

I love this soup because it is inspired by the flavors and spices of Mexico that are so close to my heart. Stay tuned as we move into the holiday season.  I will share many family traditions and recipes that are infused with the flavors of Mexico and the old southwest.

This recipe is healthy, easy and delicious.  I'm giving it 5/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas!
    

A very special thank you to  Gina at Skinnytaste.com.  Be sure to visit her website for many delicious and healthy recipes!

Enjoy!

Anything Whimsical, Anything Colorful

One of the first things I wrote when I created this blog was something about myself  for the "About" page.  This was tough because I couldn't think of anything special to say.  I am not particularly gifted or unique. I'm just kind of "regular."  I'm a wife, mom, sister, daughter.  I like to cook and garden.  I love my dogs.  Nothing too extraordinary.  Among other things, I described myself as loving "anything whimsical, anything colorful."  Nowhere is that characteristic more obvious than in the local artists whose works I love and keep in my home.   I am inspired by art that supports a lighthearted, energetic, and carefree atmosphere.   

I love being surrounded by warmth and color so you may have caught brief glimpses of works by Barbara Gurwitz, Chris Bubany, and Melissa Vinikoor in some of the photography I have included in my posts.  

 Barbara paints bright, colorful, contemporary landscapes inspired by the desert southwest.  The first time I saw one of her paintings I was struck by her daring use of color,  effortless whimsical style, and the sheer joy I felt just looking at her art.

 

Chris Bubany is a local  artist who designs and produces ceramic tableware.  Her designs are charming, colorful, and quaintly humorous.   I keep her lovely serving dishes displayed on my counter-top and use them for special occasions.

 

                                   
Melissa Vinikoor is a fairly new artist who paints bright, fanciful, floral motifs featuring an occasional sparkly bauble and whimsical creature.   Intense use of color and simple patterns bring Melissa's paintings to life.  

I am grateful to Melissa, Chris, and Barbara and I stand in awe of those who have the ability and confidence to create such lovely images. The beauty of this art enhances the natural warmth of our mud adobe walls, making this house a home.   Their color and energy touch something deep inside of me, sparking joy and peace-of-mind.  

 

Everything Old...

...Is New Again.
Let me begin by saying I am not artistic or particularly crafty.  I do like to try certain projects but they must meet four very important criteria:

1.  They must be meaningful
2.  They must be colorful
3.  They must be quick.  In other words, instantly gratifying (I'm not in it for the long haul).
4.  They must be relatively easy to learn.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I love old stuff and I find it inspiring.   A few years ago, I embroidered some pillowcases for one of my daughters.  They were inspired by some delicate old pillowcases that once belonged to my great-grandmother.  One of my daughter's pillowcases was lost, so I decided to use the remaining case as a pattern for a new embroidery project.  

I put the pillowcase in a copy machine and made a copy of the design.  I then enlarged it by 20%.

I used a permanent, black marker to draw over the design then used double-sided tape to attach it to a sunny window. 

I measured the center-point of both the pillowcase and the pattern and marked them both with a water soluble pencil.

Using double-sided tape, I taped the pillowcase onto the window, over the pattern, aligning the center points.  I traced the pattern with my water soluble pencil.

If you would like to try this, you can copy any design you like, or you may download my design Download IMG 3 or Download IMG 4.  Please keep in mind, this is a hand-drawn pattern, and far from precise. You may copy it and enlarge it as needed for your own project.  

Use computer fonts to add monograms.  Use double-sided tape to attach the letter to the middle of the pattern.

Be sure to use a straight edge paper-cutter to cut the pattern before taping it to the window.  This will make centering and aligning the pillowcase much easier.

Note:  Since moving to the Mud House, the nearest fabric/sewing store that carries embroidery items is over 10 miles away from me.  I often order my supplies from Amazon.  I've included links to some of the items below.

What you will need:

1.  Access to a copy machine
2.  Pillowcases (I try to find good quality cases at discount home goods stores)
3.  Permanent marker
4.  Water-soluble pencil
5.  Pencil sharpener 
6.  Double-sided tape
5 . Measuring tape
6.  Ruler 
7.  Embroidery hoop 
8.  Embroidery needles
9.  Embroidery floss
10. Scissors
11. Maybe a thimble (I don't use one)
12. Maybe a seam ripper (I do use one)

13. MOST IMPORTANT: A good quality needle threader.   When I first started this project, I went through several needle threaders in the first few days.  I highly recommend the Clover Threader on the left.   You can see I have attempted to repair the one on the right.  The wire came out of the blue plastic after about 6 uses.

If you look closely at my finished work you will see that I am not a perfectionist (actually you don't need to look that closely).   I'm still learning and I have a particularly hard time with the leaves.  I just tell myself that my whimsical, free-style approach just adds to the overall charm!  That's my philosophy and I am sticking with it.  I am such an amateur when it comes to embroidery so please, please, please visit Mary Corbet at Needle 'n Thread for everything you could ever need to know.  She has wonderful how-to videos for all of the stitches along with so much information for becoming an accomplished and gifted embroiderer. 

For this project I used six strand embroidery floss, separated into two strands for all stitches except for the satin stitch on the "A."  On the "A," I used just one strand to give a smoother finish to the satin stitch.  The stitches I used are as follows:

A - Satin stitch
Flowers - Daisy stitch
Leaves- Fish-bone stitch
Dots and flower centers - French knots   - 3 French knots for the centers on the larger daisies and 1 French knot for the smaller daisies.

Tips 
Separate the six strands of thread by pulling individual strands straight-up.
Use your computer fonts to create monogram letters
Be sure to place monograms facing the right direction when tracing pattern.  On  my first attempt, I placed it the wrong way.  The bottom of the letter should align with the edge of the pillow case. See below.The monogram on the left is upside-down. 

I love hand-embroidered linens and they are equally at home in vintage and contemporary settings.

If you enjoy simple, hand embroidered and crocheted projects, please stay tuned for more patterns and ideas.   I will share other patterns I have created.  I found the rose pattern below on Needle 'n Thread and added the "S" monogram.

 

 

 

 

Pinterest Wednesday

For the second week of Pinterest Wednesday, I was debating between Masters Augusta egg salad and fried okra.  I surprised even myself by choosing the okra.  I don't like okra.  At all.  However, I do like growing okra.  It is a beautiful garden plant and it just so happens I had some ripe okra in the garden.  

In fact, it was over-ripe because I don't like to actually eat okra.  I just leave it alone and let it grow and grow  and grow.  This isn't a good thing for okra because the  larger pods become tough and woody. Frying seemed to help it, though.  Frying seems to make everything taste better. 

Anyway, this week's recipe comes to us from Syrup & Biscuits, via Pinterest.  I also found a good recipe from Southern Living.  I've tweaked the recipes a bit by adding crumbled bacon and Tabasco sauce. 

Fried Okra

1/2 lb. fresh okra
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 strips crispy bacon, crumbled, reserve bacon drippings
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper 
2-3 drops Tabasco sauce (or more, if you like it spicy)
Vegetable oil
1/8 cup bacon drippings
1. Cut off and discard tip and stem ends from okra; cut okra into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices. Stir into buttermilk; cover and chill 45 minutes.

 

2. Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in a bowl.  

 

3.  After 45 minutes, drain okra and discard buttermilk.

4.  Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a dutch oven or cast-iron skillet; add bacon drippings, and heat to 375°.

 

5. While oil is heating, toss okra with cornmeal mixture.

6. When oil reaches a temperature of 375°, fry okra in batches for four minutes or until golden brown.

7. Drain on paper towels.

5.  Serve immediately.  We enjoyed ours with a bottle of white wine from Belle Meade Plantation, located near Nashville, TN, which seemed completely appropriate for this quintessential southern dish.

This is an easy and delicious recipe.  In my opinion, any recipe that makes okra taste good gets 5 Prickly Pear Margaritas!  Enjoy! 

    

 

 

 

Mud House Grilled Romaine Salad

I am sharing this recipe from our dinner party on Saturday.  This is one of my all-time favorite salads. It is easy and so delicious.  Grilling the romaine gives it that delicious, slightly charred flavor.  You want to buy dense heads of romaine to ensure a heavy heart.   This is the only time in life when dense heads and heavy hearts are  good things.

Mud House Grilled Romaine Salad
For the dressing:
5 flat anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In small processor, chop garlic. Add anchovies and blend to combine. Add remaining ingredients blend.

I make the dressing early in the day and leave on the counter so that flavors come together.

For the lettuce:
3 hearts of romaine, cut in half
salt and pepper
olive oil
6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated in food processor

Pull away the loose outer leaves until only the heart of the romaine remains (say that 3 times quickly!). Use a sharp knife to cut away the top of the leaves.  This will help to prevent wilted leaf tops after grilling.
I usually cut the lettuce early in the day, wrap each heart in a paper-towel and refrigerate until ready to prepare.

Heat grill to medium-high.

Remove lettuce from paper-towels and brush generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and place, cut-side down on hot grill.  Close grill and cook for 2 minutes.  Open grill and flip lettuce, cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove lettuce from the grill and drizzle with dressing.  Sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese.

A word of caution regarding grilling times.  The density and freshness of the lettuce will determine how long to grill.  I recommend checking it often.  You want it warm, with grill marks on the cut side but not wilted and limp.

Enjoy!  I know you will.

I will leave you with one more picture from the party.  The centerpieces were made of flowers from our garden.

 

First Annual Mud House Pomegranate Celebration

Last night we had  a little dinner party to celebrate the (slightly) cooler weather and the abundance of ripe pomegranates on the trees in our yard.

Guests sipped fresh pomegranate martinis and picked their own pomegranates off of the trees to take home.  
That's my sister, Melissa, and her husband Greg.  They look pretty happy with their martinis.

Then we ate a simple dinner on the patio. 

Mud House Dinner Party Menu, Saturday 10/13/12
Cocktails:  Mud House Fresh Pomegranate Martinis
Appetizer:  Smoked Red Idaho Trout Pate (Al has a new smoker.  It's his new best friend.  SUCH a guy thing.  More on this soon...

Salad:  Grilled Romaine
Entree:  Grilled New York Strip Steak
Side Dish:  Crash Hot Potatoes (Thanks Pioneer Woman)
Wine with Dinner:  Something Red (It's my favorite color)
Dessert:  Mud House Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and Crunchers

Party Favors: Pick Your Own Pomegranates, Please!!

The weather was actually cool, and cool is a big deal around here, so everyone was in a festive, fall-is-here-finally, mood.  We ate on the front porch, with candles.                                                                                                       
It was actually cool enough to have a little fire in our outdoor fireplace! Of course, it's going to be 90 degrees again on Monday so our fall-like-cool-weather-hysteria was short-lived but much enjoyed, none-the-less.

Ok back to reality.   Please stayed tuned this week as I share some of the recipes from our little gathering.  

 

 

What's Blooming Around the Mud House?

                                  
                                   Bougainvillea                                 Honeysuckle                                       Cosmos

 

This morning I was greeted by this lovely prickly pear bloom on our back patio.  This is unusual because prickly pears usually bloom in the early spring.  I wanted to share this with you because this is where our prickly pear syrup begins.  Those wonderful prickly/purply/pinky pears begin as waxy yellow blooms on top of the paddles of the cactus.   The blooms only last one day so I snapped this photo quickly to share with you.

In our little secret cutting garden we have our first bloom.  I planted zinnia, cosmos, snapdragon and sunflower seeds about six weeks ago and, this morning, I found our first zinnia.  
So cheerful!

I also planted  a few cosmos seedlings.  They are doing well and look so charming in our rustic little garden.

We've also repotted or transplanted nine rose bushes.  They are currently resting under sun-shade cloth while they become accustomed to their new homes.  I will post pictures soon!