January 14th: Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins, Salmon Cakes

Two good recipes today. First up, from the 2013 Milk Calendar: Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins. This one all the children liked, which was a relief. And, for supper, from January 2014's Chatelaine: Wild Salmon & Spicy Lime Cakes. This recipe called for Indian lime pickle, which would have added the referenced spice to the fishcakes. I couldn't find this in the two grocery stores I checked, so I used dill pickles I found in the back of my fridge. The fishcakes were on the bland side, and I likely won't make them again, but both my girls ate them, not with relish, but they did eat them, so it's a sort of win. I served the fishcakes with Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayo. I linked a recipe to this in February 2012, but I'll type out the recipe here for easy reference.

Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) whole wheat flour
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 egg
1 cup (250 mL) milk
2/3 cup (150 mL) liquid honey
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) shredded zucchini (about 1 small)
1/2 cup (125 mL) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter nonstick miniature muffin pans or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat and all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk, honey, butter and orange juice until blended. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with zucchini and chocolate chips; stir just until moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin pans, filling 24 deep cups or 36 shallow cups. Bake, in batches as necessary, for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes 24-36 mini muffins.

Wild Salmon & Spicy Lime Cakes

1 potato, peeled
213-g can salmon, drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp finely chopped Indian lime pickle
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Boil potato in a small pot of water until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and mash well in a medium bowl. Add salmon (including bones and skin) to potato and mash with a fork. Stir in eggs, onion and lime pickle. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Form into 6 patties (mixture will be moist).* Pour panko into a deep dish. Coat patties with panko.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add oil, then salmon cakes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Stir yogurt with cilantro in a small bowl.** Serve with salmon cakes.

Makes 3 servings, 2 cakes each.

*The patty mixture is very moist. I stuck it in the fridge while I prepped the fries, then made the patties. They were still tricky to keep together.
**I actually didn't make the dip as called for. I made my usual homemade tartar sauce:

Tartar Sauce

In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup each sour cream or plain yogurt and mayonnaise with 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped dill pickles, 1 tbsp (15 mL) green pickled relish, 1 thinly sliced green onion and a pinch of cayenne. Optional: add 1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped capers.

Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayonnaise

4 sweet potatoes (2 1/2 lb/1.25 kg)
2 egg whites
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) ground paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) lime juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) curry paste

Peel potatoes and trim ends. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick slices; cut eat lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) wide strips.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Spread on a large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender and edges are browned and crisp.

Curry Mayonnaise: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice and curry paste; serve with potatoes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

January 7th: Cranberry Muffins, Pork Za'atar

Otherwise known as, "Don't try to potty train your child and cook at the same time."

Sadie will be two in March. I would never have considered potty training her yet, if she weren't pulling at her diaper and saying "pee" in a most distressed manner since sometime last November. Santa obliged and brought her a potty, which she loves, and since this week is the return to school and schedules, this is the week to really give it a go, I thought. The potty is set up in the kitchen, well away from carpets, and we've been letting Sadie go bottomless to see what happens. This morning I decided to make muffins. Sadie was a gem, running around mostly naked, entertaining herself, sitting on her potty and reading her potty book and then, bam!, peeing in the potty and making it sing. The potty sings when you pee in it. Or when you cover the two sensors in the bottom with your hand, as Sadie has also discovered. The morning went so smoothly, I thought to give it a go again tonight. Big Mistake.

Sadie hasn't been napping recently. Not sure what is up with that. She seems to think she gets two hours of playtime in her crib in the afternoons. Today was one of those days. Then she dissed my muffins. So by the time I was making supper (Greg and Olivia were gone to piano lessons), Sadie was tired, hungry and driving me up the wall. Why I let her go bottomless I'll never know. In the 45 minutes G&O were gone, I toasted pine nuts, dissected one grapefruit, mixed together spices, and cleaned up 6 pees: 2 in the potty and 4 on the floor. Supper was late, Sadie and I were both cranky and for what?! Sigh. We'll try again tomorrow.

[This is where I'm tempted to post an oh-so-cute picture of Sadie on her potty online for the world to see, but I will resist temptation.]

Onto the food! From the 2013 Milk Calendar:

Cranberry Crumble Muffins

1/3 cup (75 mL) quick cooking oats
1/4 cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
2 tsps (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, baking soda and salt
3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) plain yogurt (not fat free)
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Crumble: In a small bowl, combine oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, milk, yogurt and butter until blended. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with cranberries; stir just until moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan; sprinkle tops with crumble. Bake for about 25 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

I thought these muffins were delicious. I love cranberries, and sour things generally, and these muffins weren't horribly sweet and cake-like as some muffins are. Good texture too, firm but moist. I would definitely make them again. Sadie wouldn't even try them. Olivia ate half of one and said she didn't like it. Grace ate one and asked for another. Taye ate half of one and left the room. Greg is trying to avoid grains, he says his biggest pitfall, and if he eats one he'll eat three so he's not eating any. More for me, I guess. And Grace. And Olivia's lunch, whether she wants one or not.

For Supper! From January 2014 Chatelaine:

Za'atar Pork with Grapefruit Salad

Instructions

Preheat broiler. Arrange 4 boneless pork chops on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine 1 tbsp za'atar with 1 tbsp sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp salt. Sprinkle over pork chops. Broil in top third of oven 3-5 minutes.

Remove segments from 2 pink grapefruits, reserving juice separately. Toss 4 cups packed baby spinach with grapefruit segments and 1/4 cup each coarsely chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts in a large bowl.

Whisk 3 tbsp reserved grapefruit juice with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp honey in a medium bowl. Drizzle salad with dressing just before serving.

Several notes: the original recipe called for 8 lamb chops; I'm not a big lamb fan and have a ton of pork chops in my freezer so subbed those in. We all four of us liked the pork. Success! The recipe said to broil the meat on parchment, which I did. I don't think parchment is supposed to be used for broiling and mine certainly burnt. Also, at 5 minutes under the pre-heated broiler, our chops were over cooked, so I've reduced the cooking time above from the original. None of us liked the grapefruit salad. I even hesitated to type it out here. We do like grapefruits, and I love toasted pine nuts like they are the best thing in the world, but this salad sucked. Will not be tried again. Za'atar: I've been reading about this for the past few years and noticed they sell it at Loblaws now, so thought this would be a good chance to give it a go. According to Chatelaine  "This earthy Middle Eastern spice blend is the flavour of the year. Make your own by mixing 3 tbsp thyme with 3 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp sumac or lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt." It was yummy stuff.

A month of skinnytaste

If I remember correctly, I first heard about the blog skinnytaste from my former coworker Brittany, a couple of years ago, although I didn't try any recipes from the the website at that time. I recently came across it again, and in need of kitchen inspiration - and with my trusty new/old iPhone in hand - I spent some time trolling the website and came up with a list of recipes to try out. We've been eating skinnytaste almost exclusively in the month of May; happily, we have had a number of hits and only a few near misses. Super excited to have a new bank of inspiration upon which to draw.

I'm only going to talk about the hits...


May 5th: Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken and Fiesta Lime Rice

The title pretty much says it all. Create a stuffing of bacon, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, jalapeño, and green onion, and roll it into flattened chicken breasts. Bread and bake. Cheesy, spicy, gooey goodness.

We ate this accompanied by Fiesta Lime Rice, a delicious and super healthy side dish of rice, beans, corn, tomatoes and green onions. Greg found it bland, but of course, I made his without cilantro, which added tonnes of flavour. His loss. I loved it. I doubled the corn in my version.

Mmm. I want to go make, and eat, this again right now.

On the left side of the plate are the cheesy bits that melted out of the chicken onto the pan. Mmm.
To the right of the plate is my current reading material.

May 7th: Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Again, with the apt title. Need I say more? Yes. These are probably the best homemade bean burgers I have made to date. The recipe says it makes 4, but I was working with small buns, so I made 6 out of the mixture. I cooked 3: one each for me and Greg, one to split between O and S. I then froze the other 3, and happily ate them in later days as a quick, cook-from-frozen lunch (I found I had to cook them a little longer than suggested). Delicious every time. The burgers are a little spicy, and the mayo is spicier. I left the mayo off O's and S's, and although O said she didn't like the burger, she ate it, which makes me doubt her word. S ate hers; she loves beans.

The recipe calls for 1 jumbo egg; I used 2 large. If you decide to make these, read through all the instructions; there are some good tips there.

May 10th: Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Maybe not quite as good as bacon- and cheese-laden baked potatoes, but still good tasting and infinitely better for you. All your veggies in one spot.

May 12th: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

I left off the part of the title describing these as "insanely good." They were good, but I don't know if they were that good. We did, however, make short order of them in our house; they were gone in 2 days.

Olivia and I spent Mother's Day morning making these. We haven't done much baking together recently; it was good to do so again.

My girlies and my Mother's Day flowers:

Must Stop Using IPhone To Take Pictures

May 13th: Chicken and Orecchiette Soup

Delicious warm chicken soup after a couple of cold days. I found these fun-coloured carrots at the grocery store:

...but didn't realize the purple carrot would colour the soup an unappealing grey colour:

Luckily, the taste was good. I couldn't find the cavatelli pasta called for in the recipe, so instead bought orecchiette, which Olivia was excited about, because they stick to the tongue. She and Sadie both ate the soup right up.


Looking for cooking inspiration? Check out skinnytaste. More to come...

May 18th: Banana Macadamia Nut Muffins

To date, these are the best banana muffins I have made. From Epicurious: Banana Macadamia Nut Muffins. My bananas were way rotten, so I reduced the white sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Good idea. I like my muffins to taste like muffins, not cake. The website says they have a hint of the tropics, which I assume is supposed to come from the nuts, but I didn't find this to be the case. I bought my macadamia nuts a few months ago, maybe that's an issue? The nuts  didn't have much flavour at all. I'm thinking of adding coconut on top next time. I wonder what coconut milk in place of cow's milk would taste like...

Bed night snack

Breakfast of champions: including Grandma's crabapple jelly.

January 2nd: Fig Muffins, Vanilla Pudding Cake

New Year. New you. New me. Much to look forward to in 2012!


What is a food blog without a camera? That is my question this week. My camera has died, for real this time, and I don't know when a replacement will be purchased. Current funds need to go towards things like skates and helmet for daughter #1, nursery set up for baby-to-be, and pre-natal yoga classes for yours truly.


At times that Greg is home, I will make do with his iphone. At other times ... my blog will be sadly picture-less. I apologize.


Facing the return to the grind tomorrow, I decided to cook up a last fancy meal before weeknight reality sets in. Then I got really inspired, and made muffins for breakfast and cake for dessert. It was a good last day at home.


For breakfast, I made, from the 2012 Milk Calendar: Walnut-Fig Muffins. These are healthy, with whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, and just figs and honey for sweetener. They are tasty too. I'll be eating these for breakfast at work this week, which should make the return a little easier.

I found my fancy supper recipe in the Ottawa Citizen in November, although it originally comes from Ruhlman's Twenty, by Michael Ruhlman: Weekday Coq au Vin. Despite its "weekday" name, I figured it would take too long for a normal weeknight, and that was good thinking. This took forever, didn't cook according to plan, and after all the work that went into it, I'm tossing the recipe. Really, it's just chicken legs, and they don't even have that much meat on them. Not enough reward for the effort.


For dessert, I made another recipe from the 2012 Milk Calendar: Vanilla Pudding Cake, served with a sprinkle of icing sugar and strawberries from the freezer (and wow, these taste so much better than the fresh ones available this time of year). After all the excess in our lives since Halloween, I told Olivia yesterday that there would be no more treats. She protested some, but not too much. Then tonight when I told her I was making cake, she gave me the most confused and quizzical look and said, "But you said no more treats!" What a smart cookie. I told her homemade treats occasionally will still be okay. She's down with that.

November 27th: mini chocolate orange muffins

Did you receive your 2012 Milk Calendar? I certainly got mine! I also got a jumpstart on the 2012 recipes, with O at my side, making mini chocolate orange muffins. They were pretty tasty. 48 mini muffins!

I also put the November 2011 recipe to the test: roast pork tenderloin and mushroom dinner. This is kind of like pork and mushroom soup, but on the healthier side. We didn't love this one. The white potatoes didn't cook through, even with much longer in the oven. If I were to do it again, I would drop the sweet potatoes, double and dice the white potatoes, and double the mushrooms. That might be worth a re-try. The pork was tender and delicious.

  

July 1st: Morning Glory Muffins

With Canada Day falling on a Friday, I felt a little ripped off, as I always have Fridays off and now I (a) don't have an extra day off for the stat holiday and (b) couldn't get all my Friday stuff done that I usually get done, since nothing is open. However, on the upside, my BODYFLOW class was cancelled, so I did get a relaxing Friday at home with Olivia, which is a rarity. Greg went golfing. O and I made muffins: these were brought to my attention by H., who is making a trip to Forks, not for the first time. They would make good road food: on the relatively healthy side, fairly filling and not messy.


These come from allrecipes.com: Morning Glory muffins, loaded with carrots, pineapple, walnuts, raisins, coconut and apple. I made some alterations to healthy them up: 1 cup whole wheat flour swapped in for white, sugar reduced from 1 1/4 cups to 3/4 cup, I used unsweetened applesauce and I left the peel on the grated apple. I meant to use unsweetened coconut but only had sweetened. I wish that I had thought to sprinkle flaxseeds on top before baking. Next time.


I have a touch of  a cold and thought they tasted on the plain side, but others assured me that was not the case. I'll have to try them again to make sure. The recipe makes 2 dozen.

We enjoyed these again on July 2nd: breakfast!

June 19th: oatmeal muffins

I've been doing a lot of muffins for breakfast recently. With Starbucks. Yum. My pick for 2011: Grande Vanilla Non-Fat Latte. I tried this oatmeal muffin recipe from 101 Cookbooks and the results were pleasing. Will likely try it again. The recipe said it made twice the amount of crumble needed for the 18 muffins the recipe make. I used it all. When it comes to crumble, go big or go home.

May 15th: blueberry streusel muffins

Although I've been digging these make ahead muffins I've made recently, I couldn't resist trying out the blueberry streusel muffins featured in May 2011's Chatelaine. I'm sold on anything containing streusel. These were a hit with all three of us.

May 8th: Banana-pecan make-ahead muffins

After successfully making lemon-poppy seed muffins last weekend, I was keen to try another version of Cook's Illustrated make-ahead muffins, this time opting for banana-pecan.

Banana-Pecan Muffins

3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

10 tbsps (1/2 cup + 2 tbsps) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (7 oz) sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups finely diced banana

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and beat in half of flour mixture, followed by one-third of yogurt. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, followed by half of remaining yogurt; repeat with remaining flour mixture and remaining yogurt. Stir in banana and pecans. Portion batter evenly into greased 12-cup muffin pan.

Refrigerate muffin pan, covered, up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. After muffin batter is completely frozen, about 6 hours, batter balls can be transferred to bag or container for freezer storage. Transfer batter balls back to prepared muffin pan before baking.

Heat oven to 375°F. Place frozen batter balls in muffin pan and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes if refrigerated or 35-40 minutes if  frozen. Let muffins cools in pan 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 12-15 delicious muffins.

Frozen batter

The fact this works just amazes me

May 4th: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

Obviously I didn't make muffins for supper. I actually whipped up the batter on the weekend with the intention of giving some to Casey & Kelly since they are in newborn phase. They're remarkably well-adjusted though and don't appear to need help. They got muffins anyway.


I made a double batch of these muffins so we could have some too and I've been eating them for breakfast this week. These are amazing make-ahead muffins from Cook's Illustrated. You make the batter, freeze it in a muffin pan (I recommend silicone) and then pop the uncooked muffins into a bag or container and keep in the freezer. When you are ready to cook 1 or 12, put the muffin batter balls in the muffin pan again, and bake them from frozen. Genius. I plan to try the banana-pecan version this weekend. But for now:


Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins


3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsps poppy seeds
1 1/2 tbsps grated lemon zest
10 tbsps (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt


Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and lemon zest together in a medium bowl; set aside.


Beat butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and beat in half of flour mixture, followed by one-third of yogurt. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, followed by half of remaining yogurt; repeat with remaining flour mixture and remaining yogurt. Portion batter evenly into greased 12-cup muffin pan.


Refrigerate muffin pan, covered, up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. After muffin batter is completely frozen, about 6 hours, batter balls can be transferred to bag or container for freezer storage. Transfer batter balls back to prepared muffin pan before baking.


Heat oven to 375°F. Place frozen batter balls in muffin pan and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes if refrigerated or 35-40 minutes if  frozen. Let muffins cools in pan 5 minutes before serving.


Makes 12-15 muffins.

Pulled from the freezer/ready for baking

Ready for eating

April 5th (take 2): jammy muffins

Remember those pumpkin muffins I made on the weekend? They didn't last (in a good way!), so I made a different batch of muffins Tuesday night to see us through the remainder of the week. These come from February 2010's Today's Parent: Overstuffed Muffins, AKA, muffins stuffed with jam. I take the magazine's advice and replace half the flour with whole wheat. One piece of advice: more batter on the bottom. If the jam seeps out the top it's no biggie, but if it gets out the bottom, it's tricky to get the muffin out of the pan (and I use a silicone pan, which is the easiest for muffin extraction).

Blueberry jam!

April 3rd: Double-Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Lemony Leeks and Braised Potatoes

Double-Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

I discovered a forgotten jar of pumkin in the freezer last week and thought I'd better make use of it. With perfect timing, I came across a recipe I tried last year I'd kept to try again: from April 2010's Chatelaine: Double-Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. These are mighty tasty, and I'll be eating them for breakfast this week.

Lemony Leeks and Braised Potatoes, or, how two sides make a good meal

As we were eating tonight's supper, we were discussing what the two side dishes would go well with: the lemony leeks would work nicely with chicken, and the braised potatoes could hold their own with beef. In fact though, the two together made a surprisingly satisfying meal. The third component to our meal was an orange we split three ways. Simple stuff, and really good. Both recipes from March 2011's Chatelaine.

November 14th: pear & cranberry muffins, artisan bread take 2, bean-free chili

Verdict:
Keeper: muffins, artisan bread, bean-free chili

Today, I managed to avoid leaving the house even once, which makes an amazing difference in the number of hours one can devote to one's past times, in my case meaning hours in the kitchen. I likely would have spent the same number of hours in the kitchen, but been more stressed out, if I had done things that needed to be done, like gone to the grocery store and the drug store. I'll worry about those things later.

During my multitudinous hours in the kitchen, I made pear and cranberry muffins and I prepped dough for gingerbread cookies (more on those whenever I get around to baking them). This was a second go-around for the muffins, and these are really good muffins, though I would say they are closer to a cupcake in terms of the amount of sugar in them. That must be why they taste so good. I think I'll keep this recipe; I just need to see what I think after eating one tomorrow for breakfast.

The recipe came from the Ottawa Citizen, November 2009, and I believe it may be a Karen Barnaby (Fish House Restaurant, Stanley Park, Vancouver) recipe, but I can't confirm that.

Pear and Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons (90 mL) flour*
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup (160 mL) vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
2 teaspoons (10 mL) apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups (560 mL) flour*
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
2 cups (500 mL) cored ripe pear (about 1 1/2 pears), diced into 1/2-inch (1-cm) chunks
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries (or raisins, if preferred)

*I used a combination of all-purpose white and whole wheat flours

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Prepare a 15-cup muffin tin.

To make the topping, combine the 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar, 6 tablespoons (90 mL) flour, butter and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix until crumbly.

Beat the 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla together in a large bowl.

Combine the water and vinegar.

Sift the flour, soda and salt together and blend into the oil mixture alternately with the water.

Add the pears and cranberries and mix until just combined. Spoon into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle generously with the topping.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.

Makes 15 muffins (or 12 muffins and 12 mini muffins) (mini muffins take 20 minutes to bake)

For supper, I whipped up artisan bread for the second time, with a few modifications. I wasn't planning to make the bread, but Patricia called me Saturday night as she was in the process of making the bread and I was inspired to make it as well. This time, though, I followed the recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which took the original Sullivan Street Bakery bread, reduced the liquid, and added in a bit of kneading to the process. Rather than using all water as the liquid, this one is a combination of water, beer and vinegar. The loaf turned out better than my first try, probably at least in part because I saved a few pieces of Saran from some mushrooms I bought and used those as plastic wrap over my bowl as I let the dough rise over night. I think I'll stick with this recipe in future; this loaf was more attractive, cooked perfectly, and tasted amazing.

To accompany the bread for supper I made a bean-free chili. This was a re-try from November 2009's Chatelaine: South-of-the-border sauce. The recipe I am keeping; the name I am not. This is a cross between a pasta sauce and a chili, without the pasta or the beans, the two parts I like the least. It's like it was meant to be. The recipe suggests serving the sauce on bread, which is what we did last year, and we didn't like that, so today we just ate it in bowls, à la chili, with bread on the side. This was the ideal way to eat it. Suggested toppings are sour cream and cheddar cheese (good) and avocado, which would probably be fabulous, but mine didn't ripen enough from the time I bought it on Friday. That's what happens when I plan meals last minute, as I did with this one. Had I known in advance I would need an avocado, I would have bought it a week ago.

Greg is in love with the bread, and me because of it. He swore tonight was the best meal we've ever had ever.

I'm off to Montreal for the next few days for work, so there will be no blogging for a bit. :)

October 24th: chicken divan, peekaboo muffins, cheesecake bars

Verdict:
Try Again: chicken, muffins, cheesecake

Sunday usually finds me cooking and baking up a storm, and Olivia likes to help out. Liam brought this Cooking With My Kid blog to my attention, and I saw a recipe I wanted to try out: Peekaboo Jam Muffins. Mini muffins with jam in the middle; what more could a kid want? Olivia's jobs, when baking, include dumping/pouring ingredients into bowls, sometimes stirring (can be disastrous!) and, her favourite, putting paper liners in the muffin pan.

I stuffed the muffins with three different types of jam/jelly, and the best kind was some raspberry jelly that Grandma gave me when we visited this past summer.

The jelly had the strongest flavour, which stood out the best in the completed muffins.

For supper tonight, I went real fancy and cooked up a Campbell's Soup recipe: Easy Chicken and Broccoli Divan. Shannon may recall cooking this for us last year when she lived with us temporarily (come back!). We had this with some tri-colour fusilli and salad. This is a pretty good recipe, but I would make one change: no need to cook the broccoli in advance; it just ends up mushy. I'm wondering if you could get away with not cooking the chicken in advance either. It's not clear to me why it needs to be done.

Finally, my treat for the week: from October 2010's Chatelaine: Pumpkin & chocolate cheesecake bars. I ate one of these tonight while they were still warmish, and I liked it. We'll see how they are tomorrow after firming up in the refrigerator. The candied ginger (love it!) in the crust is the most powerful flavour in these; if you're not a ginger fan, leave it out!