Fruit and Cheese

You know how sometimes one thought hopscotches to the next and you find yourself in the library searching for a book about Thomas Jefferson's years in Paris and wondering just how, exactly, you got there?

Well.

I started by thinking about Bastille Day, July 14, a patriotic holiday in France.  Bastille Day led me to thinking about French food, which led me to

cheese fondue (which is Swiss, turns out, in spite of the fact that this one is called French Onion Fondue).  Which led me to a book about cheese, written by a poet who mentions Moby-Dick and cheese curd in the same sentence and makes it seem like a natural pairing.  That led me to my Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

and its listing of fruits and cheeses, which led me to our backyard peach tree

which got me to wondering if I'd written about cheese and fruit pairings before, which led me to the Too Hot to Cook chapter of my book Queen of the Castle

where, turns out, I certainly had.

And now I'm curious about cheeses and France and the late 1700s and Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and about what resources there are for homeschoolers interested in France

even though I am not a homeschooler and have no plans to teach a unit on France and by now Bastille Day is long over.

So here's a sandwich.  A fine snack or part of a meal when it's too hot to cook.

Bread (skinny baguettes are good)
Cheese (Mascarpone, a sweetened cream cheese that, turns out, is from Italy, not France)
Backyard or grocery store peach, sliced

Put the cheese on a slice of the bread.  Put a slice of peach on the cheese.  Eat.

Coconut-Pineapple Smoothie

When it's too hot to cook, you just might need to drink some of your calories.  Here's a tropical coconut smoothie recipe I discovered in an old issue of Sunset magazine. 

This is just the kind of discovery that keeps me constantly trying new recipes.  It introduced me to cream of coconut -- an ingredient I'd never used before, but one that has become an immediate new favorite.  You can find it in the liquor section of the grocery store (though it's not alcoholic), near the grenadine and margarita salt.  Apparently it's used in pina coladas.  I was happily surprised to see it cost less than four dollars.

All I can say is, this cream of coconut is terrific in smoothies, especially if the other ingredients are mild enough that the coconut flavor shines through.  (When I put some in my mocha frappuccino, for example, the coffee flavor overpowered it.)  It's also terrific mixed with maple syrup (one part cream of coconut, two parts syrup), heated, and served over waffles.

Mmmph, it's good by the spoonful, too, straight from the can.  But if you tell anyone I said that, I 'll have to lie and say, no I didn't.

If you're curious about more uses for this creamy, sweet, coconut goodness, check out this web site.

And I would love to know:  Have you ever used cream of coconut, for drinks or other recipes?  Please share.

DELICIOUS COCONUT-PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE

For one serving, combine in blender:
1/2 c. plain, unflavored yogurt
1/4 c. frozen pineapple chunks
1/4 c. cracked ice (about 3 or 4 ice cubes)
1/2 banana, sliced
1 1/2 T. cream of coconut (mmmmm)

Whirl in blender until it's smooth.

Lemon-Poppyseed Jelly

Is there anything more appealing than a jar of home-preserved jam or jelly, bursting with fruit flavor fresh from the garden?

This lemon-poppyseed jelly is one of the best arguments I know for spending a couple hours in the kitchen, concocting your own fruit-infused condiments.

The most time-consuming part of the process is squeezing all the juice -- especially if your lemons, like many of mine this year, grew to be not much bigger than a quarter.

You think I'm kidding?
But in the end . . . look, oh look, at what you end up with.

Jars of tart, jelled bliss, ready to spread on a slice of homemade bread for the most perfect morning snack ever.

The recipe comes from an outstanding book called The Bountiful Kitchen by Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey.  Readers of Queen of the Castle may recognize this as the book that provided me with the best fresh tomato sauce recipe in the entire universe.

You think I'm kidding?

HONEYED LEMON POPPY SEED JELLY

Before making this recipe, make sure you have your canning supplies in order -- clean jars, big vat with boiling water, etc.  If canning is not your thing, just make sure you have six or eight clean jars or plastic containers to fill with your finished jelly.  You can pop it in the freezer or give it away to friends with instructions to keep it refrigerated and eat up in the next couple of months.

2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained (according to Bluestein and Morrissey, this will take about 13 lemons; my experience with itty bitty lemons, however, says just keep squeezing until you have enough -- maybe a gazillion lemons or so)

1 c. water

1 c. pure honey

1 box (1 3/4-oz.) powdered fruit pectin

3 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. poppy seeds

In large pot, combine lemon juice, water, honey, and pectin.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring.  I use a wire whisk to help get out all the little pectin lumps.  Once it's boiling well, add the sugar all at once and keep stirring with the whisk.  Bring back to boil and cook for precisely one minute.

Remove from heat and let sit five minutes.  Skim off foam; stir in poppy seeds.  Can, using your preferred method. 

(Mine, for jams and jellies, is simple:  I just use hot, clean Mason jars fresh from the dishwasher; fill with jelly and top with new, flat lids bought from the grocery store that have been waiting in scalding, nearly boiling water on a nearby burner; top the lid with canning jar rings, which generally come with a new box of jars; invert on a towel on the kitchen counter for five minutes; then turn right side up.  Voila!  Canned jelly.)

Banana-Honey-Lemon Syrup

Talk about simple.  This yummy honey-lemon-banana combination goes together in minutes (I was going to say seconds, but that would be hyperbole).  And it is sooo good -- the sweetness of honey joining the tang of lemon juice.  I had it over whole grain waffles from Trader Joe's, but it would be equally delicious over pancakes, and maybe even ice cream. 

Next time you're looking for something to jolly up your morning meal, whip up a batch of this.

And when you're done, try not to lick the plate.  It's really not very classy (she says, wiping syrup off her nose).

BANANA-HONEY-LEMON SYRUP
3/4 c. honey
4 T. lemon juice, divided
2 ripe bananas

In small pan, heat honey and 3 T. of lemon juice until just bubbling.  Remove from heat.  In separate bowl, slice bananas and squeeze remaining lemon juice over; swish fruit around in bowl so bananas are covered with juice (this will keep them from turning dark).  Add into honey mixture and serve over waffles or pancakes.

NOTE:  If you're not feeding a crowd, feel free to divide recipe in half or in quarters.  The banana slices look a tad gnarly the next day.

ANOTHER NOTE:  I have linked this post to Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family blog.  Check it out for some great ideas.

Five Sneaky Little Healthful Steps that Even Diehard Foodies Can Live With

Michele at Fit Foodista blog is hosting a blog carnival on food, health, and wellness.  When I hear the word carnival, I think cotton candy and caramel apples and I am most definitely in.  Here's my contribution to the carnival: 

Five Sneaky Little Healthful Steps that Even Diehard Foodies Can Live With

1.  Don't drink soda, drink water.  Except with pizza.  You gotta have soda with pizza.

2.  Make your own Happy Frappies.  I don't know the exact calorie count of my homemade blended frappuccino, but I'll bet with skim milk it's less than half the 500-plus calorie count of some local coffee shops' offerings.

3.  Good bread without butter is actually quite tasty.  Really.

4.  Instead of joining the rest of the family in shoveling in yummy salty French fries at the drive-through, just take a deep whiff instead.  The smell is just as good as the taste.  Maybe better.  And no calories whatsoever.

5.  Find some form of exercise you love and schedule it regularly into your life.  It will become like brushing your teeth; you will automatically do it without even thinking of skipping.

Bonus tip:  Better one blissful bite of blueberry muffin that actually tastes good than a whole huge fiber-filled wad of muffin that tastes like particle board.  As the author of the book French Women Don't Get Fat says, "Fortunately, with good chocolate, you don't need, and should not want, pounds of it for pleasure.  A couple of choice pieces a day won't disable your budget or your weight maintenance program."

Amen?

Amen.

Have you got any healthful tips to share with those of us who love our food?

Honey Mustard Dip

Sometimes it's the simplest food combinations that turn out to be the best.  Bananas with peanut butter. Bagels and cream cheese.  Onion dip with . . . just about anything.

This recipe is just such a find.  A simple mayonnaise/honey/Dijon mustard combination, this makes a tangy, surprisingly addictive dip for pretzels.  Or raw veggies.  The perfect snack to munch on while you cheer for your favorite football team.

HONEY MUSTARD DIP
1 c. mayonnaise (regular or no-fat)
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. honey
1 t. horseradish
1/2 t. dry mustard powder
1/4 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and enjoy with pretzels or raw veggies.

Mocha Frappuccino

I post this recipe as a public service to all those former frapppuccino lovers who have been suffering severe withdrawal these last months after Starbucks changed its formula from icy, chocolatey, coffee perfection to a drink that, alas, while still icy, no longer tastes like either chocolate or coffee.

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth -- and yes, a few beseeching phone calls to Starbucks headquarters -- we, here at the castle, have moved on.

Ok, by we, I mean me.

Ongoing experimentation, aided by other bereft, recovering SB addicts (thank you, LJ), has yielded this recipe, which I happen to love. I hope you will love it, too.

MOCHA FRAPPUCCINOS
This recipe starts with a "base" mixture you stir together and keep in the fridge. When you're ready for your drink, you simply pop 3/4 c. of the mix into the blender, add a dollop of chocolate sauce (about 1 T.), and about 10 frozen coffee cubes, and you're all set.

FRAP BASE
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (about 1 1/4 c.)
2 1/2 c. double-strength coffee (for this, I use instant espresso powder mixed with water, according to the package directions -- about 2 heaping tablespoons in 2 1/2 c. water)
2 1/2 c. milk

Mix the base together and keep in the fridge until you're ready for your yummy drink.
Handy hint: My blender doesn't do a great job at grinding up ice. If yours doesn't, either, use your meat tenderizer hammer-thingie to smash up the coffee ice cubes before putting them in the blender. I don't do this on my tile countertops because I wish to crack the ice, not the tile.

Another handy hint: Any extra hot coffee Kahuna leaves in the pot in the morning gets immediately whisked away and frozen into cubes. If you want to lighten the coffee flavor, you can use 5 coffee cubes in your drink and 5 regular ice cubes.

Cheers.

Flaming Omelet

I do love to play with my food.

So imagine my delight when I came across this book at a recent library book sale.

The Pyromaniac's Cookbook: The Best in Flaming Food and Drink (by John J. Poister). What could be more fun?

I'd never set my food on fire (on purpose, that is; the blazing toasted sesame seeds and the s'more pie's marshmallow topping hardly count, and I'd prefer we not mention those again, thank you for asking) until last fall, when I tried a banana, butter, and brown sugar number that you ignite with a touch of rum. Seeing as that was my first intentional kitchen conflagration, I had my son standing by with the fire extinguisher.

That experiment was a complete success, so it was with supreme confidence I set out this morning to flame my omelet, fire extinguisher snugly tucked away in its kitchen cabinet home.

I am happy to report that the flaming omelet was another complete success. All flames stayed in the pan where they belong. You'll note the lack of spectacular flaming photos because, well, I was a little busy there for a few seconds.

We have lots of these onions on hand at the moment, since we had to harvest them before the bunnies did. So I rejoiced to see this omelet called for onion. And also for blue cheese, which, if you check out this post, you will learn is a particular favorite of mine. I am sure, for the non-blue cheese lovers out there, you could substitute any kind of favorite cheese.

Now get out your little skillet, check the cabinets to see if you have any gin handy, find a nearby relative with a fire extinguisher if you're a tad nervous, and get cookin'.

Oh and please do not sue me if you happen to catch anything on fire.

BLUE CHEESE AND ONION FLAMING OMELET FOR ONE

about 1 T. diced onion (or green onion)

1/2 T. butter

2 eggs

2 t. milk (or cream)

2 t. water

salt/pepper, to taste

1 T. crumbled blue cheese

about 2 T. dry gin, warmed in the microwave for 15-20 seconds

Saute onions in butter until soft, but not browned. Remove to small dish. Add a smattering more butter to your skillet, if needed. In small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, water, salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and cook over medium heat until top is pretty well set.

I like to use the wooden spoon to gently lift up the edges of the egg as it's cooking, tilting the pan so the runny part makes its way to the pan's edge. If the center of the omelet is still too gooey for my liking, I'll poke a couple small holes in the middle to let the egg run down to the pan's bottom to cook.

When eggs are pretty set, sprinkle on the onions and the blue cheese. (Poister also added green olives and chopped parsley here, but I did not.) While top of omelet is still creamy, fold over, add the warmed gin, and light on fire. Make sure your wooden spoon is not still on the edge of your pan (ahem). Serves one. Deliciously.

Quote from The Pyromaniac's Cookbook: "The pyrotechnical display connected with flaming dishes does and should have a positive psychological effect on both the server and the servee. At the very least it should be a treat, if not a feast for the eye."

Additional note: If you check out the Amazon link to this book, you'll see a very sweet review written by the author's son.

Smoky Hard-Boiled Eggs

If you're looking for a fun summertime snack, perfect for taking on a picnic, look no further. These hard-boiled eggs, marinated overnight in a soy sauce/sesame oil mixture, are fun and different and quite yummy -- if I do say so myself. I got the recipe from one of those cute little community cookbooks from about 30 years ago.

Don't those community cookbooks have the best recipes ever?

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 T. sugar

1 t. sesame oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. liquid smoke

4-6 hard-boiled eggs

Mix all ingredients but the eggs. (I mix everything right in the measuring cup.) Put the eggs in a small bowl (lidded is good, if you have one) and pour marinade over. Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Chai (Indian Milk Tea)

Please ignore the muffled sobs coming from this little corner of the blogosphere. It's just me, quietly (ok, not so quietly) mourning the loss of my FAVORITE DRINK IN THE WHOLE WORLD, Starbucks' mocha frappuccino. The company has decided to discontinue the beloved old formula -- which is a whole 'nother matter -- but rather than continue to weep and wail over this sad day in American history, I have begun my quest for alternate wonderful beverages.

And this one's a fine start.

It contains plenty of sugar, making it a drink you'll want to consume in moderation. I'm choosing to call it dessert -- then I can calmly sit and sip my drink in peace.

CHAI (Indian Milk Tea)

3 c. cold water

2 three-inch cinnamon sticks, broken in half

1 1/2 T. loose tea

3/8 c. sugar

1 c. milk

In medium saucepan, combine water and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil, then cover and boil for ten minutes. Add the tea. Return to boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for three minutes. Stir in sugar and milk until sugar dissolves. Cover and simmer for four more minutes. Strain before drinking. Serves 3. (You can keep this in the fridge and reheat in the microwave later.)

Do you have a great beverage recipe you'd be willing to share? Perhaps one that contains sugar, caffeine, and chocolate, she asks with a wee bit of hope in her voice?

Sauteed Bananas

Don't you love recipes that take just a couple ingredients and a few minutes? This is one of those. A lovely little dessert that's super simple to make. I found it in a nifty cookbook by Mark Bittman called The Minimalist Entertains.

These directions will serve one, so multiply accordingly.

Peel one banana. Cut it in half then split in half again lengthwise. You will have four pieces.

Melt a pat of butter (about 1 T.) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until foaminess subsides.

Dredge banana pieces in a bit of flour. Shake off excess flour, then

place banana in butter.

Cook until golden, turning when needed. (Bittman says this takes 10 minutes, but mine browned in about 2-3 minutes.) Sprinkle with 1/2 t. - 1 t. sugar and cook for one more minute. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.

Anything you like to make with bananas that the rest of us should know about?

What I Love About Being a Homemaker . . .

. . . on a random day in December:
Scented candles
An extra trip to town for dinner ingredients, because I just felt like having shrimp and lemon and garlic pasta tonight
Lowering the kitchen lights, lighting the Advent candle, and soaking in thoughts of the Light of the world
Getting to have a half-hour telephone conversation with my son who's two states away


Enjoying homemaking pictures from inspiring magazines, even if they are of iced tea in pretty crystal glasses while I'm two feet from the fireplace and wearing layers
Being home to get fires going, giving physicality to the statement, "Keeping the home fires burning"
Homemaking books from my shelves that inspire me to love my family even more

Food, glorious food
These are simple SMOKED SALMON APPETIZERS. Spread smoked salmon strips with softened cream cheese. Put sliver of dill pickle in center and roll up. Voila.

What do you love about being a homemaker on a random day in December?

Homemade Food Gifts

Well, it's getting close to that time of year again -- the time when we all start to figure out what holiday gifts we want to give to friends, relatives, neighbors, teachers. I hate waiting until mid-December to think about this because then I end up lunging for overpriced items that I could easily make myself if I weren't in panic mode.

So . . . Christmas in October. It works for me.

This cheese ball made with sun-dried tomatoes (or in my case, dehydrator-dried tomatoes; see tomato glut here) is super simple to put together if you have a food processor. Just four ingredients, whirled together, then shaped in a ball and rolled in toasted chopped nuts. Takes just minutes. And for those who don't like to cook -- there's no cooking involved.

This recipe makes a lot -- three good sized cheese balls, or six 1/2-cup balls for small gifts. Feel free to divide it by three when you're first trying the recipe to see if you like it. No sense in having all those cheese balls lying around.

The recipe comes from this book, Christmas with Southern Living 1993, which contains Christmas decorating ideas, crafts, and recipes. For a while I was on quite a roll, buying Christmas crafts and recipe books year after year. I'm thinking at this point I probably have enough. But they are awfully fun, and full of inspiring pictures, even if all you have time to do is admire the inspiring pictures.

On to the recipe:

CHEESE BALL WITH MARINATED DRIED TOMATOES

3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 7-oz jar oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic

2 t. dried basil

1/2 c. coarsely chopped pine nuts or almonds, toasted (I use pine nuts; put them in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they start to turn brown)

Use knife blade in food processor bowl. Add first four ingredients and let the machine chop away. When tomatoes look to be pretty well diced (probably only 20 seconds or so), scrape the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate. (The recipe says to chill for three hours or more, but being the impatient cook that I am, I usually just proceed without chilling. It's a little sticky, but it still works.) Shape into three one-cup balls, or six 1/2-cup balls. Roll in the toasted nuts. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with crackers.

Yum.

NOTE: My food processor is really a mini-chopper, so if I'm making the whole recipe, it works best for me to do it in three batches. I've never tried it in a blender, but that might work, too.

I'd love to hear what food items you make for gifts. If you've posted about some of your favorites, feel free to leave a link in your comment. My stomach and I thank you in advance.

ANOTHER NOTE: For more ideas from Works-for-me-Wednesday, go here.

Ann Kroeker's Belgian Salad and Crepes

Big excitement here at the castle. Today I have a GUEST POST-er!

It's Ann Kroeker, whose blog you'll find here. Ann has written the recently-published book, Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families, which is filled with encouragement for families to take life a bit slower in all kinds of ways: slow down so kids can be creative, slow down so your family can savor traditions, slow down long enough to enjoy God's creation.

One of my very favorite suggestions from the book was to take time to scribe; to write down a section or book of the Bible, word for word, allowing each and every word to really sink in. After reading about this, I've started transcribing in a journal the gospel of Mark. I can't wait to see what treasures unfold.

When I asked Ann if she had any recipes for readers who hope to slow down the pace of family life, here is what she shared:

My husband grew up in Belgium, where everyone in the country knows how to stop mid-morning and enjoy a leisurely coffee break. In fact, this might come as a shock, but vehicles in Belgium don’t come with standard cupholders. While Belgians might take a Thermos full of coffee to drink later on during their mid-morning break, they don’t seem to drink any en route. Maybe that’s because most cars have manual transmissions and require shifting with a hand that might otherwise be holding the mug. Or maybe Belgians would rather wait until they can sit down at home or a café and truly enjoy sipping it while nibbling a Speculoo cookie. I suppose we could argue that the caffeine from all that coffee negates their slow-down tendencies, but in general, Belgians seem to know how to hit the pause button. From what I can tell on my visits, Belgian families seem to eat together often, and their evening meals are eaten slowly, while sitting down and talking.

To celebrate their slower pace of life, I’d like to share two European recipes.

The last time we were visiting family in Belgium, I learned how to make a delicious salad using Belgian endives. That’s what they’re called at American supermarkets. The French word for them is “chicons.” This salad is an easy and delicious change of pace when it comes to a side dish/salad option. I fix it for adults, though, as kids aren’t sure about the taste of the endives, which is slightly bitter (though balanced with the sweetness from the mandarin oranges). Here’s the link (scroll to the very bottom for the recipe—but feel free to pause and admire the Belgian bread and beer pictures, if you like).

We also love crepes, which are a little bit more French than Belgian, but Belgians certainly make them. They are simple and inexpensive to prepare, yet make my family feel so loved. The kids literally jump up and down when I announce that crepes are on the menu and often request them for birthday breakfasts. Guests gobble them up. I wrote a crepe-making post years ago that includes the recipe, instructions, and helpful videos I plucked from YouTube to illustrate various stages of crepe-making. Here’s the link to“Crepes? Mais, Oui!” Much later, I recorded two simple videos of my own to illustrate how to “spin” the crepe batter on the skillet and how to roll a crepe on one’s plate before eating it.

I’d love to see more and more American families start slowing down enough to gather around tables for dinner. It’s easy to lose this tradition in the shuffle of frenzied schedules. When we’re always on the go, we lose the fellowship of this daily act of hospitality that we can offer to each other and extend to others as the Lord leads.

Maybe you don’t have time for dinner this week—if so, at the very least, try implementing an everyday slow-down solution from across the pond: Be a little Belgian today and brew a pot of coffee. Then sit down for a few minutes with a friend and talk. It’s a way to live not so fast in our high-speed world.

NOTE: For more thoughts about not-so-fast living, see Ann's posts here. And enjoy that coffee.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

A lovely way to start the day, if you ask me. Also a fine choice for those brown-bag lunches or an after- school snack. These travel well.

The original recipe, which I'm pretty sure came from the back of the sugar bag, called for walnuts, but I never add them. Feel free, if you have nut lovers in your house.

1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In large bowl, stir together sugars, flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl, mix together milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add milk mixture; stir to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). Spoon batter into greased muffin cups. (Make sure to grease the top of the muffin cups and on the edges around the cups, to make it easy to get them out when they're done.) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 large muffins.

NOTE: Don't forget to enter the book giveaway here if you want a chance to win Susan R. Blaske Williams's book Making It Home: How to Run Your Household Like a Business . . . and Find Your Heart Along the Way . Contest is open until Friday, Aug. 28.

Heavenly Peach Jam Omelet

Oh how I love this omelet.
It's made of the simplest ingredients -- a tablespoon of butter, two eggs, a dash of salt, two tablespoons of jam and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
This is one of those dishes that is more than the sum of its parts.
You can whip it up in just minutes, for a quick lunch, supper, snack, or even breakfast.
Yum.
The recipe comes from a fun little book I'm growing to love, Country Egg, City Egg by Gayle Pirie and John Clark. The authors use apricot jam, by the way. But I used some peach jam that was just crying out to be eaten. I'll bet any jam would be delicious.

PEACH JAM OMELET
1 T. butter (I used salted; the authors use unsalted)
2 eggs
dash salt
2 T. peach jam
dash or two of powdered sugar


Over medium-high heat, melt butter in small skillet until frothy but not browned.
Whip together eggs in a separate bowl, and add a touch of salt.

With heat still on medium-high, pour eggs into skillet. Use wooden spoon to pull in the edges of the omelet several times so the runny middle part can slip out to the edges of the pan and cook. This helps the center of the eggs stay soft and creamy.

Remove from heat. Put jam in middle of eggs and roll in the top third of omelet, and continue rolling. Place omelet on plate and dust with powdered sugar.

Eat, and commence purring.

Berry Butter

Well aren't these the cutest things? They're softened butter, mixed with berry jam then plopped onto wax paper and shaped into hearts with the back of a spoon.
Wouldn't they be perfect to serve with toast for a special breakfast? Or to serve at tea time with scones?
BERRY BUTTER
3 T. butter, softened
1 1/2 T. jam (I used olallieberry)
When the butter is soft, smush it into the jam with the back of a spoon.

Make 5 little piles on wax paper, then use the spoon to shape into hearts. Refrigerate.

Don't you think you could make these ahead and freeze them to whip out for company?

And if THAT works, don't you think you could make up some honey butter and freeze in little heart shapes for eating with biscuits some evening? Or chive butter and freeze for serving with baked potatoes?

The possibilities are endless.

(Idea came from The Fisher-Price Fun with Food All Year Round Cookbook.)

Anyone have any great flavored butter ideas to share?

NOTE: For more great ideas, check out Kitchen Tip Tuesdays at Tammy's Recipes.

Fruity Slush

This is a nice, healthy snack which can also serve as a side dish or dessert. Simple to make, you just whirl 4 ingredients in the blender, then pop into the freezer for a couple of hours to turn slushy. As an extra bonus, you get a great calcium boost from the nonfat dry-milk powder. Healthy and tasty. SCORE.

FRUITY SLUSH
1 c. crushed pineapple, packed in its own juice
1/2 banana
1 T. frozen orange juice concentrate (I didn't have this, but used about 3 T. regular orange juice instead)
1/3 c. nonfat dry milk powder
Blend all ingredients in blender. Place mixture in plastic bowl and put in freezer for a couple hours, until slushy. (Two hours was perfect for mine. It sounds from the recipe like you can still eat it even if it gets really firm.)
NOTE: Go check out Ann Kroeker's Food on Fridays for more culinary deliciousness.

Hot Spiced Lemonade

For those of us whose lemon trees are going berserk, here's a nice hot spiced drink that will use up a few of them.

I cut this recipe in half, making only two servings instead of four.

3 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

10 whole cloves

8 whole allspice

2 3-inch pieces of cinnamon

Put all ingredients in quart jar and stir. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. (Since I made half the recipe, I nuked it for 2 minutes.) Let stand for 15 minutes, take out spices, then reheat and drink. (Being the impatient-to-try-it-now person that I am, I performed a small experiment and drank some of the this immediately, and some after the spices steeped for 15 minutes as directed. Alas, it was indeed better after the wait.) Serves 4.

This recipe came from an old issue of Cooking Light magazine, which reports one serving is about 110 calories.

Bread Sticks

I was prepared not to like this recipe as the directions I received were kind of sketchy. But I've made them twice now in three days, at my husband's request, so I'd say we have a winner.

Where the instructions were vague was just what size to roll the dough out to, how thin to roll it, how many bread sticks a recipe should make. So I just did what I thought was best, and we love the results. If you're serving people with small appetites, you could probably cut them in half once they're baked. We do not have small appetites. So we leave them -- large, irregular, a little goofy looking. But delicious.

And more bread-like than bread stick-like. But enough of the chatter.

BREAD STICKS

1 1/4 c. water

3 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 T. yeast

1/4 c. butter, melted

In bread machine pan, place water, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Put machine on the manual "dough" setting and push start.

When cycle is through, remove dough to well-floured board. Pat it down into a rectangle, about 6 inches by 12 inches.

Melt the butter and pour it onto a cookie sheet with sides. Swirl the butter so it thinly covers entire sheet.

With sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 strips, approximately 6 inches by 1 inch. Place dough strips onto cookie sheet. They should all fit onto one sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes; pull out pan and use a fork to flip the sticks over and bake for another 10 minutes. That's it.

Anyone else ever made homemade bread sticks? I'd love to hear how you make them.

Note: for more recipes or food ideas, check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.