Two Chocolatey Passions

These are not just fulfilling pregnancy cravings here. These are two treats that I'd actually consider paying the $6.99 shipping for from Amazon if there was no other way to get them--pregnant, not pregnant or post-menapausal. Thankfully, with a little Kroger and Costco just a hop down the road, I don't even need to wait (or pay) for shipping.

First, the Mark Avenue Chocolates' Chocolate Covered Coconut Almonds. Now, I am actually a fair weather coconut fan. But these little babies fulfill an inner need I never knew I had. Enough coconut and dark chocolate to render an exceptional macaroon with the additional crunch of a roasted almond(!). They're pretty fantastic. And maybe addictive. 

And then the Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate balls of goodness, ah. Not actual pomegranate seeds; more like a quality pomegranate-flavored Gusher (minus juice) covered in a thick layer of quality dark chocolate. An unexpected combo, a beautiful result. Also strangely popable and perhaps addicting.

One ingredient ice cream

My dear friend Lillian introduced us to this fabulous idea.

Freeze bananas.
Blend them.
It is ice cream.

No, it really is.

Essential tips: 

 -   Freeze bananas when edible. Not too green or too brown.

 -   Cut up before you freeze them; put in freezer ziploc. 

 -   When blending, add a little milk to make it creamier.

 -   Experiment with ingredients. We like to add about 1/3 c. chunky peanut butter to 3 frozen bananas and serve topped with chocolate syrup. Lillian discovered adding Nutella. So yummy! Her beautiful photo of it below, taken from her first food blog.

You must try it!

Oatmeal Cake

Ben and I, with no outside forces, ate this entire sheet cake in less than 72 hours. It is a name that strikes you as a baked good only Bert could love. But no. While eating this sheet cake I was transported to somewhere between a delightful Christmas Party and Donut World in the morning after the paper route.

Oatmeal Cake

1 1/2 c. hot water
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda

In large bowl, pour hot water over oatmeal. Add all other ingredients. Mix. Pour into sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Frost.

Frosting:
1 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
4 t. cream (or milk)
2 c. coconut

Combine butter, sugar and cream in saucepan. Bring to boil, and boil 1 minute. Add coconut. Spread over cake. Put under broiler until coconut is browned.

German Chocolate Pie

Marie Callendar's German Chocolate Pie is still the telltale celebration dessert of my childhood household. Note: I've never liked German Chocolate cake. Ben is not a big pie fan. But we both love this pie. The chocolate melted on the bottom of the crust, the coconut, pecans, flaky crust, light whipped cream and chocolate pumpkin shaped seeds! It's something in itself to celebrate.

So I was notably distressed when I noticed that the local Marie Callendar's restaurant was out of business. Nooooo!

I decided I can't do without this pie for the rest of my life. I frantically searched for the recipe online. It didn't take long to find or make. Ben and I kicked off our recent Staycation with it.

German Chocolate Pie

8" pie shell, baked*
1 small box dark chocolate pudding (NOT instant)---we'd get a large box next time.
1 C. chocolate chips
1/2 C. fine coconut
1/2 C. chopped pecans or walnuts
Whipped topping, thawed---we used the canned whipped cream: Marie Callendar's style

Directions

Cover bottom of crust with chocolate chips, just enough for a single layer to cover bottom. Heat in oven or microwave to SLIGHTLY warm and soften the chocolate chips. Meanwhile, cook pudding according to box directions and add coconut and nuts; stir well. Pour while hot into pie crust. Chill in refrigerator until set. Once chilled, top with whipped topping. Sprinkle top with a few chocolate chips, coconut and nuts if desired.

*We made my Mom's pie crust recipe which I thought was perfect for this pie.

Mom's Pie Crust

2/3 c. + 2 T. shortening
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
8-10 T. cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Sprinkle in water 1 Tablespoon at a time. Stir. When all flour moistened (not sticky), roll on floured surface. Makes 2 pie crusts. 

Lift dough into pan. Poke several holes in dough with fork so crust doesn't get big bubbles. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Calamity Jane's

Before he visited, Ben admitted that when he tried to envision Oregon all he could imagine were swinging saloon doors. Now c'mon.

However. There is one living memory of those days that happens to be a family favorite: the "hamburger parlour" Calamity Jane's.

We stop there on the way to or from Mt. Hood for their shakes and fries. My personal favorite? The marshmallow shake. The creamiest thing ever.

See that glass my brother's holding? There's enough shake in the metal container to fill that glass 3 times. It's fantastic. The burgers are great too, but those shakes are what call to me.

And all the dollar bills on the ceiling make the place rather individual as well.

So if you're headed to Mt. Hood stop in at this place.

Cafe Rio

Have I not written about this? Really, I've not written about this?! When Ben and I lived in Utah we ate out on Friday nights for our dates. So as to branch out we had a rule for ourselves that we couldn't go out to the same restaurant twice in the same year...except Cafe Rio.

I got my favorite sweet and spicy pork salad when I was recently visiting Salt Lake. And, like always, it was heaven. The best part for me: the tortillas.

Also high on the "why I love Cafe Rio" list are: the huge (!) portions, the tomatillo dressing, the shredded pork, the freshest of ingredients, the fast and cheery service, the Tres Leches, the free quesadillas for kids. There's simply no beating it.

When I asked my cute sister-in-law, 15, and fun brother-in-law, 13, what their favorite place to eat is besides Cafe Rio they thought and answered, "There really is no other place to eat." Agreed.

Iceburg

I think a good milkshake is a hard thing to come by. Too many are either too milky or too ice creamy. While in Salt Lake, I was introduced to the Iceburg milkshake. That chocolate fudge large was a beautiful thing. Very chocolatey, very large and a very good combination of thick and creamy. Iceburg, I'll be back.

Dim Sum Go Go

Okay, I'll stop with the New York City stuff. Especially since in that last post I called the museum the Metro (name of D.C. subway) instead of the Met (which to me, c'mon people, is the opera). Well, I'm not claiming to be some really savvy New Yorker here; I just said I liked the place. Whatever. How embarrassing. At least I went back and changed my typo. No one shall ever know...

So now on to the point. We read good reviews on the Dim Sum Go Go restaurant in Chinatown. But man. I'll forever dream about those wok-seared noodles and full flavor dishes. I don't even remember the names of what we ordered. But you know it's good when you welcome an hour of stop and go traffic on the highway home just so you can eat your leftovers while driving.

Carnegie Deli

We just did a little 3-day trip to New York City for Spring Break, and we heard the Carnegie Deli was a must-do experience. It's at 7th avenue and about 55th Street.

We actually got the Reuben; my first Reuben experience. I'm sure no other will ever compare! But I didn't snap a picture of it, ah. So I swiped this pastrami (?) from online--this is what "sandwich" means there. We decided to split one.

We walked at least 20 blocks to get there at the end of a loooong, looong touristy walking day with a tired, cranky 15 month-old at about the end of his rope. When there, he spilled two glasses of water all over the floor, started to freak, so we got the cheesecake to go, and then we had another looong, loong walk back to our hotel. And I'm telling you it was totally worth it. Plus, the waiter was so nice about our water spills. Loved it.

Classico Pesto

Lately:
In my tuna pita

In Ben's vegetable soup

On our Friday night pizza

This stuff is so good. It makes common food classy food, and I like that. And I think it's as good as the homemade I've done. But cheaper--$2. No buying fresh basil or pinenuts. Or even walnuts. Now, if I had a herb garden and nut-bearing tree I'd consider doing homemade again to compare quality. But why when it's so easy to purchase in a jar?!

To try:

On a veggie sandwich or wrap

In white sauce again

Eating fresh

I love casseroles. I do. It's comfort food to me. However, it feels good to eat fresh. We just ate this adapted version of friend Mary's recipe:

White Bean Tuna Salad Pitas

1/4 c. cider vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 t. dijon mustard

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 T. olive oil

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (6 oz. each) light water-packed tuna, drained

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. chopped red onion

1 cucumber, sliced

pesto

whole wheat pitas

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; gradually whisk in oil. In a large bowl, combine the beans, tuna, celery, and onion; add dressing and toss gently. Refrigerate until serving. Cut pita in half, spread pesto, and fill with tuna mixture. Add cucumber. Can also garnish with sprouts, tomato, hummus, cheese, etc.

Slow Cooker

I'm not a big fan of eating meat. Or rather, I don't like cooking meat. And I don't like eating big chunks of dried out meat I laboriously prepared. (That I somehow didn't prepare right.)

I've only recently learned the beauty of the slow cooker. You thrown in frozen chicken or beef, a few other ingredients and leave. Then dinnertime comes and you have tender shredded, flavorful meat in a yummy meal. Easy prep, good warm food, easy clean-up. Who came up with these?-- they're brilliant.

Chicken Cacciatore

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2-3 lb. chicken, frozen

12 oz. tomato paste

1 c. sliced mushrooms (we usually put in frozen since that's how we store leftover mushrooms)
1 t. salt

3/4 c. chicken broth or bouillon

1/4 t. pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1 bay leaf

1. Place onion in slow cooker. Add chicken.

2. combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken.

3. Cover. Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours.

4. Serve over spaghetti.

Pumpkin

Ymm, eating pumpkin. Pie, cookies, bread, ice cream, soup, muffins. It's all so yummy and seasonal. I just had to highlight a few pumpkin dessert recipes we've made so far this year and loved!

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 t. nutmeg

3/4 t. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1/3 c. water

1 c. pumpkin

Mix dry ingredients. Make a well and add remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth. Grease and flour loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Yields 2 medium (or one large and one small) loaves.

Pecan Pumpkin Dessert

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pecan-Pumpkin-Dessert/Detail.aspx

Wegmans' Bakery

The morselly goodness of Wegmans muffins and donuts. ::sigh:: A beautiful thing.

Cut-out Cookies

Holidays aren't holidays without cut-out (cutout?) cookies. At least in the Mower household. Usually it's a Christmas thing, but last year I purchased a leaf cut-out on clearance, so holidays are beginning early this year.

And these cookies are good, ah! So soft and thick and the perfect sweetness. And with the creamy frosting with almond extract, they're simply irresistible. It's comfort food at its best.

Cut-out Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Dash of nutmeg

1/2 c. sour cream

3 1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

Combine ingredients in bowl. Roll out on hard floured surface. Put cutouts on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.

Creamy Frosting

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. shortening

dash of salt

3/4 t. almond extract

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/8 c. + 1/2 T. milk

several drops of food coloring

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Beat with mixer until fluffy and creamy. Add food coloring and stir. (The amounts are halved here.)

Yogi Tea

Drinking warm herbal tea. Mmm. It relaxes me just to say it. Especially if it's in an old familiar mug and it's late. It reminds me of being young and safe, just talking to my mom.

And Ben's fabulous mom Nancy gave me this Breathe Deep Yogi Tea. It's amazing, you really have to try it. It's hardly herbal tea, it's flavorful and has a zippy sweetness to it. They recommend to not drink it if your pregnant of lactating though because of the licorice root, so I haven't had it in ages! So here's to relaxing with a mug of Breathe Deep in the upcoming future. Mmm.