procrastination

i apologize to every nonexistent reader of this blog for not keeping up with my original continuous cooking course. ive gotten distracted and permanently full. turns out, this little body can only take so many calories before shunning any additional nutrition. but im going to get back on track, i promise.

tomorrow, ive got a final. that means, im going to be super happy that ive got one done that im going to celebrate by making hot and smoky toasted pecans. it looks simple to do, and im nuts for nuts so i might as well give it a whirl.

so ill see you tomorrow for the continuation of the quest!

domestically yours,
--amandamargaret

gingerbread cookies

 

the second day of the chef challenge is complete and so is another recipe! this time, its the crunchy, slightly spiced holiday favorite; the gingerbread cookie.

ive actually never had gingerbread cookies (save for that one time in fifth grade when i was sick and inahled five stale ginger snaps. couldnt taste them so it doesnt count. aah "logic"..) but ive always wanted to, and since this book has a recipe, i took the plunge and became a gingerbread-making ginger!

heres the recipe, now go have fun.

1/2 cup of softened butter

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

3 cups of flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground ginger side note: ginger smells totally funky.. its a very pungent tree root..

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 baking powder

preheat oven to 350 degrees. beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a large bowl. beat in molasses and egg. combine remaining ingredients in another large bowl. stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. wrap dough in plastic wrap. dont wrap the bowl, actually take the batter out and saran wrap it. chill one hour. roll out dough on lightly floured surface. take out cookie cutters and go nuts. bake for 10-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie pan.

let the cookies cool for 5-7 minutes and then its icing time! the book gives an icing recipe, however, i went with betty crocker's cream cheese icing. though if youre feeling like a super susie homemaker, heres the recipe.

2 cups of powdered sugar

3 tablespoons of warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder

beat sugar, water, and meringue powder in a bowl at high speeh with an electric mixer 7-10 minutes or until stiff. spoon icing into a pastry bag, i used a heavy duty ziploc bag and snipped off the corner. works just as well, and its super handy, and decorate to your heart's desire.

the end result is an unbelievable amount of delicious cookies. literally, the size is ridiculous. three entire plates full. only make this recipe when baking for an army or a house of four college-age guys. brendan's whole house is going to love me now..

two days in, and im already enjoying myself immensely.

good choice on a hobby, amanda.

domestically yours,

--amandamargaret

bruschetta

my first hurdle is complete!

since im a carboholic, its no suprise that i love italian cuisine. and seeing that i love italian cuisine, i love this fantastic appetizer. 

bruschetta is grilled bread topped with tomatoes, garlic, onions and basil with a healthy dousing of olive oil. i first came in contact with this angel food when i was in heaven, aka carrabbas. if you get a chance to go, go. if not, follow this recipe.

1 lb roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded

1/3 cup of sweet onions, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

combine all ingredients into a large bowl. the book says to whisk but that can squash the tomatoes, so i just folded the mixture with my washed hands.

next, the bread.

get a loaf of bread, sourdough tastes best, and slice it into half pieces. (check the pic) then brush the bread with olive oil and broil till golden. set your oven on broil and it only takes a couple of minutes for the bread to get nice and toasty. top the bread with the mixture and youre good to go!

its healthy, its delicious, its super easy and its fun to make. mary beth came over for lunch and instead of going out for taco bueno, we made this snazzy little meal. even though we ate entirely too much of the blend, we didnt feel heavy or gross. viva la vegetables!

domestically yours,

--amandamargaret

day one: the start of the challenge

im about to embark on a culinary crusade. one that will hopefully change my eating habits and who knows, may even change me. but lets not get ahead of ourselves.. first let me explain before i begin to ramble nonsensically.

i was in barnes and noble yesterday reading jon stewarts earth: the book  and aj jacobs the year of living biblically (good reads by the way) when i became distracted, as many add folks will be, by the enormous section of cookbooks dominating the nearest wall. let me explain: i love to cook. im good at it and i find it ridiculously entertaining. however, ive always wanted to be one of those people who can whip up fantastic eats with the random stuff in her kitchen. instead of following a recipe on a box, i want to follow a recipe on an old tattered notcard handed down for generations. so i promptly put down my already dog-eared novel and began to investigate. first i pulled down a girly 200 meals for under 200 calories! but after realizing that the main ingredients in mainly all the dishes were splenda, egg substitute and air, i quickly discarded. a couple more cookbooks, a couple more disappointments. then, i saw it. a heavenly sight to my eyes and growling stomach: the christmas cookbook.

for those who dont know me all that well, let me first tell you that i love christmas an abnormal amount. as soon as thanksgiving ends, im all about overweight men in costume fedexing unknown children handmade toys. the wreaths, the snow, the dead trees, the ornaments, the music, the chill, and especially the food. so when i saw those two words together; christmas and cookbook, i knew i was holding something special.

i immediately scampered back to my oversized chair and began to pore over the recipes. toasted pecans, mint chocolate cake, stuffed turkey rolls, sugar cookie christmas trees.. the list went on and on. not only that, but this little book had craft ideas too. tinsel wreaths, gingham aprons, glittery gingerbread houses.. it was like i stumbled upon a book of magic.

to make a long story longer, i went and bought the book for eleven dollars and change and ran out of the shop. i proceeded to head to my unfriendly neighborhood walmart to get my supplies for my cooking adventure and then drop them off at home.

that was yesterday.

today is the big day.

today i begin the challenge. the challenge is to make at least one meal or snack every day from scratch. im done with boxed cakes, tubed cookie dough and frozen chicken. im going to cook my way through the tasty items in this book and when im done, ill buy a new one. this is my quest for domestication. a journey that will lead me to new recipes and a knowledge of how to correctly use an icing bag without causing an explosion. my destination is fullness. my means to get there are unlimited. my documentation of this adventure will be this blog.

so watch out kitchen. youre about to get overused.