Celebrating Additions

...No, not the garage addition yet.

...No, not the grandbaby yet... or, specifically, not his arrival.

Terrible phone photo
of the happy newlyweds

But we did gain a brother-in-law and a grand-niece so far this week!!  Wonderful blessings, and we hope our grandson joins the party soon.  

--Very soon, and his mama would sure agree!  Especially with 90 degree temperatures here this week.










Actually, we did celebrate the baby last weekend, as well as his daddy's new degree. 

Prince Steadfast's degree completions always seem to be a bit overshadowed.  When he got his Associate in Arts degree, we were in major wedding planning mode.  Now, after 2 years of intense dedication, the accomplishment of his Associate in Science - Transfer Track 2 for Engineering was almost lost in baby preparations.  

Not wanting to let that slip by unrecognized after all of his hard work, we celebrated both important events with a combination graduation party/baby shower.

Grad cap cupcakes.. (made with mini Reeses cups
and Ghirardelli squares)

...and pacifier cupcakes (large Lifesavers and jelly beans).
All by our cupcake aficionado,  Princess Eager

Baby is growing & growing!
Princess Sassy bought a new
dress the week before,
but by party time it was too small,
so she had to find something else
at the last minute.

The cutest thing ever?  After the party, Steadfast had the help of one his best friends in trying to figure out the MobyWrap baby carrier.  ;-)

Rolling with the Season

I started at 6:45 AM so that I could get this task underway
and not worry about it all day.  Highly recommended!

It was our turn to host our Bible study group, so I needed a treat idea, and was craving something pumpkinish.  Somehow, pumpkin cake rolls popped into my mind, and I searched the web for a recipe.  RecipeSource.com and TasteofHome.com are both favorite sites for finding highly rated recipes, and they didn't let me down this time.  I settled on one from Taste of Home (here) with a couple changes taken from others I'd read through.

Baking sheets sprayed lightly with oil spray, and lined with
parchment paper, also sprayed lightly

I chose this particular recipe because of its denser cake, compared to those with separately whipped egg whites for a "floofier" cake.  (Not a word, I know, but descriptive, and I happen to use it a lot...)  Anyway, I prefer a moister, more substantial, less fly-away cake texture.  Without that extra step, it was also an easier/quicker process, which was welcome, as I needed to make 2 for the gathering, and 2 for the family, who would revolt if I made goodies only for guests without enough for them.


One change I made to the original recipe was to sprinkle 2 of the cakes with chopped walnuts, adding nutrition and balancing some sweetness.  I preferred the nutty cakes, as did most of the guests and family members.

Baked cake inverted on towel lightly dusted with
powdered sugar

Cake and towel rolled gently from a narrow end

The kids got up and wondered why I had a bunch of rolled
towels on the counter, since the cake was in hiding

You can see I got a couple of minor cracks, but on an inner
roll, it didn't show when finished.  I came back to make the
filling and spread it about 4 PM, well after the cakes were
cool and I'd run around doing my daily tasks and errands

The comments on this recipe indicated that it was easy to roll, then unroll without a lot of cracking, which was also a big plus, since I haven't made many rolled cakes in my life, and none lately.
























The other change was to use 8 oz of cream cheese and 2 Tablespoons of butter per cake, instead of the 6 oz and 1teaspoon, respectively, for more volume and richness to the filling.  

Wrapped in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze
for an hour or more so that they form more solid
logs, giving me time for making coffee,  and
doing other last minute set-up

These were a huge success with both groups.  The recipe and process are easy, and the result is attractive for entertaining.  Tasty, too, which is, of course, what counts most!

Sprinkled with powdered sugar and sliced... Pretty!

(Almost) Missed my Blogiversary!

As of this past Saturday, I've been blogging an entire year.  As it's Wednesday, which is supposed to be (almost) wordless, I'm going to choose some photos from that first week of blogging to re-share.

After creating my (always neglected) Bucket List,
I started off the regular posts with Pizza Night

and I ♥ my pizza stone!

Then more baking with Bridal Shower Cupcakes

...and the snow started.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I was fortunate to have figured out how to schedule a few posts ahead before the the ice and wind came in... and the power went out.  Some of the pictures bring back the clear memories of that 2010 Thanksgiving week.  Exactly a year ago today, we were in Day 3 of 4 1/2 days without electricity while the temps outside were dipping below 20.  We got power back at 1 PM on Thanksgiving, and our 40-degree house interior began to warm.  

Flat bread by flashlight.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Bored and tried something new.  I wouldn't recommend
baking rolls in a cast iron pan on the rangetop.
Be Careful What You Wish For...Or...Ma Ingalls, I'm not

We enjoyed White Chicken Enchiladas for our
Thanksgiving Feast 

The electricity was back and we made 'real rolls'
to end the week.  The first time I used the oven probe for bread.
Oven Temperature Probe: Not just for meats any more

Among the many, many things we're thankful for this year, having our electrical power, with heat, lights, and hot water, is definitely on the list!

Plum (Italian Prune) Torte

 We are blessed to have 2 Italian Prune trees in our yard.   These dark bluish beauties are definitely one of my favorite fruits.  Our Gravenstein Apple tree had zero apples this year.  I think it we had freezing temps right at blossom time.   

CuddleBunny is behind Go-for-It,
running and leaping for the too-high fruit

The timing must've been better for the prune trees, because they have the best crop I've seen in the 8 years we've owned this property.  

Another idea for reaching
the plums

Prince Go-for-It, Prince CuddleBunny and I had a great time harvesting.






Actually, fruit doesn't usually need a cooking method in our home, as there is so little left after this crowd enjoys it fresh.  One year, though, I made a plum sauce and froze it for eating with stir fry.  It's fun to try something new, and this year it's this dessert.

On such a rainy, fall day, with a warm and wonderful kitchen at our disposal, it felt like good use of our homeschooling time for Princess Artiste and I to do this project together.

Plum Torte

adapted from  A Plum Good Recipe, You Shouldn’t Miss in Good Food Life, blog for Full Circle Farm

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Lightly butter a 10" springform pan.  (We made 2, so doubled the recipe, but I'm giving you the single torte version.)


In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if that type of mixer), cream together
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter


In a separate bowl combine
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (we substituted 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Prince CuddleBunny joined for his share of 'helping,' too

To the butter/sugar, add the flour mixture and
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
and beat well until all mixed.






Spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the springform pan.  Cover the batter with



12 halved and pitted Italian Prunes (24 pieces, placed skin side up)
then sprinkle with
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
and a mixture of
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon


Bake for 50 - 75 minutes, checking for doneness using the toothpick test.  When an inserted toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and cool.                                                                                                                   

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cheesecake...a balanced meal, right?

Well, they are protein (eggs), dairy (cheese and eggnog), fruit (cranberry), and grain (graham cracker crust)...
      
The tradition, or illusion thereof, started 3 years ago.  It was the year the house wasn't yet finished, but we decorated and had Christmas on the bare floors here, rather than in the 900 square foot single wide we lived in while we built.   We have photos showing green grass visible through the windows behind the kids as they enjoyed their gifts that morning.  But by the time we were headed to my parents' house, about 1:00, the snow was falling fast and hard.  We started out, but turned around after a few miles, realizing that we could probably get there fine, but getting home could be treacherous in the always nasty holiday traffic, plus ice and snow.

We only had our part of the Christmas dinner...Appetizers and desserts, which we set up on the counters in our combination indoor workshop and unfinished future kitchen.  Thankfully, what we'd made was fairly substantial: potato chips and clam dip, a multi-layered taco dip with tortilla chips, and 3 cheesecakes.
       
It was one of our most fun Christmases, and evidently the meal left an impression.  Last week when we had "Fake Christmas" at our house, Prince Stoic asked, "Where are the cheesecakes we can eat all day?"  We hadn't planned any that day, but for "Real Christmas" we had two...made by Princess Artiste.  We did have other meals this time...Fruit Bread toast, sausage, and eggs for breakfast, and a roast with salad, bean casserole, and baked potatoes for dinner.  But in between, they broke out the cheesecake.  
            

Eggnog Latte Cheesecake and Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake

                

Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake

from 2000 Taste of Home Annual Recipes, also available on the Taste of Home website
               

Preheat oven to 325 degrees on Bake.

               
Cranberry topping:
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cranberry juice (we've also used cranberry combo juices, or grape)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
               
Combine topping ingredients in a small saucepan, heat at medium until boiling.  Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
           
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
             
While the topping cools, combine the crust ingredients, and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes, then cool (in pan) on a wire rack.
                  
Filling:
4 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
4 eggs
1 cup eggnog (store bought)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
                  
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add flour and beat well.  Add eggs; beat on low just until combined.  Blend in vanilla and eggnog.  
               
Pour 2/3 of the filling over the crust.  Top with half the cranberry mixture. (Refrigerate the rest of the topping for later.)  Carefully spoon remaining filling over the cranberry.  - The cranberry filling just sinks when we do this.
                
Bake at 325 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes until center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge, then cover and refrigerate overnight.  (Princess Bossy, our resident cheesecake expert, advises turning off the oven and leaving the door ajar for the cheesecake to cool down slowly, to hope to prevent cracking.)
              
10 - 30 minutes before serving, remove sides of pan and spoon remaining cranberry topping over cheesecake.  Cut into 12 servings.


Variations on the above recipe for Princess Bossy's special creation:

Eggnog Latte Cheesecake

(my favorite!)

1) No topping
2) 3 eggs instead of 4
3) Heat the eggnog in a saucepan just enough to dissolve the amount of instant coffee or espresso crystals for about a cup and half of coffee, as specified on the product of choice.  Allow to cool to lukewarm or room temperature before adding to filling mixture as directed above.




Related Blog Entries:

Birthday night and "Fake Christmas Eve"

Including Another Grandma in Christmas - Her Fruit Bread