UPDATE: Whole Living {detox} Action Plan 2013 +RECIPES!

Drinking my greens!
{kale, carrots, celery, pear} 

Hello everyone! Last weekend I posted about a 21-Day clean eating detox plan I'm currently following and I thought I'd give an update. But first, in case you missed what this detox is all about, it's basically a 21 day food based plan of sparse and simple clean eating that is designed to give your digestive system--especially your liver, a much needed break from working so hard to clean your body of impurities. By sparse and simple clean eating, I mean eating small amounts of highly nutritious, easy to digest foods. All meals are made from whole food ingredients, organic as much as possible and absolutely no processed foods or beverages, no sugar, alcohol, dairy or gluten (wheat, barley, rye) for the duration of the plan. Through this clean eating plan, your body gets a chance to catch up on cleaning out your system and you essentially gets a clean slate for a healthier you. For more information and source links, visit last week's post, Whole Living {detox} Action Plan 2013.

Salad with Orange and Sardines

In week one, I ate ONLY vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and plant-based oils. It was tough, but I made it. Today is Day 14 for me, marking the end of the second week and I'm still going strong. Meals were more satisfying and easier to plan this week since I was allowed to add fish, beans, legumes and gluten-free grains to my diet. The foods I added this week were quinoa, oats, brown rice, cannellini (white) beans, tuna, salmon and sardines. Yes, sardines! This was a first time for me--am I the only one who's never had sardines before? Well, I'm glad I finally did because they were a lot better than I expected! Did you know sardines are super good for you, too? They're also a very affordable and sustainable choice. I bought a 3.75 oz can of boneless, skinless sardines in olive oil (the only ingredients being sardines and olive oil) from Trader Joe's for under $3. Okay, so if you're feeding a hungry family of 5, maybe it's not the cheapest protein source, but since they're so healthy, I'm going to make them a regular choice in my salads in the future. I had them in a green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Have you ever had sardines? If so, how do you like to prepare them?

The toughest part of Week 2 continues to be preparing "regular" meals for my family--they're still eating meat, dairy and gluten-foods such as pasta or bread--and making something completely different for myself. It was a bit easier this week, however, because we all could eat rice and fish a couple of nights, but I couldn't make them eat that every night! The key was to make sure my meal was planned and even ready before starting their dinner. This way I could have a few bites as I got hungry or started wanting a bite of their pasta or chicken. I stayed strong, though!

But.. I have a confession. I ate an oreo one night last week. Gah! For some reason I bought my kids a pack of Birthday Cake Oreos last week. I usually bake homemade snacks or treats for my family, but I thought that would be too tempting for me during the detox, so I bought them the Oreos instead. Well.. I was going mad not having one, so I did. Ugh. What a mistake. Not that I'm riddled with guilt or anything.. but it tasted SO sugary sweet and fake! Ick! I hope this means I'm on my way to un-conditioning myself to want sugar. I hope!

So what new recipes did I try this week? 
Two of them were hits and will make regular appearances in my diet long after this detox is over. One is quinoa porridge for breakfast. It takes a little while to cook the quinoa, but I'm learning to start my day with a mug of hot water and lemon and then waiting 30 to 60 minutes before eating, so I don't mind the time it takes to prepare the quinoa. It can also be made ahead and reheated. The other is Dried Fruit and Oat Bars--a great afternoon snack or workout snack. I'll be making these in the spring to take along on those long bike rides. I adapted both of these recipes to my own preferences and have posted them separately from this post so that I can link them with my other recipe posts more easily.

In the meantime, here's a quick and easy recipe for homemade pear sauce that I made when the mood for something apple-pie-like struck me last week. It's a delicious sweet snack with no added sugar--it's nice warm or cold--and a whole lot healthier than a piece of pie! I've decided this is my favorite way to eat pears. I'm just not crazy eating them out of hand or in a salad.

Unsweetened Pear Sauce 
6-8 pears, peeled and diced (I used a combination of Bosc and D'Anjou or Bartlett pears)
1 small cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/4 lemon)
water

Combine pears, cinnamon stick, lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover the pears halfway, about 1 - 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer pears until they are soft and about half of the water remains, stirring frequently, mashing a bit towards the end with a spoon. Remove cinnamon stick and let cool. Delicious served warm or chilled. Can be used in the recipes for Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries and Dried Fruit & Oat Bars [both vegan].

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

RECIPE: Dried Fruit & Oat Bars [vegan]

These snack bars are gluten-free and vegan. I made these late in Week 2 of the 21-Day food based cleanse I'm following featured in the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine. They literally saved me from cheating when my girls came home from school one day and asked me to bake brownies. So glad I made these oat bars for myself instead. So much healthier and now I have a new go-to recipe for a satisfying afternoon snack or workout fuel for those long runs or bike rides!

Dried Fruit Oat Bars

Adapted from Cherry-Date Oat Bars from Whole Living magazine:

Dried Fruit Oat Bars 
Makes 9
Coconut or olive oil
3 cups oats (gluten-free)
1 cup mixed unsweetened dried fruit
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 smooth almond butter
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup Unsweetened Pear Sauce (or apple sauce)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave syrup or honey)
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with coconut or olive oil. Line the pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine oats, dried fruit, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. I used dried cherries, Medjool dates and dried apricots. Other good choices would be raisins, prunes, dried cranberries and dried apples. Let your creativity flow! 

In another bowl, stir together almond butter, ground flaxseed (I grind whole flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder), pear sauce, maple syrup, orange juice and vanilla extract.

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Press mixture into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.

Let cool for several minutes and cut into 9 squares.

Delicious warm or at room temperature. 

Store in an airtight container for three days or freeze for longer storage.

RECIPE: Qunioa Porridge with Blueberries [vegan]

I've made various versions of this quinoa porridge this past week while in my second week of  the 21-Day food based detox plan featured in the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine. The original recipe calls for ground cardamom (I was out) and fresh diced pears. The recipe was good, but I happen to like it a lot better with blueberries being the center of attention.

Adapted from Cardamom-Quinoa Porridge from Whole Living magazine:

Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries and Almonds

Vegan and gluten-free! 

Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries
Serves 2
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon
pinch of salt
For each serving:
  1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  1 tablespoons sliced almonds
  1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or agave syrup, optional
  Unsweetened Pear Sauce, optional

Combine rinsed quinoa, almond milk, water, vanilla, allspice, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork. For each serving, spoon half of the quinoa into a bowl and top with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/3 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon sliced almonds and drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup, if desired.

I had some homemade, Unsweetened Pear Sauce on hand and stirred about 1/4 cup of that into my porridge this morning for added sweetness instead of using maple or agave syrup. VERY delicious!

Do you eat quinoa? What's your favorite quinoa recipe?

Whole Living {detox} Action Plan 2013

This time last year I did my first ever detox diet, following the food-based body cleanse featured in the 2012 January-February Whole Living magazine. Since then, I've done a 24 hour green juice cleanse but that's about as extreme as I'd go. The detox diets presented by Whole Living magazine are food-based plans that restrict your diet to simple, whole foods in spare quantities that are gentle on your digestive system. This gives our detoxifying organ, our liver, a break from being overworked, allowing it to focus on cleansing our body of impurities. The diet is sparse, yet nutrient dense to supply our body what it needs most for a much needed tune up.

The beginning of my first detox last year was challenging, but I muddled through those first really tough days and managed to stick it out for the full 3 weeks. I lost a few pounds, which was great, but the best part was that I broke my addiction to caffeine*, discovered the awesomeness of green juicing and found out I felt lighter, more comfortable and less bloated when not eating gluten foods. It's not even that I thought I felt bloated before, but rather that I could feel the difference when I wasn't eating those foods compared to how I normally felt. I don't otherwise have difficulty with gluten foods, but it did make me mindful of how much wheat is in my diet practically at every meal. I think we, as Americans, unnecessarily consume far too much wheat--a dietary trend that is actually considered harmful in some nutritional circles [See Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD and Crazy, Sexy Diet by Kris Carr among others].

[*since breaking my coffee addiction, I no longer get frequent migraines. Whereas I used to get 2-3 per month, I only had 2-3 in all of 2012! Something to think about if you suffer from migraines.]

In any case, my mindfulness of wheat foods in my diet didn't stick the entire year. Eventually I went back to eating at least one wheat-based food per meal whether it be breakfast cereal, bread, power bars, pasta, crackers, cookies and other baked goods. Not the direction I had hoped to take.

Sometime amidst the holiday season of plentiful and delicious foods and treats, I began to look forward to a return to some serious healthy eating, including a jump start to a healthy year by revisiting the Whole Living detox plan. I heard rumors that Whole Living magazine was going to be discontinued, which at this point I think is accurate news. I'm quite sad about this, since I only discovered this magazine a year and a half ago and I thoroughly enjoy it. In any case, I received the January-February 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine in my mailbox last weekend and instantly jumped on this year's detox plan.

The 2013 Whole Living Action Plan is very similar to last year's, so I was already familiar with the strategy and even have a repertoire of recipes to which to turn. This latest issue is also chock full of new recipes to help participants have a successful and enjoyable detox. I've already prepared most of the Week 1 recipes, which were all very good.

Blueberry Mint Smoothie and
The Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine

I started my 2013 21-Day detox on Monday, January 14 and after a few rough days of hunger, bloating and crankiness, I think the worst is behind me and I'm now feeling good about the detox and how my body is responding.

Here are this year's guidelines:

NO caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy, gluten, processed foods or beverages.

All of these tax our liver and digestive systems.

Start every morning with a mug of hot water with a squeeze of lemon. 
There are many benefits to this morning ritual, including the fact that it aids in digestion and detoxification of the body by stimulating the digestive system and helps loosen the toxins in the digestive tract. I love this part of the detox. I know so many people rely on coffee to jump start their day, but why not consider having hot water with lemon upon rising and waiting an hour before reaching for caffeine. I continued this ritual last year for several months, but fell out of habit when the warmer months approached. I hope to make hot water with lemon first thing in the morning a permanent part of my daily ritual starting now.

Why You Should Drink Warm Water & Lemon from MindBodyGreen
Drinking Hot Water & Lemon in the Morning from Livestrong.com

Drink plenty of water. 
We hear this all the time, right? Drinking plenty of water--aim for 64 oz. a day--to keep hydrated and facilitate your body in flushing out impurities.

Week 1: Eat ONLY vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lentils, plant-based oils and seasonings.

Week 2: Introduce fish [not shellfish], legumes, beans and gluten-free grains such as brown rice, quinoa and oats.

Week 3: Introduce eggs and organic, non-GMO soy 
[specifically, tofu and edamame as these are the most natural, unprocessed forms of soy].

So what do I want to get out of this detox action plan?
First and foremost, I want to jump start my year to healthy eating and I think this cleanse can get me to a great starting point--a cleaner body and some new eating habits. Like hot water and lemon in the morning, more green juices and green smoothies, and eating mostly vegetables throughout the day and fewer daily servings of wheat. I'm not quite in the school of thought that wheat needs to be completely eliminated from our diets, but I would like to generally eat less wheat and wheat products.

If I'm honest, I also hope to jump start some weight loss with this detox. I lost 30+ lbs. in 2010 and have kept it off, but would love to lose another 20+ lbs. Or at least lose inches in certain areas of my body. Whether that's 15, 20 or 25 lbs. from where I am now, I know when I'll get there.

How am I doing with Week 1?
Today is Day 5 and I'm feeling pretty good. The first three days were the roughest. I was hungry and cranky.. craving carbohydrates and sugar. I felt bloated and uncomfortable and quite fatigued by the end of the day, but at least I slept well! I maintained some low to moderate workouts throughout the week, which I think my digestive system welcomed as did my mental health! As many of you know, I exercise almost every day, so I needed to get out there and move for my personal sanity. By the middle of the week, I found some relief from the bloating (I'll spare you the details) and I felt as though I put the worst behind me. My body is now comfortable, although I do still fell hungry several times a day. Although.. maybe I'm not hungry but rather just craving sugar in the form of a cookie, muffin or even a bite of good bread! Those habits die hard! But after five straight days of this, I'm not wasting all that hard effort and sacrifice on a cheat so I'm sticking it out. On Monday I'll start Week 2 and be able to eat fish, legumes, and gluten free grains. The addition of protein will provide the liver with amino acids it needs to flush out more toxins.

My favorite recipes from Week 1: All of the green juices are very good, but I think I like the Cucumber-Pear Juice best. For the entrees, it's a toss up between the Creamy Broccoli Soup and the Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew. The latter tastes even better the next day!

Creamy Broccoli Soup
[see recipe link in paragraph above]

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew
[see recipe link in paragraph above]

For recipes and more information about how the cleanse works, check out the January-February 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine on newsstands or the Whole Living website at http://www.wholeliving.com/216880/2013-whole-living-action-plan.

I also highly, highly recommend you visit Sarah Britton at her website My New Roots for tons of information on detoxing your body and living and eating clean and healthy. She offers sound advice and so many wonderful mouthwatering recipes that are super good for you. Here are some links to get you started:

Simple Detox For All from Sarah Britton at My New Roots

A New Year, A New You! Sarah B's Whole Living Detox Plan 2013

A New Year, A New You! Sarah B's Whole Living Detox Plan 2012

Have you ever treated your body to a detox before?

Have you ever given up a food or foods that you absolutely loved for an extended period of time? How did you do?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler [Cookbook]

Welcome to yet another cookbook challenge post! The Cookbook Challenge was created by Cynni at She Likes Bento to encourage participants to cook from cookbooks we've had on our shelves for ages but from which we've not yet cooked. I chose five such cookbooks from my shelves and have reviewed them over the last couple of weekends. All of the cookbooks I chose for the challenge are unfortunately no longer in print. Until this one! German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler is amazingly still available in print! This was a big surprise to me since it was originally published in 1955, revised in 1968 and then more recently published in 1983. Not that recent!

Why I bought this cookbook:
German Cookery is one among a handful of my very first cookbooks that I bought in the first few years of living on my own, fresh out of college. I was 22 years old when I moved into my own apartment. I had very limited cooking experience but a whole lot of ambition. The greatest influences on my passion for cooking have always been my mother and my maternal grandmother. When it comes to German cooking, however, all of my influence comes from my grandmother, or Oma as I called her. She and my Opa had a large kitchen garden that provided fresh herbs and vegetables for many spring and summer meals and I have to admit the most memorable meals from my childhood were definitely eaten at their table--in their cozy kitchen or sprawled out on a large wooden picnic table beneath the shade of the maple tree in their yard. My maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Germany in the 1920s when they were just teenagers, separated by a year or two. Upon arriving in New York Harbor, my Oma found work as the live-in cook for a physician and his family. Clearly, cooking has always been her greatest passion and skill. Well, sewing as well, but unfortunately I didn't inherit that one. Needless to say, I purchased German Cookery in hopes of learning how to cook some of my favorite German dishes growing up. My Oma was actually still alive at that time, but already her enthusiasm for cooking had greatly dwindled, as did her memory, so even though I asked for instructions on how to cook my favorites, she had already forgotten most of it. So if you have family members from older generations still alive, ask them for their recipes NOW. Don't wait, because once they're gone.. they're gone forever. I learned this the hard way.

About this cookbook:
According to the introduction in German Cookery, this little cookbook was originally published in Germany as Mein Kochbuch, or My Cookbook, where it has been 'enormously popular.' Based on the style of the recipe instructions, it's pretty obvious this cookbook has been around for a long time. It's still is quite archaic and unfortunately, I don't think it hasn't been revised much as it lacks details that I think today's cooks depend on. You'll see what I mean in the recipes I share below.

Although I'm not an expert on German cooking, the recipes in this cookbook appear to be authentic German recipes. The ingredients and methods of preparation are familiar to me from the many years I spent on extended visits with my German grandparents, watching my Oma prepare family meals and desserts. Recipes in the cookbook are categorized by courses--Egg Dishes, Sandwiches, Appetizers, Soups, Fish, Poultry, Meat, Dumplings, Potatoes, Vegetables, Salads, Sauces, Luncheon Dishes and Other Specialties, Desserts and Sweets, Yeast Baking, Deep Fat Baking, Cakes, Tarts and Christmas Cakes and Candies. I love how certain foods get entire chapters dedicated to them such as dumplings, potatoes--even yeast baking and deep fat baking have separate chapters. Serious baking takes place in a German kitchens--especially during the Christmas season. There's a special chapter just for those treats as well.

I made two recipes from German Cookery for dinner one night this week, both of which turned out okay. Of course, I'm comparing these recipes and my own cooking skills to my Oma's and honestly... I don't think anything can compare. She set the bar pretty high. While my all time favorite meal of my Oma's was her Sauerbrauten with softball sized Potato dumplings or Gekochte Kartoffelklousse, I didn't attempt them this time. Instead, I chose to make my second favorite German beef dish, Beef Rouladen or Rindrrouladen with Spätzle, which are homemade egg dumplings or noodles. I served these two dishes with a simple side dish of sauteed Savoy cabbage with sweet onions.

Beef Rouladen with Spätzle
and sauteed cabbage

Beef Rouladen {Rinderrouladen} 
4 thin slices of beef
salt and pepper
4 slices bacon
1 onion
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup water extra flour
2 tablespoons cream
salt and pepper
paprika
2 tablespoons beef stock

Pound beef slices and rub with salt and pepper. Cut up bacon, chop onion and parsley and mix all with mustard. Spread this on beef slices and roll up tightly. Tie with string. Dip rolls in flour and fry in butter to brown all sides. Add water and stew for 30 minutes. When water has evaporated, turn rolls once again. Remove, untie and place on hot platter. To "Bratensatz"* in pan, add flour, cream, seasonings and beef stock to make gravy. Pour over meat.
       Serves 4.

*I believe "Bratensatz" means to deglaze the browned bits in the pan to make a gravy.

Making homemade spätzle for the first time! 

Spätzle 
4 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt

Prepare firm dough from the flour, eggs, water and salt. Beat until it comes easily away from the sides of the bowl. Form dumplings and cook in boiling salted water. Skim them out, dip in cold water and serve on a hot platter. Spätzle may also be browned lightly in butter before serving. A favorite accompaniment to meat and vegetables.
      Serves 4.

It would have been nice if the instructions for the spätzle had a bit more detail on the consistency of the dough. I had no idea if my dough was too wet or dense enough, so I didn't adjust. My family ate everything and there were no leftovers, so I guess it was successful. I made a few notes on what I might do differently next time, particularly with the Rouladen, but it was pretty good for a first attempt. No where near as good as Oma's, but good enough.

I plan to try a few more of the recipes, although I'll likely look online for similar recipes and then tweak the ones from this cookbook as I go along. I'd love to make the big potato dumplings with roast beef and gravy over the winter. I'm curious to see my family will love the Gekochte Kartoffelklosse as much as I did when I was a kid.

I'd give German Cookery 3 out of 5 stars on goodreads for "I liked it."

GRADE: C+

To take a peak inside German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler, visit the cookbook's amazon page on the following link and then click on the image to Look Inside:

http://www.amazon.com/German-Cookery-Classic-Cookbook-Series/dp/0517506637/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354320380&sr=8-1&keywords=german+cookery

Have you ever had German food before? What's your favorite dish or dessert? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Cookbook Challenge runs through the end of November, so if you'd like to join in, visit Cynni's sign up post HERE. Hope to see you cooking from a much neglected cookbook on your shelves soon!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

Holiday Baking by Sara Perry

Here I am once again, about to rave about a cookbook from my shelves that is no longer available in print, although it looks like you may be able to buy a new copy through the author's website at http://saraperry.com/main.html. Holiday Baking is available as a Kindle edition and you can also buy it used from several sellers on amazon.com. Or look for it at used bookstores or your local library. I assure you this one is worth the trouble of hunting down for your collection.

I bought my copy of Holiday Baking [Chronicle Books, 2005] on impulse back in 2005 while helping out at the Scholastic Book Fair at my daughters' elementary school. I fell in love with the cookbook the moment I picked it up. First of all, I have a special fondness for holiday themed cookbooks and cooking magazines. Both my maternal grandmother and mother always baked a wide variety of cookies and breads for the Christmas season for their own families and to give as gifts to friends and relatives, so I've developed the same inclination. Secondly, I love the diversity of holiday goodness that's celebrated in this cookbook. There are chapters for each Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year's Day. Finally, the recipes are fun to read and all are very appealing. I quite honestly want to try them all! There isn't a photo for every recipe, but there are quite a few mouth watering photos.

Want a peak inside Holiday Baking by Sara Perry?
Visit the cookbook's page on amazon and click on the cookbook image where it says Click to LOOK INSIDE.

Holiday Baking is one of the cookbooks from which I chose to cook for the Cookbook Challenge hosted by Cynni at She Likes Bento. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage participants to cook from cookbooks that we've owned for a long time, but have never cooked a recipe from them. Holiday Baking was one such cookbook for me until just this morning, although I do habitually pull it off the shelf this time of year and look through it for holiday inspiration.

The recipe I chose to cook is for a breakfast pancake with apples baked in a large cast iron skillet. It can also be served as a dessert or late night snack. I just love the title for this one:

It's-Thanksgiving-Morning-but-They-Still-Deserve-Something-Special Apple Puff Pancake.

There is a dessert version of the recipe in the cookbook called It's-Nighttime-and-They're-Still-Hungry Apple Pastry with Calvados and Golden Raisins.

I just made this recipe this morning after freezing my butt (mostly my toes!) off on a thirty-four mile bike ride, so I'm calling it It's-Thanksgiving-Weekend-and-I-Still-Need-Something-Special-to-Warm-Me-Up Apple Puff Pancake.

No matter what you call it.. know you can call it DELICIOUS!

Warming up with Apple Puff Pancake
from Holiday Baking by Sara Perry

It's-Thanksgiving-Morning-but-They-Still-Deserve-Something-Special Apple Puff Pancake

2 teaspoons unsalted butter 
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
pinch of ground nutmeg 
4 medium to large Granny Smith apples, 
        peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices 
1 cup all purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoons salt 
2 eggs, at room temperature 
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 
powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a heavy, 10-inch ovenproof or cast-iron skillet with the butter and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the apples and toss to coat. Transfer the apples to the skillet and set aside. Portions of the apples may be higher than the side of the skillet.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt until blended. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the milk and whisk until blended. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until blended and smooth.

4. Pour the batter over the apples. Using the skillet's handle, give the skillet an easy back-and-forth shake to settle the ingredients. If you wish, you can level the top with a spatula. Some apples will remain only partially submerged.

5. Bake until the batter is golden, the protruding apples are tinged and golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, cut into 6 to 8 wedges, and serve.

This was my first time making a puff pancake in a skillet like this. I've seen recipes for similar pancakes, sometimes called A Dutch Baby and always wanted to try it. Now I finally did and it won't be the last time I do. It's a festive and delicious and very easy! The texture is a bit like the cross between a regular pancake and maybe bread pudding. Cakey but a bit spongy at the same time. Very flavorful. It really hit the spot today and helped defrost my poor frozen body after this morning's bike ride. My husband even came back for seconds which says a lot as he's not the biggest fan of pancakes for breakfast. My older daughter had hers with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and was in heaven. My youngest passed.. she's been such a picky eater lately. >_<

There are way too many recipes in Holiday Baking that I'd like to make--definitely too many to list. If I had to choose just a few, however, at the top of my list is The Ultimate Dinner's Guest Gingerbread [Thanksgiving], Apricot Nut or Cardamom Pistachio Rugelach [Hanukkah], Jerusalem Olive Oil Cake with Orange Marmalade and Almonds [Hanukkah], Stir-Up Fruitcake [Christmas], Saint Lucia's Saffron Crown [Christmas], Buckingham Palace Shortbread [Boxing Day], Apricot Jam and Coconut Squares [Kwanzaa], and Bloody Mary and Baked Mushroom Omelet [New Year's]. Yes, that's my abbreviated list.

I give Holiday Baking by Sara Perry 5 out of 5 stars.

GRADE: A

Do you do a lot of baking for the holidays? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Cookbook Challenge runs through the end of November, so if you'd like to join in, visit Cynni's sign up post HERE. Hope to see you cooking from a much neglected cookbook on your shelves soon!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

The Pumpkin Cookbook edited by Nicola Hill

Once again I am showcasing a cookbook that is out of print! So sorry, folks, but since I chose to cook from this cookbook for the Cookbook Challenge, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. The Cookbook Challenge hosted by Cynni from She Likes Bento was created to encourage participants to cook from cookbooks that we've owned for a long time but have never cooked from in the past. This adorable little cookbook dedicated entirely to pumpkin recipes has been on my bookshelf for years. I bought The Pumpkin Cookbook [published by Hamlyn, 1996] several years ago from my local Williams-Sonoma during a clearance sale shortly after Halloween, probably in the late 1990s. I just love pumpkins and even have two other cookbooks dedicated to these classic symbols of autumn.

I prepared two recipes from The Pumpkin Cookbook recently. First I made Pumpkin Griddle Cakes that came out just okay. They're a cornmeal based griddle cake or pancake, which I thought would be amazing since I also love cornbread, but in fact, these griddle cakes were very plain. The pumpkin flavor was barely noticeable and it didn't have much other flavor either, even after I added a bit extra cinnamon and nutmeg. They weren't a complete waste, however, since there were no leftovers. But I still won't make them again.

Pumpkin Griddle Cakes

The second recipe I made was a Pumpkin, Chickpea and Banana Curry that caught my eye. If you haven't figured out already from the recipes I've posted on my blog over the years, two foods that I love are pumpkin and curry. So to see these two ingredients together in one recipe, I knew I just had to try it. I wasn't sure how this recipe would go over with my family--my husband isn't a fan of any kind of squash or sweet potato (gasp!) and I imagined everyone objecting to bananas in a savory dish. I decided to halve the recipe just in case it did turn out to be a bad idea, but it turns out the dish was very, very good. The depth of the curry flavor was just right and it tasted quite authentic for an Indian dish. If you're freaked out by bananas in a savory dish, you can leave them out. However, why not give it a try? You might just like it! I was impressed with this dish and would definitely make it again--especially as an entree for vegetarian friends.

I give The Pumpkin Cookbook 3.5 out of 5 stars. Nice variety of recipes, but I think you can find so many more amazing pumpkin recipes in other places these days.

GRADE: B

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Banana Curry

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Banana Curry
adapted from The Pumpkin Cookbook edited by Nicola Hill

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other vegetable oil), divided
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated or minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 lb. pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 tablespoons hot (or mild) curry paste
2 ripe tomatoes
1 small red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 14 oz. canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 slightly under ripe banana
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan until hot and add onion, garlic, ginger and spices, cooking until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, salt and stock (or water) and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for 5-10 minutes.
3. Toss the chopped pumpkin with the curry paste in a bowl.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet until hot and add the pumpkin. Fry for 5 minutes or until golden.
5. Add the pumpkin to the simmering tomato and spice mixture. Add the chickpeas, sprinkle with garam masala, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. (Poke it with a fork or the tip of a knife).
6. Peel and slice the banana into chunks. Add to the pumpkin mixture and cook for a few minutes more until the banana is heated through.
7. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and serve.

Another Indian feast at home!

I served this pumpkin curry with two other Indian dishes--Orange-Cinnamon Basmati Pilaf [Naarangi Pulao] and Moghul Chicken Korma [Murgh Korma], both recipes prepared from Indiana Regional Classics by Julie Sahni that I reviewed a few weeks ago HERE. I also served it with some left over samosa filling from a few days ago when we made homemade samosas at our last girl scout meeting. Yum!

Cookbook Challenge Update
Here's a review of the recipes I've cooked so far for the Cookbook Challenge.

From Autumn by Susan Branch:
Butternut Shotglass Soup 
Tomato Soup

From Indian Regional Classics by Julie Sahini:
Saffron Pilaf 
Moghul Shrimp in Cream Sauce 
Orange-Cinnamon Basmati Pilaf 
Moghul Chicken Korma

From The Pumpkin Cookbook edited by Nicola Hill:
Pumpkin Griddle Cakes 
Pumpkin, Chickpea and Banana Curry

I signed up for the Creative Croissant Level of 3-5 recipes, which I've already surpassed having made 8 recipes already. However, I did want to cook from five different cookbooks, so I'm still going to try to get to the other two cookbooks before the end of the month. Wish me luck!

The Cookbook Challenge runs through the end of November, so if you'd like to join in, visit Cynni's sign up post HERE. Hope to see you cooking from a much neglected cookbook on your shelves soon!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

Vegan Basil Pesto

The perfect recipe for harvesting all that basil in your garden at the end of the summer! 

Pesto is one of those foods that every home cook should know how to make. It's quick, easy, tasty, versatile and impressive. Well, at least impressive to your family and friends who don't know how easy it really is to make. Once you know the basic method of making pesto, you can get really creative with the variety of herbs or greens and nuts you use to make different flavors.

This recipe for basil pesto happens to be my personal favorite. It also happens to be vegan, simply because I prefer to make my pestos without Parmesan cheese. The first few times I ever had pesto, I thought it was okay, but kind of strong. Yet I loved the way it smelled and always wanted to love it more. Then one day I tried pesto my friend's homemade pesto and I was won over. Her secret? No Parmesan cheese! I started making my pesto without Parmesan cheese, too, and haven't turned back since. I think I just find the basil and Parmesan are just two very strong flavors and the way the compete with each other in traditional pesto just doesn't appeal to me, although I adore both of these ingredients separately. Anyway, if you normally aren't crazy about pesto maybe give this vegan variation a try and see if it doesn't win you over.

Pesto! 

Vegan Basil Pesto
Once you make homemade pesto a few times, you won't need to measure ingredients anymore.. you'll just pull the ingredients together in your food processor, give it a whirl and have perfect pesto every time. 

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves 
2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves 
4 garlic cloves 
1/2 cup pecan pieces 
olive oil [1/3 to 1/2 cup] 
kosher salt [1/2 to 1 teaspoon]

1. Add the basil, parsley, garlic and pecans into the bowl of your food processor and process it until finely chopped. 

Add basil, parsley, garlic and pecans
to food processor bowl

Note: You can do this in steps if you prefer, processing the garlic and pecans first until finely chopped, then adding the basil and parsley and processing a bit more before proceeding with step 2 below. 

Process until finely chopped.

2. While the processor is running, drizzle olive oil through the food chute until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. This can require anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil. 

Add olive oil and process until
 pesto is smooth.

3. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and give the pesto a few more whirls in the food processor. 
4. Use the pesto immediately in your favorite pesto recipe. 
5. Store any left over pesto in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for long term storage. 

Storing Pesto:
For best flavor, store pesto in a clean glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the pesto until it is covered. This will help prevent the basil from oxidizing and turning a darker color. For best flavor, consistency and presentation, pesto should be used within a few days, although I have stored it a bit longer without any problems. It's a good idea to freeze whatever pesto you don't use within a few days.

Freezing Pesto:
This pesto freezes well. Again, store pesto in small, clean glass jars with tightly fitting lids and drizzle olive oil over the top until the surface of the pesto is covered with oil. It's also nice to freeze pesto in ice cube trays and then transfer the pesto cubes to freezer safe bags. Then when you need just need a tablespoon or two of pesto, it's at the ready. For best results use within 6 months, but I have used frozen pesto within 12 months.

How to use pesto:
+use as a sauce for pasta or gnocchi, diluting it a bit with the cooking water used to boil the pasta or gnocchi.
+use in a cream sauce for pasta--especially delicious with seafood.
+as a base on pizza instead of tomato sauce. See HERE.
+as a dip or spread on slices of rustic bread as an appetizer
+add a teaspoon or two to bowls of soup before serving.
+dot on top of tomato halves and roast
+as a spread on your favorite hot or cold sandwich
+drizzle over roasted vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, etc.

Do you like pesto? How do you use it?

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

Late Summer Sangria for Two

Or Four. But most likely just two.

My friend Eva came over for lunch today under the pretense of discussing the upcoming year of Cadette girl scouts for our daughters, but really we mostly chatted about our summers, our families and ourselves. :) We had rosemary ham, roasted turkey on little whole wheat rolls, vegetable chips {potato, sweet potato, yucca, parsnip and beet! From Trader Joe's but just like the Terra brand chips. omg SO good!}, a spinach and lettuce salad with shredded cabbage, apples, dried cranberries and pecans. Sounds delicious, right? To bring a little pizzaz to our little lunch on this glorious late summer day, I decided to make us some seasonally inspired sangria. This was my first time making sangria at home and it won't be my last. It's so easy, delicious and a wonderful way to showcase the season's best fruit. I can't wait to make it again!

Special thanks to Mariana for reminding me how much I love sangria. ;)

Late Summer Sangria for Two

Late Summer Sangria for Two 
Keep a pack of juice boxes on hand for this recipe.

1 small apple
1 small plum
1 cup seedless grapes
          {I used red, black and green grapes}
1/2 cup fruity red wine
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup natural grape or berry juice
          {I used a berry juice box}

Core apple and cut into thin slices. Cut plum into thin slices, removing the pit. If serving two people, put 1/4 of the apple slices, 1/4 of the plum slices and 1/4 of the grapes into each of two large wine glasses. Save the remaining fruit for round two of sangria OR use it to serve two more lucky people.

Add the wine and ice cubes to a martini shaker and shake vigorously for a minute or so to get wine icy cold and diluted a bit from the ice.

Pour the wine over the fruit in each wine glass until the wine fills the glass halfway. Top with some grape or berry juice.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Sangria tastes best when fruit and wine have had time to meld, anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to overnight.

Simply add more fruit and wine mixture to your glass for round two. There should be enough fruit and wine mixture to make about four glasses of sangria.

Cheers!

Arugula & Garlic Scape Pesto

I've been looking for recipe ideas for arugula and garlic scapes over the last couple of days since I brought home both in our co-op box on Thursday. I typically prepare arugula raw in salads or sauté it with garlic and olive oil. Garlic scapes** we get in our box once a year around now and I usually just use it in sautéed vegetables. I wanted to try something new but needed some inspiration. 

garlic scapes

**garlic scapes are the flowering stalk tops of hardneck garlic plants. They are cut off during the growing period just before this 'flower' starts to develop into seeds or tiny bulbs. This helps force the plant to put its energy into growing plump garlic bulb in the soil.

Then on Friday I saw a tweet with a picture from the executive chef of a fabulous local restaurant [and she's following me! *tickled pink*] as she was preparing to roast garlic scapes for a homemade butter to be used in the restaurant. Doesn't that sound divine?!! Not very practical for me to make a pound of garlic scape infused butter, so I asked her for garlic scape suggestions and she replied, "Pesto hummus pasta dishes mussels clams anything u would use reg garlic for!" 

I loved the pesto and hummus ideas, so I decided to give both a try this weekend. First up was the pesto last night. I experimented with what I had in my veggie box and made an arugula-garlic scape pesto that turned out well. Very well if you love garlic. Here's my recipe:

Arugula & Garlic-scape Pesto 

This pesto is a lovely spring green color and smells like fragrant spring greens. I tossed the pesto with some fresh cooked pasta and a bit of reserved cooking liquid from the pasta. I served it with simple pan seared shrimp seasoned with spices and tomato chunks sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. It was a lovely dinner. :) 

1 bunch arugula 

4 garlic scapes

1/2 cup whole almonds

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

1. Thoroughly wash and drain or spin arugula and set aside. For instructions on washing greens, see my note at the bottom of this post. 

2. Add four garlic scapes cut into rough 1/2" pieces and 1/2 cup whole almonds into the bowl of a food processor and process until finely minced. 

3. Add the arugula to the food processor bowl, tearing large leaves as you go along. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and start processing the greens with the garlic and almonds. If necessary, stop the processor and mix up the ingredients with a spatula to help the process.

4. Add more olive oil to the pesto, 1 tablespoon at a time followed by 30 seconds to 1 minute of processing, until the pesto is well processed. The pesto will swirl around in the processor bowl and look uniform in color and texture when enough olive oil has been added. 

Note: I think I used about 4-5 tablespoons total when making this recipe. 2 tablespoons in step 3 and then 2-3 tablespoons more in step 4. 

5. Use this pesto as you would a basil pesto.. as a base on Homemade Pizza or tossed with pasta and served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If using on pasta, it's always a good idea to reserve some of the cooking liquid from the pot of boiling pasta to thin the pesto a bit so it evenly coats the pasta. Add in small increments so you don't completely water down the pesto. 

Kitchen Tip: Washing Greens

1. Invest in a good salad spinner. I love the OXO salad spinner and use mine almost every day. My first OXO salad spinner lasted me 10 years before the spinner component in the top stopped working. I bought my second one about a year ago.
2. Add cool water to the salad spinner bowl and add greens. Do not cut or tear leaves until the end.. good things will leach out of your greens into the water. Keep them in the leaves as much as possible so they get into your body and don't get dumped down the drain! 
3. Gently swish the leaves around a bit and then let them sit in the water a few minutes. This gives sand and dirt time to settle to the bottom of the bowl. Sometimes little bitty bugs float to the top, especially if you are using organic greens [<--I recommend you do]. 
4. If you have little bitty bugs floating on top, gently press the greens into the water a bit and carefully tilt the bowl into the sink so some of the water drains off and carries the bugs into the sink. Drain only a bit of the water, not a lot. 
5. Carefully lift greens out of the water by the handful and put them in the basket or strainer of the spinner, which you are holding over the sink. 
6. When all of the greens are in the basket or strainer, set aside. 
7. Dump water from bowl into sink. 
8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 until water in bowl is clear of any sand, dirt, grit or bugs. 
9. When your greens are clean, put basket back into spinner bowl, add top and spin to remove as much water as you can. 
10. If you are not using a spinner, use paper towels to gently dry the greens as much as you can. 
11. NOW you can tear, chop, chiffonade and basically cut up your greens in the way you want for your recipe. 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

Lime Curd {from homegrown limes!}

A few weeks ago my husband was in Texas visiting two aunts and an uncle while also participating in the MS 150 cycling event. Knowing how much I love gardens, he was texting me photos of his aunt and uncle's modest but prolific backyard garden. Not only was I envious of their prolific garden, but they were growing all sorts of edibles that can't survive the climate in my zone 6 backyard--lemons and limes, for example. Imagine walking into your backyard and to pick a lemon off a tree to squeeze into whatever dish you're preparing right at that moment!

To my delight and great fortune, my husband's aunt and uncle sent him home with a big ziploc bag full of adorable baby limes. They look like lemons on the outside and like juicy miniature oranges on the inside, but I've been assured they are indeed limes. I have no other choice but to believe them despite what my eyes tell me.. because what do I know of backyard varieties of homegrown citrus fruit? Besides, the fragrance and taste is closer to supermarket limes than to either lemons or oranges. So limes they are!

I wanted to do something special with this bounty of limes and aside from homemade margaritas, which I would be the only one in my house enjoying, I decided on lime curd. Most people are familiar with lemon curd, but if you don't know what curd is, it's essentially a citrus custard without the cream. The final product has a creamy consistency and sweet tart. Think of a lemon filling in a layer cake.

I came up with this recipe after looking up lime curd recipes online. I essentially compared the butter-juice-sugar-egg proportions from other recipes and then kind of made up my own based on the amount of lime juice I ended up with from my limes, wanting to reducing the amount of butter called for in most recipes, and wanting to use egg yolks as opposed to whole eggs in my recipe since I had several egg yolks in my fridge already after needing egg whites for other recipes last week and I know omitting the whites will result in a richer, creamier curd than if the whites were added as well.

Lime Curd 

5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces 

1 cup lime juice 

1 cup sugar 

5 egg yolks 

pinch of salt

test for proper
consistency

• Juice the limes and then strain through a sieve to remove any seeds and pulp. 
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed, non reactive pan on medium low heat. 
• Add the sugar, lime juice, egg yolks and pinch of salt, whisking mixture until smooth. 
• Heat mixture over medium low heat, stirring frequently with the whisk or a spoon until mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. The lime curd should be thick enough that when you put a bit on a plate and run your finger through it, there is a path left that does not fill back in with curd. Like in the photo on right photo.. 
• Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes then transfer into a clean glass jar. 
• Cover surface of curd with parchment paper to keep a skin from forming as it cools. Or if you're like me, forget the parchment paper and just peel the skin off (and eat it!) before using the curd.

Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Store lime curd in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks--if it lasts that long!

So what do you do with lime curd? Here are some ideas:

• make a yogurt parfait with alternating layers of plain, nonfat yogurt and lime curd, topped with diced kiwi, pineapple, strawberry or blueberries 
• spoon it on biscuits or scones make a trifle with cubes of pound cake, lime curd and top with berries and whipped cream. 
• Cut a pound cake in half horizontally, spoon lime curd onto bottom layer and top with the other half of pound cake. Top with whipped cream and blueberries for a special dessert. 
• Line a tart pan with a graham cracker crust, fill with lime curd and top with sliced fresh fruit for a delicious fruit tart dessert. 
• Prepare a lightly sweetened pie crust in a pie pan, fill with lime curd and top with fresh whipped cream for an instant lime tart. 
• Spoon out the top of mini corn or blueberry muffins with a melon baller and fill with lime curd. 
• Add small layers of crushed graham crackers and spoonfuls of lime curd to homemade vanilla frozen yogurt in a freezer safe container for a lime tart frozen yogurt! 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 



Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.