chocolate peanut clusters

It was our last share-n-tell of the year...and it was at Roger and Sally Barton's Bible study group.  The google directions left much to be desired and we managed to miss a turn.  We'd never been to this house which was tucked away amidst a hilly piny forest and  playful big boulders.  Seeing all the snow that had yet to melt from a week ago, we were thankful we no longer lived in Ponderosa where the snow is just as bad.  This new [to us] neighborhood was tricky with all it's ice and snow for our little Toyota starlet.  

The house was beautiful.  Yet, in our already missionary mindset, it was too much.  Too much space for collecting more wants than needs.  It sure was nice to look at and enjoy for a couple hours though.  

After eating and our share-n-tell, we stuck around for a little Christmas story trivia and dessert.  What pregnant girl doesn't want some chocolate cake when it's offered to her?  Well, I've only ever met one...and she was a Filipina.  

Sally had made these incredible peanut clusters and lovingly put them in gift bags.  Oh, what divine nutty-ness!

Makes: as many as you are up for making, just follow the ratio (more math) and you too can make a plethora to gift to all the loved ones in your life.

Ingredients:

• 1 part (12 oz) Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 parts (24 oz) Butterscotch Chips
• 2 parts (24 oz) Salted Cocktail Peanuts

Directions:

Combine the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a 2 quart microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave on power level 5 for 2 minutes, stir and repeat just until melted being careful to not overheat the chips. Stir the peanuts into the melted chocolate mixture.

Drop spoonfuls onto a wax or parchment paper covered cookie sheet, refrigerate until hard and package in a airtight plastic container or bag.

Tip:  I like to wrap them in decorative clear plastic Christmas bags tied with a Christmas ribbon. I gift them to all my friends and am immediately moved from the “Naughty” to the “Nice” list – enjoy!

thank-you JESUS!

peanut butter cup brownies:

• one box of brownie mix
• all suggested wet ingredients [I use coconut oil instead of butter]
• two generous handfuls of halfed peanut butter cups

Gently combine mix and wet ingredients.  Gently fold in  peanut butter cups.  Bake to suggested temp and time on box.

Yes, who better to thank for all of the year's blessings than Jesus himself.  With it being the last one we celebrate in America, this mother hen couldn't help but want it to be the best for the kids.  There were no plans made to share the day with friends.  It was just to be we seven.  I've never been good, that I can remember, at buying all ingredients the pay day before.  So, there were last minute purchases the day before to make sure everyone got what they were hoping to feast on.  I laughed as I picked up the box of lemon bar mix that Mike pointed out and he says, "is that going to be enough?"  He wanted to make sure there would be more than plenty to last a couple days of extra sugar munching.  It was the brownies, the lemon bars [which turned out to be lemon cheese cake bars], sausage balls dough and spinach balls dough that were baked and prepped the day and evening before.  Pumpkin cheesecake[s] was also on the menu.  But, there wasn't enough energy and space for all of that too.  The sausage and spinach balls dough needed to set overnight in the fridge before baking.  Since the house oven doesn't work, I happily used my small toaster oven.  I'm already well accustomed to the smaller oven because it saves on electricity and gas [depending on what type of ovens I've had in the past].

lemon cheesecake bars

• one box of lemon bar mix
• all required wet ingredients
• one 8oz pkg of cream cheese
• mix bake as directed

Victoria helped me with the lemon bars.  She's such a good helper.  Always has been.  We upgraded the recipe and added the cheesecakey element.  The box had the cheesecakey instructions.  What an easy  recipe.  

I used Jimmy Dean's sausage for the sausage balls.  I went by no recipe...but by the basic memory of having made these in the past.  For the spinach balls, it was pretty much the same, but instead of cheddar cheese, I used spicy pepper jack cheese and plenty of butter.  These, were to help hold Mike and the kids over while the turkey was cooking all morning and into the afternoon. However......

biscuits and gravy

Victoria specifically requested biscuits and gravy for breakfast.  It's one of those rare dishes I treat the family with.  It's so country.  It's so filling.  It's so fattening.  It's so YUM!!  The sausage and spinach balls took quite some time to bake as they had to be in small batches for the sake of the toaster oven.  But a 'las, once those were done, I used the pancake mix for the biscuits and more of the jimmy dean sausage for the gravy.  It was noon by the time it was all done.  Dylan had filled himself up on the sausage and spinach balls that he'd left no room for the biscuits and gravy.  For everyone else...welp, it was another hip packing symphony of satisfaction for us.  

The turkey was 24lb and didn't look done yet at 1:30pm.   It looked like it needed another two hours in the fabulous electric roaster.  I'm going to miss that roaster.  It's such an energy saver.  These feet and hands were pooped.  A nap was definitely in order.  Good thing we weren't running on someone else's schedule.  The great benefit to enjoying this Thanksgiving day all to ourselves.  

It wasn't until 4pm that I was ready to go at it in the kitchen again.  The next two hours were a perspiring joy of loving slavery.  When we finally all sat down, it was the perfect time for candles.  My kind of ambiance for such a feast.  We all went around the table and shared three things we're thankful for.  Dylan's turned out to be as sentimentally sappy as his dad.  He said, "I'm thankful for my family" and failed to hold back the tears.  I can only imagine all the other things he would've liked to say if he didn't have to fight tears.  Chances are he was thinking of this being his last year with all his friends and yet being so thankful that the near future geographical transition into a world of unknown for him makes him all the more thankful that it's with his family.  Tyler, being the happy-go-lucky sweet and tender teenager, proudly tells us that he's firstly thankful for mom and dad because without us neither he or his siblings would exist.  We're so thankful the kids are close.    

It was a beautiful day and evening of romancing Thanksgiving and the annual turkey feast.

11.11.11

 Meaning more for those of family members in the service [past and present], it's Veterans' Day.  While Mike is amidst the day's plan of enjoying free meals [Denny's, Apple Bee's, Olive Garden....etc.] today with a fellow veteran, I've been at home enjoying my own culinary concoctions.    

Yesterday I started a pot of roast beef.  Something needed to be started for dinner.  But what?  Roast beef wasn't exactly what the taste buds were pining for.  But we'd had chicken for several days.  Got treated to Papa John's Pizza the night before.  The creative juices were clogged in the brain.  About an hour later, some cans of coconut milk were pulled out of the cupboard [2] and a large can of diced stewed tomatoes.  Ding!  A light went on and the Costco sized jar of curry powder was pulled out from which two generous spoonfuls were added to the pot.  Just the look in the pot promised to be de-LISH.  

Another hour later and Tori got home from her first basketball game.  It was a painful loss to her sore legs.  A big loss.  Something like 36-6.  One should never be surprised when the first game of the season turns out to be the hardest.  Especially for those that've never played the sport before.  For her, it'd been several years.  We headed out to the boys' school before she got out of the shower.  Upon our return she was cuddled up on the couch watching a movie with Maverick ....and the beef was perfectly tender.  Even though I had indulged in a hot dog, a bag of chips and a small bowl of chili at the school, the site and smell of the beef curry seemed to have put the metabolism on turbo, creating hunger pains for another course.  

My phone is the only digital device showing anything remotely close to 11:11, 11.11.11

So, at exactly 11:11am today I was sitting down with a nice hot plate of beef curried baked potato.  Apparently, cooking food in the microwave is a no no.  For exactly what reason, I have managed to forget.  We like microwaving potatoes in minutes.  It's easier and faster than wrapping the potato[es] in  foil and baking it in the oven for an hour or so.  This was a divine symphony of YUM.

Noon dessert.........

Sweet Sierra offered one of her cupcakes.  She won a plateful last night at the chili cook off/game
night at Dylan and Tyler's school.  The night was in celebration of their brand new gym now open.  It smelled like a new gym.  

coconutty banana bread

With my affinity to all  things coconut-ish, resistance is truly futile.  It's Thanksgiving Eve and I'm stoked with some of my favorite ingredients and the very idea that this could be something my family will enjoy with me.

In the Mixer:

2 C flour

1 C sugar

1 1/2 C sweet coconut flakes

6 bananas

2 t vanilla

4 eggs

1 1/2 t BP

Gently folded in: 

1 2oz pack of walnuts chopped with my big chef knife

1 C chocolate chips

This made two loaves baked  at 350 for 20-35 min.  Depending on your oven.  I inserted a wooden skewer to  check the for moisture and/or dry finish, covered to keep moist and let sit overnight.

This morning I quick whipped together the frosting of: one pack of cream cheese, 2 C of powdered sugar, 2 t of lemon extract and slowly added coconut milk to desired thickness....I like mine a little runny.

Yah.....that's some seriously yummy-licious stuff!!

coconut sesame saltines

flakey. flavorful. fresh. fun.

2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 Cup warm coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
sesame seeds

in the mixer: I mixed the flour, baking powder, salt, coconut milk, and vegetable oil


Rolled the dough onto a cookie sheet, with a rolling pin, as flat as possible, brushed it with egg white mix [1 egg white and 2 T water], lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds and salt and cut into squares


baked in preheated oven at 385 for 10-12 min.

My little four year old pretty much took all of them.  All other six family members were lucky if they got more than one.  (^_^)

coconut sourdoughy pandesal

Sweet like Pandesal.  Coconut in flavor.  Sourdoughy in smell.  FABULOUS.

There is MUCH joy in putting together some of my favorite flavors.  How much fun to do so with pandesal/rolls!  Homemade sweet sourdough is so deletable.  The Filipino pandesal rolls are sweet and always nostalgic of home on the islands.  Coconut....it's practically impossible to go wrong with adding such an islandish flavor to so many dishes...including bread and/or rolls.  Thus, the reason why the shopping cart is religiously filled with ten cans of coconut milk on every bimonthly shopping trip.  I really hate running out of coconut milk.

Mixed one can of room temped coconut milk, 4 T of yeast, 1 C sugar.  Let sit until sugar is well dissolved and yeast is well activated forming gas bubbles. (Never use hot liquids as this will kill the yeast and rolls will not rise). Let mixture sit in fridge overnight.  Take out next day and let warm up to room temperature.

In bread maker on dough setting:  2 C flour, 1 t salt,  1 1/2 C of wet mixture, and 1 T sesame oil. Gradually add 1/4-1/2 C until dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise for one hour in closed bread maker.

Form small balls and set into baking dish and let rise in oven.  Be sure to put a large baking dish full of hot tap water under neath to create a humid environment and keep the rolls from forming a dry crust.  Let rise for 30-60 min.  Remove and let the oven preset to 350...leaving the large baking dish of water in oven.  Bake the rolls for 30+ or until golden brown.

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This is what I put together for tonight's potluck at Greg and Sheryl's. That and salad. There were a lot of new Primerica faces...and there were missing faces of others no longer in the business.  All night I kept envisioning Shad and Casey Coulson and their three iddy bitties.  Oh, how we miss them now that they are out of town and out of state....and in Kansas.

Being the inactive Primericans, one would think we would feel slightly out of place.  However, we didn't.  It was nice to meet new faces and be back in the company of pleasant familiar ones.   Though no longer working together, we are all still of the same mindset of doing what God has given us all the ability to do in order to get and stay ahead of the currently declining American economy that's particularly harder on the middle class and below.

easy arroz caldo

Tonight's supper is another nostalgic one for me.  There is no doubt, that on the tropical Philippine islands there are "cold" and perfectly breezy days and/or evenings in which a congee-licious dish such as this is beyond palatable.  Especially during the typhoon season when the temps drop to the low 70's and high 60's.  When the windows are open and every delightful plop-a-dy raindrop can be heard as the orchestrative chorus in the background......Oh, to enjoy such moments of home again.  But even in the beautiful fall temps of the Arizona desert this is a delectable savoury satisfaction.

I like dark meat.  Fortunately, for me, so do my kids.  Great on the budget.  Much to our delight, it certainly has more flavor.  And when grilling, it has more moisture and unlikely to dry out.  

In a regular sized soup pot: as much chicken to your liking, four medium chopped carrots, two stems of celery finely chopped, as much onion and garlic powder to your liking and fill with water to the top [oh, and a couple bay leaves...2-3]. What especially makes this is ginger [fresh or powder]....as much as you like.  For me, it's a lavish helping.  Let this come to a boil and then simmer/slow cook for an hour.  Then add 1 1/2 C of sticky rice which only took about 20 minutes [or so] to cook.  It makes for a thick caldo...which is the way we like it.  Don't forget to add the fish sauce.  As much or as little of it as you like.  Oh, so copacetic....mmmm!!!

another bean-less bowl of chilli

ground turkey, one pack of  taco seasoning, a whole red bell pepper chopped up, garlic and onion powder...all slow cooked for six hours.  Very satisfying...and great with ube biscuits ......

ube-licious biscuits

In searching the internet for ube-licious recipes one can easily find several recipes for pancakes, muffins, cheesecakes, cupcakes...etc.  However, I haven't ever found one for ube biscuits.  Thus, mine are definitely the first. (^_^)  I just used the same pancake mix  but added 2-3 more cups (that has 1 cup of sugar) and a little sesame oil to keep it from sticking to the layer of aluminum foil (for easy clean up).  The slight sweetness is identical to honey whole wheat biscuits.  But, hey....these are ube biscuits! 

ube-licious pancakes

I used the Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake [from Wal-mart] mix 2-3 cups, 

one pack of the frozen ube from the Asian market, and replaced the water 

with coconut milk.  In order to get the sweetness I was expecting 

I added a 1C of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla

beef and asian spinach

Every time I go to the Asian Food Market, without fail, beef and chicken are a must purchase.  The guys always ask me, in their oriental accent, if I want the beef cut like Korean BBQ.  That's the best cut as far as I'm concerned.  Nice and thin (makes for quick stirfrying without cooking everything else to death and the meat's not tough).  The produce is always the best bargain.  Last year was the first time I'd tried the oriental/asian spinach....yumbo scumbo.  Some Asian meals are so easy: throw everything in the wok for a high and quick stir fry, add tons of garlic and onion powder, soysauce to liking and add the spinach for the last 1-2 stirfring.  Immediately remove the wok from heat, serve and munch to your tastebuds' content....

Nuoc Mam-Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

This is, by far, the best stuff. Infact, I would prefer it over the traiditional sweet and sour sauce I've used for lumpia in the past.

Whether you use 1/4 C, 1/2 C, 3/4 C or a whole cup it is equal parts:

1 part hot water [so the sugar will dissolve quickly]
1 part sugar
1 part fish sauce

I like to add 1/4 part [or more depending on the "mood" and cuisine] lemon juice.

For a little extra bite, I like to add 1/8-1/4 part chili paste.

This stuff is incredible for using with just about any Asian meat, egg roll, lumpia, vietnamese crispy rolls, vietnamese spring rolls....etc. Awesome in Vietnamese noodle dishes. Refrigerates well for several weeks.