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Showing posts from July, 2013

Mushroom Sausage Breakfast Wrap and a Summer Giveaway

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My breakfasts usually consist of some kind of fruit and a mixture of nuts but I was hungry for something heartier this morning... and I wanted an excuse to show you my favorite tomato knife and give you a chance to win one. :) But first the wrap, or burrito, whichever pleases you.   No rocket science here, just favorite ingredients all wrapped up in a favorite Sundried Tomato tortilla.   1 sausage patty, cut up chopped onions diced baby bella mushrooms Garlic Oil, for sauteing 2 eggs, scrambled shredded cheese diced fresh tomatoes 1 tortilla   Saute veggies in oil, add sausage patty and set aside. Scramble a cook the egg. Assemble and enjoy with fresh, sliced garden tomatoes and a glass of fresh Mango Mint Lemonade for a satisfying breakfast.    Now for the fun part:     Years ago a friend gave me one of these knives and it soon became one of my favorites. (It's great for cutting tomatoes but is also wonderful for lots of other veggies.) 

Mango Mint Lemonade

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I had 3 mangoes and a pile of lemons in my fridge drawer waiting for a purpose. I often drink lemon water but wasn't getting all of the lemons used lately. Today I happened to see them all in there again and decided it was time. Earlier last week I had thought about the fact that this combination with mint might be refreshing. And the tea bed out beside the house is in need of cutting. Not being in the tea brewing mood today though, I decided to use the quicker version and use the blender for everything instead. The end result was indeed refreshing and my resident taste testers enjoyed it. :) 2 cups (packed) Apple Mint tea leaves, washed 6 lemons, washed and quartered 3 mangoes, peeled and sliced 4 cups ice ½ cup sugar Stevia, to taste Place mint leaves into blender, cover with water and blend well. Pour through a very fine sieve. I used a paper towel in the finest sieve I had. Place lemon quarters into blender (in two batches) and cover with water. Blend well. P

Baked Almond Custard

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  If you are looking for a simple, light, easy Summer dessert that is easily dressed up and perfect with the abundance of ripe berries that are available, this is what you're looking for. The recipe comes from my sister Karen. :)   Custard is generally baked with egg yolks included but this one eliminates them for a lighter dessert. YUM!   As you can see above, it can be baked in small ramekins or a larger pan if you choose.   I think they're pretty too. :) The almonds around the edge add a nice touch.   4 cups milk 6 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon almond extract 7 Tablespoons white sugar sliced almonds   Preheat oven to 325°.   In a small saucepan heat milk over medium heat until scalded. Remove from heat and set aside.   Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, combine the egg whites, vanilla & almond extracts, and sea salt. Beat with an electric mixer until mixture is frothy. Gradually beat

Black Raspberry Vanilla Cream Bars

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  With black raspberries in season and my plan to not freeze any this year we have been enjoying a lot of fresh eating, sharing them with family, and of course a few experiments :).   My Mom makes a fabulous Black Raspberry Pie with a creamy layer between the filling and crumbs that is amazing. I decided to convert the pie into a bar recipe and discovered that it was indeed an improvement! IMHO.   I really, really like the shortbread crust versus a plain pie crust. I enjoy the addition of vanilla bean contents and an egg in the creamy layer, and I like that the raspberry and creamy layers are more evenly divided than they are in pie form. And I like the color, good food should always be pretty :).   For the crust: 1½ cups all purpose flour ¾ cup almond meal 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup vanilla sugar, (or plain sugar) ½ teaspoon salt Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and grate cold butter into the bowl on top of flour mixture and mix by hand until f