Sangria

Summer has barely started and it is hot!  I wanted a refreshing drink, but had some wine sitting in the pantry that I "had" to use up.  Oh.  You mean red wine doesn't go bad if you don't drink it?  Fine.  I wanted some wine, okay?

I threw a bunch of juicy things in a pitcher with some red wine and made my version of Sangria.  The nice thing is that you can change it to suit yourself.  This suited me just fine.

Sangria
One bottle of red wine
1 orange, sliced
2 lemons, sliced and pits removed
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups orange juice  I made mine from concentrate
2 Tablespoons lime juice  Feel free to add sliced limes if you have them.  I didn't.
1/3 cup Triple Sec or Brandy or Peach Schnapps  Use something fruity and booze related.

Ginger Ale

 

Place the sliced citrus fruit in a large pitcher.

 

 Pour the sugar on top and muddle with a wooden spoon.  You want to press on them hard enough to release the juice but not smash them into a big mess.

 

Add the juices and the wine. 

  

For some reason I am now craving a tequila sunrise.

Return to the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

 

Place some ice cubes in a glass and fill about 1/3 of the way with chilled ginger ale.  Add the Sangria.

   

Drink one glass while fixing dinner and one glass while enjoying dinner.  Save the rest for another night!

I didn't add the ginger ale to the Sangria because I knew we wouldn't finish it in one evening and the ginger ale would have gone flat over night.  I will use fresh ginger ale tonight.


Cream Cheese Filled Monkey Bread

We are having more guests for the B&B.  This FORCES me to try new recipes for their breakfast.  Lee reminds me that they are different guests each time and so I can make the same breakfast and no one will know.  Good point.

So, naturally, I ignored him and made some monkey bread.  The impetus for this was a recipe for cream cheese stuffed monkey bread I saw when cruising on the Web,.  This is a dangerous activity and I have to stop it.  Any minute now.  I call mine cream cheese filled, instead of stuffed.  Sounds better to me.

So, naturally, I ignored my own advice and thought it might be a good addition for the B&B.  But you can't just make something like that for the first time when you are serving guests.  You must try it yourself.  Monkey bread is usually made in a Bundt pan.  I wanted to try and see if I could make individual servings.  I modified the recipe for just us and I will give you those amounts.  If you want to do the version in the Bundt pan, double the amounts and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

 

Cream Cheese Filled Monkey Bread

1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
honey nut cream cheese  I used Philadelphia honey pecan
1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, 1/2 stick

 

Heat the oven to 350°.  I used some heart shaped ramekins and sprayed them with Pam.

 

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

 

Unroll the crescent rolls and press the seams together with your fingers.  I did that and then I rolled it sort of smooth with a rolling pin. 

 

Cut the rectangle of dough into 3 horizontal rows and then 8 rows vertically. A pizza cutter is great for this.  Don't stress too much about them being even.  As you can see, I didn't.  On the other hand, my pizza wheel wiggles as I cut and I will blame it on that.

 

Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the flavored cream cheese in the center of each square you just cut. 

 

Press the seams closed and then form them into a small ball.

 

After you have filled all the squares and turned them into balls, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them in the prepared ramekins. 

 

I sprayed four ramekins, but only filled three of them.  Mine are kind of big.  If you have little ones, you can make more individual servings, but then you should cook them for less time.  I started at 15 minutes and then kept increasing it until they were done.

Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the filled ramekins. 

 

Melt the butter, I used the microwave, and add the brown sugar.  Mix and pour over the filled dough balls.  Place them on a cookie sheet.  Mine bubbled over.  Burnt sugar in your oven is a pain to remove.  Use the cookie sheet.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Use a spatula around the edges to loosen.  Place a plate over the top and carefully turn it over.  Remove the ramekins and let cool for 10 more minutes.

 

Monkey bread can be sliced, but the best way is to use your fingers, or a fork, and pull the balls off and pop them in your mouth.  Well, these balls are a bit more than a mouth full, so bite off half, chew, swallow and THEN pop the rest into your mouth.

 

Yum.  I'm not sure if I will use this version.  I also have some mini bread pans.  They might be nice, also.  Guess I need to make another batch for us....

Peanut Butter Melts

We don't have any grandchildren so I borrowed a couple of kids from my cousin.  Her two middle children, girls, said they wanted to come learn to knit.  We had an enjoyable (by me and I hope them) afternoon.  I have not been baking recently, so I HAD to make some cookies.  You must feed guests and children guests should be served cookies.  Right?

 

I decided to make some peanut butter cookies and then remembered that Joanne Fluke, my go to "mystery with recipes" novelist, had some peanut butter cookie recipes.  I couldn't remember which books they were in, so I searched the Web and found a list of recipes paired with the book where they reside.  This one was in the Blueberry Muffin Murder.

 

Peanut Butter Melts

1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons molasses (1/8 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter, I used chunky
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 to 1 cup sugar for rolling, optional

 

Heat the oven to 375°.

Melt the butter in the microwave.   (I cover the bowl with a paper towel to keep it from spitting all over the microwave.  Then I used the paper towel to wipe the mouth of the molasses before returning it to the pantry.) 

 

Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl (I used a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you can do it by hand.) where you have placed the sugar, vanilla, and molasses. 

 

Beat until mixed thoroughly.  Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix some more.

 

Before you measure out the peanut butter, spray the inside of a 1 cup measure with Pam.  Look how easy it comes out! 

 

This is a  hint from Ms. Fluke.

 

Mix the peanut butter in with the rest of the batter.  Place the eggs in a small bowl and mix with a fork.  Add the eggs to the bowl, mix and then add the flour to the bowl.  Mix.

 

I use Silpat liners for cookie sheets.  Nothing sticks to them and they are reusable.  You may use parchment paper or just grease the cookie sheets.  Form the dough into walnut sized balls.  I used the smallest cookie scoop.

 

The next step is optional. I placed about 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and rolled the balls in it for a sugary crunch on the outside of the cookies.  I ended up adding a bit more as I went along.  It is not necessary, but a nice addition. 

 

Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet and partly flatten the cookies with a fork.  Then press it again in a crisscross pattern.  If the fork sticks, you can dip it in a small dish of sugar or the bowl in which you are rolling the cookies.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn brown.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

 

Enjoy with a nice, cold glass of milk.  Especially if you have some sweet children visiting.

We are expecting guests this weekend for the B&B, so I froze all but  a couple of dozen for making freshly baked cookies for our guests.

 

And, you know, maybe for Lee.  I am above eating cookies and other baked goods.

HA!   You didn't buy that, right?

Two Down, One To Go

I bought enough yarn and the patterns for three scarfs.  I made one one, but needed help in finishing it.  This particular pattern calls for Kitchener stitch which grafts the two sides together so you can't see the seam.  I set that scarf aside until I could get back to the yarn shop for help.

 

I finished the lace cowl I started.  I like it and it was fast and easy.  I may make another with a different yarn.  What do you think?

 

I even had time to start on third scarf.  I like the color and the pattern is interesting.

 

Finally we got into town.  This is an issue when you live out in the country and any shopping is an expedition.

The Kitchener stitch is one developed by Earl Kitchener who was a field marshal, among other things, in the British Army.  He is thought to have developed this grafting method to avoid a seam lump in the socks that had been causing problems for soldiers. 

There are instructions online and videos you can watch done by experts, so I won't try to show you the technique.  But the hint that really helped was to take a sticky note and place it on the instructions for each row.  After you finish that row, you move the note down.  From all I have read, the biggest problem is losing your place and this technique HELPS to prevent that. Just remember to set the time aside to do the whole job without stopping.

 

I sat in the yarn shop for over an hour.  I got it done and I like the finished product.  It's not perfect, but it IS my first time.  I love the yarn. 

 

Now I want to make another one with a different yarn so I can use the Kitchener stitch while it is still (sort of) fresh in my mind.

How many scarves do I need to knit?  Apparently, quite a few.  I like a fast project that gives me a challenge.  What other scarves shall I knit?

Who Makes Soup In The Summer?

I found a recipe for soup in a magazine we bought at the library.  They sell the donated, used magazines and Lee always checks when we go in.  Cheap for us and good for the library.   Sure I know it is one of the hottest and muggiest summers ever in the history of Botetourt.  In fact, when Lee came in for dinner, he looked at me incredulously.  "You're making soup?"  Yes.  Yes, I am.  Thank God for air conditioning.

The recipe by Gail Simmons called for Swanson's Thai Ginger Infused Chicken Broth.  Guess what?  NO ONE  has that.  OK.  I can't say no one, in all honesty.  But Kroger's didn't have it and Wal-Mart didn't have it.  I quit looking and decided to make my own version using the Swanson's chicken broth as a base.  I checked the internet and found the main ingredients, most of which I had.  This is the version I ended up with.

And may I say, grocery stores, WHY don't you sell ground meat in 1/2 pound sizes for single people or couples?  It would make things easier and I wouldn't have portions stuck forever in my freezer waiting until I try another recipe that calls for that particular type of meat???

Ginger Chicken Dumpling Soup

10 ounces ground chicken ( or 1/2 pound if you are so lucky.  I had a lot left over)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced    I used the version in the jar.  Get the kind grown in the US.  Have you heard how they grow it in China?  Yuck.  Christopher Ranch is good.
4 green onions, thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup, divided use
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided use
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
24 or so wonton wrappers
3 cups water
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil.  The recipe called for 2, but the flavor is pretty strong and I used one.  Use to taste. 
4 heads baby bok choy  I used two because the market only had two left.  sigh

 

4 cups Swanson's Thai Ginger Chicken Broth or do as I did and make your own version

4 cups plain old ordinary Chicken Broth
The peelings and left over chunks of ginger from mincing it for the dumplings
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
stems and leaves of cilantro you didn't need when mincing for the dumplings
1 teaspoon lime juice, if you have it.  I didn't.

 

Let this simmer while you prepare the dumplings. 

 

Then strain and continue the recipe.

 

 

Mix the chicken, ginger, garlic, half the green onions, cilantro, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl.

 

The wonton wrappers come in little squares, so you need to cut them into 3 inch circles. 

 

I used a Pampered Chef circle cutter and just didn't press on the crimper part. 
 
Don't worry about the exact number .  You will have left over chicken anyway.

 

Place about 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of the circle.  Dip your finger in a small bowl of water and moisten all around the edge of the wrapper. 

 

Fold in half and press to seal, forcing out any air.  Set aside and continue making as many dumplings as you want.  I quit after about 26 and tossed the leftover chicken.

 

If you made your own broth, strain it and add the soy sauce, sesame seed oil and water.  If you managed to find the Thai version just add the water, soy sauce and oil.  Heat over medium heat for 10 minutes. 

 

Then increase to a boil and carefully add the dumplings.  Lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook for 5 minutes.

 

Trim the baby bok choy and cut into quarters.  Ad them to the soup and cook for 3 more minutes or until the bok choy is tender and the dumplings are cooked through.

Serve the soup sprinkled with the remaining green onion slices.

 

Even though it is roastingly hot, the soup was a very nice dinner.  So there.  We had fruit for dessert and I hope I lost five pounds yesterday so I can bake something soon.

Not My Favorite Day

Today started out bad.  Lee came and informed me that RJ had killed something in the driveway.  Great.  We had just taken a baby rabbit to a wildlife rehabilitator after we rescued it from the cats.  We are going to be turned in as harboring dangerous animals.  We can keep the cats in to protect wild life.  But not the dog.  No dog litter boxes.

 

So after disposing of the latest, and I won't upset you by telling you anything about it, ( I'm hoping it was already dead when RJ found it)  I decided to clean the litter boxes.  We need them if we are to keep the other vicious predators from going outside to kill somebody else.  House arrest for them.

 

I used a cleaning agent that bragged that it killed 99.9 percent of bacteria.  What about the other .1 percent?  Is that going to pose a serious problem?  Then I realized the cats would be adding another 99 percent back to the litter boxes at any moment.  But doesn't it look clean for the moment?

 

Of course, while I was laboring over his litter boxes, Rhett was attacking my shoes.  I don't get no respect.

 

Next I had to bathe RJ, the vicious murderer.  He has developed a skin condition common to German Shepherds and he now has to take an antibiotic ($55) and be bathed frequently with special shampoo ($24).  We won't even mention to vet exam ($55).  Ok, I guess we will.

So, three fun things before 10:00.  I wonder how the rest of the day is going to go.  It has to get better....