some good stuff

photo by spbm

 

I'm going to need a twelve step program soon...Our daughter, Jaime, gave us a juicer for Christmas. YEAH!!! I've been wanting one forever, but since counter space in my kitchen is at a premium, I always put off getting another counter top appliance.

Since getting this awesome, wonderful machine, I am spending a lot of time washing a juicer since I can't seem to get enough of this one particular juice - carrot, apple & ginger. I haven't made any other juice than this one, not sure I ever will. :) When I think I will try something else, I think...next time.

I'm pretty sure I'll be turning orange soon. :)

photo by spbm

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Sooooo YUMMY!!!

I found this recipe on Journey To Crunchville's Blog. Since I'd been craving oatmeal raisin cookies the past week and I am not really a cookie eater or baker, it was great to find a blog with a recipe that sounded delicious. I don't like things very sweet and did not use as much sugar as the recipe called for. Hard cookies NEVER impress me, so I like that these are soft and chewy. Also, I did soak the raisins... and that did make all the difference.

Recipe:


1 cup butter, room temp

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1 TBSP (yes tablespoon) vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinammon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned, not instant)

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


To prep: The key is to soak the raisins. This makes all the difference in the world. Beat eggs and vanilla together and then add the raisins, stir. Soak for an hour or two. I just walked by a few times and stirred it while I waited.

Directions:

Preheat to 350 F

Cream butter and sugars with mixer. In a seperate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinammon, ginger & nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients until well blended. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well. Now add in the egg & raisin mixture (I used my hands). Then add oatmeal and chocolate chips/nuts and combine well. Form into balls on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-5 minutes or until firm enough to transfer to wire rack.

Made about 2 1/2 dozen cookies for me and I made them pretty big. You could get 4 dozen if you make them small.

Fresh Fruit Tart

I made this last night, and it was fantastic. With so much fresh fruit in season, it is a great time to eating lots of fruit. I am including the crust recipe that came with the recipe, but I have my own crust recipe I use for everything, as it always turns out perfect. If you would like a copy of it, let me know. I also grind my own whole wheat flour, it is courser than commercial, and I like the texture it gives crust -- gives it a earthy, nutty flavor that can't be matched with what you purchase. Even the commercial wheat flours work well, and still give a nice texture. My favorite brand of commerical flour is 'King Arthur', for those times when I do have to use store bought. I also used a fresh orange to make the juice, so much better.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

4-5 teaspoons ice water

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup orange juice (I used fresh squeezed orange juice, it is so much tastier)

1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

1/2 papaya, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced (I used mango this time)

1 cup fresh berries of choice

For crust, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and the 1 tbls. sugar. Using a pasty blender, cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with 4 teaspoons ice water; toss until crumbly, sprinkling with the remaining ice water if necessary. Form dough into a circle on waxed paper cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Roll into a 10-inch circle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper; invert dough onto an uncreased baking sheet. Remove remaining waxed paper. Crimp crust edge. Prick crust with a fork. Bake crust in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 min. or until lightly browned. Cool. Meanwhile, for glaze, in a small sauce pan combine the 2 teaspoons sugar, the cornstarch, and ginger. Stir in the orange juice. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Cool. Place crust on a serving plate. Arrange fruit on crust. Spoon glaze over fruit. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Serves 6

157 Calories

6 g total fat

0 mg cholesterol

71 mg sodium

24 g carbohydrate

3 g fiber

2 g protein