Sticky Buns

Gabe and I are on our own this week and I've been trying to keep things fun to make it easier on both of us. Today we made sticky buns together and enjoyed them while watching cartoons on tv.

Of all the dough recipes I've tried for cinnamon rolls or sticky buns I have to say this is the most fantastic one I've come across. This is the same dough recipe I shared a few weeks ago for the challah bread we made...but here it has been transformed.

You should definitely give this recipe I try. It is so easy and delicious...the only drawback is that it's hard to stop eating them!!! Check out this Steamy Kitchen blog post for an in-depth tutorial on making and assembling these rolls.

Prepping the Plot

(Pictures from last year's garden)

It's time to start our garden for this year and I'm super excited...but a little hesitant at the same time. Last year I planted more than I could ever dream of using and had to find lots of willing people to take the extras...at times, if you can believe it, that was hard.
This year I have to tone down my excitement and try to plant only what I can use or store for use during the winter. I also have to get right to work this weekend planting since I only have a couple of weeks left before our new addition is due to make his/her arrival.
This year I plan on planting the following:
two varieties of peas
beans
lettuce
beets
carrots
radish
leeks
basil
green/red peppers
1 plant of cucumbers and 1 of squash
1-2 varieties of tomato plants
4-5 varieties of flowers
I opted out of planting corn, potatoes, watermelon, patty pan, brussell sprouts, and I've cut the number of tomato plants by about 15. I like all of these, and had fun growing them last year, however I needed things that were a little less water dependant and plants that have shorter growing seasons. Many of the things I selected this year will mature and be ready for use in a short amount of time like the lettuces, radish, peas, basil, and some of the flowers. This way I can decide later on if I would like to have a second planting or just leave some of the garden open and give myself a break from the watering and tending that comes with such a large plot. Many of the other things I plan on planting a smaller amount of, say, half of what I planted last year.
As long as the weather cooperates I will be out digging in the dirt this Saturday. I can hardly wait!

Stuffed Bread

I ran across a picture of these on Tastespotting (one of my favorite sites) and I followed it to a blog by the name of Eating Out Loud. After reading Allen's account I couldn't agree with him more. Like him, I sometimes see things on other blogs and I don't even take time to bookmark it...I disconnect my laptop, carry it to the kitchen, and set to work on whatever I've gotten my head wrapped around. Today, he did that very thing to me. I read his blog entry, carried my computer to the kitchen, and whipped up my own version.

I took a few liberties and I morphed them from dainty appetizer-sized portions to a much larger dinner-sized portion. My version made about 10 stuffed breads and I filled them with a combination of bacon, onion, and chicken. My filling was made out of things I found in the fridge...but I must say they turned out super tasty. I started out with about 4 slices of bacon that I sliced and put in a pot. After a few minutes rendering time I added in a whole sliced onion and 2 chicken breasts that I diced up. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and let it cool. It was a knock-out filling that I will definitely be duplicating in the future.

Dough Recipe

based on:
Eating Out Loud

Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook

½ cup lukewarm water

1 package active dry yeast

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon sugar

½ cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup oil

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water (in the bowl of your kitchenaid if you have one) and let stand for about 5 minutes. Add milk, sugar, salt, oil, and eggs. Mix until combined. With a dough hook, add 3 cups flour and mix on low to medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Put the dough into a large clean bowl, drizzle with oil and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.

I cut the dough into 10 pieces and then shaped them into balls. I rolled them out one by one with some flour and a rolling pin. I then filled them with enough filling to cover one half the dough. I folded the dough over and crimped the edges. I baked mine on a large baking sheet lined with parchment. They took about 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Picnic Lunches and Cake

Today was my day to host the playgroup that Gabe and I are a part of and I wanted to do something different. I normally like to make a big spread...it always varies and I try to make it fun. I've done a taco bar, make you own pizza day, pasta day, soup and sandwiches, etc.
I decided on a picnic theme today since the weather is getting warmer and it seemed fitting to have one in the living room followed by some outdoor fun for the kids. I can't wait for even warmer days when we can actually take the picnic outside.
I had 6 moms and 8 kids to prepare lunch for so I decided to designate a brown gift bag for each family. I decorated the bags with a nametag and then filled each with enough food and supplies so that everyone had some options to choose from. There was nothing earth shattering in the bags, but everyone devoured their goodies and seemed to love the idea of eating on blankets...which is quite a feet. It isn't easy to please 8 children between the ages of 1 and 3.
I liked the idea mainly because I was able to prep most of the lunches last night and finish off the sandwiches and pasta this morning before our guests arrived. There was nearly no clean up afterwards since empty bags were tossed and leftover food was easily packed away or taken home. Being nearly 8 months pregnant, I can't help but try to make things a little easier on myself, so I don't feel too bad about trying to avoid mess and clean-up.
Each bag contained the following: 1 apple, 1 mini-water per person, 1 ham and cheese on pretzel bread, 1 container basil pesto pasta with pine nuts, 1 snack bag of cheese and 1 with crackers, 1 applesauce per child, and 1 granola bar per person. Extras included forks, spoons, straws, and plenty of napkins.
Gabe and I will be recreating these picnic lunches often this summer since we both love getting out and spending the day at the park. I can hardly wait for that warm weather!

The other yummy creation I made recently was this layer cake. I am not a member of the Daring Bakers, but I do love to see what they create each month. This month's Perfect Party Cake looked completely irresistable, so I gave it a try...twice. I made it at the beginning of last week for my mom who flew in for a visit, and then again on the weekend for a get together with the neighbors. I altered the shape by baking a half recipe in a small cookie sheet and then slicing that into thirds. The first time I layered it with raspberries and raspberry jam, the second time I layered it with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam. Both were extremely delicious and got rave reviews. You can find the recipe all over the blogosphere...but here are the two sites that my cakes were based upon.
Cookbook Catchall
Foodbeam

BLT Pizza

This BLT pizza is a great alternative to the traditional pizza and toppings we usually opt for. This happens to be my favorite type of pizza when we go out to California Pizza Kitchen so I thought I would recreate it at home. It turned out just as tasty and was a hit all around. Needless to say, we'll be having it often!

BLT Pizza

1 lb pizza dough

2 cups mozzarella cheese

6 strips bacon, browned and drained (you can cut before cooking or crumb it afterwards)

1 tomato, diced

3 cups lettuce, shredded

1/4 cup mayonnaise

salt

pepper

olive oil

Prepare pizza dough and preheat oven to 500 degrees.. Brush flattened pizza round with olive oil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on round. Bake 8-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing lettuce.

Toss lettuce with mayonnaise (use as much or little mayo as you like...we go for moderate) and spread on slightly cooled pizza. Sprinkle with bacon. Toss tomatoes with salt and pepper and then spread evenly on pizza. Enjoy.

Challah Bread

I've made quite a few yeast bread recipes in the past. I probably make pizza dough every other week and I regularly make rolls, pita bread, cinnamon rolls, or a loaf of bread to have around. So, when I stumbled upon this recipe I was thrilled because there is no kneading and much less rise time involved than a typical yeast bread recipe. No Knead bread has been popular for the past year or so, I've seen it everywhere on nearly every blog, but I still hadn't given it a try until I saw this recipe for a Nutella Challah Bread over on the Steamy Kitchen blog. It just looked too good to resist so I whipped up a half batch of her master challah dough recipe in about 5 minutes last night. It is seriously easy...dump, stir, and cover. That was it. I only had to wash a wooden spoon and a couple of measuring cups. I didn't even put the dough in a clean bowl.

This was so easy and it was a big hit with the boys. Gabe loves rolling the bread "snakes," painting the egg wash on, and licking the leftover Nutella off of the spoon. I almost think he could do this recipe alone because it is just that easy. Give it a try...it is worth it. Here are a few other options for this dough and a couple of very similar recipes. The sticky buns look scrumptious!!

No-Knead Nutella and Hazelnut Challah Bread

No-Knead Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Original No-Knead Bread

I'm also reposting the master Challah Bread Recipe just so that it is easy for me to find the next time I want to make it.

Master Challah Bread Recipe
as posted on Steamy Kitchen from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Mix the master dough first and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You'll be using about a grapefruit sized piece for one batch of cinnamon rolls or one braided challah bread recipe. Leave the rest in the refrigerator for another use, it will last for days. This amount would make about 4 loaves...I made half of this and it worked perfectly.
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbl instant yeast
1 1/2 tbl kosher salt (1 1/2 tsp table salt)
4 lg eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add in the flour. Stir until flour is completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you leave it in the refrigerator, the better tasting the dough will be.

Blogging By Mail

What a delight!! A package just arrived all the way from Hollywood. This package is part of a wonderful event called Blogging By Mail which is run by the woman behind Dispensing Happiness. Upon opening the box, I was delighted to find an array of wonderful "little" goodies and a postcard from Rachael of Fresh Approach Cooking.

The first thing I found in the box was the cutest little kitchen timer I've ever seen. Not only is it going to be oh-so-useful, but it even has a magnet on the back so I can attach it to the fridge or oven. How did she know that I needed one of these...my oven timer is awful because you actually have to turn the oven off and then turn it back on to get it to stop beeping. So, a big thank you to her for this great tool!

Next I found an adorable egg whisk. This item is sure to be useful as well as work wonderfully in my little helpers' tiny hands. I can't wait to whisk up some eggs and let the little guy give it a whirl. He's going to love it!

Next was a yellow swivel peeler and 3 tiny pinch bowls. These are also going to be quite useful. I currently only have one peeler and I find myself digging through the dishwasher to find it, wash it, and reuse it. I swear she knows what my kitchen needs!!!

She also sent me a variety of terrific goods from Farmers Market and Sur la Table (my favorite store!) there in LA. There is a bag of trail mix, strawberry jelly (can't wait to have this on some biscuits!!), fresh cinnamon (made the whole box smell lovely!), white truffle oil (mmmm, maybe on risotto), marshmallow carmels(notice only 2 out of 3 made it into the picture!!), Pocky sticks (these are a blast from the past...I don't know when I had them or why, but I know I've eaten a whole box sometime in my life!), and finally two of her favorite not-dentist-approved candies - Chick-O-Sticks (I'm eager to give these a try...they look interesting!!!)

So, what a fun, fun package to get in the mail today. Thank you so much to Rachael for putting together a killer box of tiny goodies. I'm totally thrilled with everything in the box and I'm so glad that I signed up to Blog By Mail. I can hardly wait for the next round!!!