The BEST blueberry breakfast cake. Ever.

It's not mine, but I'm sharing and adding my notes for y'all's benefit.

Seriously delicious and crazy easy, Alexandra knocks it out of the park!  Head on over to her blog to see the recipe in all its glory.


AlexandraCooks.com | Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
https://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/

When I don't have a fresh lemon to zest, I add 3 drops of lemon essential oil.  I think there's true magic in creaming the lemon oils (from zest or EO) with the fat of the butter - it infuses that light freshness through the entire recipe and compliments the blueberries perfectly.

I use frozen berries when I don't have fresh, I just let them thaw a bit on the counter while I'm preparing the rest - then toss with flour as directed.  (That little step keeps them from all sinking to the bottom!)

Sometimes, I make these into muffins, using If You Care large baking cups (LOVE @If_You_Care). I preheat the oven to 350F then take it down to 325F once I pop the pans in.  They take about 25-30 minutes, but start checking at 20.  You can use a toothpick to test done-ness as they won't necessarily brown a bunch.

And don't skip the sugar sprinkle on top.  They're not the same without!

Happy Blueberry Month!

Easy Rustic Italian Bread

This recipe comes from Stan's Aunt Melodee and her fiance David.  They came for a visit and this was their contribution to the family dinner - it is crave-worthy, crusty and chewy, and oh-so-unbelievably easy!!  I asked if I could share this recipe and they agreed.  So grateful to them, for all their help (and for this awesome recipe).

First off, you'll need some hardware - a dutch oven, cast iron or stoneware.  Enameled cast iron is their preference, but they borrowed my Pampered Chef "magic pot", aka Deep Dish Covered Baker.  It worked great.  We'll be working with some high temps, so do check use instructions on your pot first.  If you have to reduce temps, increase bake time 5-10 minutes in each step.

Then, you'll need to plan ahead.  There's no kneading, or pounding... but you will have to give the yeast time to do its magic.  Mix up the sponge, or dough, a day ahead (18 hours).  So think of this as a "before you go to bed, and when you get home from school/work the next day", kind of adventure.

Ready?!

Rustic Italian Bread

30 oz (approx. 6 cups) flour, I used whole wheat and increased the water by 2 T)
1/2 t yeast
1-1/2 t salt
3 c water

1 T cornmeal
1 T flour

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in water and stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit on counter overnight, or 18 hours.

To Bake:
Put dutch oven, with lid, in oven and preheat to 450F for 30 minutes.  Just before the 30 minutes are up, put a little flour on the counter and dump the sponge/dough out onto it.  Fold all four sides into the center, use a large spatula or dough scraper if you need to.  Carefully take the dutch oven out of the hot oven, sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom.

Pick up the sponge and plop it down into the hot dutch oven. Yes, plop.  Do a happy dance that you didn't have to knead dough.  Put the lid on and return it to the oven.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid.  Continue baking for an additional 30 minutes at 450F.

The bread should be nice and toasty brown with a total cook time of about an hour.

Let cool for a few minutes then take out and put on a cooling rack. Allow to cool on rack (if you can bear to wait that long before digging in).  Slice and enjoy!  We had ours with a little butter and honey.

-- Sponge Cryostasis --
If, for some reason, you can't get to baking the sponge in the proper time, seal the bowl well with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for up to 12 hours.  Return the sponge to room temperature before baking as directed above.

Chai Spice Cookies

I found this recipe in a hand-me-down issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  How could you possibly go wrong with chai spice tea and molasses?!  

I followed the recipe exactly the first time (stars) but just can't rationalize cut-out cookies in my schedule.  Pretty? Sure! Tastes just the same? Yup. 

So instead of rolling the dough, I made them like my Great-Grandma's refrigerator cookies and voila - my absolute favorite go-to cookie. 

Chai Spice Cookies

Prep: 25 minutes

Chill: 3 hours-3 weeks (or freeze)

Makes: 48 2" cookies

Bake: 10 minutes

Oven: 350° F

2 spiced chai-flavor tea bags, like Stash's Chai Green... mmm

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
(or 1/4 t clove, 1/4 t allspice, 1/2 t ginger, 1 t cinnamon)

1-1/2 cups salted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

2 T molasses

1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (below)

In large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice and contents of tea bags, set aside.  The flour mix alone is intoxicating!

In Cuisinart (or large mixing bowl) combine remaining ingredients and beat until light and a little bit fluffy.  Add to flour (I usually end up mixing with my hands until I can create a ball of dough to work with.) Divide dough in half.   

Here's where I divert from the recipe. Roll each half of the dough into a long cylinder, about 2" diameter and wrap it up in parchment, then plastic wrap, and stow it in the fridge 3 hours, or a couple weeks.

When ready to bake, unroll the parchment and cut off enough to line your cookie sheet.  Then cut 1/4" slices of the dough and make round cookies.  Bake 10 minutes, remove to a rack to cool.  Drizzle in crazy pattern with icing.  They're beautiful (super yummy) and everyone marvels that I can have cookies ready at the drop of a hat!  

Powdered Sugar Icing: In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 4 teaspoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until piping consistency.

to store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in covered airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Modified from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/chai-spice-girls/

Updated: 12/12/10 (after making 7 consecutive batches in a Christmas baking marathon)

Orange Jicama Salad

My Mother-in-Law created this recipe after enjoying something like it at a restaurant.  It's crunchy, light and rather unexpected.

Orange Jicama Salad

3 cups jicama, cut into thin sticks

1 can mandarin oranges, drained (reserve 1/4 c juice)

1/2 c snipped parsley

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c juice reserved from mandarin oranges

1/4 c vinegar (I like rice vinegar best)

1/4 c oil (or a little less if using olive oil)

1/2 t salt

Combine jicama, oranges and parsley.  Mix together remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Serve chilled.

Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

Here's a new favorite!  Quick and easy - especially when hubby will cook the chicken on the grill, and you make the rice in an electric steamer.

Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

2-4 lbs BSCB (boneless, skinless chicken breast)

1 16 oz bottle BBQ sauce
1 22 oz can crushed pineapple, gently drained
1 16 oz can black beans (good additional source of protein)
1/2 t madras curry
2 t cinnamon (I may have been a little more generous with the cinnamon, but 2 t is close enough)
2 t dry ground mustard, or 1 T dijon mustard (like Trader Joe's)

3 c rice, cooked according to directions

Cook chicken and steam rice according to directions.  I used my favorite Calrose with a dash of wild rice blend.

While chicken and rice are cooking, combine all other ingredients in a medium pot. Simmer over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Let the flavors mingle. This has a fairly high sugar content, so you'll want to stir often enough you don't scorch the bottom.

Serve by making a bed of rice, with chicken on top, and pour a generous scoop of sauce over both.  We enjoyed a green salad on the side to round the whole thing out.  Yay for protein!

Frog Eye Salad

I can't believe I hadn't shared this one yet!!  Frog Eye Salad is a favorite cool and creamy dessert.  It's also non-dairy (as long as you consider cool whip non-dairy).  And it has a fun name.  It takes some time, but you can break the steps out to prepare some of it in advance.

Frog Eye Salad
Prep. Time: approx. 2 hours
Serves: 16 (1/2 cup servings)

1 lb package Acini Di Pepe pasta - this is where the dish gets its name, when cooked these little pastas resemble little frog eyes.  "Mmmmm.... frog eyes."  Makes my son laugh every time.
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2 T flour
1/2 t salt
1 (22 oz) can crushed pineapple, drain reserving juice
1 (22oz can pineapple tidbits, drain reserving juice
1 (16 oz) can peaches, drained and chopped
1 (16 oz) can pears, drained and chopped
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
2 c mini marshmallows (optional)
16 oz whipped topping, thawed

Prepare pasta as directed, drain.

In heavy saucepan, beat eggs until foamy, whisk in flour, sugar, salt and reserved pineapple juice.  Cook on low heat until thickened - but do not boil.  A little simmer is ok, but if you over heat the eggs they will get grainy.

In a large bowl, combine pasta with pineapple sauce.  Chill 1 hour, or until cool. While pasta is cooling, chop up fruits.

Combine pasta with cool whip, mallows and fruits.  Serve chilled.

Calico Corn Salad

This veggie side is easy to make ahead of time.  Allow the corn to thaw in transit to a BBQ and the salad will stay nice and cold, even in the heat of summer.

Calico Corn Salad
16oz (1 bag) frozen sweet corn
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
4oz can mild chopped green chilies (I get the fire roasted ones)

Whisk in large bowl:
1/4 c vegetable oil (I use olive)
2 T lime juice
2 T apple cider vinegar (or what you have on-hand)
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t granulated garlic

Mix dressing in large bowl, add green chilies.  Dice zucchini and red pepper.  Combine chopped vegetables and frozen corn with dressing mix and stir gently. Allow corn to thaw and serve. Can be made ahead, keep chilled.  Serves 6-8.

When I double this recipe, I increase the corn to 3 bags, simply doubling the remaining ingredients.  I have also increased leftovers with additional corn on the 2nd or 3rd day.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This one comes from a freezer cooking recipe book.  They would have you cook the chicken, then chop the chicken, then cook the sauce... too much.  Toss everything into the crock pot and walk away.  You'll have enough for a party plus leftovers for freezing.  Stan really enjoys zapping a 1/2 c serving at a time for a snack.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (still frozen)
1-1/2 c (12oz) Frank's Red Hot Sauce
32oz low fat cream cheese
2 c (16oz) low fat ranch dressing

Toss all ingredients in a slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours.  Push the chicken down and mush the cream cheese around if you think of it.  Mostly, just leave it alone.
Once the chicken is cooked (160F), pull it out and shred it.  Use this opportunity to whisk the sauce (or whip out your immersion blender like I did, made super-quick work of it). Stir shredded chicken back into sauce.

Serve hot with tortilla chips, carrot sticks and celery sticks. Makes 12 cups.

Freeze leftovers in 1/2 cup portions, frozen flat in freezer safe zip-top bags.  Thaw in fridge then heat, or microwave from frozen.

My love affair with eggs...

I love eggs.  They're inexpensive, have a long shelf life, and are insanely versatile. Scrambled, fried, omelet, hard-boiled, deviled, custard, strata, frittata, quiche - and now Souffleed Omelets.


I tried this for dinner (half recipe) with apricot topping and ate more than I probably should have. I'll admit, the returns were diminishing for the last couple bites. Serving this for company, I would likely add a fruit salad or maybe a compote or english muffins or biscuits, something to add a break in texture for your taste buds. But I ate it all. And I don't regret it. It was luxurious- and for what, 2 eggs, some apricot jam, and 15 minutes of cooking.  Try it sometime.  You won't regret it either.


Here's the description that hooked me:

"These impressive creations are made by separating egg and beating the whites until stiff, as you would for a souffle... A properly executed souffleed omelet has a lovely brown, firm, dry exterior enveloping a soft, creamy, airy center. With the added volume of the beaten whites, you get more servings from fewer eggs and 1 egg per person satisfies most appetites."

Souffleed Omelet (Basic Recipe)
from Joy of Cooking revised 1997
Preheat oven to 375F

Combine and whisk until thick and light:
4 large egg yolks
3 T sugar

In a separate bowl, beat until stiff but not dry:
4 large egg whites
pinch salt
pinch cream of tartar (optional)
***TO WHIP EGG WHITES: Start on low, until whites lose their transparency, then increase speed and move in back and forth motions to whip in as much air as possible.  Make sure your beaters and bowl (stainless or glass recommended) are clean and dry - this will ensure the best whip.  Don't over-whip, you want whites to hold their peak, but not be dry or they'll become grainy and won't fold in well.  Now you know.

Fold the yolk mixture gently into the whites with a large spatula. Melt in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat (I used my cast iron skillet):
1-2 T butter
When the foam from the butter has subsided, pour the batter into the pan, spread evenly, and smooth the top. Shake the pan after a few seconds to discourage sticking and then cover the pan with a lid whose underside has been buttered to prevent sticking (or a domed lid to avoid the issue altogether). Reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and place the skillet in the oven until the top is set, 3-5 minutes. Either fold the omelet in half or slide it out onto a warmed plate and sprinkle with:
powdered sugar
Serve Immediately

Jam-Filled Souffleed Omelet
Prepare Souffleed Omelet, above, but before folding the omelet, fill with 2 T warm apricot jam mixed with 1 T rum or brandy, or 2 T raspberry jam mixed with 1 t lemon juice. (I spread the apricot mix on top of my omelet and ate it open-face. mmm...)

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Curried Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

My dear friend Peggy invited me to an Ethiopian restaurant in Overland Park, The Blue Nile. (Let me just say now, for you skimmers, SO YUMMY! And they have a lunch buffet, so you can try a whole bunch of different things.) Anyway.  Since our ministry team returned, over a year ago, I'd been hearing the good (and bad) of Ethiopian food and was braced and very excited for my first exposure.  I love curry, and though I do not handle spicy well, I was ready to suck it up in the name of a wonderful shared experience with a friend.

Well, I loved it. All of it. The richness of the flavors, tenderness of the meat, the unique and yummy injera bread (that I will venture to make some day)... it was all so good.  For me, the thing that stole the show, was the soup!  Soup!  I found myself craving it the following day.  I attempted to ignore it but the craving persisted.  Time for a Google search: "lentil curry butternut squash soup ethiopian" and with a little tweaking, I came up with something close to what warmed us that day.  It probably would have helped if I had red lentils instead of just using the green and yellow that were in my pantry (I had lentils in my pantry! I was rather proud of myself).  And I used frozen butternut squash instead of preparing it fresh (those things are a serious pain in the butt to peel... I'll let the green giant do the work for me.)  If there's some secret, someone please share.

I took a bowl to Peggy and she said she practically inhaled it, so it's passed the 2nd party test!  Here you go - my quick and easy version.

Curried Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

3 T olive oil
2 T butter (unsalted if you have it)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
16 oz bag frozen butternut squash
2 t crushed garlic from a jar or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t crushed ginger from a jar or minced peeled ginger
1 T curry powder, Madras (yellow)
1 c red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 quart (box) chicken or vegetable stock
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 t lemon zest (optional, but probably my favorite part)

Cilantro, chopped

Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium head, cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and ginger until softened and starting to brown 15-20 minutes. Stir in curry powder, stir frequently for 2 minutes to heat curry through, then add stock, lentils, and partially thawed squash (let it thaw on the counter while you prep everything else).  Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender 20-40 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over steamed rice, sprinkle with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt.


Modified from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Curried-Squash-and-Red-Lentil-Soup-351416#ixzz1BS0BIP00

Taco Seasoning

Want to know why Lawry's Taco Seasoning is so much better than those other brands?

Cocoa Powder

Yup.  It's official.  Chocolate makes everything better.

Parsnips... no really, they're good!

I know, I know... what am I doing raving about root vegetables?  I hear you.  And honestly, I'm not even sure how this one ended up in my recipe box.  But it did. And it's amazing.  If you like carrots, that sort of spicy-earthy taste, you'll love parsnips.  Love.  I hope you'll give it a try. 

Creamy Rice with Parsnip Puree and Root Veggies
30-40 minutes, serves 8-10 as a side dish

1-1/4 c rice (I used a mix of brown basmati and my favorite calrose)
4 c chicken or vegetable stock (or broth, just taste before salting the dish)
2-3 medium parsnips, diced should equal 2 cups
2 turnips, diced should equal 1 cup
4 medium sized carrots, diced should equal 1 cup
1 T olive oil
3/4 t salt
Salt and pepper to taste.
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

If you don't already have one, I strongly suggest splurging on an electric rice cooker- one with a non-stick pot will run you $20-30 at Target.  Rinse the rice in the pot then fill with water - determine the right level by putting the tip of your middle finger at the rice level, the water level should be at the first crease on that same finger.  A sweet little trick I learned from my brother the chef, works every time!

Start the rice, then on to the puree:

Cut up enough parsnip to make 1 cup.  In a large saucepan or pot, heat 1 T olive oil. Add parsnips and toss to coat.  Sautee about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.  Add 2 cups stock/broth and cook until reduced by about half.  Surface area is the trick here... the bigger the pot, the faster the evaporation.

While that's cooking:

Start a pot of water to boil with 3/4 t salt, then cut up the rest of your veggies.  Toss the cut-up veggies into the pot of water and cook 5 minutes.  When you do this, put a bowl into the sink and fill it with ice and cold water.  You'll drain the veggies then toss them into the ice water to blanch them (stops the cooking and keeps them nice and bright looking).

While the veggies are cooling:

Pour the parsnip and stock mix into a blender (or magic bullet) and puree.  If you need to add a little extra liquid, use some of the remaining stock.  Here comes the fun part.

Put the cooked rice, puree and blanched veggies all back into the large pot over low-medium heat.  Stir to combine, add the remaining stock and season to taste.  Serve hot with a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Yum! 

Modified from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creamy-Rice-with-Parsnip-Puree-and-Root-Vegetables-241352
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Sweet Potato and Sausage Stuffing

This amazing recipe is courtesy my sister-in-law, Lindsay.  She also contributed the Irish Soda Bread recipe (scrumptious)!  We enjoyed this on Christmas and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it - finally emailed her for the recipe and when I read it, couldn't believe how easy it is.  It just keeps getting better.  Thanks again Lindsay!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Stuffing
Makes a 9x13 pan. 

2 boxes cornbread stuffing mix
1 lb italian seasoned turkey sausage (from Walmart, it's $1.08 in the freezer section)
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
3-4 sweet potatoes, chopped
2 cans (about 32 oz) chicken stock
Salt, Pepper and Sage to taste.

Brown the sausage.  In large bowl mix with dry stuffing mix, veggies, salt, pepper, and sage to taste.  Put in baking pan and pour chicken stock over evenly. 

Bake at 350F until potatoes are cooked, 30-45 minutes.

Cranberry-Orange Chocolate Bread Pudding

As my friend Helen put it:  What do you do when life gives you overdone muffins?  Make bread pudding!

Yes, it all started when I overcooked a double batch of muffins.  I didn't trust my gut.  I'd been baking all day and knew the oven was retaining heat well, but I didn't set the timer at the low end of the recipe time.  The top two-thirds of them were still fantastic (but that doesn't make a very nice gift, bottomless muffins) so I needed to find something to do with them. Bread Pudding! Of course. Never made bread pudding before. Since they were cranberry-orange muffins, those flavors were in my search terms and this came up. And I already had a bowl full of orange-cranberry relish!

So I quickly chopped up the 23 day-old muffins (24, minus the one I ate, and the too-dark bottoms) and the rest is history.  Now, don't be turned off by all the from-scratch ingredients.  Everything can be made in advance, pace yourself.  The muffins are supposed to be a little dried out, so day old is good.  And you could make the relish a whole week ahead. 
 
Cranberry-Orange Chocolate Bread Pudding
Start with 2 batches (24) Orange-Cranberry Delicate Muffins and 1 batch Cranberry-Orange Relish

Middle
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c orange-cranberry relish
3/4 c chopped cranberries

Custard
6 eggs
2 c milk
1-1/2 c cream
3/4 c sugar
2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
2 T unsalted butter
1-2 T orange liquer (optional)

Chocolate Sauce
4 oz chocolate - I used 2 oz chopped bittersweet and 2 oz regular semi-sweet chips
1/4 c cream or half and half
pinch salt

Lightly grease bottom of 9x13 glass pan.  Cut muffins into pieces, set aside. 

Chop chocolate, set aside. In a food processor chop cranberries with relish. Arrange half of chopped-up muffins in one layer in baking dish and sprinkle evenly with chocolate and all of cranberry relish mix. Top with remaining muffin pieces. 

In a bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla, and salt and pour slowly and evenly over bread. Cut butter into bits and dot pudding with it. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. (I love make ahead recipes!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake on middle rack, about 40 minutes.

Sauce (takes about 10 minutes):
In a double boiler (small metal bowl set over a small pot of not-quite simmering water) melt chocolate then whisk in 1/4 cup cream and a pinch of salt until combined well. Keep sauce warm, covered.

Serve pudding warm with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. Makes 12 generous servings.

Disappearing Oatmeal Cookies

Stan's favorite with chocolate chips - my favorite with tart cherries.  Adapted from the Quaker Oats recipe for oatmeal raisin (you could use raisins, but, why???)


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip OR Oatmeal Tart Cherry Cookies
2 sticks salted butter, softened
3/4  cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2  cup granulated sugar
2  eggs
1-1/2  teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
1  teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon salt 
3  cups oats, uncooked
1  cup chocolate chips (or coarsely chopped dried cherries)

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

In large bowl, or stand mixer, beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until creamy.

In large bowl mix together all but chocolate chips.  Stir butter mix into flour and oats, then add chocolate chips or cherries, mix well.  I put the dry into my stand mixer and let it do the stirring, chips/cherries and all.

I use a small cookie dough scoop to form small balls and usually fit 8 at a time on my parchment paper lined cookie sheet.   Bake 10 minutes, allow to cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.  Cool completely, store tightly covered.  

** Holiday cookie tip: store crisp cookies separate from moist cookies, or your moist will dry out and your dry will get soggy.  I use disposable foil roasting pans purchased in bulk with foil or press-and-seal.  

http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/content/recipes/recipe-detail.aspx?recipeId=474

Tracy's Orange Chicken

This is one of our favorite meals. All the ingredients keep in the pantry or freezer so I always have them on-hand!

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into pieces (breast or thigh, doesn't matter)
2 T olive oil

Combine in small bowl:
1 jar orange marmalade (8-12oz)
2 T soy sauce
2 T triple sec or other orange liquor (may be omitted)
1 T vinegar (I like rice vinegar)
salt & pepper to taste, sometimes I add some Chinese chili paste too!

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or wok (I love my non-stick wok!), cook the chicken, allowing it to brown.

When chicken is nearly cooked, add sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice with veggie of choice. Serves about 4.

** I won a Smart Chicken recipe contest with this recipe (week 5) and it will be published in a benefit cookbook for St. Jude Children's Hospital! 

Delicate Muffins

I found this in one of my Mom's cookbooks when I was a teenager.  My favorite muffin, very simple and very easy to dress up.

Delicate Muffins
2 c all-purpose flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c melted butter

Combine dry ingredients and whisk. Add wet and stir gently to combine, do not over mix.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes - until just brown.  Makes 12.

My Own Variations:
Cranberry-Orange 

1-2 tablespoons fresh cranberry orange relish
1 c dried cranberries (orange flavored or otherwise, soaked in warm water before to plump).

Apple-Yogurt
1 apple, chopped small
1/2 c sliced almonds
1/2 t vanilla
1 c plain greek yogurt
(substitute 3/4 c milk with 3/4 c water)

Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

Being far away from Trader Joe's, I had to figure out how to make my favorite Thanksgiving condiment.  And who knew it was so easy!?  You'll want a food processor with a chopping blade.  Best made the night before so the flavors have a chance to mingle.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
1 bag cranberries
1 orange
1 t vanilla
1/4-3/4 c sugar

Rinse cranberries and pick through.  Add zest from orange.  Cut segments from orange and add (no pithy white part - it's too bitter). Add vanilla and depending on how sweet your orange is, sugar to your liking.  1/2 c is safe, but occasionally you need more or less.   As good with your Thanksgiving turkey as it is on vanilla ice cream or in Delicate Muffins.  Mmmm...

Creamy Curry Chicken

Grandmother says this is the best curry she's ever had (and that in her 82 years, she's had a lot of curry).  It's also one of my sister-in-law's favorite dishes.  As a bonus, it's dairy and gluten free (so long as your broth is too).

Creamy Curry Chicken

4 pounds chicken, cut to bite size pieces* 

3-4 T Madras Curry Powder (yellow), divided

(2) 18.5oz can Coconut Cream (look for 70% or more)

(1) 14oz can chicken broth/stock

1 t ginger paste (optional)

1 t lemongrass paste (optional)

2 T olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet or wok on high heat. Toss chicken to coat with oil.

Brown chicken with 1 T curry powder, salt & pepper.  When liquid has almost evaporated, pour in broth and return to a boil for approx. 5 minutes (this should finish cooking the chicken).

Add coconut milk, remainder of curry powder, and remaining seasonings.  Simmer on medium heat until thickened.  Serve over steamed rice with vegetable of choice.

When it's too hot for this dish, but you still want curry... check out Joni's Curry Chicken Salad.  It's our "summer curry".

*I recently doubled this for a big family meal.  Instead of attempting to cut up 8 lbs of chicken breast myself, I called to get a price to have it pre-cut and found out they don't charge extra.  $2.99/lb to have it cut up for me!  What a time saver.

Mashed Potatoes with roasted garlic, rosemary and parmesan

You know mashed potatoes are good when you fight over who gets to lick the bowl.

This is a conglomeration of recipes, so I'm calling it my own.  It's the magic that happens when you read a half-dozen mashed potato recipes on epicurious.com the week before Thanksgiving.  You could easily half this, as written it served 13 with only a couple cups leftovers.  

Mashed Potatoes with roasted garlic, rosemary and parmesan
4 lbs red potatoes
4 lbs yukon gold potatoes
1 t salt

Wash, trim and cube potatoes (I peeled about 1/3 of them). Cook in salted water until they fall apart when pierced with a fork.  Remove from heat and drain, reserving about 1 cup of water.

4 heads garlic (16 cloves), roasted
1 c milk, 2%
4 T butter
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
6 T parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste (I started with 1 t salt and added from there)

Combine above in small saucepan and bring to a low simmer.  I used an immersion blender to liquefy the garlic, you could also toss it into a blender.  Mix into mashed potatoes, serve.  Hope for leftovers.