Moms Gooseberry Pie

We've Moved!

2010-04-29T13:57:00.002-05:00

This is the view out our back windows!! Talk about a big change...from Kansas flatland to wondrous mountains. We're about 40 minutes from Estes Park...and there are lots of trails to take the doggies for nice long walks. Haven't gotten completely unpacked yet, but we're getting there!

Moving to Colorado...sometime in the near future!!

2010-02-18T17:16:00.009-06:00

I'ts been a loonnnnng winter this year. More snow than I've seen for a long time! Hoping that spring is just around the corner and that the flowers will be blooming again soon. We have our house on the market and are really not loving the showing our house every other day stuff. We're anxious to get on with living our lives and getting on to our next adventure!!

This is what I've been up to...

2009-06-09T18:31:00.027-05:00

Cakes by Nancy....

Took a cake decorating class...

Working in my garden....

And my mom and son-------------------------

and my mom and my sister

and we couldn't keep track of who was supposed to close their eyes while we took this picture...

And a couple of my sweet babies...

Kelby loves the grass = )

and then there's Ozzie who can get comfortable just about anywhere...

Hiatus

2009-03-15T18:01:00.002-05:00

I'm going to take a hiatus from baking and blogging for a little while. My mother has been ill and in the hospital and will probably need to move to an assisted living facility. So whatever free time I did have will be taken up with the work that needs to be done to accomplish that. Till sometime in the future...

TWD: Caramel Crunch Bars

2009-02-24T04:33:00.000-06:00

Whitney from What’s left on the table? chose Caramel Crunch Bars for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie. You can find the recipe on Whitney blog or on page 112-113 of Dorie Greenspans cookbook "Baking From My Home to Yours".

These were easy to make and taste great. The little bit of coffee and cinnamon flavor really shine in these cookies. Although they are maybe a little too sweet for my taste, the family really liked them. Great choice Whitney!

TWD: Devils Food White Out Cake

2009-02-17T04:28:00.004-06:00

Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater chose this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie baking project and what a project it was...I think everyone was waiting for this recipe to be picked since it is on the cover of Dorie Greenspan's cookbook "Baking From My Home to Yours".

I've learned over the months that I've been baking along with the TWD group, that it's very, VERY important to read Dorie's recipes through and then read them again and maybe even read them a third time to make sure I know exactly what she's saying. For instance, in this recipe I wasn't sure when making the frosting what stage the egg whites needed to be whipped to before I started adding in the syrup, because she says to begin whipping them on medium, but if they get firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches 242 degrees then you have to slow them down. I personally would like information that said beat the whites until they were at such and such stage, then add the syrup, which should be 242 degrees. And then if she would want to add the part about how she might want to go about doing that, at least I would understand where I wanted things to be when they go together. I know...picky-picky. I just have a difficult time understanding what she's saying many times. I get so caught up in the recipe, I forget to take pictures as I go. Oh well!

After reading the P&Q this time and everyone having problems with the cake rising very much, I was a little hesitant to try. And I didn't have 8 inch round pans. But I found a couple of 8 inch square ones and decided to give it a go anyway. And of course, my cakes didn't rise very much either. One of the difficult tasks of this recipe was cutting the layers in half since they were so flat anyway. The picture on the cover has much fatter layers than my cake!! But the cake does taste delicious! More like a cakey brownie! The frosting tastes like whipped marshmallow and the mix of the two is just pure bliss.

Yum! Thanks Stephanie for a great choice! Go check out the recipe on Stephanie's blog and taste it for yourself!

TWD: World Peace Cookies

2009-02-03T00:30:00.003-06:00

These cookies are definitely yummy enough to create world peace! Jessica of cookbookhabit chose World Peace Cookies , for Tuesdays with Dorie this week. The recipe is on pages 138-139 of Dorie's cookbook or you can get the full recipe on Jessica's blog.

When I was mixing these up and the directions said to pulse the mixer on low and that the mixture would be kind of crumbly, I had no idea how crumbly Dorie meant. I really never thought I was going to get them into a roll to refrigerate them to slice them later! I dumped a bowl full of barely mixed flour on the counter. Somehow I got the two logs rolled and in plastic wrap. Slicing them was a new adventure. I had serious doubts that they would even come out at all! But yummy they are...so rich and dark and deliciously chocolate! The taste of the salt with the sweet of the chocolate was just another wonderful surprise! Luckily my cookies didn't come out too large...I don't think I would have wanted a larger cookie, they are so rich! I've never made a cookie without some other kind of liquid or egg or anything else to hold it together! But it works...

...and warm from the oven - they were especially yummy! Thanks Jessica!

TWD: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

2009-01-27T12:21:00.003-06:00

Heather of Sherry Trifle chose Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie.

There was a LOT of ginger going into this recipe. I'm very surprised that it didn't taste more gingery. It was kind of like spicy chocolate cake to me. I have to admit, I'm not a big gingerbread fan, so I was a little reluctant to try this week and give an opinion because of that. It was a very quick dish compared to other recipes that we've tried from Dorie's book.

Go to Heather's blog for the full recipe or Dorie Greenspans cookbook and try this one for yourself!

TWD: Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

2009-01-13T04:00:00.003-06:00

Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake by Rebecca chose Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins on page 6 of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie project.

I think a lot of people had the same idea about a nice pot of chili and these muffins - and well...it goes wonderfully together on a cold January night - the chili, the muffins and the warmth you feel after eating these.

I would have to say, they are very colorful, even though I didn't use the cilantro. (We are a 'no cilantro' family.) They tasted fine without it, I will have to say. The only problem I saw was that mine were a little on the dry side. I'm used to corn muffins that stick together a little bit - and these just seemed to crumble in my hand. I didn't think I baked them too long, the only thing I can think of was that I used frozen white shoepeg corn that seemed a little smaller than the usual yellow corn. (I couldn't find any frozen corn in the store that didn't have butter sauce in the package!!) My husband really enjoyed these.

It looks so pretty getting all mixed up!

Mmmm...warm and buttery fresh out of the oven! Thanks Rebecca for this weeks pick and thanks that it wasn't something sweet! You can find the recipe on Rebecca's blog or in Dorie's cookbook.

TWD: French Pear Tart

2009-01-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

This week, we at Tuesdays With Dorie are actually "baking with Dorie" in a virtual cyberspace sense kind of way! Dorie Greenspan herself chose this week's adventures in baking - and it was delicious!

This was the tart out of the oven waiting for it's apple jelly glaze.

I am always kind of anxious when baking something for the first time and I don't have a picture to go by. I should have done what other people on the list did and search the internet for a picture, but I didn't and it was OK anyway! It was more than OK...My husband and I really loved it as well as my daughter-in-law! The tart crust was incredible...more like a cookie and the sweet almond cream nestled the pears with just the right sweetness and nutty flavor! I only wish I had a tart pan with the removable bottom since we lost some of that delicious crust in the pan I cooked it in, but my daughter-in-law wasn't going to leave those crumbs behind! Haha!

It was a pretty straight-forward recipe and now that I've made it, I think I could easily do again. And I love that you can use the canned pears and come out with a wonderful tasting dish and not feel guilty about not having done everything from scratch!

Something very simple with such an elegant look and wonderful taste...that's an A+ in my book!
Thanks Dorie for all your wonderful recipes. It is really a pleasure trying them all!

You can find this recipe on Dorie's blog Dorie Greenspan or in her wonderful cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Happy Baking to all in 2009!!

TWD: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

2008-12-30T18:45:00.005-06:00

Anne of AnneStrawberry picked this weeks Baking with Dorie recipe - Tall and Creamy Cheesecake on pages 235-237 of Dorie Greenspan's cookbook. You can also get the recipe on Anne's blog.

First - let me start by saying I am totally sick of sweets by this time of year. I've given away the last of the candy that anyone wanted and dumped the rest. I don't even want to look at another Christmas cookie. Sooo, I was teetering back and forth all weekend, should I make this week's TWD or not? Then we had a horrible storm Friday night and lost our power all day Saturday - I was sure I was going to skip this week. But today I just decided I wanted to make it - so it's kind of late and I haven't tasted it yet. I think I will keep it until New Year's Day. If I can remember my camera - (I forgot it at all the wrong times this holiday season!!) I will take a picture.

My other problem was that I thought I had all the stuff in the frig to make this...turns out I only had 2 packages of cream cheese, so I halved the recipe. We'll see how that turns out. I used the 8" springform pan to see if I could get some height out of it. I also layered it vanilla, chocolate, vanilla - and then made a raspberry coulis for some color! It went together very nice and I am anxious to taste it. I'll let you know later!

Here's my raspberry coulis cooking up...

And the final product -

TWD: Real Butterscotch Pudding

2008-12-23T17:04:00.003-06:00

This weeks edition of TWD takes us to pudding land...Mmmm-mmm pudddd-innggg!
Thank you to Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases for the pick this week. Get the full recipe there if you don't already have Dorie's book.

This is really tasty. I didn't use the whiskey and didn't miss it. As a chocolate pudding addict, I have to admit this was pretty good. As with all of Dorie's recipes, it seems like she always does things the hard way. I don't understand mixing the cornstarch and salt in the food processor, granted it was going to get used anyway later, but I just have to think there was a way to pass all the food processor steps and come up with a very good pudding. But that's just the Lazy Baker coming out in me again!!

Gotta go...a cup of puddin is calling my name!!

TWD: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

2008-12-09T19:33:00.005-06:00

My day looked like this outside...so I decided to shape my cookies to look like these - -

Now I have to think that the snowmen I would make outside would have to look much better than this poor guy, but I don't think it would have tasted as good as this one did! Ulrike of Küchenlatein chose this weeks selection. And I have to say that it couldn't have come at a better time. I was planning on decorating cookies with my 4 year old granddaughter and these will be great to work with! You can find the recipe on her blog or in Dorie's cookbook. It's a very easy cookie to make and tastes just right! Thanks Ulrike!

TWD: Linzer Sables

2008-12-01T16:18:00.008-06:00

I believe I now should be called "The Lazy Baker"! I think they turned out really nice and taste yummy, but I guess I'm just not into that much work! I know, I know...how lazy can I get? I even think sugar cookies are too much work! I'd never make it as a pastry chef - that much I know!

I start out reading the recipe and thinking...ah that doesn't sound too difficult at all! And then I see the ground nuts and the rolling and rolling....

I'm taking some over to my in-laws tomorrow, who just moved to town this last weekend, so I'll let them taste test them for me. I did like the nuttiness the ground almonds gave them and I even liked the ones without the raspberry jam! They do wonders with a nice cup of java! So thank you noskos of Living the Life for picking this week's recipe. And even though I complain a lot, I do really like them. You can find the recipe on her blog and also in Dorie's book!

TWD: Twofer Pie

2008-11-28T21:45:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving Twofer Pie, chosen by Vibi of La casserole carree
for this weeks episode of Tuesdays with Dorie. I thought this pie sounded good in premise, but I do like my pumpkin pie and I do like my pecan pie and usually separately - not in the same pie. This turned out pretty good though...not as sweet as a pecan pie, but like a pumpkin pie with a surprise! I would not partially pre-bake my pie shell again though, as it was pretty much toast by the time the pie was done. All in all, people seemed to like this pumpkin/pecan pie combination.

TWD: Arborio Rice Pudding, White, Black (Or Both)

2008-11-16T19:07:00.012-06:00

For this week's Tuesdays With Dorie Isabelle of Les gourmandises d’Isa picked, Arborio Rice Pudding, White, Black (Or Both) from the cookbook "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan or you can go to Isabelle's blog to find the recipe for it.

This was the start of something good....

I really liked this recipe...it was a fairly easy recipe once Dorie wrote to let us all know that the recipe printed in the cookbook had a little snag...instead of cooking it for 30 minutes, it was supposed to be 55! Luckily, I had cooked mine a little longer without seeing that. I tried it with raisins soaked in dark rum for half and chocolate for the other. I was really hesitant on the chocolate...I don't know why because it is pure deliciousness! I guess I always thought of rice pudding one way and why mess with something that already tasted so good...even if it was to add chocolate to it. I guess I will have to learn from this and try to step outside of my comfort zone more often. Either way the pudding was very creamy and rich. Soooo good! Thanks, Isabelle for this week's pick!

Another giveaway at My Wooden Spoon!

2008-11-16T15:57:00.001-06:00

Hurry and go to

My Wooden Spoon
and sign up for her wonderful giveaways! You won't want to miss this one!

Giveaways!

2008-11-13T22:45:00.002-06:00

Go to www.mywoodenspoon.com and get in on her giveaway! All you have to do is -

Simply vote for My Wooden Spoon’s Shrimp Stroganoff Casserole at the Velveeta Casserole Challenge and you’re entered!! Just leave her a comment to tell her you voted.

Good Luck!

Been busy this week!

2008-11-10T13:41:00.004-06:00

I won't be baking with the "Tuesdays With Dorie" group this week. I had something important to deal with this week...our little black doggie, Jack, was sick all week long. We've made numerous trips to the Vet and he's been prodded, poked, and X-rayed more than he'll ever want to be again! He's doing better today, but he's still not quite back to the old Jack yet. Our other dog, Kelby is wondering what's going on. He usually gets to go, but he's had to stay behind on all the trips to see the doc. I don't know if Jack filled him in when he got back or not, but the last trip he didn't seem to mind getting left at home!

They still don't really know what Jack's problem is and if he continues to improve, I guess we may never know. But I don't care, as long as he gets better!

TWD: Rugelach

2008-11-04T00:11:00.000-06:00

This is my first try at baking with the "Tuesdays with Dorie" baking group! Ta-daaaah!
The recipe looked pretty difficult, but turned out pretty well. My husband liked them a lot. We both tasted them warm from the oven and the dough was flaky and delish! The combination of raspberry jam, cinnamon sugar, nuts, raisins, & chocolate for the filling was good...maybe a little much, but we liked it.
A lot of work for a few cookies. I don't
usually spend so much time for cookies, but these are kind of special. Both my husband and I decided we might like either no chocolate or less chocolate with this recipe. Might have to try some with just fruit and nuts next time.
This recipe was chosen by Grace of Piggy’s Cooking Journal so check out her blog for this recipe! Thank you Grace...I've always wanted to taste these homemade! They taste nothing like the stuff you buy at the store!

My cookbook arrived!

2008-11-01T11:29:00.002-05:00

I just browsed my new copy of the Tuesdays with Dorie cookbook and I'm so excited to get started! But maybe not just today yet...we (my dh and I) just returned last night from helping my son move into his first home all the way up in Illinois! He's going to start school in the spring and wanted to get all settled in before he got busy. We helped him out by giving him some furniture and other things that people just getting out on their own never think about having since there is always someone else around that already has it. Like tools and certain cooking utensils and lamps and hand soap and paper towels and all that stuff that is usually just there when you live with someone else! Brings back fond memories of the first place I had on my own though...so I know he'll be fine and even though I'll worry about how he's doing, I know that I had hardly anything and I managed somehow.

Our son has an African Grey Parrot named Buddha that we "baby-sat" for him for about a year and a half and we grew very fond of Buddha. He is such a nut...talks like crazy and even though we were not what you would call "bird people", we did fall in love with Buddha! As I figure out how to post things on my blog, I'll add some videos of Buddha yakking away...it's hilarious! So now this morning our home is just a little bit quieter without the happy blabbering of our fine feathered friend. Yes, we miss our Buddha...oh and you too, Randy!! Ha!

2008-10-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

This is my beginning. I read all of your blogs and so I decided to start one of my own. We'll see how it goes...