Follow the Sun

Week 15: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Carole — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:23:32 +0000

Starting with a recipe from Allrecipes.com (Banana Muffins II), we reduced the sugar and added chocolate chips!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

A fantastic dessert muffin.

Week 14: Morgan’s Pantry-Clearing Vegetable Curry Soup

Carole — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:07:44 +0000

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
1 large onion, diced
6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, including juice
liquid from 1 can of green beans
1 cup red lentils
1 tablespoon mild curry paste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Cook under high pressure for 6 minutes, let pressure come down naturally.

Add:
1 can of green beans

This soup was quite good (luckily, as we were eating it for a week) but it was all one flavor and had little variation in texture. I feel that it could have been improved with some sausage.

Week 13: Pizza Mac Casserole

Carole — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:50:15 +0000

From Allrecipes.com:
1 pound ground beef
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 (14 ounce) jars pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
In a skillet, brown beef; drain. Add the macaroni, onion, green pepper and pizza sauce. Pour into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

We reduced the cheese slightly, added some mushrooms, but mostly kept the recipe as written. And you know what? It was tasty, but tasted nothing at all like pizza. Nice casserole, false advertising.

Week 12: Mexican Brownies

Carole — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:44:07 +0000

A boxed brownie mix, enlivened by:
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top

Delicious!

Week 11: Rye Bread 2

Carole — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:41:54 +0000

Another bread machine rye; this one favored by the household but not by me, as it was too soft to slice easily.

Garden Ambitions 2012

Carole — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:53:03 +0000

Alongside my long-awaited home ownership comes the burgeoning of many garden hopes, plans, and dreams. I’m determined to rein in my ambition and keep things to a reasonable pace. So here are some things I hope to get done in this gardening season:

1. Dig out carpenter-ant infested stump in the front yard. We’ve already started, and what a big pit it’s going to take. That was a BIG tree in its day.
2. Dig planting beds along the sidewalk. Plant ornamental grass plug hedge (when my order arrives, in April) and fill in with flower seeds until the grass gets big.
3. Plant some calendula. (Done!)
4. Build a garden gate.
5. Mix concrete and set the 2 gate posts. (Also mailbox, while we’re at it.)
6. Install gate on its hinges.
7. Measure, mark, & fence an area of the front yard.
8. Dig up turf within fenced perimeter.
9. Gather rocks & make a circle around the crab-apple tree. (Half done already!)
10. Plant raspberry bushes and strawberry plants in autumn in fenced garden.
11. Plant daffodils and other spring bulbs in autumn.
12. Spread some mulch around crab-apple, rosebush, possibly also paths or foundation beds. Got to figure out where and how much.

We’ll see how much gets done!

Week 10: Moroccan Meatballs

Carole — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:38:04 +0000

Delighted to have finally used a recipe from my cookbook about things to do with ground meats! In this case, ground lamb was turned into exceptional meatballs.

The couscous with parsley and dried cranberries made the meal.

Week 9: Rye Bread

Carole — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:12:10 +0000

Rye bread from the Bread Machine Magic book – this one I love!

Week 8: Kidneybean Casserole

Carole — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:28:02 +0000

Kidneybean Casserole, a classic from the Joy of Cooking that was greatly enhanced by applewood smoked bacon ends.

Week 7: Banana-Blueberry Oatmeal Bake

Carole — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:25:28 +0000

Banana-Blueberry Oatmeal Bake, a dessert recipe I picked up in the checkout line of the grocery store.