Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Happy 4th of July y'all!

It's currently raining here, courtesy of Hurricane Arthur, so there is not much celebrating to report from the Vittles household.

The rest of the holiday weekend is supposed to be beautiful, but I knew most of today was supposed to be a wash.  So last night I made this oatmeal to bake in the morning.  

I never liked oatmeal until recently, though I was also never sure why.  Much like hot tea, it seems like something I would enjoy, yet every time I had it I found it to be... bleh.

I still don't know what brought me around to it.  Maybe the fact that I started feeding it to the Mini, and eating her inevitable leftovers?  Maybe the fact that I started having it with a little brown sugar and cinnamon?  Maybe the fact that I don't have a lot of "hearty" breakfast options since going gluten-free?

Not really sure.  But in the meantime, the Mini is also starting to get a little more discerning with her tastes - she has started asking for specific things at mealtime, and refusing others.  (Our newest favorite is cherries.)  But so far, this has been a hit.  

It's also great left-over, so no worries if you don't eat the whole pan.

Hope everyone has a fun & safe holiday - Happy Birthday, America!

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

• 2 C. uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 C. packed brown sugar 
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. ground cloves
• pinch salt
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce 
• 2 T. butter, melted 
• 1 large egg, beaten 
• 1 apple, peeled, cored & diced

Preheat oven to 375°.  Grease an 8" square baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.*

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats through baking powder, & set aside.  In separate bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, applesauce, butter, and egg.

Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Fold in diced apples. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish & bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set in middle. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

*Note: This recipe can be made the night before, and stored in the refrigerator.  If making ahead, skip the step of preheating oven until ready to bake.  Also you may need to add an extra few minutes to bake time.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, as posted on MyRecipes.com

Soft Lemon Cookies

I hope you guys enjoyed your Fourth of July holiday!

Mr. Vittles and I had a great day off, and we were busy bees with the Mini.  She actually had a few "firsts," such as...

...first time in her baby pool;

...first time seeing fireworks;

...and first time not having a complete melt down at a social outing.

(Mommy was probably most excited about the last one, not sure about her though.)

We stopped by my grandmother's house, where my aunt, uncle and cousins were visiting in addition to my grandmother's friends from Florida.  We then went to a barbecue at our friends' house nearby.  The Mini barely napped in the afternoon, but she was so well-behaved I could hardly believe it.

Our friend's mother was holding her for almost half the party, and Mr. Vittles and I kept looking at each other like, "Has our child been abducted by aliens?"

Then, the fireworks were more than 2 hours past her bedtime, but we decided to wake her up and give it a go.  We weren't sure how she'd react to the loud noise, so we watched from a marina one town over - she really liked looking at them, however did not enjoy the boat horns of an over-zealous yachter nearby.  For that reason, we left before the finale but I would still consider it a success!

I would also consider these lemon cookies to be a success.

If anyone has ever had my ricotta cookies, these have a similar consistency (very soft and cake-like).  But the lemon adds a freshness that is perfect for summer.

Soft Lemon Cookies

• 1/3 C. milk
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1 3/4 C. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 t. lemon zest
• 3/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
• 1 egg
• 1 t. vanilla

Glaze

• 3/4 C. powdered sugar
• 1 T. + 2 t. water or milk

Combine milk with lemon juice, and set aside.  Let sit 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda to combine.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine lemon zest with sugar.  Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until very fragrant and evenly-distributed.  Add butter, and beat on medium speed with a mixer until butter is pale and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add milk mixture, egg, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until combined.

Add half flour mixture, and mix on low until incorporated.  Add remaining flour mixture, and mix on low.  Increase speed to medium, and mix until well-combined, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Let dough chill for a few hours in refrigerator or overnight.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie pan, or line with non-stick foil or parchment.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough by rounded spoonful onto prepared sheet about 2 inches apart (I put 8 cookies on my sheet, staggered - these will expand).  Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.

Remove from oven, and let cool on sheet 1-2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.  When cooled completely, make glaze by mixing powdered sugar with water or milk until runny.  Dip cookies in glaze, and return to wire rack to dry.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home's Community Forum 

Pumpkin Pie Frappe... In The Raw

Is it just me, or is anyone else done with summer?

Maybe it's because I'm currently lugging around a 2 1/2-pound watermelon in my stomach, but I am totally over this season.

It doesn't help that Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and I probably got a taste of it too early going up to Canada a few weeks ago. I want it to be here NOW!

I want cool, crisp air. I want jeans and sweatshirts. I want fallen leaves and apple-picking.

I want PUMPKIN SPICE!

Who's with me on that?

I recently applied through BlogHer to review In The Raw sugar, and when I was looking at their collection of amazing recipes, I noticed all the fall-themed ones were jumping out at me.

So naturally, I had to make the Pumpkin Pie Frappe ... which totally lives up to its name, and gets me even more excited for the upcoming season change!

Is it wrong that I want to swim in this creamy, pumpkiny goodness?

But in all seriousness - for those of you who are regular readers, hopefully you know by now that I'm very picky about my reviews. Making money off of a hobby is great, but that's not why I blog, and I would never personally endorse a company, product, or recipe I didn't truly like.

So that being said, I highly recommend checking out In The Raw's products. Like me, you've probably seen their sugar and Stevia packets in coffee shops and the like, but did you know that these products are also offered in bulk for baking and cooking?

Check out the lineup of goodies I received from In The Raw, which included their all-natural Turbinado sugar, organic agave nectar, and zero-calorie Stevia. So fun!

In all honesty, I was a strictly-white sugar type of gal until a couple years ago when I was diagnosed with a hormone imbalance; it puts me at a higher risk for diabetes if I'm not mindful about my carb intake. So at that point, I started looking into less-refined sugars and sugar alternatives and was pleasantly surprised to find out there are some really great options available.

For one, Stevia is the only low-calorie sweetener that I actually enjoy - I think it tastes the closest to 'regular' sugar, and I love that it's natural, not made from chemicals.

Agave nectar is great too because it's slightly sweeter than sugar, so you can use less, and it has a lower glycemic index. (In The Raw's Agave is also organic, so that's a bonus!)

But if all that health stuff doesn't tickle your fancy ... I recently discovered that In The Raw has this hilarious Au Natural In The Raw app that will 'censor' your sassy food photos.

Yep you heard me right. You can blur out your goodies', umm ... goodies?

In the age of 'pinning' and 'food porn' sites, one of the most fun things about baking is sharing your creations via photo. And now your hottest desserts can go "au natural" on the internet... without fear of showing too much!

How cute is that?? To view other photos or make your own, just visit hotintherawaction.com (and perhaps warn your significant other first, in case they see the site in your browser history - ha!)

And if that wasn't enough fun for you ... In The Raw is also giving you all a chance to win a $100 Cooking.com gift card! Entering is easy peasy, just visit the recipe section of their website, and leave a comment on this post telling me which recipe you'd most like to make.

Official Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

"b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the

following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/10/12-9/30/12.

Please also be sure to visit the In The Raw brand page on BlogHer, where you can read other bloggers' posts and get more chances to win.

In the meantime... bring on the pumpkin spice!

Pumpkin Pie Frappe

• 1/3 C. canned pumpkin puree*
• 1/4 C. Sugar In The Raw®
• 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. ground allspice
• 1 C. whole milk
• 4 C. vanilla ice cream (slightly softened)
• Grated nutmeg for garnish

Combine all the ingredients in an electric blender and blend until smooth. Serve in frosted glasses and garnish with the nutmeg. Makes 4 servings, about 3 1/2 cups.

*Be aware that there is a difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie canned mix. The pumpkin puree works best for this recipe.

Note: The frappe can be stored in the freezer if not serving immediately. The consistency will be like soft ice cream.

Recipe from In The Raw

Citrus Sherbert

So I've been wanting to share with you all some very special news...

Mr. & Mrs. Vittles have a proverbial bun in the oven!

I'm about to be 23 weeks, and we just found out this past week that it's a baby GIRL!

She was a little shy at my 20-week ultrasound, so we had to go back two weeks later.

(Being difficult already!)

But we are super excited to be having a baby, and are so lucky that everything has been normal and right on track thus far.

Aside from some tiredness (and insane hunger) in my first trimester, I've honestly felt really good this whole time.

And even though I'd of course be thrilled either way, as my pregnancy has gone on I found myself hoping it was a girl.

Mr. Vittles' nickname for me is "Smalls" (like, "You're killin' me, Smalls!" from The Sandlot?)  So early on, he nicknamed our munchkin Mini Smalls.

Now it seems especially appropriate :)

On a more serious note though, I know what kind of special bond I had with my own mom (who passed away almost 3 years ago) and I feel so blessed that I'll have my own daughter to share that with.

My due date is November 14 - which just happens to be two days before her birthday.  Somehow I feel like she has been with me every step of the way!

Like me, my grandmother was also an only child, and I know she had a very special connection to her mother (who passed away just a few weeks after my mom was born, in 1954).

my grandmother, as a little girl, with her parents

I told you last year how I was so honored when Grammy gave me her mother's recipe box, and I found some really neat recipes- like the Easy Chocolate Pudding.

And as I mentioned in that post, I also discovered that my great-grandmother loved the flavor orange... a very high proportion of the total recipes involved oranges in some way!

But the one that intrigued me most was for Orange Sherbert.  

I've made a lot of ice cream, but never sherbert!  However, I thought this recipe perhaps needed a little more... er, instructions.

And since I love grapefruit, I also decided to do a mixture of juices.

What can I say?  I guess I just can't leave well-enough alone!

(A trait Mr. V has no doubt been enjoying for the past 5 years.  Can't wait to bug our child with it too.  Hehe!)

Citrus Sherbert

•  2/3 C. sugar

•  1/2 C. water

•  1/2 C. orange juice, at room temperature

•  1/2 C. grapefruit juice, at room temperature

•  1 T. lemon juice

•  1/2 C. heavy cream

•  3/4 C. lowfat milk 

•  1 t. vanilla

•  2 T. good quality vodka (optional, but it helps a lot with the consistency if you are planning on freezing the mixture)

In medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Stir to dissolve sugar, then continue to boil 7-8 minutes longer until mixture thickens.

Add room-temperature orange, grapefruit, and lemon juices and stir well to combine.  (It’s important that the juice is room temperature and not cold, otherwise the sugar syrup will instantly harden.)  

Cool to room temperature, and pour into a large coverable container or bowl.  Add cream, milk, and vanilla, and stir to combine.  Cover and chill at least 30 minutes in refrigerator, then transfer to bowl of an ice cream maker.

Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.*  If using vodka, add it a few minutes before the mixture is done churning.   Serve from container for soft consistency, or transfer sherbert to a coverable, freezer safe container and freeze.  Makes a little less than a quart. 

*Note: There is also a method if you don’t have an ice cream maker (or you're like me and forgot to freeze the canister) – complete all steps prior to freezing mixture in ice-cream maker.  Instead pour into an 8” square glass pan and freeze about 25 minutes.  Remove from freezer and stir well, scraping up the ice that’s forming and incorporating it into the still-liquid parts.  Continue stirring every 20-30 minutes for the next couple of hours.  Then transfer to coverable, freezer-safe container and freeze until ready to serve.

Recipe Adapted from Family Recipe (Origin Unknown)

Gingerbread Coffee Creamer

Did everyone have a nice holiday?

I certainly did.  It was busy but lots of fun.

Last Friday we went up to visit my aunt Jody and her family.  Then Christmas Eve was spent with my dad & stepmom.

We went to her brother's house for Christmas Eve, where Pappy Vittles battled my little cousin Michelle in a vicious game of... tops?

My dad nicknamed his The Wild Weasel.

They also decided to bet on the game, and after so many "double or nothings," Michelle was in the hole about $10K - until she finally managed to beat The Wild Weasel and zero out her debts.

(Thank goodness for that.  She might have had to tap into her college fund before the end of the night!)

Then we spent Christmas Day with my in-laws, and ate a delicious roast beef dinner at Nana Vittles' house.

The highlights of my day included receiving The Booty Pop from my brother-in-law (in retaliation for giving him fart-filtering underwear last year) and winning the family beer pong tournament with Mr. Vittles on Christmas night.

You may not recall, but last year's tournament included cat-dancing and wearing fake mustaches... this year we got to wear fake noses also.

I would say a glorious holiday was had by all.

Although, I never thought I would say this, but at this point I'm soooo sick of eating.

My pants are pretty sick of it too.  Mr. Vittles may have to roll me to work next week in the event that I don't fit into my car.

But there's still time to enjoy the holiday flavor of gingerbread ... and without having to consume a single cookie.

If you're like me, coffee is a must, so why not make it festive?

Do it while you still can, before you're mentally done with gingerbread until next December.

Happy, healthy 2012 to all!

Gingerbread Coffee Creamer

• 1/2 C. milk
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 2 T. molasses
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t. cloves
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Whisk together milk, cream, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in medium saucepan over medium heat.  When mixture begins to steam, remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla extract.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and store in refrigerator, up to 10 days.  Makes about 1 cup.

Adapted from Deliciously Organic 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with food, family, friends, and fun!

There's not much time left for pumpkin recipes, so I had to get in one last thing.

If you have any leftover canned pumpkin puree from your pies (or pumpkin coconut tapioca!) this is the perfect use for it.

Plus you'll need the caffeine for all your Black Friday shopping!  (Or if you're working, like me, then you'll really need caffeine).

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 1/4 C. white chocolate chips
• 1/4 C. heavy cream
• 1 C. milk (any kind is fine)
• 2 t. pumpkin puree
• 1/8 t. cinnamon
• pinch cloves
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/4 t. vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 shots espresso (or very strong coffee)

In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat white chocolate chips with heavy cream until melted (heat in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until syrup forms).

In the meantime, heat milk in a medium saucepan with pumpkin and spices over medium-low to medium heat.  Bring to a simmer, and whisk in white chocolate mixture.  Remove from heat, and add vanilla.  Whisk until frothy.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (there may be some pumpkin particles or lumps of white chocolate you want to strain out) and add espresso.  Serve immediately, with extra cinnamon on top if desired.  Makes two 6-oz. lattes, or one 12-oz latte (amounts are approximate).

Original Recipe

Pumpkin Coconut Tapioca

Are you sick of pumpkin yet?

Hope not.  (After this one, I still have another pumpkin recipe up my sleeve!)

My friend Natalie tried the original recipe for this pudding and loved it.  And she knows how much I enjoy coconut, so she was kind enough to share the link.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Vittles didn't like this (he's not a fan of the texture of tapioca), but he was getting quite a kick out of my attempts to photograph it.

I admit, it doesn't look all that appetizing.

But if you enjoy pumpkin and coconut, I'm pretty confident you will love this pudding.

If you are unsure of the spice, feel free to leave the cinnamon out (the original recipe did not have it).  I just thought it added a little something... reminds me of rice pudding!

Pumpkin Coconut Tapioca

• 1 1/2 C. milk
• 1/3 C. + 1 T. sugar
• 1/3 C. small pearl tapioca (also called tapioca seeds - not quick-cook)
• 13.5 oz. can of coconut milk
• 1/2 C. canned organic pumpkin
• 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Bring the milk and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tapioca and stir continuously for the first 5 minutes to prevent clumping. (Turn down heat if mixture starts to boil over).

Continue cooking, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the tapioca pearls are almost completely translucent and the mixture is very thick, 10-15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and turn down the heat to low. Continue cooking until the tapioca pearls are completely translucent.

When the tapioca is done, stir in the canned pumpkin, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Chill until firm.

Recipe Adapted from Marc Matsumoto, as seen on PBS.org

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Growing up, I had just about every summer job you can imagine.

I always babysat, but I got my first 'real' job at 14, the summer before I went into high school.  I worked in the gift shop of a local aquarium on the boardwalk.

From there, I went on to work as a chambermaid in a bed & breakfast, an assistant manager of a frozen yogurt stand, a counselor at a day camp, a typist at a newspaper, an inventory-taker (!), and even a telemarketer (!!).  I also worked in a tanning salon, and the nursery of a gym where parents would drop off their kids while they worked out.

But one of my personal favorite employers was a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop I worked at during college.

First of all, I got a really cool bulging forearm muscle from scooping hard ice cream.  And secondly, I got to eat delicious ice cream every day, which is basically a dream come true.

To be honest, I took advantage of that perk much more at the frozen yogurt place than Ben & Jerry's (let's not lie, a cup of ice cream on a daily basis would be a little much).  But I did treat myself at least once a week.

And I probably tried 75% of the flavors there, but I always came back to Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.

Ummm... whoa.  Cinnamon sweet cream base with chunks of oatmeal cookies and fudge.  What could be bad about that?

So when I realized that July is National Ice Cream month, I decided I needed to try & replicate my old favorite.

But I wanted it to be completely homemade and I didn't feel like first whipping up a batch of oatmeal cookies just to crumble up for ice cream. So I devised a sort of crispy, sugary oatmeal crumble instead.

And while it's not a dead ringer... it's pretty freaking close.

Not to mention pretty freaking delicious.

And the cool part about it is it's an eggless ice cream! I've never made one of those before, but it came out really well.

Which reminds me- don't be tempted to replace the corn syrup, that's part of what keeps it scoopable (if you're like me & try to avoid the stuff whenever possible, this might make you feel better).

Either way... I think my former employer would approve.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Oatmeal Crumble

• ½ C. old fashioned oats
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. granulated sugar
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• pinch salt

Cinnamon Ice Cream

• 2 C. lowfat milk
• 1 T. plus 1 t. cornstarch
• 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 T light corn syrup
• ½ t. cinnamon
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 C. chocolate chunks

Make the oatmeal crumble: Preheat oven 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet.

In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium-low until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Spread oat mixture on prepared baking sheet and cook for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.  Empty oats back into skillet to cool.

Make the ice cream:  Measure out the 2 C. milk then take 2 T. of it and mix with the cornstarch in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth.  Prepare an ice bath in a container big enough for the bowl with the cream cheese to fit in it.  (An ice bath is just cold water with ice).

In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon over medium heat. Whisking occasionally, bring the milk mixture to a boil, then reduce heat slightly and simmer, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture.  Return to a boil (watch carefully so it does not boil over) and whisk over medium heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the salt and vanilla. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until room temperature (about 30 minutes).  Then refrigerate mixture until chilled, about 2 hours.

Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. With ice cream maker still on, add chocolate chunks & about 2/3 of the oatmeal, and mix to evenly distribute.  Pack the ice cream into a plastic container, and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Close with an airtight lid, and freeze the ice cream until firm, about 4 hours.  Use remaining 1/3 of oatmeal for sprinkling on served ice cream, if desired.

Ice Cream recipe adapted from Jeni Britton Bauer on Food & Wine; flavor inspired by Ben & Jerry's

Blueberry Milk

Remember drinking strawberry milk as a kid?

Me too!

Well I searched for a recipe the other day to make your own at home, and was starting to get really disappointed.  A lot of the ones I saw basically just blended milk with strawberries.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't that called a smoothie?

Hmm no thanks. 

But eventually I stumbled upon this recipe at The Kitchn and was mucho excited.

Totally brought me back to my childhood.

I decided to get a little crazy with it, though, and try some different flavors than just strawberry.

I bet you didn't know that blueberries are actually the state fruit of New Jersey?

Apparently, one of the early cultivators of the blueberry was from Jerz.  And blueberries are still grown here, mainly in the Pine Barrens. 

(Along with the Jersey Devil.  Just sayin'.)

FYI - New Jersey is also known as the Garden State due to our agriculture - corn & tomatoes being two of the more popular crops.

Jersey is not just refineries and the Sopranos, people!

Anyway, now that you've learned something and I've properly 'repped' my home state, I'm pretty sure you can use half a cup of whatever berry you want - the traditional strawberry, or raspberries, blackberries, etc.

I actually made strawberry milk too, but mixed it with coconut milk for something different.

Use your imagination! :)

The bonus is that your kids will probably think it's super fun, and they'll never miss the artificial flavoring and boatloads of sugar.

Not to mention the blueberry one is purple and umm... that's just cool.

Blueberry Milk

• 1/2 C. fresh blueberries (or berries of your choice)
• 3-4 T. sugar, depending on how sweet you like (I actually used 2 T. Xylitol)
• 1/2 C. water
• 1 C. milk

(If you plan on drinking the milk immediately, I would recommend freezing 3 small glasses for a bit first, because the syrup will be warm and warm milk is ... well, yucky).

In a small saucepan, bring water, sugar, and blueberries to a boil over medium heat.  Boil continuously for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Strain mixture into a bowl or measuring cup through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing the berries to release all liquid.  (Reserve berries for baking recipes, or mixing into plain yogurt, smoothies, etc!)

Refrigerate syrup until cold (or cool slightly, then remove glasses from freezer).  Set out 3 small glasses on counter, and place 2 T syrup in the bottom of each glass.  Add 1/2 C. cold milk to each, stir, and enjoy!


Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

Cheddar & Herb Drop Biscuits

Today was a very special day for me.

I got to wear what I would call "real" shoes for the first time in months! 

Since I went back to work in mid-February after my foot surgery, I have had to wear running shoes every day with my dress clothes.  I even had to wear them to my friend's wedding.

And it has been awful. 

I felt the sneakers were least offensive when partially covered by pants, so I have not put on a dress since the beginning of January.

But I love skirts & dresses, so do you know how painful that has been for me?  Three whole months of ignoring probably the largest section of same-type items in my closet?

This morning, I spent so long looking at all the potential outfits I could wear that I didn't have time to stop for my usual coconut iced coffee at D&D...

...which would normally be a catastrophe, but I was so jacked up on my excitement to put on a high-waisted skirt & black boots that I didn't even need caffeine!

Not to mention it's Friday. 

And after the past two days (where it actually snowed a little bit here despite the supposed beginning of Spring) it was sunny out. 

And... I came home from work and nibbled one of these leftover biscuits from last night's dinner. 

AHHH!

Seriously - could life get any better?

Actually, maybe if the biscuits had crumbled bacon in them that might be better. 

?

Just throwing that out there.

Cheddar and Herb Drop Biscuits

• 1 C. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. white sugar
• 1/4 t. cream of tartar
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 t. minced, fresh parsley (or other herb of your choice)
• 1/2 C. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 C. melted butter
• 1/2 C. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, garlic powder, salt, and parsley.  Stir in butter, milk, and cheese until dry ingredients are just moistened (and cheese is evenly distributed). 

Drop batter by 1/4 C. on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake until golden on edges, 17-20 minutes, and serve warm.  Makes 6 biscuits.

Recipe Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Easy Chocolate Pudding

Last week was Grammy Vittles' 80th birthday!

My grandmother is just adorable.  I love her to death. 

Let me tell you a little about her...

She is super stylish and loves to shop (but at good stores, like J.Crew and Anthropologie- not 'old lady' stores).

Her favorite hobby is hooking rugs, and over the years she has made so many amazing keepsakes for everyone in our family.

She spoils her grandchildren rotten, and her nickname for us is "Pumpkin" (except she says it like "punkin.")

She calls grilled cheese sandwiches "toasted cheese sandwiches." 

On the first day of the month, she tells people "Hello Rabbit" because it's supposed to be good luck.

She got a computer just so she could play Mahjong Solitaire on it.

She gave me the cutest ruffled polka dot apron for my birthday last year, and suggested "You can surprise [Mr. Vittles] one night and wear it with nothing underneath." 

!!

(In case you were wondering- no, I have not done that)

She makes a fierce grilled skirt steak and potato salad.

Whenever she spills on herself, or if something goes 'down the wrong pipe' when she's eating, she says "Don't mind me- I'm just learning."

And... she keeps her bourbon under the kitchen sink, where it's "more easily accessible."

How cute is she?

Grammy, October 2009

Although Grammy does not really go on the internet, she's been very supportive of Vittles and Bits.  She even gave me one of her recipe boxes, as well as the recipe box that belonged to her mother.

I never knew my great-grandmother on her side, in fact not even my mom did - she passed away in 1954, not long after after my mother was born.

So to see her recipes (many of them written in her own hand) was extremely special. 

I couldn't help but notice she had a ton of recipes with orange- orange pound cake, orange sherbert, orange ice, orange icebox cake...etc, etc.  And Grammy conceded that she did enjoy citrus desserts!

But one that I picked to try first was this recipe for chocolate pudding.  "For utmost deliciousness," it said, "serve with whipped cream.

Utmost deliciousness?  Apparently, being adorable runs in the family.

Easy Chocolate Pudding

• 2 C. milk
• 5 T. cornstarch
• 1/3 C. cocoa powder (dutch processed)
• 1/3 C. + 1 T. granulated sugar

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa with 1/2 C. milk.  Heat remaining 1 1/2 C. milk in small saucepan over med-low heat until steaming.  Add cocoa mixture to pan, and heat until thickened, stirring constantly (2-3 minutes).  Increase heat slightly if necessary to thicken.  Transfer to bowl or individual ramekins, and sprinkle tops with sugar to prevent skin from forming on pudding.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled.  Serve plain or with whipped cream (for "utmost deliciousness" ;)) Serves 2-3.

Recipe Origin Unknown


Linked to Full Plate Thursday

An Old Friend: Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

In light of my recent giveaway where I asked readers what their favorite recipes were, I decided to re-post one of my personal favorites.

Last April, I adapted Cooks Illustrated's 'Classic Macaroni & Cheese' to include two of Mr. Vittles favorite foods - pepperjack cheese and bacon.

Truthfully, I've never really shared his adoration for these two ingredients, but I must admit - this mac & cheese is... amazing.

Sorry to toot my own horn, but it's the truth.

Whenever we have macaroni & cheese somewhere else now, we both say "Meh.  It's no pepperjack bacon."

Yes.  Much like my brownie snobbery, we've become M&C connoisseurs.

(By the way - I typed the word "connoisseur" 4 times before the red squiggly underline telling me I spelled it wrong disappeared.)

Anywho... I originally posted about this back when I first started Vittles and Bits.  Since then, I've cut down on the amount of cheese sauce made, because I think it made the dish too soupy.  I like my mac & cheese to have a bit more structure. 

And let's face it - the only people that read my blog then were friends or family members.

Not to mention, the original picture I posted was god-awful.

(I've already replaced it.  Despite trying to educate myself, I haven't progressed much with my food photography - but the old one simply didn't do this dish justice.)

So in short - I just had to call the recipe to your attention.  It deserves the spotlight for a day. 

Yeah... it's that good.

Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 1 T. salt
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 3/4 t. ground mustard
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 2 1/2 C. milk
• 8 oz. pepperjack cheese, grated
• 8 strips of bacon, crumbled or chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. panko bread crumbs
  
  

Preheat broiler.  Cook elbow macaroni in 4 quarts water with 1 T. salt until tender (just past al dente stage).  Drain macaroni and set aside. 

In now empty pot, melt butter over medium heat until foaming.

Add flour, mustard, cayenne & garlic powder and whisk well to combine.  Continue whisking about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Gradually whisk in milk about a cup at a time, then bring mixture to a boil while whisking constantly.  (This is important - mixture must reach a boil to thicken fully).

Then reduce heat to medium & simmer, whisking occasionally, until consistency becomes that of heavy cream (about 5 minutes). 

Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, salt & bacon. Add drained pasta and return whole pot to burner over medium low, stirring mixture until steaming & heated through (5-6 minutes).

Transfer mixture to a broiler-safe, greased 9x13" pan and sprinkle panko on top.  Place in broiler on middle/lower rack and broil 3-5 minutes until crumbs are browned.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Adapted from Cook's Illustrated's "Classic Macaroni & Cheese"

Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

The day before my foot surgery, I ate the strangest assortment of foods because I knew I wasn't going to be able to get/make certain things for a while.

We don't have Jamba Juice around here, but I love their smoothies.  I was about an hour away from home for work, and I saw a Jamba Juice so I got a smoothie.

I also got an Auntie Anne's salted pretzel.

I know, those two foods alone probably made up my entire recommended calorie intake for the day... but I then went on to eat dinner.

And after dinner, I made this hot cocoa.

Don't judge me, ok?

I was so excited to drink it that I didn't even wait for it to cool before I put the whipped cream on and snapped some pictures.

Normally I try so hard to take nice pictures for you, but that's why the whipped cream is totally melted in the photo.

That's also why I experienced something that has never happened in my near-28 years on this earth.

Have you ever not waited for a hot food or beverage to cool properly and burned the $#*% out of your tongue?

(Unless you're some kind of alien or have supreme powers of self-control, I'm pretty sure you have.)

But have you ever actually burned the inside of your throat?

Until last week, I hadn't.  But this drink was so hot that it not only burned my mouth, I swear it burned halfway down my esophagus.

I don't even know if that's medically possible, but that's certainly what it felt like.

My point being - this cocoa is really, really good.  But please, for the sake of your internal organs - wait for it to cool before drinking.  :)

Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

• 3 C. fat free milk
• 1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 of a 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (2/3 C.)
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• whipped cream (optional)

In medium saucepan, combine milks.  Over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Whisk in cocoa powder until well combined.  Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla.  Serve in mugs, with whipped cream if desired. 

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens online