Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Charity

We bought a CSA share this year from a local organic farm.  CSA stands for “community-supported agriculture.”  You can learn more about CSA here, but basically, we invested money in the farm by purchasing a share and we get to pick up a portion of the harvest every week all summer long, into the fall.

We got some turnips the past two weeks that were from last year, so I decided to make roasted chicken with root vegetables.

I cut up turnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions into pieces, and sliced some garlic.  I tossed them in a bowl with a generous drizzle of olive oil, coarse sea salt, and black pepper.

Then I placed split chicken breast halves (with bones and skin) on to two sprayed baking sheets, spaced far apart.  I sprinkled the chicken with coarse sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Then I brushed them with a mixture of olive oil that had a little melted butter mixed in.

I used this really nice Kitchen Aid brush with floppy bristles that my 13-year-old son bought me for Christmas.  (My kids know me so well!)  It’s great for brushing sauce on meat.

Even a small amount of butter makes a huge difference in flavor, so don’t omit it unless you absolutely have to.

Then, I arranged the veggies on the pans, around the chicken, and sprinkled everything with a little bit of thyme.

I baked it for 30 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 450-degrees, until the veggies were tender and the chicken’s juices ran clear (test internal temp for safety).

The vegetables were amazing!  The chicken was good, too, but I am a veggie lover, so that was my favorite part.  The vegetables were slightly caramelized on the bottom and they were so tender and sweet.

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Sweet Corn Cake

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Charity

I never went to a Chi-Chi’s restaurant, when they were still in business, but I used to buy the Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake mix at the supermarket for our Cinco de Mayo dinner every year because my boys love it.  This year, I was not able to find it at the only local grocery store that carried it, so I decided to try to hack the recipe.

I located the ingredients and directions to the Chi-Chi’s mix online.  The directions gave me the ingredients that need to be added to the mix and the cooking time and temperature.  The ingredient list told me the rest of the ingredients and an idea of the portions, since ingredients are always listed in order from greatest to least.  I used my baking know-how and experience to figure out the rest.  The results were delicious – and kid approved!

Surprisingly, there were no added preservatives or flavor enhancers, which is nice.  You can buy the Chi-Chi Sweet Corn Cake Mix at Amazon.com, if you don’t want to make it yourself.

If you do, I’ve got your number.

For the mix:

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup masa harina (found in the Hispanic food section)
1/4 cup corn meal
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking powder

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk.

Add to that:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup water
1 (15 oz.) can cream-style corn

Mix until well combined.

Pour into a bread loaf pan (9×5-inch).  Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes, until it appears dry on the top.

Serve up a scoop and enjoy!

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Parisian Macarons, Re-Revisited

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Charity

For my third attempt at macarons, I went chocolate.  And I don’t mean the luscious chocolate ganache filling I used in my first macarons; I mean chocolate cookie.

I used the Chocolate Macaron recipe from David Lebovitz, even though I am not in France.  I hope he doesn’t mind.

I don’t think I mixed it enough after I added the meringue to the other ingredients – or something, I’m not sure – but the batter did not smooth out after piping.

So, yes, my chocolate macarons look like a little doggie visited my kitchen and left me presents.  Gross, I know.

But, and this is the important thing, I assure you they were divine.

I think these make a wonderful and light cookie to have plain, but macarons just beg to have filling, so I filled them with some vanilla custard.

Hmm, something’s still missing.  How about vanilla custard and sliced strawberries?

There, that’s better.  But you just know that is going to shoot right out the back when you bite into it, so you can always serve it like this.

Any way you serve them up, these chocolate macarons are delicious!

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America’s Test Kitchen DS Game

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Charity

Let me count the ways in which I have failed you as a blogger this week.  One, I forgot that yesterday, not today, was Sunday, so I didn’t post.  Two, my mother borrowed my camera and I thought I would have it back early enough to take some pictures for a post, but I did not.

I took some pictures with my phone, but they are not blog worthy.

So, I dug way back into my photos and realized that I never told you about my birthday presents, back in April.

In addition to getting the new Nintendo DSi XL on the day it came out, I also got a new Emeril griddle and the America’s Test Kitchen “Let’s Get Cooking” DS game.

pan

The game is really cool.  It gives you step-by-step instruction, has technique tutorials, ingredient lists, and allows you to plan future meals and have multiple chefs divide the duties.

game

Best of all, my 11-year-old son used it to make us a dinner of Sloppy Joes – all by himself!

And, it has the best – no, seriously, the best – pancake recipe.  Ever.  Perfect for my new griddle.

pancakes

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Lip-Smackingly Delicious Summer Lip Gloss

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Charity

I know I just posted about making homemade lip balm last month, but I had to share this lip-smackingly delicious lip gloss recipe that I made recently.

This recipe uses equal parts beeswax, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil.  Because coconut oil is solid at room temperature, it helps the lip gloss stay firm in the container, but because it turns liquid as it heats up, it is very wet and glossy on your lips – perfect for summer!

I used Watermelon flavor oil and Rose Pearl mica, both from Bramble Berry, but you can use any flavor and color combination that reminds you of summer fun.

You will need:

2 teaspoons (lightly packed) of grated beeswax
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons sweet almond oil
Lip safe flavor oil, such as watermelon
Lip safe colorant, such as Rose Pearl Mica
Double boiler, or pot and a metal or glass bowl that fits on top of it
Spoons (also place one or two in the freezer, for testing)
Twist-up lip balm tubes or other containers
Droppers

Melt the wax and oils in your double boiler or a bowl set atop a pot with a small amount of simmering water in it.

Stir in 10-15 drops of flavor oil and a couple of heaping .15 cc mini scoops of mica.  Test color and flavor by dipping a frozen spoon in quickly.  Adjust color or flavor, as needed.

Using a dropper, fill your containers.  This recipe should make 4 twist-up tubes of lip gloss.

Allow to fully set.

Enjoy your sweet and juicy summer lip gloss!

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Parisian Macarons, Revisited

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Charity

I tried my hand once again at the Parisian Macaron, otherwise known as, little pillows of love.

This time, I tried the Parisian Macaron recipe found at Martha Stewart.com.  Unlike the last recipe I tried, this one has standard baking measurements, not weights.  The benefit there was that I didn’t have to get out my scale.  The drawback?  Have you ever tried to measure gloopy egg whites with a tablespoon?  Not easy.  (FYI: 6 tablespoons is 3/8 – or halfway between 1/4 and 1/2 on your 1 cup Pyrex.  Trust me, it’s much easier.)

Even though the recipe did not call for aging the egg whites, I did.

This recipe was easy to use.  It calls for whisking the powdered sugar and almond meal, but I ended up running it through the sieve because it looked a little lumpy.

Next, make the meringue.

I added in a little (just three drops) of yellow food coloring to the meringue.

Now it’s time to fold in the dry ingredients.

Then, pipe out circles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, let sit for a bit, and we’re ready to bake!

What should I fill these lovelies with?  How about some lemon curd?

What a perfect gift for my mom for Mother’s Day.  She loves lemon!

Just wrap the box with some pretty punched paper and a bow, and it’s ready to give!

I felt like this recipe was a little bit simpler to follow, perhaps, but the result was not quite what it was the first time.  There are two reasons that come to mind.  (1) The measurements are not as precise.  (2) I used a wooden spoon to prop the oven door, which I did not do last time.

At any rate, these were still amazingly delicious!  My mother and my sister both absolutely loved them, and you will, too!

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Lemon Meringue Glycerin Soap

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Charity

I first made this lemon meringue-inspired soap over a year ago, when I bought a bottle of Bramble Berry’s Hello Sweet Thang fragrance oil.  It smells all lemony and sugary and yummy.

The thing about this loaf is that it is free form.  You can place the lemon slices any way you want.  You can make the meringue layer taller or shorter.  I hate to pin down numbers, but a tutorial needs numbers, so here are the numbers from my latest batch, along with some other things you’ll need.

35 oz (weight) clear melt and pour base

16 oz (weight) white melt and pour base, such as goat milk

Six cavity silicon muffin pan

Loaf mold (40 oz. size)

Hello Sweet Thang! fragrance oil or other sweet lemon fragrance

Yellow mica

Spray bottle filled with alcohol

Basic soap-making gear

Melt 5 oz. of clear base and color with two heaping .15 cc mini scoops of yellow mica (~1/8 teaspoon).  Evenly divide into the 6 cavities of the silicone muffin pan and spray with alcohol to remove any bubbles.  Set aside to fully harden.

Once the lemons are hard, melt 14 oz. of clear base and add fragrance.  You do not need to color this soap because the yellow from the lemon slices will bleed into it, giving it a touch of color.  (The amount of fragrance you use is a personal preference.  I don’t like a strong fragrance, so I am not listing the amounts I used.  Your fragrance oil vendor should have a recommended usage rate.)  Pour a thin layer of soap into the loaf mold and spray with alcohol to remove the bubbles.  Cool long enough to allow a skin to form.  While you are waiting, cut your yellow circles in half to make your lemon wedges.

You are now going to place 6 lemon slices in the loaf.  Spray the clear soap layer and the slices liberally with alcohol and push the lemon slices into the soap, as pictured.  Do not worry about the wrinkles in the soap.

Once the slices are arranged, spray again and pour the remaining melted soap into your loaf mold, being careful not to knock the slices over.  If you do, try to stand them back up.  If they don’t stand up, that’s okay too.  Your soap will look fine.  Spray the top with alcohol to remove any bubbles.  Allow to cool.

(See, no more wrinkles!)

Melt the remaining 16 oz of clear base and fragrance it.  Allow to cool slightly.  (Too hot soap will melt the lemon slices.)  Position the remaining 6 slices in the loaf, this time with the flat side up.  Remember to spray all soap surfaces with alcohol for good adhesion of layers.  Pour the melted soap into the mold.  Spray the top to get rid of any bubbles.

After the loaf has hardened enough to hold the layer of white soap (it can still be soft in the middle), melt the 16 oz of white soap base and add fragrance.  Allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until it starts to get thick.  Spray the loaf with alcohol and pour the white soap on top.  Continue to stir, swirl, or pat the soap with the back of a spoon, until meringue-like peaks form.

Allow to harden completely.  Remove from mold.  Slice and enjoy!

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Cinco de Mayo Links

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Charity

I have been having pain in the tendon in my wrist for the past couple of days, making it difficult to type, so I don’t have a tutorial for you today.

I do, however, have some tasty Cinco de Mayo recipe links.  Cinco de Mayo is this coming Wednesday.  Even though it is not a holiday most of us have any reason to celebrate, it is a great excuse to go all out with a tasty Mexican meal.

I am going to make these Easy Chicken Fajitas, from Food & Wine, and my favorite Vegetable Enchiladas, from Everyday Food.  I love that enchiladas recipe!

For dessert, how about some homemade Churros or Mexican Brownies, both from Food Network?  Or, if you prefer, Joy the Baker has a recipe for Tres Leches Cake and a few words about falling in love.

Let’s not forget the drinks!  Pick your poison: Classic Margaritas or Frozen Strawberry Margaritas.

Enjoy the fiesta!

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LED Tissue Paper Flowers

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Charity

I figured it was high time I combined crafting with a little geek.  So, allow me to introduce: LED tissue paper flowers.

For each flower, you will need:

5 rectangles of tissue paper, 2.5 x 5 inches each
a foam ball, approx. 1.25 inch diameter
1 LED, any color (I used a T1 3/4 size)
a 2032 3v lithium button battery
floral tape
regular tape
a wire stem (optional)

Wrap one piece of tissue paper around the ball, and twist the ends like a candy wrapper.

Remove the ball and trim one end of the tissue just past the twist.  Repeat with the other four sheets of tissue.

Assemble the LED and battery.  The longer wire goes on the + side of the battery, the shorter one on the other side.  Secure in place with tape.  The LED should be lit.

Gather the long ends of the five petals and group them around the LED, cups opening in toward the LED, and secure with tape.  I found it easiest to put the ends of tissue side by side on the piece of tape, cups facing up.  Then, I wrapped the tape around the LED, surrounding it with petals, making sure the first and last petal were next to each other.  Spread the petals out from the LED.

Wrap the ends of tissue, LED, and battery with floral tape for a finished look.  You can also attach a wire stem and wrap the entire thing with floral tape.

Now your flower is finished.  You can make an arrangement in a wine glass or a basket, using all LED flowers or combining them with non-lit flowers.

Or you can wear one in your hair when you go to the science fair or Comic-Con. =)

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Making Beeswax Lip Balm

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charity

I love making homemade lip balm using beeswax.  There are many recipes out there and you really need to experiment with the wax to oil ratios and the different types of oils in order to find the one that works best for you.

I prefer a simple recipe that uses only beeswax and a liquid oil, such as olive or sunflower.  I also like to add a few drops of vitamin E oil and sometimes an essential oil, such as peppermint.

Your lip balm can go into any container, but I love to use twist-up tubes that you can find at a soap making supply company.

Melt 1 part beeswax and 1 to 2 parts* oil in a bowl set on top of a pan with an inch or so of simmering water.

When the wax is melted, carefully remove the bowl from the heat and add a few drops of vitamin E oil and a few drops of peppermint essential oil.  Then, for a colored lip tint, add a little bit of lip safe mica.

Using a dropper, fill the tubes or other containers.

Then, allow it to set until fully cooled and hardened.

Enjoy your lip balm!

* If this is your first time making lip balm you might want to start with the least amount of oil and test the consistency.  Then you can add more oil, if needed.  To test, take a spoon that has been in the freezer and dip it in your lip balm mixture.  The lip balm will harden on the cold spoon.  Try it out on your lips!  Adjust oil, as needed.  (I got the spoon idea from this Soap Queen TV episode about making candles, which is a similar process to making lip balm.)

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