Happy 46th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Happy 46th Anniversary Mom & Dad!



Love you, Mary

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Oatmeal Jam Bars - Williams-Sonoma

Oatmeal Jam Bars

It's Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma's 98th Birthday today!! See this handsome photo from the W-S blog. Seems fitting to post a recipe I found on the Williams-Sonoma website. I find lots of good recipes on the site. Happy Birthday Mr. Williams - I love your stores!

Bonne Maman jams were on sale at Fresh & Easy recently for $2.99. What a great deal! I wonder what will become of Tesco's expensive failure in the United States marketplace. I hope the new owner will keep them open as they are convenient stores around town, but my dream is that Fresh & Easy gets married to Trader Joe's.

I like that F&E has name brands, unlike Trader Joe's - dude, sometimes you need to buy Diet Coke for that dinner party and Hansen's soda just ain't gonna cut it (also, as noted above, they have Bonne Maman jam). Unfortunately, F&E's store brands are inferior to Trader Joe's...TJs has excellent buyers who get such unique goods and/or convince name brands to sell under TJs store brands. Sometimes, I like the self-check out at F&E when you have less than 5 items, but it drives me crazy that no one helps when you buy $70 of stuff, and it made me really appreciate TJs efficient cashiers. I like that Fresh & Easy opened stores in more impoverished areas of Los Angeles (where there are not many grocery stores), but I didn't get their decision to stock all the stores with the same products - regardless of the neighborhood demographic. I shopped at the Compton store once and an employee asked me what the Crème fraîche and Brie were - how much of that were they selling in that store? But I did enjoy their in-store "heating up bakery" - they have ovens in the back where they bake frozen par-baked breads and then package for sale (what is that system called? it's very effective in making the place smell good and convincing you to get more carbs in your cart).

Oh, sorry. I digress.

Anyway, the Cherry Preserves is delicious. They are from France, purchased in a formerly English-owned shop in Los Angeles by a Japanese-American gal. Win.

This recipe is crazy easy. You only need a bowl and a food processor. Just measure out the dry ingredients, pop into the food processor with some butter and then you have both the TOP and BOTTOM. Love recipes like that! Open a jar of jam for the center deliciousness. It really couldn't be easier.

Of course, you can use most jams. The original recipe calls for Apricot or "other seedless jam"...but I don't see a reason to avoid seeded jams.

Baked in a 9-inch square pan, you can get from 20-36 bars, depending on how small you cut them.

As I said on my Instagram photo:  It's Fruit and Fiber....and butter and more butter.

Oatmeal Jam Bars

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma website of Oatmeal-Jam Squares, who adapted from Food Made Fast Series, Desserts, by Elinor Klivans (Oxmoor House, 2007)

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup apricot or other seedless fruit jam (I used one whole jar of Bonne Mamam jam, Cherry Preserves.)

Directions:
1. Prep a 9-inch square baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil to create a sling for easy removal. Butter or spray the lining.

2. Preheat oven to 325°F.

3. In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, powdered sugar, brown sugar & cinnamon. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms fine crumbs.

4. Remove 2 cups of the flour mixture and set aside. Place rest of mixture in the pan and press it down to form the bottom crust.

5. Spread the jam over the crust. An offset spatula works great for this task. Squeeze the reserved mixture in your hands to form small clumps and sprinkle evenly over the jam.

6. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the jam filling is just beginning to bubble, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

7. Lift the bars from the pan by pulling the parchment or foil sling. Cut squares on a cutting board and enjoy.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Cidney the Girl Dog - What breed am I?

Cidney the Girl Dog

Cidney the Girl Dog has graced the blog on several occasions (okay, all the time, but she's so cute!) and I'm constantly asked, "What breed is she?" by strangers on our strolls. With her flowing blond hair and sweet face, she's very approachable and always wants a pat on the head.

Cidney was adopted from the County of Los Angeles Animal Shelter and my cousin was sooo lucky to find a perfect match. She was about one years old when she was adopted and will be four-ish in October of this year.

Okay, Dog People. Please help me and my cousin out. What do you think she is...we know there is a a combo of many breeds - definitely part golden retriever...but what else? Her mix is what makes her a sweetie!

Some things you might want to know:

We know she is part Farrah Fawsett. Dude, look at all that hair that seems to be everywhere in the house. Unbelievable how much hair she has. I need to brush her with a plastic bag in one hand to collect all the hair that comes off. She has these feathers off her legs that are totally pretty when brushed out.

She often gets a pedi-pedi to tame some of the feet hair. It gets trimmed so that she doesn't drag in as much dirt.

Her temperament is amazing. She hardly barks. Really. Months will go by before I hear a bark out of her. If she is with other dogs though, she will join in the barking. If there is another dog on the walk, she'll make a excited whimpering noise, but not bark. And she let's us dress her up. Enough said...totally mellow.

You know those Navy SEAL dogs or agility doggies that are way, way AP test 5 scoring smart? Um, Cidney is more sweet than rocket scientist. Sometimes, she has a hard time realizing that when she goes on the other side of a pole when on a leash, we'll get stuck. Once, we were jogging on the beach and she went on the other side of the parking meter (she was behind me) and then we just whip-lashed ourselves when the leash wrapped around the pole. Of course, a paramedic truck was sitting there and the hot first responders saw the whole thing and laughed as we untangled ourselves. Sigh.

She's not food motivated. We used to have a big box of dog bones in an open box on the floor and she wouldn't bother it. She just loves, loves, loves walks. It's her favorite thing in the whole wide world. My instagram is filled with photos of us at the beach or on walks.

She has to be part retriever because she loves to carry toys in her mouth. All the time. And she has a bunch of them.

So, your thoughts would be fun to hear. What breeds do you think are within Cidney?

(by the way, we aren't going to do the DNA testing. Cidney's vet doesn't even believe it as she got back very different results at two different labs...besides that money is better spend on more toys and food! :) THANKS for the help! - mary

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chocolate Cupcakes for my 8th Work Anniversary!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

8 years ago, I started my second career as a public librarian (before I worked in non-profit accounting). It's my 8 year work anniversary today. Can't believe how fast that time has gone.

I have a meeting today so I'm bringing in some Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting. Both super duper easy to make, and always enjoyed by my library friends.

It's also my friend's birthday, so Happy Birthday Susan!

And it's Talk like a Pirate Day. Ahoy mates! Make some cupcakes and learn Pirate via Mango Languages' free course.


Recipe:
Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Frosting (Adapted from Hershey's)
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup natural cocoa (40 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)

Beat the butter until soft and fluffy.
Sift together the cocoa and powdered sugar.
Mix the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.
Slowly add the dry ingredients and alternate with the milk mixture.
When combined, beat at high speed for 30 seconds until desired consistency. Also, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, and if too thick, add a little more milk.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The new crop Yukro is on the shelves

In our busy busy work week we've neglected to inform you all that we now have the fresh crop of Yukro on the shelves. We had hoped to receive the Yukro earlier, but it got delayed at the dry mill for quite some time. Partly because we had some special wishes for the separation and sorting. But we're happy to have the fresh lot available.



This would also be a good time to read up on our visit to Yukro at the beginning of the harvest. Check out our travel report here.

The fresh lot is really aromatic, reminding of citrus-infused teas, peach, apples and lavender. We've roasted it very light and really pushed those aromatics.



Besides 250 g whole beans to bring home Yukro is available per cup brewed on Aeropress at Jægersborggade and Godthåbsvej and Kalita Wave at Torvehallerne. You can also purchase it through our webshop.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hershey's Frosted Chocolate Brownies

Hershey's Frosted Chocolate Brownies

Sometimes I open my cupboard for inspiration. I knew we would need something special for a meeting and couldn't decide what to make. Then I looked on the shelf and saw my big tin of Hershey's cocoa and knew what I was going to use.

A quick scroll of the Hershey's website and I found their "Ultimate Chocolate Brownies."

Hershey's covers theirs with a few chocolate chips, but I have these great dark chocolate Belgium sprinkles. So delicious!

Honestly, I'm not a fan of frosting and usually not a fan of the frosted brownie. But I am growing fond of the Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Frosting. It provided a nice balance to the brownie.

The brownie has natural cocoa and 1 cup of chocolate chips (I used Dark Chocolate chips). You can make it in one 9x13 pan, or two 8x8 pans (that's good for those who like brownie edges). When cooled, you top with chocolate frosting...and sprinkles or more chocolate chips. If I were to skip the sprinkles, I would garnish with mini chocolate chips because everything is better in mini form.

Can you see the chocolate chips in the brownie? Always a winner.

Hershey's Frosted Chocolate Brownies
Adapted from the Hershey's website

Brownies
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa (or a natural cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted (This is such a weird amount of butter. Since it is really 10 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of butter, I just used 11 Tablespoons of butter or between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 sticks of butter)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2  eggs (at room temperature)
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur All-Purpose)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used Hershey's Dark)

Frosting (see below)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan or two 8-inch square baking pans. (I used a 13 x 9 pan, and I lined the pan with parchment paper.)

2. In a large bowl, stir the cocoa and baking soda together with a whisk, and then stir in 1/3 cup butter (that's half the melted butter). Add boiling water and stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Fold in the flour, then fold in the chocolate chips. Don't overmix. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan, 30 to 35 minutes for square pans or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

4. When cool, frost cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles, other fun sprinkles or chocolate chips. Cut and enjoy!

Hershey's One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup natural cocoa
1/3 cup milk (I used 1% milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa (Hershey's instructions don't have this, but I find it is very helpful to sift all powdered sugar and cocoa).

Beat butter in medium bowl until soft and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla.

Spread over cooled brownies. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fresh Peach Muffins

Fresh Peach Muffins

(photo taken in my cubicle at work)

It's been really hot and muggy in Los Angeles. And houses where I live weren't built with air conditioning (350 days a year this isn't a problem because we get ocean breezes...but those few days of heat wave are killer). I sat in the backyard with Cidney the Girl Dog this weekend (thank you iPad) until 9 pm hoping the house would cool down (it didn't). So I haven't been baking much because it would be a crime against humanity to turn on the oven.

But last week I made some peach muffins for work early in the morning. I didn't have time to pull out the big camera and take photos. Also, as summer ends, I don't have any morning light anymore as I leave the house at 6 am for work. Sad times, yo. So, even though the photos aren't pretty, these muffins were good. They aren't sweet, and rely on the sweetness and tenderness of your summer fruit to carry the muffin. We only have a few weeks left of peaches, so make these soon.

Recipe:
Adapted from the Easy Morning Muffins in the Art & Soul of Baking, page 148 (find it in your library via WorldCat)

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 stick (3 ounces) butter
Zest of one lemon or orange (I used an orange)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temp
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups of peaches)
Sanding sugar or Sugar in the raw

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prep a muffin tin with liners or butter the tin. I got 14 muffins from this recipe (I put liners in individual ramekins and place them next to the muffin tin in the oven)
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into small bowl. Add the zest and buttermilk and let sit for a few minutes to cool off. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the butter/egg mixture and the chopped peaches (reserve a few pieces) into the dry ingredients and quickly fold together. Don't overmix. Don't worry if you have a few small lumps.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, dish batter in the muffin tins. If you wish, place a few of the peach pieces on top of the batter in an attractive fashion. Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of batter.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then remove muffins to let cool on a wire rack...or eat warm!

Read the book for more yummy recipes and variations!

Here is something else you can do with the last of this summer's fresh peaches - grill them and serve with Greek yogurt and muesli for a quick and delicious breakfast.

I threw white peaches and red plums in my cast iron pan for a few minutes...until warm and grilled. It really brings out the sweetness in the fruit and is sooo delicious. Of course, this is lovely after you use a real grill and serve with ice cream...for. the. win!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad