I threw my dog a birthday party...

Happy birthday, Clif!


In honor of my dog's second birthday, we had a barbeque down at Locust Beach. Hamburgers and sausage to roast over our roaring fire, plus shrimp cocktails, delicious stuffed tomatoes, and watermelon to munch on. I made rhubarb crisp and an orange-chocolate bundt cake, and my friend brought a mixture of the two: rhubarb cake. Aha! Clif's friends were invited too!


It was an eventful day. The tide was out literally a mile, and we ran to the water's edge and back twice. Clif chased a kite-surfer, back and forth and back and forth across the bay. So funny! Aaaand the sun gave me a sunburn so bad my skin was purple. We played in the mud, had a laugh, and threw sticks endlessly for the woofs. Needless to say, Clif was exhausted.

Homemade Savory Pop-tarts

When I was a lot younger, a wee lass you might say, I used to go crazy for pop-tarts, despite the tasteless crust and iffy looking icing and too-sweet filling. My mother seldom bought them, so it was a special treat. Now pop-tarts are special in a different way, fitting in the category of "mystery foods" along with Twinkies, bologna, and Captain Crunch. When was the last time you tried one of those things? Are they as good as you remember them?

Now, I'm older, wiser, craftier; I make my own delicious pop-tarts! By which I mean, I make them for my family because I am a vegetarian and these babies are savory. All you do is make a pastry dough, roll it out, cut it into rectangles or your favorite shape, and fill it with whatever your heart desires.

Poptarts

Pastry
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk

1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.

Divide the dough in half; each half will weigh about 10 ounces (about 280g). Shape each half into a rough 3" x 5" rectangle, smoothing the edges. Roll out immediately; or wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Prepare the filling: Start with some sort of sauce, be it barbecue, marinara, pesto, or you name it. You'll need some cheese, some meat, and veggies like spinach, peppers, tomatoes, etc. Mine tend to get huge! I can't stop filling it. Most often, ham and cheese with pineapples and marinara sauce are requested, but bacon does not go amiss inside of these things, nor do the sweet stuff!

Assemble the tarts: If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8" thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9" x 12". Laying a 9" x 13" pan atop the dough will give you an idea if you’ve rolled it large enough. Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9" x 12" rectangle of dough.

Roll the second piece of dough just as you did the first. Press the edge of a ruler into the dough you’ve just rolled, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and widthwise; you’ll see nine 3" x 4" rectangles.

Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle. Place the second sheet of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around each pocket of jam, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Cut the dough evenly in between the filling mounds to make nine tarts. Press the cut edges with your fingers to seal, then press with a fork, to seal again.

Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake for 20 minutes until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.

Variation:
Cinnamon filling: 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons flour

S'more Poptarts: marshmallows or marshmallow fluff and chocolate chips

Inspired by one of my childhood favorite flavors, this one doesn't always turn out the prettiest because the marshmallow oozes out the sides, but my boyfriend is still a fan and says they taste good. Worth a try!

Jam filling: 3/4 cup jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

To make the filling, mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts. Make a quick icing to drizzle on top to make it a real treat by mixing a spot of milk with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Ice-Cream Cake

When my friend told me he didn't really like cake, my immediate reaction was disbelief. "You don't like cake? How can you not like cake?? IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! WHAT AM I GOING TO MAKE YOU IF YOU DON'T LIKE CAKE????" Then I realized, I'm not much of a cake fan myself. I prefer the frosting. Confetti frosting. Or cream cheese frosting, my favorite! We compromised with ice-cream cake: Looks like a cake, it even has cake in the name, but without anything that's actually technically a cake.

On a side note, if you want to read a funny cake story, go here.

I made this cake up as I went. Remember when I wrapped cookie dough around an Oreo and baked it? That was actually the last post I saved. Well, that's the basis of this recipe. With an Oreo bottom and a cookie layer between some vanilla ice-cream, you can't really go wrong. Top it with whipped cream and finely crushed cookie, you've got a birthday cake.



I forced everybody to sing to the birthday boy, despite the fact that he is twenty-four.

There were candles too, which he definitely blew out.

You're never too old for candles on your cake!



Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Ice-Cream Cake

3 T melted butter
1 1/2 c. finely crushed Oreos (about 14 cookies)

1 pint vanilla ice-cream

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

To make the crust, combine crushed Oreos and butter and press to the bottom of a cake pan. I like to just use my fingers here. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Place half of the pint of ice-cream on Oreo bottom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, then add granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels if chocolate.

For every Oreo, put one scoop of cookie dough on top, another on bottom, then seal edges together. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Several days ago, one of my friends sent me an e-mail that had nothing but a link to an unusual recipe in it. A subtle hint? "It's hard to pass things like this along without the other person assuming you are demanding cookies...but I figured you would make them regardless of how you heard about them once they were brought to your attention!" says the Desert Crab.

He was right.

So what this Amandaleine person thought up was a simple yet brilliant thing: take an Oreo, wrap it in your favorite cookie dough, and bake. Easy as that. The result? "It was yummalicious!" That's what I like to hear.


Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Honestly, I'm a fan of the generic Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe with minor adjustments. I will make batches of the stuff, scoop out balls of the dough, and flash freeze them so I always have them on hand. Freezing the dough is the secret to the perfect cookie! You can use whatever recipe you like for these.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 package Oreos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, then add granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels if chocolate.

For every Oreo, put one scoop of cookie dough on top, another on bottom, then seal edges together. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

It's Pi Day!

And it's time to update this blog. After months of ignoring it, feeling that it really couldn't compare to other blogs out there, like Joy the Baker with her fun Californian style and honest approach to writing, or the Smitten Kitchen and her beautiful photos and renowned food articles. I have decided that even if I'll never be them, never artful or articulate or clever as other blogs, I can still do it for myself. For fun. What better way to start than sharing pie!


Pi (π) is a mathematical symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is approximately equal to 3.1415926... (that's all I have memorized), an infinite decimal, and thus irrational. Pi is fun! Pie is fun! Nowadays, my friends and I celebrate this magical number by feasting on pie pie pie! on the fourteenth day of March. Because... 3/14, 3.1415926... Get it?


Well, in my endeavors to choose some pies to make, I narrowed the list down to five: Pecan pie, banana cream pie, blueberry pie, and apple pie, and strawberry swirl cheesecake. I thought it would be quite a feat, but it was easy! I made all my own crusts, tweaked the recipes wherever I felt like, and spent one evening in the kitchen. Voila! Five quaint-looking pies. No major mishaps.

The banana cream pie was definitely a favorite, along with the pecan pie shown above. It was my first time making both, so it felt like a real baking accomplishment!


Did you know cheesecake is technically a pie? This is so because it does not rise, which apparently defines a cake. I think I burnt the graham cracker crust a little, and the top looked funny so I smothered it in my leftover homemade strawberry sauce. Aside from looking like a bowl of blood, my strawberry swirl cheesecake was said to be pretty tasty.


Other people made pies too! Our host made two savory pies: a chicken-bacon-mushroom pie and a lamb pie. They were devoured by the guests. One couple made a cheddar-pear-apple pie, and finally, a friend brought a delectable tayberry pie with the best crust ever. Apparently, the secret to a perfect crust is vodka. Who knew?

This was a GREAT, successful Pi Day celebration. If you don't partake in this little holiday, it's not too late. There's always next year!

Homemade Veggie Pizza

At my birthday parties when I was younger, my mother always made a huge batch of pizza dough and everyone could choose their toppings to make their own personal pizzas. This was very special. I always loaded my 6-inch pizza with toppings three inches high because I wanted a little bit of everything (and more!) on mine.

Making homemade pizza gives me a nostalgic sort of feeling; I take great joy in it and hope to spread the tradition on to... well, my sister's children in the future.

Usually, I make a yeast-less dough because I do not have a lot of experience with yeast. However, I tried a yeast-dough this time for practice and also because I think it adds a lot to the crust. You decide. Personally, my crust preference is just a little doughy, but my boyfriend likes it crisp. The crust on this pizza was a happy medium: crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy (though not doughy) on the inside. I dipped my pizza in marinara sauce and vinaigrette.

Also, note to self: curry pizza? We'll have to try it.

Homemade Veggie Pizza

Dough:
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 c. flour (a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose would be best)
2 T olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning (basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, etc.)

Toppings:*
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. sliced peppers (I used yellow peppers)
1 tsp olive oil
1 c. marinara sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 sliced tomato
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 c. vinaigrette**

In a large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and salt in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. It should have that pleasant, yeasty smell.

Add bread flour and olive oil to the yeast mixture; stir well with a fork to combine. Now beat well with a dough hook in an electric mixer (or knead with your hands) until a stiff dough has formed. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute onions and peppers until golden.

Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round ball and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Lay dough out onto a baking stone or other baking sheet. I always rub olive oil on the pan and sprinkle it with cornmeal before putting the dough on it to prevent sticking. Cut excess dough off and form a crust around the edges. Put in heated oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from oven. Cover with red sauce, cheese, tomatoes, then sauteed veggies. Sprinkle with garlic salt and perhaps some more herbs, then drizzle with vinaigrette. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

--

You'll have to forgive me for my lack of visual aids. I made the mistake of waiting until the last slice to take a picture; I heated it up, went to get my camera (maybe I got sidetracked taking pictures of my woof), and lo' and behold'! No more pizza. Whoops. Lesson learned. Sorry!

*Pizza is versatile; Put anything you could imagine on top! I've tried things like plums, zucchini, eggplant, pineapple and more--You can't go wrong.
**Vinaigrette is fairly simple to make; I use a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, water, and herbs.

Roasted Hazelnuts Two Ways

Something about carefully roasting nuts on a rainy fall morning just warms my insides. Their earthy fragrance mingles in the air with the sweet aroma of the apples I just happen to be drying. It really is quite pleasant.


Last year some friends and I picked pounds and pounds of hazelnuts from a local farm (for about 79 cents/pound!) and I still had a box of them hidden under my bed. Perfect day to roast them? I think so. Last night I spent about an hour and a half cracking the nuts on my bed (cue coffee cup for smashing, cutting board for base, and towel to prevent flyaways) while watching an episode of two or Star Trek.

I love Star Trek. I love Data and I love Picard. I love the whole crew.

Anyways, I made a gargantuan mess--nut casings all over my bedspread, pillows, and floor--but I enjoyed the smashing. No, I do not own a nutcracker. Yes, that may have been easier. But not so fun!


In the wee hours of the morning (well, 9 o'clock) I arose bright-eyed and ready. I had thought of two ideas the night before: curried hazelnuts and chocolate hazelnuts. Savory and sweet.


Let me tell you, I cannot get enough curry. Which is rather strange as I ate curry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about a week straight after the last batch I made. You'd think I'd be tired of it, but that is not so. I've been putting curry powder on my eggs in the morning, on my veggies, sprinkled on my cereal.


Well, maybe not my cereal... But anywhere I can. The curry hazelnuts had a nice, full flavor, but next time I'll add more curry powder and cayenne pepper and less salt.

Spiced Curry Hazelnuts

2 c. hazelnuts
2 T. butter
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and prepare a 9x12 pan covering it with parchment paper. Melt butter in sauce pan; stir in spices and hazelnuts. Turn into shallow baking pan. Bake in heated oven for 20 minutes, stirring nuts at the 10 minute interval.


I've borrowed another recipe from joythebaker.com! I slightly tweaked it though, using half the sugar and less butter. This recipe is actually very simple and satisfying. However, next time I will either lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees and/or lower the roasting time. Also, I might reduce the amount of butter by a tablespoon or two as well.

Salted Cocoa Roasted Hazelnuts
(Recipe adapted from Miss Joy)

3 cups nuts ( a mixture of hazelnuts, pecan halves and walnut halves would be best)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a rack in the center. Spread nuts out on a half sheet pan (17×12x1-inch) or a 9×13-inch baking pan works in a pinch. Toast nuts for 10 minutes. Remove from the sheet pan and set aside.

Scatter the butter pieces over sheet pan and place in the oven to melt. This should only take a few minutes. Remove the pan as soon as the butter is melted.

Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites. When the whites just start to hold their shape, gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk on medium-high for two minutes. The mixture will be sticky and shiny, but may be a bit thinner than meringue.

Sift the cocoa over the top of the beaten eggs and fold in. Pour the chocolate mixture over the toasted nuts and fold in.

Spoon the coated nuts on top of the butter on the baking sheet. Spread out into an even layer. Not all of the butter may be covered by nuts, that’s ok!

Bake nuts for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and quickly stir a bit. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, remove and stir once again. The meringue will look like it’s drying out a bit. This is when you add the salt. Sprinkle it on top of the meringue and nuts. Return to the oven for a final 10 minutes, remove and give it one final stir, breaking the nuts up a bit as you stir them.

When done, the butter should be absorbed and the nuts and coating crisp. Let cool completely before handling. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Northwest Washington Hikes: Max's Shortcut

If you're familiar with the world of The Hobbit, you'll remember the story of "Bilbo's shortcut," which as it turns out is no shortcut at all. Well, this is one thing Max's Shortcut has in common.


It was a beautiful weekend and I was rearing to go play outside. Just the previous week, my chemistry professor had recommended this hike to me, so I was carried there. Several years ago, on my first hike ever in the Chuckanuts, my friends and I accidentally took Max's Shortcut on a failed trip to the Oyster Dome.* We ended up finding a logging road which we followed until we found a spectacular view of the ocean and (ahem) the Oyster Dome about four miles in the distance. Hm...


Anyways, four friends, two dogs, and I drove to the upper parking lot late in the afternoon. We followed the road up a mile or so (don't miss a surprise view of Baker to the right!) before we hit the intended trailhead. It was called the Alternate Incline Trail: a nice steep ascent and one great workout.


We wandered, we examined mushrooms and random railroad ties, I chased the dogs. It was a very lovely fall hike. We went by Lily Lake (that's not a lake!!!) and sat down for a little bramble fire. I made s'mores and we ate dinner. After thoroughly putting out the fire, we tromped down the mountainside via Max's Shortcut... in the dark! My friends were familiar with the trail, so I followed them. We had flashlights and headlamps, but often we find it more adventurous to keep them off. However, we did turn them on after about an hour and a half of stumbling and tripping off the trail. Right in the nick of time! Our hidden turn was ahead and we found it. We took one detour and had to backtrack a bit, but we found the parking lot no problem.


Lily "Lake":

So if you're interested: From I-5 take the Alger exit (#240) and go west for about a half mile. Turn left on Barrel Springs Rd. for another .7 miles and turn right on Blanchard Hill Road. One can park at the first sign for Lily and Lizard Lakes, this is a good place to park if you have a horse trailer. Another option is to pass the horse trailer parking area and ignore the Lily and Lizard Lake Trailhead sign and travel about two miles up the road, staying right. There is another parking area after the sign that will be visible on the left side of the road. After parking, you walk along the road continuing upward for about a mile and a half or so, then the incline trail will be on your left. Have fun!

*There is a way to reach the Oyster Dome from the east side of the mountain, but we did not find that way.

Northwest Washington Hikes: Oyster Dome

I feel like the Oyster Dome Trail is one of those hikes that gives a lot of bang for your buck. Right outside of Bellingham along Chuckanut Drive, this trail is convenient, moderately easy for a seasoned hiker, and has spectacular views of the ocean and San Juan Islands.


This was at least my sixth time doing the Oyster. There are some things you need to bring on this hike: Firstly, you'll need an adventure woof:


Right there Clif is eating grass. Terra a golden woof came as well. Next on the list of necessaries is your trusty hiking buddies. Kat, Alex, and Mimsical joined me this time.


You'll need a mushroom guide to show you what's what. Mimsical was our semi-expert (though he always gets a second opinion before eating anything; you can never be too careful with mushrooms).


This is a puffball, which are edible unless they're overly mature. When that happens, you can squeeze them and green particles POOF out. It's fun. Poof poof poof!

And finally, you can't leave the trail-head without an apple to share with the horses you'll find at the end of the hike.


Well, okay, you don't actually really need any of these things, especially the last one. Horses are aloud on the trail, but this was the first time I had ever seen any. The Oyster Dome Trail is a very pleasant hike to do by yourself. If you do bring your dogs, bring doggie bags to pack their wastes off the mountain. Also, there are some steep parts so bring some decent shoes. And mostly, be respectful of others and enjoy yourself!

It was breezy but surprisingly warm for us this time. Altogether another great trip.


DIRECTIONS: From the north, take Exit 250 to Chuckanut Drive, following that road for about 12 miles. Just past the Oyster Bar is the trailhead on the left side of the road; park on the pavement on the right side of the road. Sometimes it is easy to miss so keep a lookout.

A LITTLE INFO ABOUT THE TRAIL: It begins with a couple miles of switchbacks. I find this to be the toughest part not because it is the steepest or athletically taxing, but switchbacks aren't my thing. But fear not! At the end of this stretch is the first viewpoint! A nice bench overlooks a portion of the waters. This is where my friends and I usually take a water break. Because water is delicious. From there, you'll travel several miles over easier terrain, over some streams and through beautiful woods. Then finally, two very steep parts are the only things between you and the Dome. There is a trail leading to the bat caves in the middle of the second climb. They are very cool and I definitely recommend a visit. When you reach the top of the second incline, you follow a trail up a little hill and reach the end! Soak in the views, go explore. It's fun. Try it.

It's Curry Night Again!

I do love curry.


Not so much as Lister does on Red Dwarf, because if I had curry for every dinner my bowels might not appreciate me.

But almost as much as Lister.


Tonight after a very beautiful hike right outside of town, my friends and I gathered at my house and we made two different curries: a pineapple-chicken curry and a spicy vegetarian green curry. I was responsible for the veg curry and my friend whipped up the other one.

Neither of us followed any sort of recipe, but rather just started putting things into a pot. Mine had coconut milk, sauted onions, peppers, eggplant, some potatoes, tofu, carrots, bananas, pineapples with juice, coconut flakes, garlic, curry paste, and then a bunch of spices like curry powder, red pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, onion powder, but no salt.


I'm all salted out from salt & pepper pistachios from Everybody's Nuts! Have you tried those? You have to, they're just too good. They're more peppery than salty, but if you eat half of the huge bags, you'll be salted out too.


The pineapple-chicken curry consisted of basically the same, but with coconut flakes and eggplant omitted and chicken instead of tofu. She also added cashews and honey. She is a fantastic cook. We served it with delicious store-bought naan from Costco and some white rice. Then we watched a Western. Monte Walsh.

Do you like my idea? "Curry and Cowboys." I thought it was clever. It sounds nice at least.

Also, Monte Walsh is one of my favorite movies. Behind Quigley Down Under, my top movie of all time, but still pretty good. Tom Selleck makes one fine cowboy. He's just a great actor in general.


So go try making curry! It's simple, delicious, and a fun event to do with friends. Curry is a social food.

Bacon-Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Waffles

I have a problem, a dilemma you might say.

Bacon.


Why is that a problem you ask? I don't eat bacon. I don't eat pork at all for that matter, nor beef, chicken, lamb, etc. I am a pescetarian, fish is my only meat.

But I love baking with bacon. The excitement spreads throughout my entire body. BLTs, classic bacon and eggs, bacon and chive twice baked potatoes, bacon cookies, bacon weaves, bacon bacon bacon. Chicken bakes with bacon bits at Costco?

I don't even like bacon. It's just fun to play with in recipes.


Today I made waffles for my boyfriend topped with bacon, bananas, peanut butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some whipped cream. He said the bacon kind of clashed with the other flavors, but he liked it. (He always likes it though--He's the best). So maybe I went a little crazy with bacon this time, but maybe you want to try it out!


Oatmeal Peanut Butter Waffles
(serves two)

1 c. quick oats
4 T. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. sweetener of your choice*
2 slices bacon
1 banana, sliced
cinnamon
syrup

Mix first five ingredients together and cook in a waffle iron. Fry up your bacon. Then in the same skillet**, fry the banana with several shakes of cinnamon. Serve bacon and banana over warm waffle with a drizzle of maple syrup.

I topped it with cinnamon whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup because my friend loves it and I had a huge tub of whipping cream in my fridge.***

*I go for honey.
**No bacon for me! Same for bacon grease. I just use a little butter.
***I made a fried egg (duck egg, double yolk) and cut up some peaches for a side, but the waffle was so big he didn't even get to them.

Peanut Sauce With Chicken

It may come off as rather odd, but most foods I post and/or make in my kitchen are not consumed by myself. I love making cookies, but would rather give them away to neighbors, friends, strangers, etc. rather than eat them up myself.

Also, I do not eat a lot of meat. "Pescetarian" is the technical term, so I eat fish and seafood, but chicken, beef, pork, and the likes are not part of my diet. So it might be a little weird that I get excited about foods like chicken bakes from Costco (mmmm) and bacon in any form.*

Mostly, I feed my boyfriend. I like making food for him because he appreciates it and says that everything I make is delicious, even when it is not. He always eats what is on his plate, even my terrible experiments. Luckily, tonight's dinner was "delicious."

As always.

I must be some cook. :)

ON THE MENU TONIGHT: chicken breast sautéd with garlic, pepper, and rice vinegar; white buttered sticky rice; steamed broccoli; and to top everything off, some homemade peanut sauce.**

But first an appetizer? Frozen boxed eggroll and Asian dumplings from Trader Joes.


Peanut Sauce
(Recipe from Cooking With Amy)

1/4 cup peanut butter (natural, no sugar added kind)
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk (lite is fine, if you prefer or substitute water)
1/4 cup water
red chili flakes to taste
chili garlic sauce to taste or 1 clove crushed garlic

Optional:***
sesame oil
curry paste
rice wine vinegar
fish sauce
grated ginger
shallots sauteed till brown in oil
Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Experiment with this sauce adding a teaspoon at a time of one the optional additions and tasting as you go. Serve hot or cold.


Try it out. My boyfriend says, "If one was okay and ten was pretty great, I think I'd probably give you a hundred and ten thousand stars."

Oh, I like that man.

*There are so many things you can do with bacon! You have the classics like eggs and bacon and toast, BLTs, twice baked potatoes with bacon and chives, chicken bakes. Then you get the weirder stuff like bacon weaves, bacon cookies, peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, etc. etc. Everybody loves bacon. I love bacon. Just not eating it.
**My friend tells me that next time I HAVE to make some Pad Thai to go with the peanut sauce.
***I added one teaspoon yellow curry paste and two teaspoons rice vinegar.