Slush Punch.....

Here is a kinda crappy picture of the punch. It was totally easy and yummy. The gals at the agency were wishing vodka was an ingredient( which I'm sure you could totally do), but today's function was no alcohol allowed. A mixture is made up the night before and frozen in two ziplock bags. When its time to serve the punch, you dump a bag in a punch bowl and add a bottle of sprite. I garnished with orange and lemon slices.


I don't want to post the recipe here because I might use this for future jobs, but if you're interested drop me an email or note and I'll direct you to it.

Beautiful Buns( King Arthur Flour)....

I've had this recipe in my Outlook Food File since March. I copied it from Joe's foodblog. I love the fact that it uses 100% white whole wheat flour( a lighter whole wheat, but still whole wheat) and no High Fructose corn syrup. This was actually my first time making buns. It was so easy. I threw everything in the bread machine and pressed the dough cycle. When the cycle was finished, I shaped them into 8 buns and let rise again for 40 min. I did an egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds( not included in the recipe). They smelled fabulous baking and Robin thought they were amazing. We had 1 each tonight with Turkey sloppy Joes( everyday food). I wrapped each one in PressNSeal freezer wrap. I'll never buy hamburger buns from the store again!!! Thanks Joe.

Andy's Fairfield Granola........

Now that I've finally succeded in getting Robin to eat breakfast( activia yogurt and granola) I thought it was time I finally make my own granola. She's been eating some Nature's Path Soy granola I brought back from Whole Foods in Ann Arbor, but that box is almost gone. I've had this recipe on my To Make list for awhile. I don't know why I waited so long. Its so easy and so good. The entire recipe calls for 2tbls of oil( safflower being the reccommended oil). I had some wonderful hazelnut oil in the fridge so I used that for some extra flavor. I also subbed dried cranberries for the raisins. Nigella says this recipe comes from a shop in Fairfield, CT. She was there on her book tour for Forever Summer. She said she ate this everyday and brought tons of it back to the UK. I can see why!!

4.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
¾ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup apple sauce
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
⅓ cup brown rice syrup, (OR rice malt syrup, OR golden syrup) I used golden syrup.
¼ cup honey
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 cups whole almonds
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
2 cups raisins
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.Mix everything (except the raisins) together.

3. Spread on baking sheets and bake for 40-60 minutes (till evenly golden, after one turning).

4. Cool and add raisins.

Notes:
One variation: replace almonds with raw peanuts and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to seeds and oats at the outset. Skip the raisins.

Yellowtale snapper Vera Cruz......

I'm back from a glorious week spent in Ft. Lauderdale. I hung out with my 19 month old neice Emily, cooked a couple great meals with my friend mike, ate out some great food, shopped, swam and sunbathed.

This is a meal my friend Mike and I made on my second night there. We made a vera cruz sauce using a recipe from Zarela Martinez. The recipe can be found on Marthastewart.com. You begin my sauteed white onion and garlic in evoo, to that you add canned san marzano tomatoes( or fresh), chopped spanish olives,white wine, pickled jalapeno;s, capers and fresh herbs( oregano, thyme) and dried marjoram. When the sauce is reduced slightly, you pour some under and over fresh fish. We used yellow tale snapper that Mike's partner Jim picked up at a fish market. The fish bakes for around 15 mintues and all the wonderful flavors of the sauce infuse the fish. It was so tasty. We made a brown rice blend on the side along with a fresh crisp salad and a tangy homeade viniagrette.

PS: I hate this beta blogger, does anyone know how I can switch back?