Oh no...Chocolate Craving!

I LOVE "Hobby Farm Home" Magazine. Do I have a farm? No.
It doesn't matter. They have some of the best articles and wonderful recipes. I finally bought some unsweetened cocoa last weekend, and thank goodness I did. I'm having a chocolate craving today...
In the most recent HFH (Jan/Feb 2010) they have this great recipe for "Homemade Cookie & Brownie Mix". I WAS going to make the mix to have on hand for when I want brownies.
The flaw in that plan: I ALWAYS WANT BROWNIES!

One of my favorite things about this current issue of HFH is that they had "make more of your own food" in one of the articles about the new year. This magazine is right on target with what I'm doing; making more of my own foods not only because they taste better and I have control of what goes in them, but also it helps reduce household trash and in general helps reduce my carbon footprint.
More on that later, but now, BROWNIES!

According to HFH, a "typical package at the store (brownie/cookie mix) which yields about a dozen brownies, costs about $2.80. The following mix costs about $2.06 and makes enough for TWO batches of one dozen brownies or six dozen cookies". (caps added by me. More brownies, less money- awesome!)*

Ingredients:
2 C. Sugar
1 C. Flour
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 C. Solid Vegetable Shortening

Preparation:
Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Personal Note: You could probably also use a food processor, but I did it "old school" and used butter knives. Good arm workout too! You'll probably have to switch hands while you're doing it- mine started cramping, but I told myself that I need that arm workout to firm up my muscles since there will be a new layer of fat on them after eating all the brownies.

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Ok, yeah...right...
I didn't even get to the "storing" part. (cut to me blushing)
In fact, I just moved on to part 2, the actual brownie recipe, and doubled it- I made the whole batch of mix. Bad, bad, bad! But oh...so good! Hey, I deserve it! (or so I tell myself)

Here is the brownie recipe for those, like me, who have NO self-control (and aren't afraid to admit it)

Brownies:
2 1/4 C of the homemade brownie mix, well-packed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla **see my note after recipoe
1/2 C. choppped nuts (optional)

Preparation:
Mix first three ingredients to form smooth batter, add nuts if desired. Spread in greased 9 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted off center comes out clean.
Makes 1 dozen.

...unless you're me and you are using a huge pan and dumping the whole darn bowl of mix into it.
Come on, really? Who can store half of it? I dare ya', try it. I guarantee that if you DO manage to use 1/2 the mix and store the other half, you'll be making that other 1/2 the next day, or at the very least, within a few days.

Since I used my whole batch of mix on brownies (oops...) I don't have any to try the cookie recipe that goes with the mix. Here it is in case any of you make it past the brownie stage of the thing.

Cookies:
2 1/4 C homemade cookie mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C. water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 C. Flour
18 walnuts or pecans, halved (optional)

Preparation:
Combine ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. If desired, place half a walnut or pecan in the center of each.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen.


What I especially love about these recipes is that if you can make the mix and fight off the urge to make ALL brownies with it, you get a dozen brownies AND 3 dozen cookies out of it. Variety is the spice of life, but today is a brownie kind of day.

I'm off to lick brownie batter out of a giant bowl, and I'm not too shy to admit it.

Happy baking, chocoholics!


*source, Hobby Farm Home January/February 2010, pg. 16

**Note on Vanilla: I make my own and have been for years. I can't remember the last time I bought it at a grocery store. It's a very simple recipe. Acually I can't even call it a recipe. You hardly have to do anything, but you get the most amazing vanilla ever. Keep in mind, it doesn't happen overnight. I let my vanilla "brew", steep, what have you, for at least 6-8 weeks. So if you want to make your own vanilla, you have to plan ahead. When you start using it, if you want to keep using homemade vanilla, you also have to start brewing the next batch before you run out of your current one. Just a couple things you need to remember but that are super important if you're serious about not buying it (like I am). I do NOT add any sweetener to the recipe as mentioned in the recipe. I don't like to mess with the sugar contents in my recipes, even just a little bit with the vanilla. I like it to be as pure as possible, also I prefer it darker, that's why I let it age for almost two months. Again, as Alton Brown says "your patience...will...be rewarded!"
Try it. Once you do, I bet you won't want to buy it at the grocery anymore! Plus, you have an excuse to keep a big bottle of vodka in your house. It's also good for those Sunday Brunch mimosas-but be sure to save some for your vanilla!
If anyone is curious about the savings of making vanilla yourself, in my experience it does save you a lot of money. I've made ONE bottle (large bottle) and it's lasted over a year and a half. I find I can also use less of it in recipes because mine is so strong. When you let it go for 8 weeks and see how concentrated the vanilla flavor can become, you'll also realize how WEAK the grocery store brands are. I've found I use 1/2 the amount of my vanilla compared to store-bought varieties.
Give it a try. It's yummy.
Here's a good site to help you make it:
Vanilla Extract Recipe

Slow Food Thoughts...

As I sit here waiting for my hamburger bun dough to rise (2 hours for the first rise, then 2 more rises after it), my locally raised hormone & antibiotic-free, grass-fed picnic roast to cook (6 hours total), I plan my next creation, the homemade BBQ sauce.
All of this work for a dinner of pulled pork sandwiches that I'm sure we'll love. However, I bet someone out there is thinking "what a huge waste of time! You could buy pre-made pork with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce & burger buns at the grocery store for probably less than $7, microwave it and be done!"
So why do it the "slow" way?
Well, it's hard to explain, but as I was here in my kitchen with my laptop (a.k.a. the cookbook where most of my recipes are stored), I started reading more about the Slow Food Movement. I am familiar with what it is but I really didn't know much about who invented it or any of the movement's history.
I first found it on wikipedia, but then found the "Slow Foods USA" website, which led me to a blog that I completely fell in love with and something I'd like to share here: "Why I Go Slow"
When people ask me why I put all this time and effort into my cooking and baking, I think I will always direct them to that blog post. The author, Jerusha, explains it so much better than I ever could. Have a read, enjoy, and definitely think about what you're eating, where it comes from and why you are buying it if you can make it.
Now I realize some people HATE cooking, and they won't understand the passion some of us feel for what we do in our kitchens, but if it even inspires a bit of pause, a few thoughts before someone grabs that fast food combo meal, that's at least one step...
To live the Slow Food lifestyle definitely takes a lot of time and commitment, but for me it's worth the investment. I love taking the time to really focus on what's going into my food, and consequently my body. Plus, I just plain enjoy the process. I love being able to cook or bake something, take pride in it and while I'm eating it think, "I created this when most people would just buy it pre-made. I created something wonderful that is making us happy right now". Most people just EAT mechanically because we have to. I think from now on, as often as possible I am going to eat because I want to enjoy food...big difference.

So how did I change? Honestly, at first it was money. I hate grocery shopping. I hate paying for ANYthing that I know I can probably make myself. That turned into a lot of fun with "hmm. maybe instead of BUYING bread I can just make it!"
Also, I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. The information he provided about HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and how much corn we ingest created in me a person who started reading every label at the store, seeking out the "hidden" HFCS.
That was how I decided to start making my own dressings, sauces, ketchup...it's amazing and frightening how much "Stuff" is in food that doesn't really need to be there. If you make many items yourself, you don't need all those additives and preservatives, none of which is good for you anyway! Well, that's how I began to look at it. Once I started making my own breads, sauces, dips, cakes, crackers and other things I couldn't believe how much better they also tasted. Plus, I love 'customizing'. I made my own version of Sloppy Joe sauce that was phenomenal. My "official taster" (Pinky) told me to just give him the bowl and a spoon and "cut out the middle man" (the bun & meat) To me, that's true success! I love playing with ingredients, experimenting. Since I love to paint, I can really see the connection in the way creativity comes through in both disciplines. "A pinch of this, a teaspoon of that" is similar to adding different light and shadows in a painting, blending colors...
And on that colorful note, I leave you for now. I'll be updating later tonight or tomorrow (depending on how full I am from dinner tonight!) with my recipes for the hamburger buns, pulled pork and BBQ sauce along with many yummy, drool-causing photos.
Til' then, think before you eat...

Welcome!

I was just posting on facebook that I have to work tomorrow, but I can't wait to get home to my kitchen, a.k.a my happy place.
It gave me the idea to start this blog about my baking & cooking. It seems like most of my posts on facebook are about recipes I'm trying, tips that I discovered while making them and many substitutions. Sometimes my substitutions are quite creative. Usually at least one or two people will ask me to post the recipes. Instead of having them all over my profile on facebook, I thought this would be a much better way for people to find all my recipes in one place. I have friends ask me for recipes for things I made over a year ago actually...I am going to add my 'classics' that are often requested by friends and family. I also want to document and preserve my mother's old Polish recipes now that she's older and doesn't really cook like she used to.
I know many people reading this will understand what I mean by my kitchen being my happy place, so I won't go into any detailed explanation. It's quite self-explanatory.
Some people might consider the kitchen their misery place in fact, and I hope I can help them get past that and actually learn to enjoy cooking or baking when they realize they can achieve success without cooking lessons or even any innate gifts in that "department". Luckily for me, I come from a family of Polish grandmothers & mom who I learned so much from. Most of my earliest memories of my dad's mom were of her in her kitchen. She was usually mumbling something in Polish, but that's another story...
Anyway, welcome to my happy place- I hope some of my recipes I've discovered (some are my own originals, or my family's) help you enjoy your kitchen and being in it as much as I do with mine. Thanks for visiting!