I was happy with the menu:

• Grapes
• Chicken Breast with Maple Chipotle Glaze and Savory Cranberry sauce
• Chili Lime Corn
• Dinner Rolls
• Blue Corn Muffins
• Double Apple Cake

I am going to be posting each of the recipes individually this week but I have a backlog of images to deal with (again!) and I wanted to have a reference point. So….here is what you can look forward to this week. Ladies and Gentleman, Get Your Ovens Ready!

Caramelized Pear Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

I loved this salad and so did everyone else.  I poached the pears in a light maple syrup mixture and laid them on a bed of baby greens.  Nuts, dried cranberries and homemade cranberry vinaigrette were great but I needed something to balance the flavors. When I saw the white, sharp New York Cheddar I knew I had found the balance. I liked the balance of flavors and textures in this…and it was pretty!

Dorie’s Double Apple Cake

I am not sure I got any great images of this. Dorie’s Double Apple Cake from her My Home to Yours Cookbook was the perfect finish for the dinner. I had originally wanted chocolate but as the menu unfolded I decided to maintain the pattern of harvest foods. I changed the cake up, as I will show you when I blog it, but it was amazingly rich, moist, and flavorful. Served it with a Granny Smith Apple to cut the sweetness and a smear of dulce de leche.

Blueberry Lime Muffins

I have made blueberry lemon, blueberry orange, and blueberry white chocolate muffins before. I had some limes left and wanted to see how this worked. I loved the play of flavor between the blueberries and the tangy lime. It was a nice balance of flavors.

And finally:

Beer Batter Onion Rings

Let me just say, completely unbiased and all, I make the best onion rings in the entire known universe. Once I post these recipe along with my hints for amazing onion rings you will make the best onion rings in the universe, too. Pinkie swear.

So…go ahead and do what you need to do while I get my images together and I will see you back here…ohhhh….tomorrow?

images: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I wanted to really bless a close friend and she was heading up a luncheon….so I offered to create magic if at all possible. I chose a Southwestern – New England Fusion menu and I will be blogging it over the next week or so.

This is Kyrie creating magic. My daughter Erin took the picture. One of my favorites…

Anyway….

The menu looks like this :

• Maple Caramelized Pear and Pecan Salad with Sharp Cheddar Wedges and  Cranberry Vinaigrette
• Chicken Breast with Maple Chipotle Glaze (only I am not breading the chicken this time)
• Chili Lime Corn
• Dinner Rolls
• Apple Cake with Dulce de Leche Drizzle and Granny Smith slices as garnish

Basically I tried to pull together the spicy southwest with the sweet harvest flavors of the East Coast.  So, I will get Saturday Surfing up as soon as I can.. in the meanwhile – Bake something!

image:   Erin Audet Myers

Post from: Baking Delights

BBQ Chicken Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Monday nights are hectic because the kids have activities as church. Wenesday nights they have youth so that is another hectic night. Try to allow for those types of things by making as much ahead of time as possible. Learn to use your kids as prep coooks. Cooking is a great way to build relationship and I have heard more “secrets and confessions” from my prep cook of the day than you can imagine. Have a child that has trouble releasing emotion? Give them some onions to chop so they have an excuse to have a good cry.

The more you make yourself, the less you depend on prepared items, the more you will save on your bill AND reap the reward of better, healthier eating. I try to stay away from corn syrup as an ingredient, unless it is in a recipe I am making myself and I use non-GMO. If you have big appetites in your family like I do then do what our grandmothers did. Create healthy meals and depend on whole grain breads for filler. I really want to encourage you to pick up Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I love this book and there is just not an excuse to not have fresh, homemade bread.

So, here is the menu for this week. I will be back later with the budget damage. I have these marked one through seven because I am still not sure of the days I am serving the different things.

One

• Grilled Steak (I picked these up yesterday, marked down from 28.00 to 7.99)
• Wheat Berry Salad
• Banana Caramel Tart

Two

• Lasagne
• Tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Garlic bread
• Stacked Blondies- blondie, cheesecake, mango cream? puree? gel? still working on this (it will be pineapple on top..mangoes were $$$ and pineapples were ripe and on sale!)

Three- (adapting from Mesa Grill)

• Turkey with Chipotle Maple Glaze  (got turkey medallions on clearance yesterday for 2.25!0
• Sweet potato- pecan gratin
• Brussels sprouts with orange chipotle butter
• Pumpkin- pecan ice cream

Four

• Pizza! Not sure what I am using for toppings yet. I did BBQ Chicken Pizza last week and it was awesome.

Five

• Whole wheat fettucine w/ black beans, corn, zuccini, chilis, cilantro and Jack cheese
• Sliced tomatoes
• Corn bread..(switching to some other bread, not sure yet..maybe rosemary..I forgot cornmeal and I am out of dry corn to grind.)
• Lime Vanilla Creme Brulee (working out of Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook)

Six (this is probably today since it will be easy and I have errands)

• Taco Salad
• Homemade tortilla chips
• Rice Krispie-Ganache bars (working on this recipe) (While I was getting the Rice Krispies I happened to see the Golden Grahams and had an inspired moment..)

Seven

• Cooks choice

—————————–

O.k…I am back from the store. My grocery bill came to $174.03 and according to my reciept I saved 55.00 with instore savings.  Whatever. This amount includes chicken breast  (2 big packs) that I picked up on sale for 1.99 a lb and strawberries that I wasn’t planning on that were on sale. I also got enough ground beef to use in more than one meal, even though it is only on the menu one night. I made some substitutions as noted above.  Keep in mind that I cook for 8 people. This amount includes 3 meals a day for 7 days, with some things to carry over. I figure I wont know exactly what I am spending until a month has gone by and I can average it. There will be no “running to the store to pick up xyz” unless I have to do it for a specific post, like Daring Bakers.   Wow…what an adventure here, right?

image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Baking Delights

Pictured above are all of the items on the menu. I did it all in one day so I could better give you an idea of how to make things ahead, and what kind of time you are looking at. This post is the schedule and in the following few days I will get the recipes posted. It isn’t difficult at all, pinkie swear. If you plan well, and make some things ahead you should be able to knock this out really quickly. I shopped for, prepared, and served this all in one afternoon. I began the prep at 2:30 and served the meal at 6:30. Not all of that was work time.

The menu features organic chicken breast in a Southwestern inspired apricot and pepper glaze. Smoky, sweet, tangy, and spicy makes this chicken move way beyond anything boring or mundane. Prior to grilling the chicken is marinated in Tazo’s Vanilla Apricot White Tea and a little orange juice. This gives it another layer of apricot-orange  flavor that is very nice and keeps it moist on the grill.

When I was just married and just learning to cook I heard someone say, on a cooking show I think, that it is good to repeat a flavor in the menu to make it memorable. I chose to repeat the flavor of orange. I decided that dessert was going to be Red Velvet cupcakes and then had an electrode go off or something. Cheesecake! Better yet, ORANGE cheesecake marbled in the cupcakes. Did it work? Oh, my yes it did!

The meal is rounded out with homemade rustic rolls, sliced ripe tomatoes, and easy grilled corn with cumin butter. These are all quite easy. If you aren’t in the mood to make bread I would suggest a tangy artisan sourdough to balance the sweetness of the apricot glaze.

Father’s Day Menu

• Spicy Apricot Glazed Chicken
• Extra Glaze for Condiment
• Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cumin Butter
• Sliced, Fresh Tomatoes -drizzle with some good olive oil and sprinkle with smoked salt
• Homemade Rustic Rolls or Sourdough Bread
• Red Velvet-Orange Cheesecake Marbled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

While you can do this whole thing in four hours or less I would really suggest making it over a period of time. Here is a sample schedule I came up with.

2 Days Ahead -

1. Make sure you have all the items for the recipes
2. Read through recipes and be sure you understand them
3. Make rolls but do not brown. Flash freeze them. You will finish baking them just before serving – 2 hours total time, not all work.
4. Make the glaze and refrigerate – 3o minutes

1 Day Ahead

1. Make cumin butter – 5 minutes
2. Cut each chicken breast in half to create two thin pieces, you will hold the knife parallel to the chicken while doing this. (I have pictures for the recipe)= varies with skill, about 15 minutes max
3. Brew tea and add orange juice. Place with chicken in a ziploc bag. -5 minutes
4. Cook Corn and refrigerate – 10 minutes

Day of Dinner

1. Make Cupcakes- 30 minutes
2. Make frosting- 10 minutes
3. Frost cupcakes 10 minutes
4. Heat the grill
5. Brush corn with cumin butter
6. Grill Chicken
7. Grill Corn
8. Slice tomatoes

That’s it. The cupcakes go together really fast. Nothing else is time consuming except the bread.

Even if the man in your life is a steak kinda guy this chicken may woo him to the dark side. Recipes are on their way! As I post recipes I will try to remember to come back here and link to them to make it easier for you. 

Post from: Baking Delights

Marc has had a horrid cold, which he passed to Matthew (17) and Nick was sniffling and sounding stuffed up. I was not going to argue with him. I don’t like taking the kids out when they are sick, even a little. It exposes other people to what they have and, with their immune systems all ready compromised it adds to the likelihood that they will pick up something else.

My kids are a pretty healthy bunch, we get maybe a cold or stomach bug once or twice a year. I usually treat it with herbs and natural items, plenty of rest, and isolation from the germy public. Since I work at home, and we homeschool we don’t HAVE to be out and about the way others do..Just one more way that I am blessed.

Nick and Bella

Anyway, so Kyrie (5) decided since I was staying home she was going to stay home to “amuse Nicky because he is sick”. Matt had overslept and was still dealing with the residue of his cold..so he opted to just relax today, too.

I kissed Marc bye and headed into the sunroom to watch Maisie with the Bug (kyrie) and Matt. We heard the clamor of everyone leaving, Shiloh (who looks like a teen model, by the way) couldn’t find her BLACK flipflop to go with her pink gypsy skirt and black tank top..and was forced to wear blue flip flops. Ethan was trying to get her to go see UP with him today and was plying her with promises of cokes, popcorn, and even paying for her…It was the usual chaos getting out the door.

Then the house was totally quiet and Matt, Kyrie, and I were just kicked back, chatting and watching t.v. I was checking email and twitter and Facebook…you know, leisure time.

All of a sudden I said, “Hey, where’s Nick?”

We looked everywhere in the house for him, out in the barns, in his fort…No Nick.

You guessed it. HE decided at the last minute to go to church with the family.

So, having a few hours that are not accounted for I decided to work on a menu that I had been thinking about for awhile. It seems to me to be perfect for Father’s Day or 4th of July. I will be posting the recipes this week IF they work but here is what we are having for dinner today

• Spicy Apricot Glazed  Grilled Chicken
• Grilled corn on the cob with cumin butter
• Sliced locally grown tomatoes with a splash of balsamic
• Whole grain rolls with pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Red Velvet and Cheesecake Cupcakes (am thinking about a nuance of citrus in these..not sure)

I briefly considered an apricot and white tea flavored muffin but since I am thinking of this for Father’s Day I want it to have a masculine feel. I plan on serving sweet tea, made from our custom blend (blackberry, rose, and lemon) and coffee with the dessert. I have some flavored Bourbon Pecan from my local roaster that I am eager to open up.

So, the other plan I have for today is to finally get back to writing menus rather than the Oh-My-Gosh-It’s-5:30-What’ll-I-Make? method. With food prices skyrocketing, and money tight it is important to keep a tight rein on the food budget. More so when you feed 8 people. And, when you are a food writer  you have an image to uphold, right? I mean, I can’t exactly blog hot dogs and boxed mac and cheese, can I? I might get into a legal battle with a certain Food Network star. (in case you didn’t recognize that as being snarky.. let me make that clear with a !Snark Alert!)

I am going to post my menu for the week tomorrow and I will post links to the online recipes I am using, as well as post the recipes that I use. We can be cooking buddies!

I don’t use coupons because most of what I buy does not come with coupons. Let’s face it, I don’t buy a lot of prepared and convenience foods. It try to pick up meat on clearance when I can, and I have had to scale back on organic meats because they are significantly more expensive. I do try to go with all- natural. I hate that I am, to a certain extent, supporting factory farming with my food dollars but in the area where I live, and with prices, locally raised, grass fed beef is out of my range. I am still looking though.

I will also update the menu post with the cost of my groceries. I am not going to list them individually because that would be long! Also, you have to figure that I use milk from our goats and eggs from our chickens so that is a savings. I think that I may have my writing account start buying the eggs from my farm account, but if I do that is it illegal to sell myself raw goat’s milk?  I buy organic white flour in 50 lb bags, and I buy wheat berries to grind, also in 50 lb bags.

I think that’s all. I will post my menu later today or tomorrow. Until then, have an awesome weekend!

Oh…Erin took that picture of Nick and her daughter Bella. Nick loves babies, and he is enraptured with Bells. In fact, when Erin walks in with the baby there is a melee surrounding her until one triumphant person walks away with Bella….usually Shiloh but not always.

Yes, he does need a hair cut. But he likes his hair long and I see no reason to force that issue when there are so many others that I could be focusing on. Matt also has long hair…obviously they get their hippy tendencies from their bohemian mother.

Erin is very talented photographer you can see more of her work at Mamas Castle. She also has work for sale at this online gallery Erin’s Images.

Images:Erin Audet Myers

Post from: Baking Delights

The decorations were all vintage.

The vintage stuff was massed on tables. Great technique!

Isn’t this duck the cutest thing?

Isn't this the cutest duck?

The table with the food. Yum!

Balsamic Strawberries

The cake. It wasn't so difficult.

Well, picnik decided I can’t do any more photos tonight.

Suffice it to say that the shower was wonderful and could not be more pleased with the menu!

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

But, now that it is over…meh…we’ll see.

Anyway.  I thought you would like to know that the menu and recipes for the inaugural luncheon menu have been released and you can recreate the luncheon in all of it’s glory at home.   For some serious change.  Because these ingredients aren’t cheap.

No, my Dem friends, it is not Hiney of Roast Bush.  It is a rather interesting menu that honors President Abraham Lincoln, a move that I thought was inspired, daring, and very, very cool.

Here is the menu:

Seafood Stew (a favorite of Lincoln’s)

Duck Breast with Oregon Cherry Chutney

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Winter Vegetables

Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

If you would like to recreate the menu the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies provides the recipes, and I found them published on Newsday.

image:SXC

Post from: Baking Delights

It would be because Marc Audet accidentally broke off the outside plumbing fixture and had to turn off all the water to the house and I can’t even start a loaf of bread without water.

SO how are YOUR preparations going?

Here is the menu I decided on which I will hopefully be finishing up shortly…

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Lavash

Maple Glazed Roast Turkey

Sage Stuffing

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachio

Green Bean Casserole ( YOU kno w the one)

Red Jello Salad (You have to be from the midwest to understand that jello is not a dessert…it is a SALAD)

Fruit Salad (mixed fruit with marshmallows and creme fraiche, lightly sweetened)

Potato Rolls

Whole Wheat Rolls

Cranberry Sauce (Erin is making it)

Pumpkin Pie

Praline Cheesecake (not sure..I may try to make a coconut praline cheesecake..I am still deciding)

The Daring Bakers Challenge which YOU can’t know what it is yet…

Chocolate Earl Grey Truffles

Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend Coffee

Earl Grey Tea

Lipton Caramel Truffle Tea

image:morguefile

Post from: Baking Delights

Lifestyles theme day today is A Blast from the Past.  I thought it would be fun to look at historic fourth of July Menus.

Apparently they did it much differently in 1887.  The Menu for the WHOLE 4th of July, including breakfast and lunch can be found at Vintage Recipes.  I mean, fried chicken for breakfast? WOW!

Things were a bit different by the 1940s.  This menu is from my mom’s Better Homes and Garden’s Cookbook from 1941.

Cold Fried Chicken

Ham Loaf

Hot Scalloped Potatoes

Parker House Rolls

Garden Salad- made from string beans, onions, quartered tomatoes, chopped celery, cooked carrots

Chocolate Puffs

Ice Cream Cups

Hot Coffee

Bottled Beverages

So….What did you have on 4th of July when you were growing up? Are you carrying on the tradition of your parents or are you doing something totally different?  And how does it compare to these menus?

For me, traditionally it was burgers, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, baked beans and watermelon.  That’s what I grew up with.

Image:Public domain from Karen’s Whimsy 

Post from: Baking Delights

There is something about Texas food. it is unassuming, not particularly fussy and usually easy to make with local ingredients. The flavors are as in your face as a drunk cowboy and it seems to be served in amounts that would feed a whole corral of hungry cowpokes.

For me, Texas foods and flavors are just exactly what summer is all about.

Here is my version of a classic Texas 4th of July menu right down to the sweet tea.

Beef Brisket

Tomatoes Vinaigrette

Potato Salad

Tomato Swirl Bread

Incredible Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chipotle Praline

Sweet Tea, the real “thang”

Image:Marye Audet (c) 2008

Post from: Baking Delights