Phone Friday: Soup, Snow and Bars



First of all, let me apologize in advance for the number of Helen photos in this post. What can I say? She was pretty cute this week. 


Butternut Squash Soup
With the butternut squash I found at the Farmers' Market I decided to make a soup. Reuben didn't care for it, but Helen and I really enjoyed it. 

Here's what I did: Sliced the squash in half, scooped out the seeds and put it in a big roaster pan. Added an apple, half an onion and half a head of garlic. Spread ghee on the squash + garlic and spooned it over the apple + onion. Baked at 400. Added beef broth as need to keep things from getting too burned. Scraped out the squash and added everything to a blender with some more broth. Pureed until smooth. Added salt to taste. Served with cream drizzled on top.

If I did it again I would cook the squash by itself for a while before adding the other ingredients. I would also wrap the garlic in some parchment paper - it got a bit too done.



Oops...
One evening Helen decided to give herself a yogurt hair mask. Maybe it will help her hair to grow in. :P



Target Haul
I got stuck in the Target dollar section. It's a dangerous place, folks!



Enjoying her soup...
I LOVE making my own broth. It makes the best soups. I'll have to do a post about it sometime. 



The folks at Natural Balance Foods sent me some of their fruit and nut bars to review. So far my favorite flavor has been the gingerbread. I'll have to do a more in-depth review once I try out all the flavors.



Snowy Day
We had quite the snow day on Tuesday. Of course it didn't stick, but it won't be long before we have to don our snow boots before heading outside. It was 20 degrees this morning. Brrrr.


What's your favorite soup to make on a chilly day?


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How to Make Mocha | His and Hers




How to Make Mocha
How to Make Mocha
How to Make Mocha
How to Make Mocha
How to Make Mocha
How to Make Mocha

I don't remember the first time I tasted a mocha. It was probably at a Starbucks or Caribou Coffee when I was 18 or so. In general I am nonplussed about most chain coffee drinks, but, if my memory serves me well, I believe that I quite enjoyed it. It wasn't extremely sweet like most specialty drinks. The flavors of the coffee and chocolate meld almost seamlessly.

I also can't remember the first time I made my own mocha, but I have made many since. Not gonna lie: it isn't the simplest coffee drink you'll ever make. But if you're already in love brewing your own lattes, the only extra steps are stirring in chocolate and adding whipped cream. If you're having a relaxed morning/afternoon, I highly suggest going to the extra effort to try this out.

I have included two ingredient lists: one that's milder and sweeter and one that's more intense. Reuben enjoys his coffee soft and sweet, I like mine with a bit of a bite. You can always experiment with the sweetener/milk levels until you get it just how you like it.


Notes:
  • This recipe is for an 8 ounce mug. You could use a larger one, but it won't be full.
  • You can use either cold or fresh espresso. If you decide to use cold, make sure that your milk is piping hot.
  • I like to use my little milk frother (I got mine at IKEA) to whip my cream. I can't be bothered with dragging out ANOTHER piece of equipment. 
  • This recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder, but you could also use chocolate syrup for a smoother consistency. Make sure you leave out or cut down on the maple syrup if you do.
  • I actually don't use a recipe most of the time when I make a mocha: I make it up as I go. Think of this recipe as a starting place and customize to your liking!
  • My preferred coffee maker is the Aeropress. Of course if you're all set up with an espresso maker you can make your espresso and froth your milk using your machine. Lucky you. 






How to Make a Caffe Mocha
recipe by Erica Kastner
makes one 8-ounce serving

His:
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons half and half
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (I used cacao powder)
1/2 oz espresso, fresh or cold
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Hers:
3/4 cup half and half
3 teaspoons cocoa powder
4 teaspoons espresso, fresh or cold
2 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:

1) Place your half and half in a small pan and heat until steamy. 

2) Meanwhile, place your cocoa powder in your favorite mug. Pour in half of the espresso. Stir until you have a fairly thick, very smooth mixture. This could take a bit of time. Stir in the remaining espresso, then the maple syrup and vanilla extract. 

3) Froth the hot milk using a handheld milk frother. Slowly pour the frothed milk into your mug. Whip your cream in a small bowl or cup with the milk frother until it's softly whipped. Spoon over your mocha. Enjoy!




How to Make Mocha
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Phone Friday: Various Food Adventures



Hey everyone! Hope you've had an awesome week. I'll admit that this week seemed to drag a bit. Hooray for Friday!

Here are some awesome things I've made/purchased recently:


Green Smoothie
My first actually green smoothie. I cooked my greens (kale) first, as advised by Carrie from Deliciously Organic. This was delicious and refreshing. 

Here's what I used: frozen peaches, kale, milk, cream, maple syrup and grass-fed gelatin. To my surprise, the kale seemed to complement the flavor of the peaches.



Crispy egg (method via @debperelman ) over kimchi rice for lunch. #smittenkitchen
Crispy eggs are delicious and fun to eat. I used the method outlined by Deb from Smitten Kitchen. 



New Tea Kettle
I bought a new tea kettle! It's adorable (from Japan) and makes pouring water into my Aeropress so much easier.



Homemade Ghee
Homemade ghee is so so easy. I made it one morning before Reuben went to work. I used Heidi Swanson's method.



Farmers Market/Healthfood Store Haul
Earlier this week I went to our local health food store and the farmers' (is that the proper way to spell it?) market. We got all this for less than $45.



I tried cinnamon in my cocoa for the first time the other day! It was good, but I think I need to put more in next time. #latergram #cocoa
I finally broke down and tried cinnamon in my cocoa. It adds a lovely depth of flavor. Next time I need to use more...



Avocado Hummus
Avocado hummus. It's yummy. Helen gobbled down several spoonfuls.



Doughnuts
I made doughnuts, guys! For breakfast, even. I had some leftover bread dough from making fry bread tacos last night. We couldn't think of anything else to make for breakfast, so I fried up the dough, dipped it in butter, and rolled it in powdered and cinnamon sugar. I'm not a doughnut girl, but these were delicious. 
Just so you know, we had eggs as well - it wasn't an all-carb breakfast. ;)

xoxo
Erica

How was your week?




Note: some links are affiliate. All opinions are my own. 
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Grandma’s Cooking School: Apple Strudel





This was originally posted on September 9, 2010 on Cooking for Seven. Because these lessons were such an important part of my life, I will be re-posting them here.
{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. Enjoy!}


Apple Strudel
Apple Strudel. A thing of beauty. Sweet apples encased in a thin, flaky dough. Delicious.

Apple Strudel
We began our lesson by reading through the recipe and preparing the apples.

Apple Strudel
Next, we mixed together two kinds of dough: a quick version and a more traditional version made with yeast. Meanwhile we cooked the apple filling.

Apple Strudel
Time to roll out the dough! It must be so thin you can see writing through it.

Apple Strudel
Then we brushed it with butter, spread it with the apple filling, and rolled it up!

Apple Strudel
Baked.

Apple Strudel
Enjoyed by Dad.

Apple Strudel
Jealous yet?
I can’t believe I have come to the final lesson Grandma has shared with us. Hopefully she will continue our classes this Fall/Winter when things quiet down and we settle in for a long Minnesota winter.
Here are all of our lessons so far.

Part 1: Banana Cream Pie
Part 2: Chocolate Crepes
Part 3: Roast Beef Dinner
Part 4: Poppy Seed Torte
Part 5: Homemade Bread and Sweet Rolls






For my own interest I have included the original comments from Cooking for Seven:

29 THOUGHTS ON “GRANDMA’S COOKING SCHOOL: APPLE STRUDEL”

  3. i’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting patiently for apple season and the prices/quality to improve before i make a strudel. being almost 100% german, i think it’s imperative i make apfelstrudel at least once in my lifetime. hopefully more. and hopefully as beautiful as your grandma’s!
    that implement you’re using to spread the apples — is that a knife or a spatula of some sort?
    cheers,
    *heather*

  6. Your strudel looks delish (as do all your dishes) and I would like to try making it. Do you have the recipe published somewhere? I couldn’t find it on your site.

  11. Beautiful! And BEAUTIFUL that you are doing this all with your Grandma. Cherish it. I lost my Grandma unexpectedly last year and I will always cherish our times together. So glad I found your blog!

  15. i’m curious (again) about the strudel: does your grandma opt against the buttered breadcrumbs and chopped walnuts? i’m planning to make one today and, unfortunately, my very German grandma doesn’t have the recipe from her childhood. any help or hints would be appreciated.
    thanks much and cheers,
    *heather*

  16. thanks so much for the quick response, erica lea! i’m trying my hand this afternoon — will let you know how it turns out, and if it remotely resembles yours and those i remember from my childhood!
    cheers,
    *heather*

  21. I am jealous. Honestly. I wish that I could bite right into that right now. I love your blog and your recipes.
    itsallaboutalifestyle.blogspot.com

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