Let it Snow

Just got back from spending 5 fabulous days in New York City. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that place. People say it's the greatest city in the world, and I would totally agree. There is always that little let down when vacation is over and you have to go back home to your daily grind, but it always takes a little longer for me when I get back from NY. Fresh from all the inspiration and sensory overload, I was faced with the task of making a dessert for our office Christmas party. What I came up with exceeded my expectations, and proved to be a big hit at the luncheon. It's a little time consuming and Christmas is just 7 days away now, but the result will be well worth it.

Lemon-Raspberry Coconut Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, separated

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with the cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended. Add vanilla.

In another bowl, beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold one third of the egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites just until blended. Spoon the batter into 3 greased, parchment lined 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile make the lemon filling;

Lemon Filling

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; whisk in 1 cup boiling water. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Add a small amount of the sugar mixture to the egg yolks and whisk; add eggs into sugar mixture and continue whisking to prevent the eggs from cooking. Whisk in the lemon rind and juice. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and add the 2 tablespoons butter. Let cool completely.

When ready to assemble the cake, heat 1/2 cup raspberry preserves in a small saucepan .

Place cake layer on serving platter. Brush with 1/2 the raspberry preserves. Spread 1/2 the lemon filling on top of the layer. Top with next layer and repeat the process. Top with 3rd cake layer and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Make the cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1- 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 pound confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla.

Frost refrigerated cake with frosting. Press 2 cups shredded coconut on top and sides of cake.

Garnish with snowflake cookies if desired.

Cookies and Milk "Grown Up" style....

In my baking frenzy I made more sugar cookies, the recipe is available in a post from November, and with the cold weather and my love of all things white, snowy and glittery for Christmas I made glistening snowflakes. I also pulled out a recipe for some "grown up" milk that might find Santa sticking around on Christmas Eve...

I have been making this martini for many years, and although I usually refer to it as the "Jack Frost Martini" I thought it looked like a glass of milk, perfect for a holiday party.

Jack Frost Martini

2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

1 oz. Vanilla Vodka

1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane if desired.

Let the baking begin....

This week went by so fast. I came back from Illinois on Monday morning and worked here in Colorado this week. Only one more week until I'm off to New York City and I can't wait!!! I started doing some baking last night when I got home. I stayed up until midnight making Povitica. Povitica, also known as Potica is a yeast raised dough that has various fillings rolled up inside. The name comes from the Slovenian word poviti, which means "to wrap in." (The temperature here in Denver has dipped to single digits, so I think I may "poviti" myself in a blanket!!!) There are all sorts of fillings that you can use inside your povitica, but mine is a combination of walnuts, pecans, butter, cocoa and cinnamon. The dough has to raise three times total, so it's not something you can whip together quickly. Here's the recipe I used:

Povitica

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

7-8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine milk, sugar, salt, butter and beaten eggs. Add the yeast mixture. Add about half of the flour and mix until smooth. Gradually add more flour until dough is no longer sticky and easy to handle. Switch to dough hook and knead until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down the dough and let rise until doubled again. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll out on a floured surface to a very, very thin rectangle. Spread the filling over dough and roll up. Povitica can be shaped into a loaf or twist into a cinnamon roll shape. Place on greased baking sheet or in greased 9inch round pan. Let rise . Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

For the filling:

1 - 12oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

3/4 pound pecans, ground fine

3/4 pound walnuts, ground fine

4 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a heavy pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk and butter. Heat until butter has melted and sugar is dissolved. Add the nuts, then the eggs and mix well. Boil for about one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Let the filling cool slightly.

Taste, Taste, Taste

On my way home from Arizona this week I finished reading "The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry" by Kathleen Flinn. In a nutshell, it's about an American woman who gets "downsized", empties her savings, moves to Paris and enrolls in Le Cordon Bleu. It is a great story of not letting anything get in the way of following your passion. I have started realizing over the past couple months that the kitchen is really where I find my bliss. I can't wait for Friday to roll around every week so that I can try something new in the kitchen. I had a great opportunity this weekend to cater Dan's sister, Lisa's birthday party ( I am a gentleman so I will not reveal which birthday it was, although I'm sure she wouldn't mind...)I couldn't wait to get up and start cooking, to chop and roast, knead dough, mix and taste. It's not work to me, it actually is relaxing.(The menu consisted of sweet potato rolls, pulled pork, summer squash & zucchini tartlets, artichoke bruschetta and scallion tarts). The party was great, the food was a hit, and the pomegranate martinis were delicious (courtesy of Dan the mixologist...) You might think that after spending all that time preparing all that food, I would have been done for the weekend. Well it snowed 7 inches in Denver on Saturday night, so Sunday seemed like the perfect day for soup. Sunday morning I started in again...dill pickle soup, chicken nachos and tapioca pudding. ( Knowing how busy the coming weeks are going to be, I even got the house decorated for Christmas). I hate for Monday to come. If you get a chance to read the book, I would definitely recommend it, one of the last paragraphs in the book draws a great parallel between cooking and life...

"As in cooking, living requires that you taste, taste, taste as you go along-you can't wait until the dish of life is done. In my career, I always looked ahead to the place I wanted to go, the next rung on the ladder. It reminds me of "The Station" by Robert Hastings...the message is that while on a journey, we are sure the answer lies at the destination. But in reality, there is no station, no "place to arrive at once and for all. The joy of life is the trip, and the station is the dream that constantly outdistances us." - Kathleen Flinn, The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry.

Halloween is over...stock up on the candy corn

My friend Tara told me about a Candy Corn Martini that she had heard about on the radio. Always curious about finding new cocktails, I did a little research. I made the recipe the way I found it, then made it MY way, which I have to say is much better. It was great for an impromptu Halloween dinner last weekend.

Candy Corn Martini (original recipe)

from Food Network Magazine

1/2 cup candy corn

1 1/2 cups vodka

2 oz. orange liqueur

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 large egg white

Begin by combining the candy corn and the vodka in an airtight container. Allow to sit at least 3 hours. The candy corn will dissolve in the vodka.

For the drink, combine 4 oz. of the vodka, 2 oz. orange liqueur, the lemon juice and egg white. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake until combined (about 30 seconds). Pour into 2 martini glasses, garnish with candy corn.

MY Candy Corn Martini

Use the same method for infusing the vodka with the candy corn.

Combine 4 oz. infused vodka, 1 oz. vanilla vodka, 2 oz. orange liqueur, juice of 1 orange, 1 tablespoon simple syrup and 1 1/2 oz. cream. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Makes 2 martinis.

Here Turkey, Turkey...

Thanksgiving is hurling toward us a million miles an hour! In about 3 weeks we'll be sitting down to the big dinner, stuffing and gorging ourselves until we are miserable. Ah, traditions. I've been eating turkey a lot lately. I eat a lot of turkey sandwiches when I'm traveling because it's easy and I know I feel better when I eat better. I have never (up until recently) been a huge fan of ground turkey, using it to replace ground beef, was never something I thought gave me the same result or flavor that I wanted. I stumbled across a recipe for Cumin Turkey Burgers a month or two ago and have made them several times since. Tonight I had some of the meat already mixed up and in the freezer so I browned it up and made some delicious nachos. Of course you can make them into patties and eat them with all your favorite toppings. You won't miss the beef in these burgers, trust me.

Cumin Turkey Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 egg

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Mix the egg, jalapeno and garlic in a large mixing bowl until the egg is well blended. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, cumin, mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, bread crumbs and turkey; mix well and form into 6 patties.

Grill the burgers, or cook on stove top.

I add a chopped chipotle pepper to some mayonnaise and caramelize onions to top the burgers.

Six miles to eat cake...

Yesterday was a sunny day here in Denver. The wind was a little crisp, but it was a good day to go for a walk. I did all my errands early on in the day and met Dan around 4 o'clock for our 6 mile walk. I know it may sound counterproductive to walk 6 miles then come home and eat cake and drink martinis, but I know that I will never in my life not want cake so 6 miles it is...it's all about balance. By the time we finished up around 5:45 or so it was getting cooler so we headed back to my house where I made Cumin Turkey Burger sliders (I have recently become infatuated with these cumin turkey burgers), some oven roasted potatoes, along with the pumpkin cake I made for dessert. To drink we tried out a Pumpkin Martini, as well as a Carmel Apple Martini. Both very strong, both very good. I am cherishing these last few days at home, my travel schedule gets back into full swing next week and with the holidays coming full force it's going to be a very busy time. Hope everyone is enjoying the fall. We had a pretty good winter preview this week and my 1 hour 45 minute commute to Colorado Springs had me realizing I am not ready for winter...let's pray for a mild one.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 15oz. can pumpkin

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour bundt pan. Set aside

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat for another minute. Alternately add the flour and pumpkin mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour and mix just until combined.

Fold in butterscotch chips, cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter and allow to cool completely.

For the icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin butter

2 tablespoons buttermilk

Whisk in small bowl and pour over cooled cake.

For the Pumpkin Martini:

2 oz. pumpkin butter ( I used Maple Pumpkin Butter from Stonewall Kitchen)

2 oz. pear vodka

1 1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 oz. triple sec

Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and all ingredients. Shake vigorously until blended. Strain into martini glass.

The Cookies Finally worked...

I have to admit that I do love cookies. Ever since I moved to Denver, I have always had trouble getting cookies to turn out. Last Christmas I tried making snowflake sugar cookies and when they came out of the oven they looked more like a daisy. Today I wavered back and forth between making something with apples or baking cookies. My determination to beat the altitude and whatever else was causing my cookie curse won out and I found a recipe that claimed to be "no fail." We will see about that. But alas, they really didn't fail, they turned out delicious and beautiful!!!

No Fail Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I use vanilla bean paste)

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and add slowly to butter mixture. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out chilled dough on parchment or lightly floured surface. Cut in desired shape. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Decorating Icing

1 pound confectioners sugar

5 tablespoons meringue powder

scant 1/2 cup water

Whisk together. Icing will be stiff. Tint desired color. Outline each cookie with icing, then thin remaining icing and "flood" the center of each cookie with thinned icing. Let set.

Fall is gone already??

Well, fast forward right through Fall and head first into winter. It is 18 degrees outside today and the snow is falling. There have been lots of accidents on slick roads this morning. Great day to stay in. I had some zucchini left from my last visit to the Farmer's Market and decided this mornings weather called for some baking. Zucchini bread...perfect. With a nod to autumn I added some dried cranberries and instead of flouring the pans, I "sugared" the pans which created a crispy crust, just sweet enough. The house is filled with the smell of cinnamon, I think I'll pour myself a cup of coffee and pretend the snow flakes falling outside are actually beautiful fall leaves...

Zucchini Cranberry Bread

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup dried cranberries

sugar for coating pans

Grease and sugar three 8 x 4inch loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl, sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Add zucchini and cranberries. Divide batter between the 3 pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Roasted Tomato Soup

It was one of those things that I get in my head, and I can't think about anything else until I get it made...Roasted Tomato Soup. With the end of the Farmer's Market season coming quickly I knew I had to get those tomatoes while the gettin was good and the weather this weekend has definitely had a bit of a chill so it really was the perfect Saturday night supper. I made the soup, along with Cumin Turkey Burgers with some caramelized onions and chipotle mayo. It wasn't overly filling and when it was done I didn't feel like I had stuffed myself, but full enough to "rest my eyes" a little on the couch afterward....ah, I love fall!

Roasted Tomato Soup

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, quartered

4 garlic cloves, whole

2 red peppers, seeded and cut into 1" pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

olive oil

salt

pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup cream

4-5 basil leaves, chopped

chives for garnish

Combine tomatoes, garlic cloves and red peppers on baking sheet. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, saute diced onion in 2 teaspoons olive oil in soup pot. When all vegetables are done, transfer (in batches if necessary) to food processor bowl and puree to desired consistency. (I like a little texture to the soup). Return the pureed vegetables to the soup pot and add the adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, vegetable broth, paprika and tomato paste. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cream and basil leaves and warm for about 5 minutes more. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Garnish with chives.

Fall arrives and I miss it....

Fall arrived in Denver this week with perfect fall weather. Highs in the 50's, rainy and cool. I unfortunately was in the 100+ degree heat of Arizona. I couldn't wait for the end of the week to get back to Denver and make a big pot of chili and lay around on the couch. One problem...about 10:30am the sun came out and the temperature rose into the 80's. Normally I would never complain about sunshine, but I really wanted a day of miserable weather. I made the chili anyway. In fact I had kind of a schizophrenic cooking episode on Friday. I just wanted to make everything and I spent much of the day in the kitchen. I used the eggplant that I bought the previous weekend and made some roasted eggplant dip, the chili and a yummy pot of italian beef. Dan was insistent that he would not like the eggplant dip, he tried it, he liked it...hey mikey! We went for a walk around Belmar and the weather had cooled off then took in a movie. I got back on my walk/run wagon this morning....4 miles just because I can cover up the rolls with a sweater, doesn't mean I should....

Roasted Eggplant Dip

2 small eggplants

2 red peppers

1 red onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil, approximately 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt and pepper

Cut the eggplant, red peppers and onion into roughly 1" cubes. Mix together vegetables, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Remove and let cool slightly. Place vegetables in the bowl of a food processor, add tomato paste and pulse to a rough puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm, toasted pita chips.

Apple Pickin Time...

I was at the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market yesterday and it dawned on me that the season is very soon going to be over.. I had one of those quick moments where I felt like I needed to "get while the gettin is good" and load up with every possible fresh vegetable I wanted so that I could some how prolong the season and not say good buy to summer. The reality of my schedule is that I'm not home enough to enjoy all that produce so I bought with some sense of restraint. I picked up some eggplants, some sweet italian peppers, some zucchini and some honey crisp apples. I read that the honeycrisp apple could keep up to 8 months in the refrigerator, so it probably shouldn't have been the one ingredient I decided I HAD to make something with today, but I threw some in the crisper to use later. I generally don't have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast, but for some reason this week gooey cinnamon rolls had planted their seed in my brain and I had successfully fought them off until today. I decided to make some apple cinnamon rolls with my freshly purchased apples. I made a quick brioche dough, chopped up some apples, cooked them with a little sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and oh...the house was filled with that smell of fall. As much as I hate to let go of summer, Fall is my favorite time of year...the crisp days, the sense of change in the air...I love it. Tomorrow is supposed to be a cloudy, rainy 60 degree day...the kind of day I love to stay home and cook. I'll be on my way to Yuma, Arizona where the temperature will probably be in the 100's...I guess I won't bid summer farewell just yet.

Apple Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

For the Brioche

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

5 eggs

In a large mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat butter and milk until it reaches 120 degrees. Add milk to dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the remaining flour (you may not need the whole amount, just combine until the dough isn't too sticky). Transfer dough into a greased bowl and let rise for about an hour. While the dough is resting, make filling.

Apple Filling

3 1/2 cups diced apples

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until apples are softened and mixture is thickened.

Roll the rested dough out on a lightly floured surface. Spoon apple mixture over and spread evenly. Roll the dough up into a roll and cut into 8 equal pieces. Arrange cut rolls in a round, buttered baking dish. Let rise for about 1 hour in a warm place. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

When rolls are cool, make a glaze from confectioner's sugar and milk. Pour over rolls.

Labor Day and September 11

Labor Day weekend...the unofficial end of summer! Wait a minute, wasn't it just Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer? Where did it go? At any rate, I've found myself here at Labor Day and of course a busy weekend of eating... Friday night Dan and I went to the First Friday Art walk down on Santa Fe. We had dinner at El Noa Noa. Without getting into any details, the service was BAD, even getting the table seemed to be a chore, but the food was good and the margaritas were very good. (Again, I only play a food critic on TV). Saturday morning brought a trip to the Farmer's Market at Cherry Creek. I bought some tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and some purple basil. I came home and made some tomato juice and refrigerator pickles. Saturday night off to Dan's Birthday dinner at his sister Lisa's. I still (almost a week later) can't stop thinking about the gnocchi with butter beans and rosemary. The texture of that dish was just so good, I think I could eat plates full!!! Sunday, our usual brunch at LOLA's...the special of the day, Breakfast Quesadilla and Roasted Tomato Soup. Delicious. Labor Day I cooked up a feast. BBQ brisket, macaroni and cheese, fried green tomatoes and corn muffins. I put that purple basil to good use in a grape basil mojito. Then a busy week of work in Colorado Springs and here we are September 11. The news coverage has got me thinking about that day and some of the lessons that such a tragic event taught me. I think about all those people who ate dinner with their family or met their friends for drinks on Monday night, got up and went to work and never came home. I think it taught me to "take in" every moment, big or little, to try and live life being happy, to love the people in my life and always make sure they know I love them. Even in the tiniest, mundane day to day, there is a quote I remind myself of ..."In the external scheme of things, this evening is as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings is what eternity is made of." Be grateful for all of it, a moment can change everything....be well and happy.

Purple Basil Mojito

In a cocktail shaker, muddle some grapes and the basil. Add lime juice, simple syrup and vodka. Let set for a few minutes. Fill a rocks glass with ice. Fill half way with vodka mixture. Top off with ginger ale. Garnish with basil and grapes.

Vacation

I got back from vacation today...a week in Northern Michigan, in a cottage by Bass Lake. It was the vacation I had been dreaming of for months. The kind of vacation when you forget what day it is, or even what time it is and you spend your day in flip flops and shorts. I read, laid on the beach, searched for beautiful rocks, walked and of course cooked. We (Dan and I) set out for Michigan on Friday night around 6pm and stopping for just a quick snooze somewhere in Iowa arrived to a rainy Michigan on Saturday evening. We made quick work of settling in to the little cottage on Bass Lake and headed for the grocery store to buy food for the week. We ended Saturday evening as we ended many this week with a glass of wine at the water's edge. Sunday morning we visited the local farmer's market in Interlochen and bought all kinds of fresh produce.... Blueberries, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, plums and watermelon and local honey. After the market we headed out for a drive, stopping at Point Betsie and the Sleeping Bear Dunes State Park. Monday rolled around and it was one of the best days of the whole week. The sun was shining and we spent the entire day sitting by the lake, reading and sipping on mimosas. Nothing else except for the delicious dinner we made from our farmer's market purchases. Grilled Chicken with a Peach-Honey Barbeque sauce, corn on the cob, cucumbers with onions and potato salad that Dan had whipped up. Tuesday brought around a bit of rain so we headed up to Lake Charlevoix, walked around the downtown then stopped and ate at a mexican restaurant in Traverse City. Wednesday morning started with a 3 hour walk, and the afternoon we headed to Esch Beach on Lake Michigan where I started my second book of the week. Dinner was wine, cheese, bread, olives and salami and smores over the fire pit on the beach. Thursday started innocently enough with a drive to "wherever the wind blows us" and we ended up visiting 4 wineries. Michigan is full of wineries and we sampled and bought at almost every stop. Friday was Dan's birthday so we headed back to Point Betsie and laid on the "somewhat chilly" beach and read our books until the rain started, then headed back to the cottage to "use up" the stuff that was in the fridge. I concocted a chicken dish, where I pounded 2 chicken breasts flat and then stuffed them with roasted tomatoes, sauteed spinach and garlic and brie cheese. Dan made some mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans and a blueberry crisp....and of course wine and cheese. Saturday morning we woke up to rain, steady rain and loaded up the car to come home. We stopped at 2 more wineries in southern Michigan and headed back to Denver, sad for vacation to be over, but so grateful that it was exactly the vacation I needed. I'm not including a recipe with this post, just some great pictures of the delicious food we ate this week.

I'm cooking dinner....that's final!

This week, as most do, flew by at lightning speed. Monday morning I was off to Yuma, Arizona. I love to go to Yuma, even though it's miserably hot, it provides me the opportunity to indulge in my "every 6 week" IN n OUT burger...which I find to be one of the most delicious burgers I have ever eaten in my life. I flew back to Denver on Wednesday night, headed straight downtown to the Oxford Hotel to pick up Kelly who was in town working for 2 days. Dinner at Zengo. Soft shell crab tacos, sushi, and braised short ribs...it is truly one of the most consistently delicious places I have ever eaten, and it is very near the top of my list of places I love to eat. Picked her up again on Thursday night and we walked through Larimer Square and the 16th Street Mall, then back to Zengo (not only is it one of my favorites, it is absolutely one of hers, so being that she doesn't get to Denver often, she had to take advantage of her time here). Friday night dinner at Le Central and "Julie & Julia" with Dan. While I'm not a food critic, although I could probably play one on tv, I was not really impressed with Le Central. The best part was the French martini!!! The movie however, was great. Sometimes it may sound frivolous to think that someone could be so passionate about food, but it was nice to see that and know that following your passions can really pay off. So, by the end of the week, I hadn't eaten a home cooked meal all week and I was determined to cook dinner on Saturday night. Armed with a idea I had been thinking about for a couple weeks and fresh from the inspiration of the movie, I whipped up some Lasagna Rolls, baked a couple loaves of bread and then stirred up a chocolate-coffee cake. A little red wine and ah.......bon appetit!

Lasagna Rolls

9 lasagna noodles

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 medium onion, diced fine

6 button mushrooms, diced fine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce (see below)

Tomato Sauce (homemade or store bought)

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are pliable. Don't over cook them. Lay them in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet to cool. Set aside. In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until garlic is tender, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove mushroom mixture and brown the ground beef in the same skillet. Drain any grease and add the mushroom mixture back into the pan. Let cool slightly and then add herbs and cheeses. (It may be necessary to add more ricotta cheese if mixture seems too dry). Spread a layer of meat mixture onto each lasagna noodle and roll up, like a cinnamon roll. Set aside.

Bechamel Sauce

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until combined. Slowly stir in 1 1/4 cups warm milk. Stir until thickened. Add a dash of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (Although not traditional bechamel, for this dish, I also added 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the sauce).

To assemble, pour the bechamel in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place lasagna rolls, seam side down, in the sauce and then pour your favorite tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and let cheese brown a bit.

The end of July already?

It's been a while...work has really been beating me down! The days of summer are flying by and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of it. I think a vacation is in the works...hopefully soon. A relaxing one, where all I do is sit on a beach and drink a few cocktails and maybe read a book. Ah! I spent 4 days in Nebraska this week and tonight when I got home I discovered some blueberries lurking in the back of the refrigerator. I forgot that I had bought them. Luckily, they were in perfect condition so I whipped up some muffins from a coffee cake recipe that I've made for years. I made some alterations to the recipe, as the milk in the refrigerator that the original recipe calls for had not fared so well in my weeks of travel.... This recipe can be made into a coffee cake or muffins.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

1/2 cup butter + 2 Tablespoons

2 eggs

2 cups fresh blueberries

8oz. cream cheese, diced

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 cups flour, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream the 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the sour cream and water. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries in 1/2 cup flour. (This helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter while baking). Add the blueberries to the batter. Fold in the cream cheese and the lemon zest. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan or muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread on top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes if making large muffins or 1 hour if making 9x13 coffee cake.

Happy 4th of July!!!!

As usual, it's been a busy week. I spent Monday through Thursday in Yuma, Arizona. It was so hot, and I was definitely thankful my job doesn't require me to spend much time outside. I came home Thursday night, although it had seemed the universe had been conspiring against me getting home that day. I had planned to see Celtic Women at Red Rocks on Thursday night. The day started with a cancelled flight from Yuma to Phoenix due to mechanical difficulties with the plane...fair enough, I don't want to fly on any planes that have mechanical difficulties. So, I drove (like a bat...)to Phoenix. Got to the airport, made it with about 10 minutes to spare before the plane was boarding. Then a thunderstorm is dropping rain at the airport in Denver, so we have to circle for an extra 20 minutes until the storm passes. The concert starts at 8pm, by the time I am in my car and on my way to Dan's house, it's 6:30pm. So, to save you the rest of the story, we made it in perfect time, saw an awesome concert and as we turned around to fold up our seats, rain drops started again. Friday was a vacation day and I spent a lot of time cooking up some deliciousness for the 4th. The menu included pulled pork bbq, oven roasted potatoes, bleu cheese coleslaw and baked beans. I also made one of the easiest pies ever when you have some fresh fruit. We have always made it with peaches, but you can actually use any fresh fruit or in a pinch, canned fruit works well too. But, it's summer so there is no excuse not to take advantage of the fresh fruit. I should also mention my version of beer margaritas...easy and so refreshingly good. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.

Fresh Fruit Pie

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

2 cups cold water

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 oz. package jello (same flavor as the fruit)

Fresh fruit

In a small bowl combine melted butter, flour and powdered sugar, pat mixture into a 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add jello. Stir well to combine. Place mixture in refrigerator to cool and thicken. Add the fruit and mix well, pour into the baked pie shell. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped topping.

Beer Margaritas

1-12oz. can frozen limeade

2-12oz. cans beer

4oz. tequila

4oz. vodka

4oz. spiced rum

1-12oz. can sprite

Mix in pitcher and serve over ice.

Turkey Burgers and a Marathon

I just finished a marathon...26 miles. Now, it took 4 days, but I'm finished!..Okay, the truth is Dan and I have been walking at Crown Hill. We had been doing six miles every night and today we did eight, which brought us to our marathon status. Someday I will run a real marathon, my goal has always been to do it before I turn 50. I have SEVERAL years before that happens, so the goal is absolutely attainable, it's just a matter of doing it. Now on to the turkey burgers. I had been obsessing about turkey burgers for about a week. Don't ask me why, it was just something that popped into my head one day and wouldn't leave until I made some. So, Friday after our 6 miles I made turkey burgers. I can't really give you a recipe for these particular turkey burgers because it was one of those throw this and this and this and voila it's a turkey burger. But, here's what I did.

I mixed ground turkey with diced fresh mushrooms. The mushroom will help to keep the turkey burgers a little moister. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne. Cook them on the grill until they are done.

I sauteed yellow pepper and red pepper strips with sliced red onions until they were tender, then tossed in some balsamic vinegar.

Finally, I took some cabbage, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper and tossed it together in a bowl.

The picture is Dan's burger, to which he added some dijon, jalapenos and light mayo. They really were delicious.

It's all about the blueberry...

Life is so busy right now, but it's summer, so I'm happy to be on the move. I spent the week here in Colorado...Colorado Springs and Pueblo. I worked in Denver yesterday and last night Dan and I went to see "Rent" at the Buell Theater. It was very good. The guys who originated the roles on Broadway and also starred in the movie had returned to the touring production. This morning, I decided I needed to use up the blueberries that had been in my fridge all week. I personally love the combination of lemon and blueberries, so I toyed with the idea of some kind of lemon blueberry cookie, but I tend to not have a lot of luck with cookies here at a higher altitude. What I decided was to return to the old stand by...a cupcake. I mixed up some batter then after they were out of the oven went to walk with Dan at Crown Hill. (This way I have worked off the cupcake before I ever eat it.... )I think we did roughly 6 miles. As we walked I considered the idea of adding a citrusy syrup to the cupcakes...the recipe is what evolved after I got back home and finished up the cupcakes. They make me think of summer and I'm so happy it's here.

Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and lemon juice. (Mixture may look curdled at this point, but will smooth out when you add the dry ingredients). Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Brush tops of each cupcake with the following mixture;

2 Tablespoons Barcardi Limon

3 Tablespoons simple syrup

Let cool completely. Meanwhile make frosting.

Lemon Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Beat all ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes and garnish with more fresh blueberries.

Zuchinni...

Okay, let me first say, hello, my name is Greg and I am a slacker...admitting it is the first step, I know. But I appear to only have been a slacker on the blog, so I guess that doesn't make it time for a full blown intervention. I've had a busy month, weekends packed with stuff to do, weeks filled with travel for work. I just haven't done much cooking. Let's see, a quick update...I made a surprise visit home to see my mom for Mother's Day, back to Denver on Monday and off to Rapid City, South Dakota on Wednesday. Back to Denver on Friday, then off to Arizona for the next week. Over the weekend, I helped Dan a bit with his back yard, met his friend Ann who came in for the week from England. Lots and lots and lots of rain over Memorial Day weekend, Denver Art Fair downtown, Boulder Creek Festival on Monday...tea in the tea house in Boulder and all the while rain. Then Wednesday off again to New Mexico. I finally broke and had to take a vacation day on Friday, just to rest and do the things that keep getting put off. So, during my trip to Arizona, I had some Zucchini Patties that were served with roasted red pepper hummus. The zucchini was so ground up that the only way you might know it was in there was to read it on the menu. I decided to try to make my own and wanted to actually see the zucchini. Here is the result. I'll be home for a couple days then off to St. George, Utah on Wednesday. The Belmar Farmer's Market starts this coming weekend, so it's getting to be that time of year where inspiration is just a vegetable or two away!

Zucchini Patties

1 small zucchini, finely diced

1/2 small onion, minced

1 egg

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients well in bowl. If the mixture is too runny, add more flour as needed. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet. Drop batter into pan. Cook on each side until browned. Drain on paper plate and serve with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

Some kind of noodle...

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon here in Denver. The weather this morning seemed promising. The sun was shining, I went for a jog. Then the clouds moved in and the rain started. I've had one of the best weeks I think I've had in a long time. Work was good this week (I was due for a good week!) My new bed arrived yesterday and I love it. Last night Dan and I ate at Fruition.

It's down on 6th Avenue in Denver and it was so good. For an appetizer I had the Lump Crab. They were tiny little creme fraiche crepes, filled with blue crab and covered in this delicious sauce. Dan had the Fruition Salad, he said it was very good. For dinner I had scallops...DELICIOUS! Dan had Pork Shoulder with Spaetzle. It was good too. Dan made dessert...Plum Tart. I had thought that I would "borrow" his recipe to share on the blog this week (of course giving him all the credit...I mean come on even Martha doesn't come up with all that stuff herself). But I had some inspiration of my own this afternoon, all from digging through the kitchen cabinets (maybe next time, Dan...) I made myself some Thai Iced Tea, which if you have never made it before, it makes the house smell so good. Then I got out the wok and started in. I don't really have a name for what I made, but I threw in everything I liked and wrote it all down and voila...I present....some kind of noodle dish.

Udon Noodles and Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces

8 oz. Udon noodles, cooked according to directions

3 scallions, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium carrots, diced

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons Asian Chili Sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Heat the 2 tablespoons sesame oil in wok. Cook chicken until cooked through and remove to plate. If needed, add a bit more oil to the wok. Saute the ginger, garlic and carrots until they begin to soften. Add the scallions and cook about 2 minutes more. Add the soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, Chili Sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Return the chicken to the wok. Add the water chestnuts and the cooked noodles. Toss to coat and allow to heat through.

Thai Iced Tea

6 black tea bags

4 cups water

4 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

4 cardamon seeds

4 cloves

Steep all the above and let cool. Discard tea bags and spices. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, pour sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of the glass. Pour the tea in the glass and stir in the milk. Add ice if desired.

Back so soon...

I wrote a recipe last weekend and still wasting the day away in the kitchen, I decided to test it out and make sure it turned into something I would want to share. Oh my my, this was some good chicken. I boiled up some pasta to go with it and dinner was served.

Chicken Calzone

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded out to uniform thickness

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

3 oz. pancetta, diced

4 slices mozzarella cheese

6 button mushrooms, sliced

1 medium tomato, diced

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, saute the pancetta until it starts to crisp. Add the spinach and mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Salt and pepper chicken breasts. Divide spinach mixture between the 4 chicken breasts. Top with slice of mozzarella (can substitute shredded), then fold over like a calzone. Heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet you cooked the filling in. Brown chicken on all sides and place in casserole dish covered with aluminum foil and keep in a 225 degree oven for about 20 minutes while you make the sauce.

Again, using the same pan, saute 2 teaspoons garlic. Add the white wine and chicken stock. Let the sauce reduce until slightly thickened. Add the sliced mushrooms and tomatoes and cook until mushrooms are tender and tomatoes are heated through. Add the 2 teaspoons basil and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over warm chicken and serve with pasta tossed with olive oil and basil.

The answer to a bad week...coffee & chocolate

What a week! I've been through hail storms, tornado warnings, blizzards, cancelled flights and an 8 1/2 hour drive from Lubbock, Texas back to Denver. The weather is miserable here, but always one to look on the bright side, it provides me a great opportunity to waste away the weekend in the kitchen...my de-stresser. I had been thinking about chocolate cake, but I know that I don't need to make an entire chocolate cake and have it sitting around the house. I didn't want to do cupcakes...what to do? what to do?. What about a cakey, kind of cookie? Perfect. I hesitate to share this recipe, because I got it right on the first try and I really think it could change your life. Chocolate and coffee together in a cookie...in the words of Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"

Chocolate Coffee Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and turn mixer speed to low. Add the cooled coffee. Stir in the dry ingredients until well combined. Drop by spoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on wire rack until completely cool.

Chocolate Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

3 tablespoons milk

Beat until well combined. Dip each cookie in frosting and let set up.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Happy Easter

So, I have a bit of a confession to make. While I always hope that my blog posts will inspire others to cook and be creative, this post is headed towards being a bit of a downer. So, I hope the recipe inspires you, and I hope what I'm about to share makes you think about those you love and how you inspire them...maybe even if you don't realize it.

Tomorrow is Easter, and I'm a bit sad. Not sad because it's Easter, but for a couple different reasons. The first being that for the first time in my life (all 40 years) I will not be having a holiday dinner with my family. There are certain dishes we have every year for Easter that I won't be getting. We always have ham. The potatoes and vegetables changed from year to year, but the 2 things I love the most about Easter are...are you ready for this?...deviled eggs and our traditional apricot dessert. I know, I know...deviled eggs? I honestly think that eating deviled eggs at Easter was the only time I eat deviled eggs all year long. I just don't trust any old deviled eggs, only my moms. I did take the time to make the apricot dessert for myself. There are somethings I won't give up, even if I am 900 miles away from my family. I've included the recipe, so I hope you all try it.

Now for the second reason I'm a little sad. This weekend marks ten years since my grandma passed away. I mention this because in a sense, she is the reason I do this blog. I got this love of cooking from spending time with her in the kitchen. As a little boy, I would spend many of my summer days with her. She was always baking something, she had a pretty healthy sweet tooth. But the thing she taught me, which I didn't realize until years later, is that family and food and being with the ones you love, either preparing a meal or eating it, can be a precious gift. The memories we create around holiday meals aren't the only ones that last, it's everyday. A simple lunch could hold a memory that lasts a lifetime. I have a lot of her things, measuring spoons, dishes, recipe boxes and they remind me of her, but even if I didn't have those things, just being in the kitchen keeps me connected to her. I miss her a lot. There are those times in life when I would give anything to be that little boy again just having a cookie with my grandma.

I hope you all have a blessed Easter. Here's the recipe for the apricot dessert. The one good thing about this Easter and making the dessert for myself...I don't have to wait until tomorrow to eat it!!!

Apricot Dessert

1/2 of an Angel Food Cake

1- 46oz. can apricot nectar

7 level tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 pint whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with angel food cake pieces, broken into bit size. In a medium saucepan, combine nectar, cornstarch and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened. Pour the thickened mixture over the angel food cake. Refrigerate until firm. In a large bowl, whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Spread over chilled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

When life gives you meyer lemons...

Okay, I think I'm done for the day. Although I have about 4 lemons left, so it's hard to say what I might dream up while I sleep. The lemon tart is delicious. I have to give Dan some credit for this recipe. I was talking about the lemon martini I made on Tuesday night and he asked me if I put any thyme in it? Then today while watching the Food Network, I saw the same combination. I decided to give it a whirl and I'm pretty happy with the result. I'll let you know what Dan has to say about it, I'm sure he'll say something about how the thyme is really what made it good and without it, it would have just been...uh okay.

Meyer Lemon Tart

Tart Crust

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Zest of 1 meyer lemon

2 egg yolks

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, lemon zest and thyme and combine. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and continue to mix. Whisk the flour and salt together in another bowl and slowly add to mixer. Mix just until combined. The dough will be soft, so wrap it in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a tart pan or springform pan. Chill again for 30 minutes. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the weights and parchment and bake for another 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Lemon Curd

6 egg yolks

1 whole egg

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup meyer lemon juice

zest of 1 meyer lemon

pinch of salt

1 stick butter, room temperature

In the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks, egg sugar, lemon juice and zest. Whisk and cook until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk after each addition. Pour curd into prepared shell and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

***I used the egg whites I had left over for meringue, however this would be just as good with whipped cream or even a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

I'm on a rampage....

It occurred to me this morning that I am on what I am now referring to as a "cooking rampage". I don't know what's come over me lately, maybe it's the traveling. When I get home, I could spend all my time in the kitchen. I guess thinking about it, I've always kind of been that way, but the inspiration is overflowing lately. I've got a couple things to share in this post, and (still on the meyer lemon kick) I've got a tart crust chilling the the fridge right now and curd ready to go. Last night I made meyer lemon scones. They aren't a typical, dry scone, more like a sweet biscuit with amazing lemon glaze. And for lunch today I made my latest addiction, a veggie sandwich (no cooking at all, but soooo good)! There is a little coffee shop down in LoDo that serves this sandwich, so I recreated it and I eat it alot!! I mean alot! Try these out, and as soon as I taste the tart I'll let you know how it turns out! Have a great weekend!

Meyer Lemon Scones

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup meyer lemon juice

2 teaspoons meyer lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor combine all the dry ingredients and pulse it to combine. Add butter and zest and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add lemon juice and pulse just until mixture forms a ball.

Scoop batter onto parchment lined baking sheet with tablespoons (i used an ice cream scoop). Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Let cool slightly. Mix together 2 tablespoons lemon juice and enough powdered sugar to make a glaze. Drizzle over the scones.

Veggie Sandwich

Ciabatta Bread

Spring Mix

Sliced Cucumbers

Sliced tomatoes

Red onion

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Swiss Cheese

Balsamic Vinegar

Spread the hummus on the bottom slice of bread, add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and cheese. Toss the spring mix in a little balsamic vinegar to coat it. Enjoy!!!!!!