In a Pickle

It seems that I left you high and dry for the month of September. Even though I attempted to revive my posting momentum with a supposedly weekly feature (Fridge Fridays), I still found myself in the pickle of life taking precedence over blogging. Maybe it is time that I quit apologizing for my absences and just take them in stride. I blog when I can and not necessarily when I want. Isn't that true of so much of life? Why would this online journal of what is On My Plate be any different?

The month of September was filled with out-of-state visitors, delivery of my new fridge, my first cycling event in 2 or 3 years, a milestone birthday, a wonderful birthday gift, canning and preserving, and daily sighing and repentance because I was neglecting the blog. September has been a pretty good month, but I am going to give up the sighing and repentance. This blog is what it is. I don't need to feel that I am in a pickle if I don't have time to post something. That's life.

It is the same life that brought me a bounty of pickling cucumbers from a friendly neighbor lady. Last year, I had made a ton of refrigerator pickles that we liked, but found impossible to use in the proper time frame. This year, I decided to hot water bath with another recipe and make shelf-stable pickles with most of the cukes. I haven't yet tried them, but they look very pretty. I will have to report back if they are fabulous, as my last attempt at canning pickles didn't produce the flavor or crispness that I wanted. *Fingers crossed for this one.*

Of course, one pickle recipe wasn't enough.  I had to try another small batch of refrigerator pickles. I only stuffed 2 pint jars full of sliced cucumbers, onions, and a few red peppers from my garden to play with Alton Brown's Refrigerator Pickle recipe. They are slightly sweet...like a bread and butter pickle would be...but dill, garlic, and hot peppers kick them up a lot. We have been enjoying them on burgers, sandwiches, and straight from the jar. Nobody is in a pickle with My Version of Alton Brown's Refrigerator Pickles On My Plate.

 My Version of Alton Brown's Refrigerator Pickles

1 onion, thinly sliced

4-5 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, peeled

2-4 small hot peppers

2-4 sprigs of dill

2 cups water

2 cups cider vinegar

3 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

Drop a clove or 2 of garlic into each of 2 pint canning jars. (I use wide-mouth for ease of packing.)
Layer onion and cucumber slices in jars, adding a couple small hot peppers and sprigs of dill between the layers.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. 
Simmer for 4 full minutes to meld the flavor.
Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, completely filling the jar. 
Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.
Use within 2-3 months. (Yield: 2 pints)

Muffin Top

I tried on my jeans today for the first time in a couple of months. I have been enjoying the summer in shorts, capris, skirts, and sundresses. Jeans have not been a part of my wardrobe. Maybe, they should have been. Maybe, I should have forced my thighs into the unforgiving denim a few times just as a means of checks and balances. I really wasn't happy as I sucked in my flab to zip up my favorite pair of jeans and revealed a blubbery muffin top. Gross.

The only muffin top that I want is on a real muffin, like a Spiced Zucchini and Walnut Muffin. Fragrant with cinnamon, dense with shredded zucchini, packed with the crunch of walnuts, these muffins are anything but gross. But, if I want to fit back into my jeans, I might have to pass on the Spiced Zucchini and Walnut Muffins On My Plate for awhile.

Spiced Zucchini and Walnut Muffins

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup Canola oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini (peel if you must, but I don't)

3 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix first 5 ingredients.

Sift together rest of ingredients.

Add to the first mixture.

Coat 24 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop.)

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until top springs back with light touch and pick comes out clean.  (24 muffins) 

NOT Fridge Friday

Yesterday, I missed Fridge Friday. I am going to blame it on the fact that I no longer have a fridge in my kitchen. Yes. That's right. I don't have a fridge...sort of.

I do have a fridge...but, it is in the basement. For the past week, every time I have needed a chilled item, I have had to go out into the back entryway and down some steep, old-house basement stairs...and then back up again with whatever I needed...and then back down again for whatever I forgot...wash, rinse, repeat as necessary.

You see, back in May (or so, I don't exactly remember), the fridge that was originally in the basement died. Everything (cheeses, butter, produce) that I had hoarded stashed there had to be transferred to the upstairs fridge. At that time, it was decided that we wouldn't just purchase another plain, utilitarian, white refrigerator for the basement. We would temporarily get by as a one fridge household, and when extra funds were available, we would invest in the stainless-steel, french-door, freezer-on-the-bottom, ice-and-water in the door baby that I had been dreaming about forever.

My dream came true a month ago...sort of. We purchased an awesome stainless-steel, french-door, freezer-on-the-bottom, ice-and-water in the door GE Profile (to match my GE Profile stainless, gas range...and that purchase is another story entirely). I was in heaven...except the store didn't have any in stock. They were on order. We were promised that within 2 weeks, the beautiful, shiny cold box could be delivered to my home. My Plain Jane fridge was moved from the kitchen to the dungeon basement in anticipation of the delivery of this new purchase. (And my daily stair running workouts began.) Fast forward to today, and I am STILL waiting. The refrigerator was supposed to be transferred to an area sister store for final delivery. However, nobody knows where it is. Nobody can tell me when it will be delivered. Nobody knows how close to going postal this makes me. 

So...I missed Fridge Friday because I don't have a fridge, but I do have zucchini. Oh yes, it is that time of year again. Gardens are overflowing with the green squash. How about a Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake to ease the pain of my missing fridge? This is a recipe that I have seriously been making for over 20 years. It was in a cookbook that I received as a shower gift before Hubs and I were married. I love the addition of cinnamon and cloves. Chocolate chips and walnuts on top make frosting totally optional (and I usually don't bother). The cake is dense and rich and makes use of the abundant zucchini without any refrigeration needed. If I can't have my new fridge, at least I can have Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake On My Plate.

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup Canola oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 cups zucchini, grated (I leave the skin on; peel if you feel the need.)

chocolate chips

chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325.
Cream butter, oil, and sugar. 
Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. 
Stir in dry ingredients and beat well.
Stir in zucchini.
Pour into a 9x13 pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over the top.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. (beware of melty chocolate chips on your testing pick)

REMEMBER: The recipes are now printable. Just click on the title to open the printable page. I hope to edit the archives to make all recipes printable in the future.

What a Dip!

What a dip I am. I start a new promotion for the blog in order to keep myself motivated and STILL, the blog is neglected. I was busy...out of town...not feeling well...working...too happy with sunshine to come indoors...buried in chores and everyday life...just give me a minute...I know I can come up with another excuse. Really. Excuses are easy for dips like me.

But, there is no excuse necessary for some dips. Roasted Garlic Dip is so rich, so cheesy, so deliciously wonderful that you might even forgive me for being such an unorganized, blog-neglecting dip. Seriously. I am a dip who loves Roasted Garlic Dip On My Plate.

Roasted Garlic Dip

1 head garlic

16 ounces cream cheese

2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a half inch off top of head of garlic. 
Place garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle top with olive oil.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour. 
Allow to cool slightly. 
To "harvest" the roasted garlic, squeeze the cloves from the husk.
(You may want to roast a couple of heads of garlic, as this is so sweet and wonderful that you will eat the cloves straight from the skin before they ever can dream of becoming part of the dip.)
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. 
With a food processor or electric mixer, blend cream cheese, Asiago cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and parsley until well-blended.
Add garlic and blend again.
Spread mixture in a greased casserole or baking dish and top with shredded mozzarella. 
Bake 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. (Serves 8-12, depending on appetites)

Fridge Friday: Episode 9

I am cranky today. There is too much on my to-do list, and not enough hours in this day. The wind is a hot and blustery 20 mph pain in my backside with 30-40 mph gusts just to remind me that it can (and will) do whatever it wants. The dogs are barking at imaginary sounds, people are pestering me, and my bottle of Aleve is almost empty. It is one of those days, but here is my Fridge Friday fridge...

Is it just me and my grumpy mind, but does my fridge pretty much always look the same? Most likely, it does. Why wouldn't it? I tend to buy the same types of groceries over and over. On the top right, we have milk, OJ, and a few sodas; the top left holds assorted condiments and at this point, an impressive stack of blocks of cream cheese (I wanted cream cheese for the Candied Jalapenos, but forgot that I had already purchased some. *shrug*). The middle shelf always has the eggs, pickles, extra butter, and some veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, red & green cabbage this time), and today has a bowl of limes and a lemon. Bottom shelf is another mish-mash of fresh veggies (zucchini, green onions, spinach, celery, sweet corn, brussels sprouts), an icy cold beverage, and luscious blueberries and strawberries. There is also a Gladware container with a package of ground beef and some bacon perched on top of the beer. More odds and ends of produce in the bottom right drawer and some cheeses in the bottom left. I am a bit of a creature of habit, and pretty much always put things in the same places. I could probably be a hundred miles away and tell you were to find the jalapenos in my fridge (bottom right drawer, by the way).

Part of the agenda for the day includes Hubs smoking a pork butt at the farm for dinner with some family tonight. The cabbage will be made into coleslaw at some point, and I will fry up the bacon and ground beef to add to my big pot of Cowboy Beans to round out the side dishes for the meal. I don't have those things made yet (and if I don't get my butt moving and get this blog post done, we might just have to have pulled pork and no sides...like that would fly *eyeroll*). So, I am going to zero in on the bowl of limes. Last night, I zested and juiced a few of those tart jewels and whipped up a batch of White Chocolate Lime Cookies.

I am torn by these cookies. They are everything that I love in a cookie: sweet, but not too sweet; tart with real lime; soft and chewy; and EASY. I think that is what makes me feel so guilty. They are so completely, utterly, totally, easy because they start with a cake mix. (OK, serious bakers can click away now. Sorry.) Think what you want about my baking skills, but it has been a trying day and at this point, you might have to just shoot me before I would give up these White Chocolate Lime Cookies On My Plate.

White Chocolate Lime Cookies

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature (melting it makes the cookies texture tough)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lime zest (don't skip this, it is worth it)

1 1/4 cups which chocolate chips

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons grated lime zest (again, do it; really)

5-6 tablespoons FRESH lime juice (don't open a bottle, squeeze a lime, please)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment.
With mixer, combine cake mix, softened butter, eggs and 1 tablespoon lime zest until blended and smooth.
Stir in remaining white chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 10-13 minutes or until set at edges and just barely set at center.
Cool 1 minute on sheets; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lime zest and enough FRESH lime juice make icing just thin enough to drizzle off fork.
Drizzle icing over cooled cookies. (4 dozen cookies)

Did you think I was going to let this post slip by without another voyeur slide show of other people's fridges? Of course not. I love it when you are willing to share your fridges here on the blog. 

Also, be sure to check out Jeanne at Jeanne Eats World and her fabulous Fridge Friday posts. Scallops on her plate tonight. Doesn't that sound good?

Fridge Friday: Episode 8

This episode of Fridge Friday should probably be called Fridge Friday Flop. I don't know if I jinxed myself in my earlier rant where I claimed that I didn't mind if some of my menus didn't exactly turn out as I had planned, or if it is karma kicking me for making fun of a commenter that stated they have never "served a bad or mediocre dish" on Epicurious's How to Throw Terrible Dinner Parties. (I cried bullsh*t. We have ALL made something that wasn't up to par.)

Now here I am, facing the time crunch of Friday ticking away from me and staring disgustedly at a pan of what was supposed to be a Baked Omelet Roll which is hopelessly overcooked and not willing to roll at all. Fridge Friday Flop. I had the eggs, ham, and cheese in the fridge and thought that this recipe that I have made a thousand times would be a perfect addition to the blog. The eggs had other ideas.

Thankfully, I had just baked a gorgeously delicious pan of Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins last night. The remainder of the carton of blueberries is still in the fridge (second shelf, between the pickles and the cherries, under the strawberries), and I can save this Fridge Friday post by sharing a beautiful muffin.

The recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. They tell us that they were looking for "rich, moist, and dainty muffins, not the big, bland, coarse muffins so popular today." Let me tell you, with the addition of sour cream, there is no flop here. They hit their mark. While I certainly loved the light as air Blueberry Cinnamon Crunch Muffins that I posted back in March, the heavy batter of these muffins is more cake-like (dare I say possibly even pound cake-like?). Rich and even more beautiful when brushed with a lemon syrup and dusted with lemon zest and sugar, I won't mind a Fridge Friday Flop On My Plate with Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins.

Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins

Muffins:

2 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

Muffins:
Heat oven to 350.
Grease muffins tin.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk egg in a second bowl until light-colored.
Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick.
Add melted butter in 2 or 3 addition, whisking to combine after each addition.
Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.
Add blueberries to dry ingredients and gently toss.
Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed.
Use ice cream scoop to drop batter into greased muffin tin.
Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin come out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Allow to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Lemon Glaze:
While muffins are baking, combine 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest and 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl.
Bring 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a small sauce pan.
Simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 4 tablespoons.
After baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush tops with glaze, then dip tops of muffins into lemon sugar. (12 muffins)