It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

No one would call my husband sophisticated and that's why I love him.

He's complex in some areas and deceptively simple in others - he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and this causes some angst from me as I am a housewife and one of my daily jobs is to make my man his lunch and while I aspire to fancy multi-layered sandwiches with exotic cheeses, hearty breads and spreads, he'd happily eat PB&J on white bread every day for the rest of his life.

Now, you may be thinking, big deal! Well, here is a confession - jelly makes me cringe. The stuff is otherworldy and the texture gives me the heebie jeebies. Truly.. it's a scary, quivering mass.

Now, I love me some jam (but never with peanut butter - both should stand alone except in this amazing recipe I found for PB & Jam bars! I'll post it below) but every day that I have to spread that jelly stuff over bread, I die a little inside.

so... because I love him, I make the sacrifice.

Here is the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa's Peanut Butter & Jam Bars

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (hey, get some Watkins Vanilla from me!)
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I use large and it works)
2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (Ina recommends Skippy, I use Jif)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven.

Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool and cut into squares.

October is National Chili Month

I love chili and I make it about once a week in my crockpot - yes, it's vegetarian! Most people consider chili a fall/winter dish but it's really a delicious meal any time. I like mine topped with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and a small dollop of sour cream and served with cornbread or a side of Fritos.

I buy diced tomatoes and sauce from the warehouse club in cases of 8 and 12 cans so I always have the stuff on hand to make chili. I like to make it on days when I have alot to do around the house or if my hubby is gone and I don't have to make dinner because I can toss it in my small crockpot and just eat it all day long as I get hungry. It's diet friendly and good for you!

Here is my base recipe: (this can be doubled or tripled for larger groups)

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can any beans (I like kidney or chili beans the best, but black beans work too. Pinto beans seem too soft to me.)

Then I add in chopped onions and garlic and my Watkins Chili Seasoning and a couple splashes of the Watkins Calypso Sauce (like Tobasco) and 1/4 bag of the Morningstar Farms Crumbles (fake burger) and I'm good to go!

You can also get creative and add corn or peppers, mushrooms, whatever you like. You meat eaters can add in hamburger or chunked up beef. Make it hot or not. It's your call.

Then.. the leftovers can be used to make nachos, chili dogs or chili fries! MMMMM

Edwards Apple Orchard

Ah, fall... around here it means cold, crisp weather, changes to the leaves on the trees, turning up the heat and digging out the turtlenecks!

Fall also means our annual trip to the apple orchard. I've been visiting Edwards Apple Orchard since I can remember. The trips were about family, fresh cider and apple cider donuts. (not necessarily in that order, sorry Mom)

My husband and I always get up early so we can be there when the doors open at 9am. It gets busy and you want to be in and out of there quickly. Our main objective? The always freshly fried apple cider donuts. These are no ordinary run of the mill bakery donuts. They are warm from the fryer, crispy on the outside, covered in sugar, tender on the inside and if you don't consume them within 15 minutes they revert back to a plain 'ol donut.

Seriously. You must eat them quickly to fully savor the sweet piece of bliss.

These should never be brought home for eating later. It's mandatory that they be history when leaving the property.. in fact, my husband and I buy a half gallon of cider and a dozen donuts and lock ourselves in the car - devouring the little gems of goodness and drinking from the jug - I know, it isn't very classy but it sure is good.

The orchard is in the middle of nowhere. Down long winding roads, far from any city or town. Cornfields and pastures. Farms and endless acres. A little piece of perfection in nature.

In January 2008, this orchard was hit by a freak tornado and the place was basically destroyed. Luckily, no one was seriously injured and they vowed to rebuild.

They had to rebuild the outbuildings and their home. The newly repaired orchard looks the same. The owners did a very good job rebuilding things to look as they did before the tornado. I think they understood the history of the place and the importance of the memories we all had. The buildings are bigger, but laid out the same. They reused timbers when they could. The apples are still in the back but the fudge has it's own little counter now. There are still bookcases full of candles and knickknacks and on the weekend you can still sample the salsa and cheese dips, fudge and apples.

The landscaped has changed. Less trees dot the grounds. The stories tall weathervane tower is no longer covered with vines, The place seems a little battered but stronger for it. Inside the main building, among the gifts and jams and bottled salad dressing, is a memorial to what was and was is - a wall full of photos on the devastation, pieces of bent metal and tattered shards of belongings found after the tornado cut it's path thru the heart of so many childhood memories.

When you visit now, you'll hear fractured conversations, whispers and recollections from the people who are strangers but in some way, family. If you grew up around here, the orchard was part of your life. Kids went on field trips, families bonded and friends came together there. I'm glad that it isn't lost and that so many more generations will experience the joy of sipping cider, eating a hot donut and breathing in the crisp fall air while forgetting the life you left behind a little ways up the road.

We usually kept our donut trek to once a year because no one needs to eat 4 or 6 donuts in a sitting more than once every 12 months.. but this year we went more than once. We went opening weekend, as we usually do and a few weeks later, met friends for one outing. I suspect I should make once last trip. For old time sake.

One More Thing....

while we are on the vegetarian topic, I would like to educate you meat eaters on something.

This might help you in the future should you be in the company of a veg head.

There is a distinct difference between being a vegetarian or vegan, having a food allergy and not liking something.

Think about something you don't like to eat -let's use broccoli as an example. Let's say you order a salad and it comes with a few chunks of broccoli on it. Now, if you don't like broccoli, you can simply pick it off and go about your business but if you were allergic to broccoli you may have a problem. Eating a salad that had broccoli in it could cause you a health problem, even if you removed it.

As a vegetarian, I've made the choice to not eat animal flesh or broth or anything made with animal like gelatin. So, if I order a salad and it comes with grilled chicken all over it, picking it off and eating the rest of it is NOT an option, ok? It's disgusting. It's like finding a rat on top of your salad.

It would be like you ordering a pizza with sausage and having it come to your table with cockroaches all over it. Would you simply pick them off and eat it anyway? Probably not!

Well.. that is how a vegetarian feels about animal flesh and that example is the only example that seems to get meat eaters on the same page as me.

We really can't do half and half pizzas because pepperoni migrates and it's greasy so that grease can contaminate our half.

We also don't want our veggie burger cooked next to your beef burger on the grill and we'd prefer that you didn't even use the same tongs or turner to move them both around. We don't want them to share the same plate either.

Cooking meatballs in the pasta sauce and then removing them doesn't make that a vegetarian sauce, sorry! (yes, I've had that happen) and it does matter if the baked potato is coated in animal lard before baking - even if I don't eat the skin. Chicken broth isn't vegetarian and neither is Jello.

Veggie Burger 101

I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years now and one thing us veggies know is that veggie ‘burgers’ are not created equal.

This post is more for the restaurant owners and wait staff out there. It’s very important you understand that putting ‘veggie burger’ on your menu is as vague as saying ‘animal’ under the entrée section. You need to be as specific as possible or you will have a very disappointed veg head on your hands – and you work for tips. Remember that.

I went to a restaurant that had ‘gardenburger’ on their menu, I inquired and was told by the waitress it was a ‘gardenburger’ and when it arrived it was a boca burger – that is like ordering a grilled cheese and getting a Reuben – totally different. I couldn't eat it. Mom took it home. I was devastated. Truly. In all seriousness. Not happy. I got quite bitchy and a little bratty.

Let me explain the types of veggie burgers in the world:

Boca Burger – this is a brand name but vegetarians use it general terms to mean a specific type of veggie burger. In most cases a traditional ‘Boca’ burger is a soy protein based patty (something like those weird hamburgers you ate in high school) same texture, and for me, not very edible.

They look most like a ‘real’ hamburger. (a really icky looking one, but still) I can eat a Boca patty if I have it on a bun smothered with condiments, veggies and a slice of cheese. It is nothing I’d choose to eat on a regular basis. Now, Boca also makes other varieties that fall into the grain based categories. (Just to confuse you)

Gardenburger – again, a brand name. A traditional Gardenburger is a grain based patty. It is brown rice, veggies and often cheese. As different from a Boca patty as humanly possible – they are both round and that is where the similarities end.

Amy's Kitchen - Amy's makes Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) and veggie based burgers that are very good. Again, different.

Bean burger – some veggie burgers are bean based burgers, like a black bean patty. These are good to use inside a tortilla or mixed in with a salad. It’s like a refried bean patty. Different.

Morningstar Farms – this is another brand and their patties are a veggie-soy base that is (again) completely different from the other ones. (Are you confused yet? I’ve had 5 years to sort thru this)

Also available:

Faux chicken – textured soy protein molded into something that quite resembles the texture of a chicken sandwich (breaded or not) and I very much enjoy these. Also comes in nuggets and strips

Faux Beef – textured vegetable protein usually found in ‘crumbles’ to resemble hamburger for chili, tacos or sloppy joes or in ‘strips’ to resemble steak strips for stir fry. Gardenburger makes faux ribs, which are fantastic. You can also get hot dogs and corn dogs!

Alternatives – to make it even more complicated there are other things available like Quorn and Seitan.

Here are a few issues I have:

Very often restaurants use the garden burger term to encompass ALL burger types and this is a very bad idea. If you have garden burger on your menu, I’m going to assume it’s a Gardenburger (as in brand) and when a Boca or something of your own creation comes out, I will not be a happy camper. (Although, I will admit that now I ask a lot of questions before ordering but if the wait staff doesn't know the difference then it's a crapshoot)

I’ve been to a couple places that think a bun with condiments and a variety of veggies on it – essentially a traditional burger with no patty - is somehow something a vegetarian is interested in eating. They aren’t. Why can’t these places buy a couple boxes of Gardenburgers and stick them in the freezer? Not that hard! Not that expensive!

I’ve come across a few places that have a house veggie burger (which is great) but they do something to it that makes it more fattening than a traditional animal burger! WHAT do these places do to vegetables to make them have more calories than a slice of cheesecake? WTF? People probably order that thinking they are choosing wisely and they are actually making a worse choice.

In addition to being a vegetarian, I am also on Weight Watchers so a 953 calorie veggie burger with 52 grams of fat really isn’t an option for me (and I’m not kidding about the calories/fat – that is one major chains veggie burger stats!)

One last comment – if you know a vegetarian and are trying hard to feed them at a gathering – PLEASE contact them and ask what they prefer to eat. I’m betting most will volunteer to bring a burger or entrée item along with them but don’t just march up to the health food fake meat case and think you’ll be able to make a good decision. Even I couldn't choose wisely for someone else and I'm a 5 year pro!

Personally, I love and loathe certain things within each brand and I suspect all veg heads are like me. I love Boca brand faux chicken nuggets but Morningstar brand nuggets are gross. I love the Morningstar brand bacon, hate the Boca bacon. I even prefer to cook mine a certain way. My vegetarian uncle doesn't mind things heated up in the microwave, I despise it. I use a toaster oven. Plus, some vegetarians eat cheese, some don't... so you need to know that before you try and buy food for a veg head.

It’s an intricate web and no two veg heads are the same. It's better to ask than watch a veggie force down something disgusting or refuse to eat something even tho you meant well.

A Girl & Her Panini Pan - A Love Story.

This was from Feb 12, 2008:

sigh. Mmmmm. I am currently enjoying a very tasty and satisfying unconventional breakfast.

Hubby is on a biz trip and I'm stuck here for three days (I don't drive, not that I'd go anywhere anyway) but I like being alone and these trips rejuvenate me. I can stay up late, take two naps, eat whenever and just do my own thing. (Ok, I do that when he is here.. but... well...)

I went and got groceries and filled the house with good stuff... you know what it's like when you have so many yummy things to choose from that it makes meal time tough... so yesterday I made chili and since it was in the crockpot I just had it for lunch and dinner - it seemed the most logical choice.. but I was obsessed with the knowledge that herein lay the makings of my perfect panini - I made a special list and gathered the ingredients with care .... sourdough bread, fresh portobellos, sliced mozzarella, fresh ground sea salt and pepper ..... I couldn't wait until lunch... I'm having the panini for breakfast and it's fantastic.

There is something so simple and so elegant about a panini - the crusty, buttery outside and the gooey, tender inside. The sound it makes when you bite into it.

It's old world and delightful.

I have my TOHE Panini Pan/Press and I can't tell you how much I love it. I like that I use it on the stove over gas vs having it be an electrical item. It sits beautifully displayed on a back burner all the time.. it's cast iron with an enameled exterior. It's so heavy you need two hands to move it and it would defiantely be a candidate for a deadly weapon - if you had the biceps to yield it.

I love the sound of the sizzling butter when you place it in the pan, the warmth of the rising heat, the steam that seeps along side the press as you create the perfect sandwich... it might be slightly darker in one spot, a little flatter in another ... not perfect in sight, but in taste.

if you are a meat eater, I can only imagine what fantastical ham & cheese would emerge from this wonder ..... can you imagine a reuben?

I know... I'm in love with a pan. But I challenge anyone to eat a sandwich from it and have them not have the same exact reaction ..... even the dogs are sitting here, begging.

I Have a Secret Lover...

So.. I had been hearing about this to-die-for, soft, fudge in a jar... because nothing is better than eating directly from a container, off a spoon.

Seriously.

I resisted ordering.. it was a small, pathetic attempt at resistance but as they say .. resistance is futile. The company that makes it opens up a few day order window each month to gather orders and then a couple weeks later they call in the elves and make the batches to order and send them out.

So, I waited.. I stalked.. I wrote the order dates on my calendar. yes, seriously... I counted down until the company would deem us minions worthy and would allow me to plop my money on the counter and demand that they 'fudge me!'

Then, I waited three long ass weeks.... long, because, remember.. they make the batches to order so they must count their chickens and order the sugar and grate the chocolate ... and so.. finally, I get a hilarious email from the company telling me my spoon crack has shipped.... then it takes 4 long days traveling..... finally.. it's here!

I've met the devil and he is Spoon Fudge.

It comes packaged in 10 ounce plastic jars (I thought they'd be bigger but my ass is thankful they aren't) and they have a mini plastic spoon attached to the side so you can indulge right there by the mailbox, in secret, amidst the haphazardly discarded styrofoam peanuts, ripped apart cardboard box and packing tape. I do strongly suggest going into the house so the neighbors don't think you're out there snorting crack. It could really mess with your hard-earned reputation as the subdivision 'mean lady' if the kids see you with a fudge mustache.

The jar says "a little bit of heaven in a jar" ... it isn't heaven.. it's hell in a handbasket and it's going to my thighs!

It has no preservatives and it isn't shelf stable.. which is a very bad thing... why? You need to consume an unopened jar in about a month, an opened jar within a week.

Now, that isn't hard to accomplish.. in fact, I'm betting you could easily consume a jar in a couple days (because I have faith in you) and if you had no restraint, little willpower and no inner guilt.. or were in a severe PMS state you might be able to polish it off in a frenzied hour or two.

Also.... this ain't for sharing. Nope. The husband need not know of the goodness that sits in my upstairs office and faintly whispers to me like a secret lover.

Whoo! Ok.. got a little hot in here for a minute.

Back to my review... there is another small problem.... ... they offer flat rate shipping of $6.50 no matter how many jars you buy so a girl would naturally order up more than one jar as she's a smart shopper.. even tho said girl didn't need any more jars...

This girl ordered up the Chocolate-Peanut Butter and the Chocolate-Marshmallow-Caramel.

Good god almighty!

Spoon Fudge, you complete me.

It's so smooth! It's so creamy! What is this magic?

The complex flavor train in the C-M-C is crazy.. you taste chocolate, of course..... then the burnt sugar undertone of buttery caramel and then, finally.. the sweet childhood memory of marshmallow fluff. Stop. Me. Now.

The C-P-B is a classic representation of the world's best combo, truly... who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter? It's chocolatey.. it's rich and sweet and sooooo bad for me. truly. I shouldn't eat it and yet, it satisfies.

They have lots of flavors to choose from - White Chocolate Peppermint Crunch! Banana Split! Chocolate Mint! If they ever made Amaretto, I'd have to kill myself.

Then, the damn company goes and does this 'punch card' deal where you buy 12 jars, you get one free.... then they taunt you on the website with the message 'Just 10 more jars and you get one free!" ... 10 more jars and I'm gonna need one of those Scooter store chairs to get around!

So.. in closing .... I can recommend Charssi's Spoon Fudge. It's an indulgence you should make at least once.. or maybe try each flavor so you can get a free jar.

Edited to add: The Spoonfudge makers are now going to offer two 5 oz jars instead of one 10 oz jar (beginning with the Sept order window) so that is great news! You can get two flavors! Make sure you click the link to see when the next order window will be.