Food and Furthermore: II

First of all, Happy Day After Mother's Day to all. Hopefully, there will be no dishes in the sink to serve as a reminder of yesterday's festivities. With the exception of a popcorn bowl, my kitchen is clean. (Nice work, dear.) Here are some other reasons that I had a wonderful Mother's Day: Two little charges that didn't bicker, banter, squabble, dare, bet or argue for 24 hours. (Although they did "jinx" each other about 7,483 times; I can't quite cure them of that.)Big Stuff (my Dad) and the Quiet Man (my husband) made all the meals AND did all the dishes (except for that popcorn bowl I told you about).

My mom, recovering from foot surgery in a wheel chair, and I twiddled our thumbs and did whatever else we wanted to do, like pose for awkward pictures and ask for second helpings of grilled chicken.

I got this.

And that.I'm a happy mom.
Furthermore, my sister (Little H, sister #7) came to visit for the whole week. I got to play with her chubby pink baby all week. Ain't she sweet?

My two little charges played with their cousins all day long. Their favorite activity? Dressing as twins. They could almost get away with it, too. Especially the cuckoo boys.

And furthermore.....

I received another blogging award from the recipe girl. Hooray and thanks! You'll love her blog. She's got an enormous compilation of mouth-watering recipes with beautiful pics that'll make you want to lick the computer screen.

I don't even have to dust it! But I do need to pass it on. I'm going to do that. This week. It's a good thing I'm not in a relay race. I always hang on to the baton for too long.

Still Furthermore....In the meantime, from recipe girl's extensive collection, I got this yummy banana brown sugar muffin recipe. I made a half batch and baked it in a mini muffin tin. (Estimated Cost $1.50)

Some of the muffins I topped with brown sugar and almonds, others got miniature chocolate chips, but the very best ones got a frozen raspberry and a sprinkling of course sugar. Ohhhh, they were good.

Coming Tomorrow:Cranberry Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Sticks

Attention all fathers and children: make these for child-bearing females on Sunday morning.
The year my first little baby girl was born, I lived right around the corner from a small but charming family owned bakery. They had sinful cakes, cookies, danishes, and eclairs, but my favorite was the pie sticks. (Hmm...Maybe that's why I didn't lose the baby weight until after we moved far far away.) What's a pie stick? Pie sticks are flaky buttery pastry twists encasing a cinnamon sugar filling. They're sweet, crunchy, and irresistible.

Now, I've always made these with my homemade pie crust recipe, but just for you dads and kids out there, I made them today (with help from my two charges) with a tube of Pillsbury crescent dough. I didn't figure there were too many men out there who wanted to make homemade pie crust. Unless they are like my pesty little brother Roy, who in addition to being an excellent tease, also happens to be a highly proficient baker. (Don't tell him I told you either compliment; it'll only go to his head.) I'll include a homemade crust recipe for any of you out there who regularly shatter gender expectations. For the rest of you, (hello....are there any men out there?) use the crescent rolls and take it easy. All of the women in your life will be happy if you remember to do the dishes when you're done.

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Sticks:

Estimated Cost with purchased dough: $2.50, homemade: $1.50

1 (8 ounce) tube crescent rolls

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (mix 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 2 T sugar)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

drip of vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Unroll crescent rolls. you should have 8 triangles. Pinch sets of two triangles together at the seam to make 4 rectangles. Cover two rectangles with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Top with plain rectangles. Slice rectangles into long thin strips (Each rectangle should yield five strips). Give each strip a couple of gentle twists and place on the greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until browned. Cool slightly. Prepare glaze by combining powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle glaze atop pie sticks. Makes 10

For a from scratch version, combine in a large bowl, 1 and 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter and 1/4 cup shortening. (You can do this in the food processor if you have one.) Drizzle in about 3 tablespoons ice cold water, a little at a time to form a ball of dough. Roll dough into two big rectangles and follow the recipe above.

"Mother May I" Meyer Lemon Baby Cakes with Candied Zest

In preparation for Mother's Day, I wanted to share a little cake (with a big for its britches name) that is positively de-lovely for any spring or summer time event. It's an angel soft, not-too sweet baby bundt cake, drizzled with a tangy lemon syrup, crowned with whipped cream and speckled with sugared zest and lemon candy. I'm giddy about buttermilk and sour cream in baked goods, and once you savor one of these spongy tender crumbs, you'll share my enthusiasm. (Although someone once glowlingly compared their softness to a twinkie-and they meant it as a compliment. I won't mention names.) Don't be discouraged if you can't find Meyer lemons; I've used plain old grocery store lemons with super results.

Last year, Nordicware hosted a holiday themed cake contest, and my baby-cake was lucky enough to be chosen as the Mother's Day May winner. They're hosting again this year, so fire up your ovens and get your bundts in gear. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) All finalists receive a trip to San Francisco and $500 in Nordicware; the grand prize winner gets a cool 10K. (My friend Anne won the GP last year with a gorgeous Christmas "Mint Mountain" cake. You might want to bow down when you take a look.)

Now go make some of my long-titled cakes and give some to your mom, mother-in-law, grandma, aunt, niece, neighbor, daughter, hairdresser, obstetrician, palm reader, and masseuse. Make them say "Mother, May I?" before you hand over the goods.

Mother May I Meyer Lemon Baby Cakes with Candied Zest
Estimated Cost: $3.00

I used the Garland Bundt pan here, but you could easily bake these in ramekins or even cupcake tins, but you won't get the pretty design. Keep an eye on the cakes and take them from the oven when the middle springs back after a gentle poke.

Ingredients:

½ cup softened butter

1 and ¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice

2 tsp Meyer lemon zest

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

Glaze and candied zest:

1 Meyer lemon

1/3 cup sugar, plus ¼ cup divided

For Serving:

Powdered sugar for dusting

Sweetened whipped cream

Crushed lemon candies
Preparation:Instructions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a mini Garland Bundt pan. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. In a separate medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of dry ingredients to butter mixture. Add sour cream to butter mixture. Add remaining flour mixture, then buttermilk. Beat for one minute. Pour into prepared pans. Baking instructions:Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean. Cool for ten minutes in pan and invert to racks to cool completely.While baking, prepare candied lemon zest and glaze. Using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips of zest from lemon. Set aside briefly. Cut lemon in half. Squeeze lemon juice into 1/2 cup measure. Add enough water to equal ½ cup. Bring water and 1/3 cup sugar to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When sugar is no longer grainy, stir in lemon peels and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Transfer lemon peels to a paper towel. When peels are dry, roll them in remaining 1/4 cup sugar; slice into thin strips and roll in sugar again. Drizzle lemon glaze in saucepan generously over tops of cakes. Dust cakes with powdered sugar. To serve, garnish each cake with a dollop of whipped cream in the center. Sprinkle with lemon zest strips and crushed lemon candies. Serve immediately.Serving recommendations:Wrap these cakes to give as gifts or serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Coming Tomorrow: Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed

FOR You, hopefully not made BY you