Baby Overalls

I originally knit these baby overalls while I was pregnant with the clever girl, over 5 years ago.  So I apologize that I don't remember all of the details of the knitting process...  The pattern is from the book Easy Baby Knits by Claire Montgomerie. 

The pattern calls for an aran weight yarn, and I used Baby Cashmerino, by Debbie Bliss, so I had to do all sorts of math to get the sizing and gauge right.  It would certainly be easier (and faster) in the aran weight yarn, but Baby Cashmerino is so wonderful and I happened to have it in my stash at the time!  The pattern calls for snap tape for the bottom (or to just knit the bottom together but I find that to be terribly inconvenient for diaper changing purposes).  The only snap tape I found had tiny little snaps that didn't actually stick together very well, so I ended up sewing snaps onto pieces of grosgrain ribbon, and sewing those onto the outfit instead of the snap tape.  Much more secure! 

It is so rewarding to see my kiddos in clothes I made, and doubly so that they can both wear some of them!  This won't continue for long, as the clever girl's clothes eventually got more "girlie", but I'll enjoy it while I can! 

TWD: Baking with Julia - Fresh Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Our recipe this week for Tuesday's with Dorie was Fresh Rhubarb Upside Down Cake.  It was actually supposed to be baby-cakes, as in individual 4-inch cakes, but the recipe also provided instructions for making one big cake so that is the route I took. 

My only challenge with this recipe was in locating the rhubarb.  Four weeks ago today, the clever baby was born via an emergency c-section (all is well, no worries) and I was told that I could not drive for at least 4 weeks.  My parents came in town to help and then my in-laws came (they leave today - boo!)  I didn't want to ask my in-laws to drive all over town searching for this illusive ingredient.  The grocery store closest to my house is crummy, and they certainly did not have fresh rhubarb.  My in-laws checked another grocery store of the same chain and had no luck there either.  Luckily, Mr. Clever Mom works near a gourmet grocery store so I begged him to stop by on the way home and of course, this particular store had rhubarb!  Yippee!  This recovery is so hard, mostly in a mental way, as I am used to being able to do things like, say, drive, lift things, exercise, etc.  Ugh.  But I am listening to my doctor and obeying the rules.  The last thing I want is to set myself backwards!  And happily, I have had lots of help.  So enough moaning and lets get on to the recipe!

Yum.  I have never actually cooked with rhubarb but I have tasted it before and knew I liked the flavor.  It is very tart so it needs quite a bit of sugar in order to be edible.  This recipe hits that nail on the head by starting off with a caramel made with butter, dark brown sugar and bourbon.  Once the butter is melted, chopped pecans are added.  This is the top/bottom of the cake (top when the cake is right side up, bottom while it is cooking).  What a great way to start!

Then you place sliced rhubarb on top of the caramel.  I did two layers of rhubarb since that is how much I had cut.  The recipe doesn't actually say how many layers to do, but one is probably what they intended.  I don't think I had too much rhubarb though (actually had the right amount as far as weight goes) and it didn't taste too rhubarb-y, so I think two layers was just fine!

Then you create the batter part of the cake!  Cream some butter and sugar until nice and light and fluffy, then add two eggs, one at a time.  Whisk together dry ingredients, and then add that to the creamed butter/sugar alternately with creme fraiche mixed with a little vanilla extract.

Here is my personal lesson for this recipe:  how to make your own creme fraiche!  I had never thought about it before, and it is SO EASY.  Just mix one cup of heavy cream with one tablespoon of buttermilk and set it out on the counter for 12-24 hours, until it thickens.  Then refrigerate for at least a day before using.  Look at that beautiful creme fraiche!  Amazing, right?  And truly, I think this amazing creme fraiche may just be the key to this cake. 

Once the creme fraiche and dry ingredients are gently mixed into the butter/sugar, spread it on top of the rhubarb and stick the pan in the oven.  Since I did it all in one pan, it cooked for about 45 minutes (instead of 20 minutes in the baby cake pans).

And it turned out looking like this!  I carefully inverted that heavy cast-iron pan (no I probably should not have lifted this pan and inverted it post-surgery, but I did it anyway.  Sorry, Doc!) onto a rack to cool. 

I served the cake with a dallop of fresh whipped cream and everyone gave it high praise.  The cake is really delicious.  It is very tender and light, and the caramel provides the rhubarb with just the sweetness to offset the tartness.  Perfect.  I would love to try this recipe again with different fruits - maybe blueberries, or pears, or tart cherries, or (yes) even pineapple!  It is simple to put together, especially if you make one big cake instead of individual cakes.  And really, making individual cakes is a lot of extra work if there isn't a REASON to make them (other than the fact that they are so cute). 

You can find this recipe on pages 244-246 of Baking with Julia, or by visiting Erin's blog, When in Doubt...Leave it at 350.  You can also check out what other bakers did with this recipe by visiting the TWD website and clicking on the link that says LYL:Fresh Rhubarb Upside-down Cake.  This is where we all post links to our blogs and discuss what we thought of the recipe! 

This is the first thing I have baked since surgery.  My doc told me I had to stay out of the kitchen but I figured I had other adults in the house in case I ran into trouble.  Ah, how good it felt to be baking again!  A month hiatus is long for me!  I didn't realize how much I would miss it.  I know, there are those that think I am crazy and would love to be told they had to stay out of the kitchen, but for me, it was hard!

A Baby Bolero...

We woke up to chilly weather today!  It is in the low 50's and let me tell you, in Houston, Texas, in May, that is downright crazy.  Practically freezing!  I LOVE it!  I am a huge fan of cool weather (I know, I live in the wrong place for that) so I was thrilled to wake up to this cool air this morning.  And it meant that I could pull out this super cute Baby Bolero that I knit for the clever girl back when she was a wee one.  Now the clever baby gets to give it a go!   He is also wearing a long sleeved onesie that I dyed orange when I made the snuggle blankets.  I think he looks quite dapper, don't you?

The pattern for the Baby Bolero can be found in the book "One Skein" by Leigh Radford.  It is a super fast knit and truly only needs one skein of worsted weight yarn (unless I guess your skein is super tiny or something).  I have actually made this bolero before using two different colors, making the sleeves and trim one color and the body another.  If you need a quick project for a gift or for your own baby, check this out.

There is this sweet eyelet detail on the back of the sweater, too.  It is supposedly an Arabic symbol for protection.  I don't know if it is or not, but I like the idea!  Babies certainly need protecting, don't they?  My sweet clever baby is all wrapped up, cradled in his grandma's protective arms.  What could be better?

TWD: Baking with Julia - Chocolate Truffle Tart

Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me...  For my birthday, I made the Chocolate Truffle Tart from Baking with Julia.  My Tuesday's with Dorie group schedules recipes for the first and third Tuesday of each month.  If there happens to be a FIFTH Tuesday (like today), we can do a recipe we missed, repeat a recipe, do nothing, whatever we choose.  I only have a couple of recipes left that I missed (baked before I joined the group) so I decided to bake one of those.  And lucky for me, it ended up being Chocolate Truffle Tarts!  Yahoo! 

My birthday was actually in late March, but I planned ahead for this post since I knew I'd have a newborn baby in my home sometime in April and may not be up to baking much.  And really, who can say no to a birthday cake like this?  Not me!

This recipe is delicious!  Yum.  A perfect chocolate-y treat if you love chocolate.  If you don't, you will want to pass this recipe right on by!

You start off by making chocolate dough for the crust...  Yes, even the DOUGH is chocolate!

The recipe for the chocolate dough is on pages 372-373 of Baking with Julia.  It can be made by hand or in the food processor - I chose the food processor method.  First pulse flour, sugar and salt together to combine, and then add a chopped up stick of butter and pulse until the butter pieces are pea-sized.  Add an egg yolk and ice water and pulse until the dough is crumbly, like you see above.

Then you use this fun technique called fraisage - a French term for working the dough under the heal of your hand.  Essentially you smear the dough with your hand until it comes together.  I used parchment underneath but I suppose you could use whatever.  I had no problems with this part, though from reading through some blogs from when the group originally did this recipe, some people had troubles with the dough coming together.  I have no idea as to why it worked for me, other than maybe because I live in Houston where it is naturally more humid than other places?  It wasn't a particularly humid day, but that is the only explanation I can think of...  Anyway, once the dough is all smooshed together, shape it into a square-ish shape.  I made my "square"  (really more of a rectangle) fairly thick, and if I made this recipe again I would do a flat, larger square.  It would be easier for when you roll the dough.  The chocolate dough is refrigerated for at least 30 minutes - I refrigerated mine overnight.

On to the Chocolate Truffle Tart recipe!  The next thing you do is make that big square of dough into a crust!  This recipe was actually for mini-tarts.  It was supposed to make six 4 1/2-inch tartlets.  I do not have any tartlet pans and didn't think my kitchen needed these extra baking pans at this time, so I made one big tart.  I rolled the dough out onto a well-floured (as you can see) pastry mat and then carefully put it into the tart pan.  This was probably the hardest part of the entire tart.  Luckily, this is amazingly forgiving dough, so even though it broke in many places, it patched together easily!  Yeah!  Once in the pan, the tart was supposed to be refrigerated for another 20 minutes.  I cheated here.  I stuck the tart in the freezer while the oven pre-heated.  I have no idea how long it was actually in the freezer, but when I took it out it was nice and firm.  I poked it a zillion times with a fork and then let it bake at 350F for approximately 15 minutes.  The point is to get the crust dry and firm.  Then the crust cools off while the filling is made!

The filling consists of bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, cookies, egg yolks, sugar, and butter.  Can you go wrong with that combination??  Probably not!

First, melt 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with butter.  I used 70% bittersweet chocolate.  The more bitter, the better for me!

Once melted, allow the bittersweet mixture to cool while you whip the devil out of the egg yolks and sugar.  They are whipped into oblivion, until the egg yolks are light yellow, thick, and creamy.  Then, fold about 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate.  Isn't it pretty??  I think it is also an interesting juxtaposition of the white chocolate, which you can see in the top right corner of the photo.  The egg yolks became so pale, they almost match the color of the white chocolate! 

Anyway, pour this chocolate/egg mixture into the rest of the eggs and fold it all together.  Then add chopped up milk and white chocolate.  You are also supposed to add biscotti or amaretti di Saronno cookies here.  I looked for the amaretti cookies at the grocery store but didn't find them.  And though I think that flavor combination would be DIVINE, I didn't feel like (a) going to another store or (b) purchasing a box of biscotti to use only 4.  So, I substituted Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies.  Seriously, I think they are probably one of the very best store-bought cookies out there, and I happened to have a box in my refrigerator!  I decided that approximately 2 1/2 thin mints would equal 1 biscotti, so I added 10 chopped up thin mints to my chocolatey mixture.

Once all of the chocolate, egg, chopped chocolate, and cookie pieces were folded together, I poured it into the chocolate dough crust.

It baked for longer than the recipe suggested, which makes sense being that this one tart is much larger than the 6 individual tarts for which the recipe intended.  I think it baked for around 20 minutes (I unfortunately didn't keep good track of the minutes I kept adding).  I decided the tart was finished baking when the top was dry and the filling was set. 

I let the tart cool for 20 minutes, and washed the raspberries and prepared a vanilla whipped cream while we waited....

DELICIOUS.  The tart is definitely very rich, so having the raspberries there to cut the chocolate was perfect.  The clever girl and Mr. Clever Mom devoured their pieces!  I savored mine...  The inside is really a wonderful texture.  The white and milk chocolate pieces were melty and the filling was soft but with the nice crunch of the mint cookie and chocolate dough crust.  Mmmm.  What a perfect birthday treat!  If I were to make this again though, I would probably subsitute semi-sweet chocolate for the milk.  I am not a huge fan of milk or white chocolate for that matter, so I think the semi-sweet would up the bitter quota for me.  I'd also love to try it with the amaretti cookies - I am certain that is amazing!

The Chocolate Truffle Tartlet recipe can be found on pages 382-383 of Baking with Julia.  Or, you can find the recipe on the host blogs.  There were many hosts for this recipe, so take your pick:  Steph, of A Whisk and a Spoon,  Spike of Spike Bakes, Jaime of Good Eats and Sweet Treats, or Jessica of Cookbookhabit.    

Happy baking!

Deep Dish Ham Quiche

My family enjoys quiche.  I figure anything made in a pie shell is good, and since the clever girl agrees that makes dinner easier at times!  This is the Deep Dish Ham Quiche by Tyler Florence.  It is different than my normal quiche, in that this one is almost custard-like on the inside, with a smooth velvety texture.  YUM.  Since it is deep dish, you get lots of that yummy velvety stuff.  Plus, unlike most quiches, it does not contain any cheese.  Different, huh?  Oh, and it includes caramelized onions.  Is there anything that isn't made better with caramelized onions?  Well, in the savory food category, anyway?  I do think caramelized onion ice cream would be dreadful, but in savory items, it is ALL GOOD.  I wouldn't say this is a HEALTHY recipe, but every so often you just have to dive in and go all the way with food.   I did try to make it a "little" healthier but it is what it is.

Deep-Dish Ham Quiche

adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network

1 pastry shell - I use this recipe but you could use a store-bought one as well!
Filling:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin-olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced
3/4 pound smoked ham, cubed
8 large eggs
1 quart heavy cream (! used 2 cups 2% milk and 2 cups heavy cream)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roll your pastry/pie crust into a 14-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick.  Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch springform pan and press the dough firmly onto the bottom and the sides so it fits tightly.  Place the springform pan on a cookie sheet so it is easier to move in and out of the oven.  Your oven will thank you if there are any leaks, plus the quiche is pretty heavy so the cookie sheet helps there, too.

To make the filling:

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat.  Coat the pan with oil and add the onions.  Allow to slowly cook, stirring, until they caramelize and release their natural sugars.  Add a few tablespoons of water to help the onions break down if you need to.  This can take 30 minutes to an hour, so you could do this in advance if you prefer.  Once the onions are nice and caramelized, add the ham and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes to get some color in the ham.  Remove from the heat.  

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.  Add the cream/milk, season with salt and pepper.  Arrange the caramelized onions and ham over the bottom of the crust and carefully pour in the cream/egg mixture.  The filling should be about 1 inch from the top of the pan.  Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set, puffy, and jiggles slightly.  Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving. 

Printable Recipe

This recipe takes a bit more time than your average quiche recipe but I encourage you to give it a try.  It makes a nice dinner and could be a special brunch dish as well.  I like that it is different - more custardy, no cheese...  It really is delicious!

All-in-one-Holiday Bundt Cake

Yes, this recipe does conger up thoughts of Thanksgiving and Christmas, however a good bundt cake can really be served any time.  And this is one great bundt cake.  So I challenge you to think outside the "holiday season" with this recipe and make it anytime.  It is so good, why only have it during one season??

I recently made this cake for a friend's retirement party.  I didn't actually intend for it to be a cake for the party, though it did turn out that way.  I just wanted to bake my friend and her husband a cake to celebrate her retirement!  This is a friend that I used to work with, back in the day when I was a federal law enforcement officer.  I know, it is hard to believe!  I am so proud of my friend, as there are not many female agents in general, and VERY FEW that I admire as much as this friend.  She was a true mentor and role model for me.  She helped me to be a great agent and I taught her to knit!  Ha!  That was a scream.  Anyway, I was thrilled to attend her retirement party and I am so happy for her to be starting this whole new chapter in her life. 

Her husband liked this cake so much he evidently would get this glazed look in his eye and would not stop talking about it!  So I gave my friend the recipe and she made it for him again!  

I honestly decided to make this cake for my friend the morning of her retirement lunch.  It was a spur of the moment decision.  That is how easy this cake is.  Just throw it together and jump into the shower.  It will be ready around the same time you are all dressed and ready to go. 

All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's, Baking from My House to Yours

 

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350F.  Butter a 9-10-inch bundt pan (about a 12 cup size if yours is labeled that way).

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ground ginger (if you are using it).  In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition.  Add the vanilla.  Turn the mixer down to low and add the pumpkin, apple and grated ginger (if using).  Keep the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.  Stir in the cranberries and pecans with a rubber spatula.  

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven (don't put it on a baking sheet or anything - put it right on the oven rack) and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding from the pan.  Cool to room temperature on the rack.

Before presenting the cake at the table, dust the top with powdered sugar.  

To store, wrap well with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.  Or, wrap it airtight in two layers of plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.  Defrost it at room temperature the day before you want to serve the cake.

For an extra special topping, try Maple Sugar Icing:

Sift 6 TB powdered sugar into a bowl and mix in 2 TB maple syrup.   Slowly add more maple syrup until you have icing of a consistency that will run off of your spoon.  This might be another 1/2 TB of maple syrup.  Drizzle the icing over the cake while still on the cooling rack, with a piece of waxed paper slid underneath to catch drips.  Allow the icing to set before serving.

Printable Recipe

 

I have not tried the Maple Sugar Icing, so I cannot attest to it's greatness.  I can however attest to the greatness of this cake.  It is delicious.  Who needs fruitcake when you could have this cake??  It is amazingly moist and so flavorful.  Your mouth will enjoy figuring out the different flavors and textures in the cake!  The different pieces of apple and cranberry and pecans add a great crunch.  

 

When I made this for my friend's retirement party, I pulled it out of the oven and plopped it on the cooling rack in a shallow cardboard box.  Then I threw it in the car with the clever girl and started towards the party.  After about 10 minutes, I unmolded the cake at a stoplight before getting on the freeway.  By the time I got to the party, it was cool enough so I set it on a plate, sprinkled the powdered sugar on top, and brought it in the restaurant!  Phew!  Nothing like baking on the fly!

 

And TOTALLY worth it.  

 

Some day I want to procure some mini-bundt pans so I can give little versions of this cake as gifts.  Great idea, don't you think?

Balsamic Roast Beef

Interested in a really great slow cooker recipe?  Look no further.  This Balsamic Roast Beef is flat-out delicious!  And it is super easy.  Throw the ingredients into your crock pot, let that crock pot do it's job, and in 6-8 hours (if you cook it on low) dinner is ready!  It is that simple and is REALLY good. 

Balsamic Roast Beef
adapted from Add A Pinch

Serves 6-8
1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
1 cup beef broth
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped

Place the beef in your slow cooker insert.  Mix together the remaining ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup or a small bowl.  Pour over the beef and set the cooker for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

With tongs, remove the cooked beef from the cooker and place in a serving bowl.  Break it apart a bit with 2 forks and then ladle 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the beef.  Or, for more pronounced flavor, skim the sauce and put it into a small saucepan on the stove.  Heat over medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced by half.  Pour this over the beef. 

Printable Recipe

Dinner?  DONE!  Throw together some side dish and you have an amazing meal!