StoneGable: 01/01/2010

Cinnamon Flavored Hard Candy

Friday, January 29, 2010 Labels: Pink Saturday

Pink Saturday:

Today I saw a Valentine's display at the grocery store. It was impressive! Among all the red and pink candies, chocolate goodies and every sort of heart, I found a bag of cinnamon heart candy! You know, those red, burn your mouth delicious candies. Yummy! No, I didn't buy them, but came right home and made my own homemade version. Although not heart shaped, my candy is crunchy, hot pink and tastier than its store bought counterpart.

I am giving these candies as gifts for some sweet people on my Valentine list! And I am sharing my recipe with you. They are so easy to make and very fun too!

*There are just two precautions if you are making them. First, keep a bowl of ice water by you when you are working with sugar mixtures and heat- any surgar that gets on you will burn and you need to immediately immerse the affected area in the ice water.. And second, make sure you take the sugar mixture off of the flame and DO NOT breathe in or get your face near the mixture when you add the cinnamon oil. This can be dangerous.

Recipe:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon oil (oil, not flavoring. Oil can be found in cake decorating stores, and pharmacies)
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (I used pink food coloring paste from Wilton's)
1 lb. bag of confectioner's sugar

Evenly distribute the confectioner's sugar in a large sheet pan. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils do not stir and cook over medium-high heat until candy thermometer reads 310° (hard-crack stage). Remove from the heat. KEEPING FACE AWAY FROM THE SUGAR MIXTURE, stir in cinnamon oil and food coloring. DO NOT GET YOUR FACE NEAR THE MIXTURE OR BREATHE IN THE FUMES, THE SMELL IS VERY STRONG.

Immediately pour onto a powdered sugar covered sheet pan. Gently roll the pan to spread. Let stand at room temperature until cool.

Gently hit cooled candy with a knife handle and crack it, or pick up and crack into bite size pieces.

Roll candy in confectioners sugar to prevent sticking. Yield: 1 pound. So pretty!

Package in cellophane and tie with a pretty bow!
Share with someone you LOVE.

I am participating in Pink Saturday. Thanks to my friend Beverly for hosting this wonderul weekly event.

Herbed Scrambled Eggs With Cheese In Toast Cups

Thursday, January 28, 2010 Labels: Breakfast Recipes

Beautiful Beginnings:

This week my friend Cathy came for breakfast. I set up a little table in my living room. See the tablescape
HERE.

I served delicious eggs laced with fresh herbs and cheese in crispy toast cups.

Recipe: Herbed Scrambled Eggs With Cheese In Toast Cups

Recipe:Toast Cups:
White bread
butter

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter white bread. I call this kind of bread "bunny bread".

Press bread, butter side down, into the cups of a muffin pan. Make sure the crust of the bread is arranged in an open position .

Bake cups in oven for 20 minutes. Remove cups from muffin pan. Set aside. Toast cups will be slightly browned and very crisp. Cups can be made a day ahead and re-warmed.

Recipe: Herbed Scrambled Eggs With Cheese In Toast Cups

Serves 4

8 large eggs

3/4 cup egg beaters or egg substitute

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper

1/2 -3/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar, I had it on hand. Fontina would be delicious)

fresh herbs, finely chopped- about 3 TBS (I use fresh chives and parsley- this is my favorite combo)

2 TBS butter

Break eggs into a large bowl. Add egg beaters and milk. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until smooth amd full of air.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Watch it carefully so it does not burn. Add eggs and keep stirring. You want them to scramble and not solidify like an omlet. When eggs are developing into small clumps and there is no liquid eggs in the pan, gently stir in fesh herbs and cheese. Keep on heat just until grated cheese is melted.

Plate toat cups, and over fill with eggs. Let the eggs spill over the cups onto the plate. Top with fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

I am joining Foodie Friday, hosted my Michael Lee, at Designs By Gollum.

Breakfast Tablescape

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Labels: Tablescapes

Breakfast with A Friend:

I have wonderful friends! And spending time with them is something I give high priority. My dear friend Cathy came for breakfast today. We carved out a couple of precious hours to catch up and encourage eachother.

I wanted to make a special breakfast for us. Setting a little table near the windows in my living room, gave us a sun-drenched atmosphere to enjoy our time together. (Several people have commented about the portrait- it is of my daughter Jacqueline. She was a ballerina for years and in this picture she was 12)

My beloved Floragold dishes were the inspiration for this table. Passed down from my grandmother, they are sentimental favorites! Floragold was manufactured by the Jeanette Glass Company in 1950. They are a hybrid glass. Not actually depression glass or carnival glass, but in a class all their own. Floragold is also know as "Louisa".

My favorite pieces of Floragold are the little dinner plates. Just 8 1/2 inches square, they are petite and detailed. The amber gold color in these ornate dishes has a slight iredescent sheen.

The little "ice tea" cups are filled with orange juice this morning. I love the square base on the cups. The bases of the sherbert glasses are also square. I have collected piece over the years and many pieces mirror this square theme.

Floragold is quite limited in variety of pieces. But what it lacks in varitey it makes up in style. The sugar bowl and creamer have the distinctive square bottoms. I love the domed lid of the sugar bowl. The silver sugar spoon was a gift from my mother-in-law.

I found this butter dish in an antique shop. A little worse for wear, it still stole my heart! The butter knife is from my mother.

We are having yummy Butter Rum Muffins. To give them a little extra importance (oh, they really deserve it!) they are elevated in domed glass pedestals. These giant muffins sit in a little fun fluff just for sass!

The table cloth and napkins are also from my grandmother. They are a heavy white damask. My grandmother would have been 101 on Jan 24th. Her memory is always with me in the treasures she has passed on to me.

I used silver napkin rings to make big feminine bows from the napkins.

White tulips and small orchids closely matching the color of the Floragold grace the center of the table in a slender vase. I found this vase in an antique shop. It is not floragold but the color was right. The vase sits in a Floragold candy dish.

Cathy and I drank far too much coffee, saved our muffins for lunch and solved all the world's problems as the two hours flew by!

The Menu:

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Coffee

Mixed Berries

Butter Rum Muffins

Herbed Scrambled Eggs with Cheese In Toast Cups

Hickory Smoked Bacon

I am posting the recipe for the eggs in toast cups for Foodie Friday.

I am joining Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Join In!

Menu Plan: Jan 25- 31, 2010

Sunday, January 24, 2010 Labels: Menu Plan

Menu: Jan 25-31, 2010

I have a very busy week. Trying to ballance more things to do than time, I'm planning time friendly recipes that still taste delicious.

Week 8 of the Eating From My Freeer/Pantry Challenge- So far, so good. I am mostly buying perishable food such as fruit,veggies and dairy. I have more chicken than anything- I could dine 2 weeks on the chicken alone! Last week I did not make Braised Short Ribs because we were out to dinner with out of town company. So they (the braised ribs not the company!) are on the menu again this week.

If you still want to join the challenge there is time! Just jump in- start planning menus around what you already have in your freezer and pantry. Be creative and purposeful. And adjust your budget accordingly. You will save money and clean out your freezer and pantry!

Monday:
Homemade Pizza
Ceaser Salad*

I am trying different recipes from some great blogs. My dear friend Mrs. P at Faithfulness Farm has a recipe for making pizza in a cast iron pizza pan or skillet that I can't wait to try!

Recipe: Ceaser Salad -recipe posted for the Tuesday Menu the week of Nov 1-7 at StoneGable.

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Braised Short Ribs (MAKE THESE ON MONDAY, AND FINISH ON TUESDAY)
Mashed Garlic Potatoes- double recipe for Friday
Roasted Broccoli with Grated Cheddar Cheese

Recipe: Braised Short Ribs

6 lb short ribs*
Chopped carrots, onions and celery (2 cups total)*
1 cup dry red wine*
6 smashed garlic cloves*
5 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
Chicken stock*
Fried julienne leeks (recipe follows)
Chopped mixed olives such as kalamata, green, nicoise, etc*.
Grated lemon zest
Olive oil*

Salt & pepper ribs and brown all sides on short ribs in batches in olive oil in large pan. Do not crowd ribs when browning. Place ribs in crock pot.
Brown vegetables and place in crock pot.
Deglaze pan with wine and pour over ribs. Add herbs, chicken stock and cook on low for 8-10 hours. When the ribs are done, remove then from broth and put in container, cover with chicken broth and refrigerate.
Strain cooking broth and put in container in refrigerator overnight.
The next morning, scrape fat from broth.
Reheat short ribs in chicken broth.
Reduce the reserved cooking broth to intensify flavor.
Serve short ribs over polenta and potatoes, top with reduced broth, tomato and olive compote and fried leeks.
Fried julienne leeks
3-4 leeks
Approx 1-2 in of cooking oil in pot
Use white and light green portion of leeks
Julienne the leeks and fry in hot oil until browned
Drain on paper towels and salt while hot. Store in container for up to one day.

Wednesday:
Zucchini Latkes
Grilled Kielbasa*

Recipe: Zucchini Latkes
Zucchini Latkes fromSmitten Kitchen are the best I have ever had. I have 4 large freezer bags full of small freezer bag of grated zucchini. One tip that really helps in making the latke batter- the batter tends to be quite "weepy" and wet so I put the batter in a big bowl and push it to one side. Then I take several wadded up paper towels and put it in the other side of the bowl. This wicks the moisture out of the batter as it flows to the bottom of the bowl.

Thursday:
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Spaghetti*
Green Beans tossed with Greek Salad Dressing*

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
2-3 lbs. chicken pieces, breasts, thighs and drummies*
3TBS flour*
2 TBS olive oil*
2 garlic cloves*
1 medium onion cut in slices*
1 green pepper, cut in slices
1 jar basil and tomato spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1-2 TBS tomato paste, if needed
salt and pepper

Combine flour 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in large zip lock bag. Add chicken, close and shake.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove to slow cooker.
Add onions and peppers to skillet and cook till translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add crushed garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove vegetables to slow cooker. Deglaze pan with wine. (Make sure the fire is off when adding wine to your pan, then turn flame back on to deglaze.) Add spaghetti sauce and stir. Take pan off heat and add to slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken is done, but not dry. If sauce is too thin, add 1-2 TBS tomato paste and cook on high for 30 minutes.Serve in a large bowl over spaghetti.

Friday:
Orange Rosemary Pork Cutlets
Fried Cabbage*
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (leftovers from Tuesday)

Recipe: Orange Rosemary Pork Cutlets
I have pork medallions in the freezer and lots of clementines in the frig. Perfect for an easy and flavorful dinner. http://www.cooksrecipes.com/pork/orange-rosemary_pork_cutlets_recipe.html

Saturday:
Out To Dinner

Sunday: Soup Day
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
Homemade Bread

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup and Homemade Bread
Thanks to Allie and Pattie at http://bramasoletoyearnforthesun.blogspot.com/2010/01/creamy-chicken-vegetable-soup.html. I have found a new and delicious soup. And yummy homemade bread. Comfort food and wonderfully filling. I'll have some left over for lunches, too.
I have chicken, veggies, wine, stock, puffed pastry and creamed corn as well as the herbs.

Many of my days this week will be from sun up to sun down and it is nice to know that a couple of my dinners will be ready and waiting when I come home! Have a happy, healthy and positive week!

I am joining I'm An Organizing Junkie for Menu Monday.

A Blogger's Rest Stop- Pink Saturday

Saturday, January 23, 2010 Labels: Pink Saturday

Help And Encouragement For Bloggers:

I feel like I just found a gold mine! Or stumbled across a great secret of the ages! And I am so excited to share the wealth. While visiting other blogs this week I found this wonderful site that is like a support system for fellow bloggers.The Secret Is In The Sauce is a website designed for women bloggers to encouraging, support and educate us. This site is full of PINK ATTITUDE!

The site facilitates meeting other bloggers. Through "Todays Featured Blog", SITS followers are encouraged to visit blogs and leave a comment. And you know how we all love comments! Building friendships and giving exposure to our blogs are great benefits of SITS.

Another benefit of this fabulous site is the Hints and Tips section. There are inspirational bloggy tips this week such as: "Showcasing Your Best Post" and "Catching Peoples Attention And Increasing Page Ranking". But that's not all... Every Saturday's featured blogs give fantastic insider tips for more successful blogging!

Their Best Of section features really great blogs to read in humor, family, decorating/ craft, non-mommy blogs and recipe catagories.

I'm sure there is much more- but I am still discovering all this great site has to offer. I became a follower on my first visit! I can't believe I had not found this earlier. I didn't get the MEMO! So, this is your memo if you have not been to visit SITS- GO! If you blog you really need to check out this site! And join the almost 4,500 followers (look for the button at the top of this post on follower's sites) supporting and being supported by this great blog!

Happy Pink Saturday to EVERYONE!!!

I am joining Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday. This is another MUST SEE! Thanks Beverly!

White Serenade is a Pink Saturday blog that is one to see. Beautiful, artful and so very creative. A wonderful new find for me... and you, too!

Aqua And White Tablescape

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Labels: Winter Tablescapes

A Winter Tablescape:

It's still winter in my part of the country. So, I was in the mood to set a table that used icy colors. Collecting aqua elements for a while, I was excited to use them on the table.

The inspiration for this tablescape were these fuzzy white pom-pom stems. I found them after Christmas on sale, and they asked me to take them home. Boy, are they messy. I had fuzzy "snow" everywhere!!!! I sprayed them with a craft fixative- a little better, but not great. Working with these fluffy creations was not easy, but they are so pretty and eye-catching.

Trying to keep the colors limited, I layered a silver charger (Reading China and Glass), a darker aqua dinnerplate, my very favorite white berry plates and a lighter aqua bowl (all from HomeGoods). I tucked a folded napkin in between the bowl and white plate (Pottery Barn). The blue, aqua and white striped napkin give added interest to the plates.

I thought the different edges of the plates made a pretty overall look.

The place settings sit on two crisp white cotton table runners (Pottery Barn). Positioning them widthwise on the table made interesting placemats.

White bubble glass goblets (Reading China And Glass) are cool and tall.

Clear glass candlesticks topped with white pillar candles continue the icy theme.

Little individual candles sit at the head of each place. When the candles are lit, they give a soft glow that warms the cool whites and aquas.

Scattered aqua rocks give a feeling of icy drops.

The centerpiece urn (HomeGoods) is filled with snow-like pom-pom stems. They give this table a little fun in a theme of serene.

The benefit of positioning the placesettings on the sides of the table is having the heads free to place serving pieces. I put dessert plates, cup and saucers, dessert napkins and a bread basket (Goodwill) at one head of the table.

At the other end of the table is a gouping of aqua jars with rusty finials and a rusty tray. A pale aqua plate holds tall water glasses with an aqua detailing (Ikea).