Blogmas Day 2

Today was a lazy Sunday that consisted of me paying bills, and playing "eenie-meenie-minnie-maybe-next-week with others. Before that I did make mini bacon egg and hashbrown "frittata". For some, I put bread on the bottom and others I didn't add bacon. They were so yum. I shredded my own potatoes because it's so much cheaper than buying hash browns. Just be sure that you wring the excess water from the shredded potatoes.

I also bought a bulk of my children's Christmas presents. The older they get the less they want, but what they want becomes more expensive. Gah. I'm also trying to figure out when I will decorate my house for Christmas. See, I have a toddler, and she is a tiny tornado. I am holding off as long as I can. It'll be more special, at least this year, to decorate closer to Christmas knowing that most of the decor will be intact to use next year. 

I wouldn't have such an issue, because I've had toddlers with trees, but our space is so small and she is a todnado. Not a good pic but had to put her in the sink so I could mix in peace haha.

I also did day four of my yoga challenge after having to spend 75% of my paycheck to become more "onenier" with the universe haha.

I made key lime bars, crab macaroni and cheese, and baked chicken tenders. I was going to do a whole recipe on the macaroni and cheese, but I haz a crazy baby and don't have the time to take pictures as I go. I will probably make this again in January. I can not wait to share the recipe. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I can record my recipe process.

 I no longer have my fancy cameras, but I think the iPhone will do for now. Like the last blog, I said I am not the same woman I was before, my cooking skills are better than ever. However, I can cook a great meal in no time and I am not used to the picture breaks here and there. I am brainstorming on how to document the process quickly, yet concisely. 

The family loved dinner and dessert. I just love having sundays back. I've been in school for two years straight, I am exhausted.

My mom stopped by and gave me my baby book. I love it. I also found that I am a Sagittarius sun, Pisces Rising and Virgo Moon which explains a lot. I thought I was a Virgo rising, that didn't seem right at all. I feel like my life would be more structured if I was a Virgo rising as well as a Virgo moon haha.  In my house we have four people who are pisces rising, crazy huh? Pretty emotional lol.

Well I have to go. I have some meditation to do before bed so I can get relaxed and carefree like this little cat wanna be haha. 

How to Make English Muffins

Egg McMuffin. Pizza McMuffin. Eggs Benedict…McMuffin…?



I love English Muffins, though I prefer English Muffins slightly toasted, with bacon or sausage with good ol' American cheese and a little grape jelly. Mmm Mmm.  How do you like your English Muffins?



Once you make homemade, you'll never buy store bought again. I had every ingredient on hand, which was good as I decided to make this pretty last minute. I wanted to keep my promise that I will share a recipe post once a week.



Even though I have loads of homework to do. That's OK though! I love you guys. You guys have stuck by me for 4 YEARS. Well a lot of you have. That's crazy. So let's celebrate with MUFFINS!

Please check out the tips at the end of the recipe instructions!

This recipe is from the lovely Laura Vitale of www.laurainthekitchen.com. She has a video and instructions on her website if you love videos!

Laura Vitale's recipe for English Muffins

Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups of Whole Milk, scalded (i used 2% as it was all I had)

5 cups of Bread Flour
1 Egg
2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp of Vegetable Shortening, melted
2 ½ Tbsp of sugar
1 ½ tsp of Salt
1 tsp of Baking Soda
1 Envelope of Active Dry Yeast, (2 ¼ tsp) plus 1 tsp of sugar
Cornmeal

1) In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar over the milk and allow it to sit and foam for a few minutes. Add the shortening, butter and egg to the yeast mixture and whisk together to combine. I used 4 tablespoons of butter. However you don't need to use butter or shortening, I forgot both the first time I made this and they turned out very well and less fat!

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and milk mixture. If you do not own a stand mixer just add the flour mixture to the milk mixture.

3) Mix the dough on low until the flour is incorporated, turn the speed up to medium and knead for 3 to 4 minutes or until the dough is smooth but still sticky.

4) Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, place it in a warm place and allow it to rise for about 2 hours.

5) Dump the dough on a floured surface, knead it together and cut it into 18 equal pieces (if you like smaller English muffins, cut them into 22 equal pieces). Roll each piece into a ball, press them down with your hand to form a patty and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle the top of your patties with a little more cornmeal, cover them with a kitchen towel or  spray the boules with cooking spray (to prevent sticking) and put plastic wrap over boules, and let them rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

6) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

7) Preheat a griddle pan or a skillet to medium heat, gently lift each round with a spatula, place it on the hot griddle and let them cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides (do them in batches). Place them back on the baking sheet, then place them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Allow them to cool a bit before serving. Then using a fork, Laura suggests to prick muffins opened with a fork to get extra nook and crannies. 

Some tips!
In my opinion, the key to a kick ass muffin is the size (besides taste of course). If you have a kitchen scale, make sure each boule (ball) of dough is about 2.5-3.0 ounces. If you do not own a kitchen scale, please make sure the ball fits in the palm of your hand at least. If this helps I made 18. So make 18 equal boules. Also, I was hoping this would be vegan for my non meat-dairy friends, but freaking forgot this recipe calls for milk. I think this recipe will work if you substitute a cup of warm water and a cup of soy milk a room temperature for milk. And the first time I made this recipe I used neither butter or vegetable shortening (rarely have that on hand anyway) and it still worked! And lastly these muffins keeps well in the freezer!!!! So the night before just thaw as many as you want to use for the next day and you have muffins for your family. I like to cook a lot of sausage patties to make it a bit more rounded.

ENJOY!

January 1st, 2013 with Mama

I am trying to use my blog a lot more. So excuse me if there is a lot of randomness. I will really try hard to post some recipes here soon. I plan on baking a lot this week. Especially as my oldest has the week off this week!! This means more cooking and baking with the little ones, more half naked kids running around, sleeping in, playground visits, riding the streetcar around town, cuddling, and most of all driving my husband bonkers.

Today we celebrated big and loud with the exception of my lil man. He hates loud. But we like to scream as loudly as possible around the house after the "ball drops" to rid the house of any evil negative energy. 

Here are some photos from today and some 40 minutes prior to 1st

I dusted (wanted a clean start)

We celebrated with balloons.

With champagne and "champagne" for the little ones.

\

Even Candy Cane shot glasses (full of orange juice)

I baked cookies on New years Eve

I made our traditional doughnut breakfast

Cooked a good meal- Ribs with homemade asian bbq sauce, braised cabbage. and black eyed pea salad mm mmm mmmmm. and some wine ;-)

played barbies. they play with one another anyway they can 

Watch the kids get along in 10 minute spurts.

What a great day. I hope to end everyday reflecting on all the positive and learning from what didn't go well. Lately, more than ever, it's important to me to focus on what's happening right now. Sure I have preparations to make, but I will not let it consume me and distract me from what's going on now.

I hope everyone had a wonderful 1st of January. Hope this year is a great one for you all!!!!

Food, Hair, and School Update- Mobile Style

HEYYYYY! I've been kinda busy lately. I've been itching to blog about food because I've been trying out some really cool recipes. But I don't have time. Unless you want photos from my camera phone and I post recipes with them? Let me know if you want the recipes or a link to where the recipe can be found and I'll be more than happy to share!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that I am currently FIFTY FIVE credits away from graduation!!!!!! I am not sure how long it will take me, but I am happy to have a concrete number. As far as my classes now, I have a test tonight, and a midterm next week. Why the hell am I here? Because I am sharing an update with you all(procrastinating). You've been very kind and supportive of my journey. I try not to talk about it too much, because talking about any one subject all the time gets tiresome....though I don't know when to shut up about food.

My hair? So far no breakage. I started doing twist outs,  then I put mini(and mean mini) pineapples in at night as they were quicker than twisting and  it stretched my hair way better. Then I just got really busy and I do wash and gos every.single.day. lol. I am def going to need a trim soon!

                                 Ordered this from target! LOVE THEM!

Next Day after using the Keratin Deep Condition

I wash and go every damn day. So shiny and crazy!

OK can't post a blog without photos!

Food from my mobile. I cook breakfast almost everyday. I also prepare dinner earlier in the day so my husband can finish it when he comes home. That way he and the kids have fresh homemade dinners every day. My husband is also eating less carbs so we're trying a variety of new dishes with less carbs.
                                 Avocado Egg Cups

                                 
                                 Mini Frittata

                                 Avocado Egg Cups with Chorizo

                                 Avocado Egg Cups with Chorizo and Homemade Salsa

Cowboy Breakfast for my man, Bison Steaks and Eggs

                                  My little man helping make Almond Flour pancakes

                                 My son's favorite burger- Beef and mushroom burgers

I've made some great waffles but I have to say, Yeast Waffles are the BEST!!!

                                 Yeast pancakes!! Just in case you don't have a waffle iron

                                 Gluten Free Coconut-Blueberry Waffles

                                 Bacon, Egg, Toast cups

                                 Egg, Bacon, (McMom)Muffin

Gluten Free Almond Pancakes! Great but a bit eggy tasting but the family loved them. Will def experiment with this

I just want to thank you all for the support. I rarely lookk at blog stats, and being a wishy washy blogger I always expect to see maybe 10 views maybe even 25 at the most on my post, but it seems like you still kinda care. Thank you! I will try to keep up with any blog. Y'all know you will see at least 10 in a night. 

Mama's Christmas 2011 via Instagram and Camera +

For those of you who do not follow on instagram or twitter and those who ignore me on either.  A little of my Christmas via my iPhone. Instagram is my favorite app, and I share a lot and the folk I follow inspire me tremendously. Hope you enjoy!!

Pre Christmas
1st day of Christmas Chewy Sugar cookies from www.cooksillustrated.com

So good they were gone in less than 2 days....

Mincemeat mixed up- I shredded the apple this year also added some of the syrup from my homemade candied clementine peels.


Rich Brioche Ingredients


My little man the Tony Montana of flour. Seriously the leftover flour after I kneaded the dough he went to town on...sigh


Made delicious Buttered Pecan Scones from Dessert for Two. Helped my husband get in the mood to wrap some pressies...he really enjoys wrapping presents.


Some truffle prep (before i covered them in chocolate) for How Sweet It Is's Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles. Soooo good. I used cocoa crispies as well as rice krispies in the dough. They were gone in an hour. Sigh



We did a lot of crafts and spruced up our living room this month. To reward my family, I made Joy the Baker's Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes. Really good, so good I only got one!! Thank you family ;)


Random bath time 'take a picture of me mommy' flick.


Some of the interesting 'snowmen' from one of our craft night. We are proud anyway and display them...in the main bathroom, but still...people will see them.


Homemade Potato Thyme Rolls ready for the oven!


Cranberry anxiously waiting to be turned into cranberry sauce!


On to the goose aka Bertha Mae!

The toasted star anise, szechuan peppers, cinnamon stick, cloves, and fennel ready to be turned in a powder in the coffee grinder (i don't use it to grind coffee just spices!)


The goose all massaged with orange, lemon, lime zest, and my 5 spice powder! Inspired by Gordon Ramsey! Must work on my scoring technique, though!


I then stuffed the bird with a pricked apple, foie gras, rosemary, sage, orange, and of course seasoned with salt.


Put in the fridge, then sat at room temp about 30 minutes before roasting the next day


More prep
With my homemade brioche loaves, I made savory bread pudding with brioche, bacon and leeks!


First time ever making collard greens because they're usually ALWAYS out at the commissary! Not this year and I put my foot in them!


Oh Christmas tree


My Santa Man enjoying mince pie and a spiked mug of homemade eggnog!


Our living room featuring another craft!


As close to a white Christmas as we were getting this year...


Faking on Christmas Eve...can't fool santa!


LOVE my footed pajamas! Bought these from Walmart back in November and they actually fit my tall self!!! Santa likes them a lot ;)


Hamhocks and Collards....mmmmmmmmm. I put way more collards in, by the way, this is half way through.


Bertha Mae! If you enjoy the dark meat on an poultry, you will enjoy goose. So damn good and the fat that drips out is amazing. It's a gift that keeps on giving!!! More people need to get on the goose train ;)


Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside goose fat roasted potatoes! We will make this again with the saved goose. If you don't have goose fat, use crisco. What makes goose awesome is that it has an insanely high smoke point so no disgusting fumes and it gets REALLY hot.


Dinner!


Spiced Goose w/ honey
Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes
Collard Greens and Hamhocks
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (i had a photo of the process the iphone literally died I had to run to the repair dude's house. Luckily he fixed it for me quickly!)
Savory Bread Pudding with Brioche, Leeks, and Bacon
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Potato Thyme Rolls

I also made A chocolate mousse pie, but we were too full to eat it. Still waiting for us in the fridge! I also took a lot of photos with my camera and a even more video. Look for a video from me after the new year!!

Thank you all for reading! I really hope you all are having a grand holiday!!!! 

Love Sommer and Family


spent most of the day in our jammies! well my daughter in the play dress we got her for Christmas.


from my own camera- Me and my son. He's with his family again for Christmas :(