Those Were the Days

I had a cake mix with no expiration date on it.  That's how old it is.  Ah, the good old days.  Welp, it can only mean one thing; it's still good. 

Chocolate Chip Cake with Strawberries

Chocolate chip cake mix
Buttercream frosting (see below)
9-12 large strawberries, washed, hulled and dried

Prepare cake according to directions.  If you can't find a chocolate chip cake mix add some mini chips to a yellow cake mix batter.  I would say about one cup.  When cake is completely cool, frost.  Top with strawberries right before serving.  

Buttercream Frosting from Wilton
Makes about 3 cups of icing.

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk

Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.
For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

Easy Fruit Tart

Easy Fruit Tart
From Joy of Baking
Serves 6-8

Shortbread Crust
1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour (for light French flour use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 cake flour)
1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cream Filling
1/2 cup (120 ml) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat content)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
3 cups (720 ml) fruit (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.) I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries only

Shortbread Crust: Butter or lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be covered and stored for a few days.

Cream Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer or wire whisk) beat the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract just until soft peaks form. If too thick to spread, beat in a little more heavy cream.

To Assemble Tart: Evenly spread the cream onto the baked and cooled tart shell. Scatter the berries on top of the cream. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving to give the fruit and cream a chance to warm to room temperature.

Here is the crust recipe I use.

No Roll Pie Crust Dough

From Bon Appetit

Makes one 10 inch pie crust

3/4 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 T powered sugar

2 c. flour

Melt butter. Add sugars and stir. Add flour and stir. Spray pie plate with Pam. Press dough into plate. Refrigerate at least 30 min.

Christmas Cookie Crust

I pulled out old Christmas cookies from the refrigerator to make a graham cracker crust.  I need to tweak the recipe a little.  But don't worry, there are lots more left over Christmas cookies.  Oh, and I used up some old yogurt as well. 

Strawberry-Yogurt Pie

Serves 6-8

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled 
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 envelope (1/4 oz.) unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel 
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (9 in.)
• 1/2 cup miniature or regular chocolate chips

1. 1. Coarsely chop about half the strawberries, to equal 11/2 cups chopped berries (reserve remaining ones for garnish). In a 2- to 3-quart pan over medium heat, stir chopped strawberries, sugar, and gelatin until gelatin and sugar are dissolved and mixture is boiling. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt, vanilla, and orange peel until well blended (chunks of strawberries will be visible). Pour into pie crust.
2. 2. Chill until set, at least 6 hours, or cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 1 day. Just before serving, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top of pie. Slice remaining strawberries. Cut pie into wedges; serve with sliced berries.

Andee Zetterbaum, Stockton, California, Sunset
JUNE 2003

Calories per serving: 258 

Fresh Strawberries

My First Strawberry

I planted strawberries last fall.  They were ridiculously cheap since strawberries should be planted in the spring. 

Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

This is a perfect frosting for angel food cake and for a little girl turning 1.  Happy Birthday, Catherine.

Angel Food Cake
From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 10-12 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar

Directions

1. Separate eggs; discard yolks or cover and refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.  Frost with strawberry frosting.  Refrigerate.

Footnotes

Nutritional Analysis: One slice equals 101 calories, trace fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 59 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

This is an adaptation of Wilton's buttercream frosting

1 carton frozen strawberries with or without sugar, thawed 
4 c powered sugar
1/2 c butter at room temperature
1/2 Spectrum organic butter flavored shortening OR  1/2 butter at room temperature
1 t. vanilla


In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries, using only the berries and draining the liquid.   Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.  Adjust sugar/strawberry amount to desired consistency.




 

Ripe Yogurt

Oct 2010:
Ooooo, I'm going to buy some yogurt and use it to make my own. Didn't do it. Still have it.

Nov 2010:
Ooooo, I'm going to buy some yogurt and use it to make my own. Didn't do it. Still have it.

Dec 2010:
Ooooo, I'm going to buy some yogurt and use it to make my own. Didn't do it. Still have it.

Is there a pattern here? Lucky for me the last one I bought I mistakenly picked up vanilla flavored.

Yogurt Parfait
Makes 1

3/4 c. vanilla flavored yogurt, divided
2/3 c. frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed
1 T. blueberries
2 T. granola

Spoon 1/2 cup of yogurt into a parfait or other glass. Top with strawberries. Next add blueberries. Spoon the rest of the yogurt on top of the fruit. Sprinkle with granola.

You can use fresh strawberries. Wash, remove tops and slice. Sprinkle with desired amount of sugar and let sit until juice is made.

Amounts for a McDonald's size yogurt parfait:

In a 6 oz cup layer:

1/4 c. vanilla yogurt (bottom)
1/3 c. frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed
5 blueberries
2 T. vanilla yogurt
1 T Nature Valley granola (top)

Fresh Picked Strawberries

Blue skies. White clouds. Green Fields. Red Berries.

I am freezing mine for smoothies. Don't wash the berries and leave the tops on. Fill a cookie sheet with a single layer of berries. Freeze until hard. Place in Ziploc bag. Be sure to wash the berries before using them.

Caramelized Condensed Milk

I have a great Key lime pie recipe. Sadly, my condensed milk is so old it had naturally caramelized. (Read turned brown and thick). Nobody would eat the pie. My answer to that (and to everything)--make it into a smoothie. I increased the milk to one cup and replaced the Key lime yogurt with a small slice of pie. I wonder how eatbetteramerica.com would feel about that.


Key Lime Pie

This recipe is just like a pie they sell in Florida for 12 bucks a pie.
Serves 8
From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 3 cups sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup key lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 16 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 554 | Total Fat: 20.5g | Cholesterol: 45mg

Nabisco Classic Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

8 whole HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups crumbs)-use a food processor.

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preparation:

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Mix in food processor.

PRESS firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Strawberry-Key Lime Smoothies

Potassium Plus

Potassium can blunt the effects of salt on blood pressure. This recipe supplies an excellent source of potassium.

From eatbetteramerica.com

Prep Time:10 min

Start to Finish:10 min

makes:2 servings

1	cup frozen organic strawberries
1/2	cup calcium-enriched orange juice or fat free (skim) milk
2	containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Key lime pie yogurt

1.	In blender, place all ingredients. Cover and blend on high speed about 1 minute or until smooth.
2.	Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information 1 Serving: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 5); Total Fat 1g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 100mg; Total Carbohydrate 47g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 42g); Protein 9g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 150%; Calcium 35%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Skim Milk; 0 Vegetable Carbohydrate Choices: 3


My Key Lime Pie Smoothie

1 cup milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 piece of Key lime pie
1/2 c. ice (optional, but use if the strawberries are not frozen)

Blend until smooth.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
from Cook's Illustrated

1/3 c. Balsamic vinegar
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. lemon juice
3 pints strawberries (about 18 0z) hulled and cut lenghtwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (small strawberries can be halved or quartered)
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar (if you don't have light brown sugar you can substitute granulated sugar)
Ground black pepper (optional)

Bring vinegar, 2 t. sugar, and lemon juice to simmer in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until syrup is reduced by half (about 3 T.), about 3 min. Remember if you reduce too much you can always add water. Transfer vinegar syrup to small bowl and cool completely.

With spoon, lightly toss berries and brown sugar in large bowl. Let stand until sugar dissolves and berries exude some jice, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour vinegar syrup over berries, add pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Divide berries among individual bowls or goblets and serve immediately.
Two recommended supermarket vinegars- Lucini Gran Riserva Balsamico (more expensive) and Monari Federzoni Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (cheap).

OK now my tip. Vinegar is like salt. It cuts bitterness. Without calories I might add. If you are eating plain strawberries and want to cut the bitterness without adding sugar...just salt them.

Old Blueberry Pie

The glaze in the blueberry pie must be like formaldehyde. It was been around for weeks and is still good. Good but old. An on-the-run breakfast favorite around here is strawberry milk. Why not blueberry pie milk?

Strawberry Milk

1 c. milk
1 c. strawberries
Sugar to taste
Blend well in blender.

I use frozen strawberries and I leave the tops on. Greens! I add 1-2 T. of sugar.


Blueberry Pie Milk

1 c. milk
1 slice blueberry pie
1/2 c. ice (optional)
Blend well in blender.

Fresh Berries

...for the weekend.

Store Bought Jello

My husband was in the mood for Jello. We were out so we bought some. Ick. He wouldn't eat it. Throw out cheap Jello? Never! I melted it down to make a recipe everyone likes. It gave me a chance to use some old yogurt too. Today I used fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Jell-O Salad

3 small pkg. raspberry Jello
2 c. water
24 oz raspberry yogurt
10 0z pkg frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed or partially thawed

Heat water until very hot/almost boiling. For ease use the microwave. Stir in Jello and mix until it is dissolved. Spoon yogurt into separate bowl. Add Jello a little at a time, stirring each time until smooth. (You could use a blender for this instead) Stir in raspberries. Chill until set. You can make this with strawberries also.

Slimy Spinach

There is so much you can do with slimy spinach. One favorite of mine is to put it into smoothies. You can't taste it and it is an easy way to get more greens. Not an appetizing color however. Rinsing the spinach will take away some of the slime/bitterness.


Favorite Smoothie

1 c. apple juice
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. frozen peaches
1 banana
handful of spinach
1/2-1 c. ice depending on desired thickness

Add to blender in order and blend. Drink with a straw. :)

Often I substitute the strawberries and peaches with 1 c. frozen Dole mixed fruit from Sam's.