Homemade Laundry Detergent, and other things

Well, I'm feeling much better these days and so I've decided to finally post about homemade laundry detergent. I started making this several months ago, using the below recipe (which I got from the SouleMama blog), and am happy to report that it's super easy to make and works wonderfully--even on Keith's nasty hospital scrubs. Also, I am sure it's saving us at least a little bit of  money!

Homemade Laundry Detergent:
-2 cups finely grated castille soap (I use Dr Bronner's)
-1 cup borax
-1 cup baking soda
-1 cup soda ash (also called washing soda)

Mix together and that's it! I use about an 1/8 cup per load.

PS I've recently discovered some very nice blogs:
Tend
Food in Jars
BapStory
Natalie Creates
Local Kitchen
How i Get Through Today

Oh, and reading this great book, The Dirty Life--it almost makes me want to become a farmer...and this looks like it might be good, The Future by Miranda July.

Arabic Coffee

Well, it's April, and it's snowing. This weather calls for a hot drink, namely, oh so delicious arabic coffee.

Arabic Coffee
adapted from Crescent, by Diana Abu Jaber
(makes 1 cup)

2 tbsp finely ground coffee
1 cardamom pod
1-2 tsp sugar (depending how sweet you want it to be)
milk or cream

Put coffee and water in a small pan and stir. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add cardamom and sugar, stir. Bring to a second boil, let settle. Then bring to a third boil. Pour into a cup and add milk or cream (traditionally it's supposed to be served black).

Also, the recipe says the third boil is supposed to make lots of foam which you then top the coffee with, but i've yet to accomplish this (Diana Abu Jaber says being able to do so is the sign of an accomplished coffee maker--guess i'm not there yet)!

This Is Not Healthy

But it is delicious!

For years I have unsuccessfully been trying to bake bread. Each time it would turn out hard as a rock and wet in the middle. But this time ladies and gentlemen, we had a winner. Here's the recipe for Delicious But Unhealthy White Bread (makes 2 loaves).

Ingredients:
-2 packages active dry yeast
-3 tablespoons sugar
-2 1/2 cups warm water
-3 tablespoons butter, softened
-1 tablespoon salt
-6 1/2 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in butter, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

2.Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3.Punch the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans (or save one for the next day in the fridge). Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

4.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

5.Bake at 375 degrees F  for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Voila!

A Little Taste Of Summer

I saw a recipe for this salad on the blog 3191 the other day (I can't link to this right now as I'm using my iPhone). Anyway, when the grayness of winter gets you down, this is the thing to eat! It seriously tastes like sunshine. Here's the recipe: arugala, grapefruit, avocado (I added pea shoots too). Dressing: olive oil and lemon. That's it! Who knew it could be so easy to eat summer in winter!

Delicata, Kale and Cranberry Bean Salad

Sometimes I go through a short spell where I don't feel like eating anything, when I just feel so sick of everything I usually eat. For the past week K has been feeling this way. However, I think I broke the spell with this fall salad I made yesterday.

I found this recipe in Gourmet a few years ago and remembered loving it when I made last autumn. It is really simple and delicious and I can't believe I've only eaten it a few times this year! Maybe having the recipe here on the blog will remind me to make it more often...

Delicata, Kale and Cranberry Bean Salad
2 medium delicata squash
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1/2 bunch kale
1 large shallot
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tsp coarse salt
1 can cranberry or cannellini beans

1)Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash into 1/2 inch thick semicircles. Toss with oil and bake till tender.
2)Mix balsamic + honey. Brush some onto squash. Bake 5 more min.
3)Cook shallot and garlic in oil. Add red-wine vinegar and rest of balsamic+honey, bring to boil.
4) Pour hot dressing over kale and sprinkle with salt.
5) Add squash+beans

Okay, so this is a salad so of course the recipe doesn't have to be closely followed. Yesterday when I made this I didn't include the shallots/garlic. I also didn't have any cranberry beans and so used adzuki beans. And it was still super delicious.

ChchchChanges...and Pumpkin Pancakes

I truly wish I had my camera with me yesterday, as instead of leaves crunching under our feet--it was snow! Keith and I had headed up to Snowbird in the morning as they were giving free tram rides if you brought a can of food. Since we plan to get our ski passes there, it was the perfect oppurtunity to check out the mountain.

When we first arrived there was just a fine drizzle, but after breakfast, fat drops of snow were falling from the sky! By the time we reached the top of the mountain (at 11,000 feet!) we were in the middle of a storm! It was truly beautiful!

As for other changes, Jonsi cancelled his acoustic in-store performance, but not the show. It was good, but not amazing. Still, I'll post some footage soon. Also, tomorrow is my first full day of work! I went up to Park City for a few hours Thursday and geeze, the baby is so unbelievably tiny!! She's two months and only weighs 9 lbs! Unfortunately, she, "has a little bit of a gas problem." Here's to hoping she doesn't cry too much due to her gas pains!!!!

Also, I had hoped to post a butternut squash soup recipe, but alas, have not been able to find one I like. Every one I've tried so far has been too sweet for me. However, this morning I made pumpkin pancakes. They were really good! Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix: 1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

In a separate bowl mix: 1 cup milk
6 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and cook!

Avocado Dip

Yesterday I made this really delicious (and healthy) recipe for tsog which comes from this website (thanks to Elinore and her recommendation). Here it is:

Juice of two lemons

1 bunch of cilantro

4 cloves of garlic

1 to 2 Serano peppers (I think any would do. I used 1 unnamed one and it was fine)

1- 1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 avocados

Blend.

PS On the website they recommended thinning this with water and using it as a salad dressing...

Gazpacho Recipe

Every year I wait for the days of fresh tomatoes in order to make this amazing Gazpacho. The recipe comes from a book my sister-in-law's mom gave my mom a long time ago!

 Gazpacho
-2 or 3 cloves of garlic
-2 teaspoons salt
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-2 tablespoons vinegar
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-2 cups tomato juice (i always use v8 and it is seriously delicious)
-2 cucumbers peeled and chopped
-4 large tomatoes, choppped

That's it!

This One Goes Out To You Mom and Dad!/Pizza Recipe

For some reason I feel a little embarressed to post recipes here. But since we moved into the new house, and since I simply cannot find a job, I have been cooking all kinds of delicious things during my oodles of free time--with really only one major flop (i.e. the cherry cobbler in which I spent an hour pitting cherries and then proceeded to forget to add the buttermilk before baking it--i blame that night's IPhone craziness--and yes, I finally have a real cell phone!). Anyway, back to recipes...

In my mind, my parent's are both fantastic cooks--everything they make is delicious. With one exception--they can't make pizza. I haven't witnessed/tasted this for myself, but believe me, I've heard lots about all their many pizza efforts--with each one turning out to be a dud.

So I was extremely sceptical when I decided to try my hand at pizza making a few weeks ago. I mean, if Dick and Mags couldn't do it, how could I (especially since I have a similar problem as my parent's, only it involves breadmaking!)? But I came across a recipe in a cookbook by Mark Bittman (who I'd heard had really simple/easy to make recipes) from the library... And low and behold--the pizza came out wonderfully (the pcture really doesn't do it justice).

So, this one's for you mom and dad--here's the foolproof recipe:

-3 cups all-purpose or bread flour

-2 tsps instant yeast

-2 tsps coarse salt

-2 tbsp olive oil

1) Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor (although I mixed it by hand as I don't have a food processor and it worked perfectly fine). Turn the machine on and add 1 cup warm water and the oil through the feed tube (feed tube?)

2)Process about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time until mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to touch. If it's dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process another 10 seconds. If for some reason the mixture is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.

3)Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand a few seconds till it forms a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover. Let rise until dough doubles (1-2 hrs). Mark Bittman says you can cut this rising time short if you're in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise slowly for 6-8 hrs in the fridge. You can then either go on to the next step or freeze for up to a month (he says to defrost in a covered bowl in the fridge or at room temp).

4)When dough is ready, form into a ball and divide into 2 or more pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball. Put each piece on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise until they puff slightly, about 20 min. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

5)Press the dough onto an olive-oiled baking sheet. Then pat out the dough as thin as you like.

6)Bake about 15 minutes until browned.

7)Don't use really wet toppings or the dough becomes soggy.

I Go In Spurts

I do. Sometimes cooking is the last thing I want to do--epsecially after getting home from work at night. And sometimes everything I make for weeks will be dreadful. But then...there are times when somehow I hit a string of wonderful recipes and everything I make is delicious! I love that--it's where I am this moment.

I think it's because I'm moving out of my house in three days. Headed first to retreat for a month, then to my parents or cousin's house for a few weeks, and then off to Asia...No kitchen of my own (at least an American one) for at least 14 months! And so suddenly I can't stop cooking--it's my last chance for so long.

And so there's been a dinner of rice and eggs and applewood smoked bacon, cornmeal cake with blackberry jam sauce from this recipe, and this morning's breakfast of delectable grits adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

Slab Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Broiled Grits

-cooked applewood smoked bacon (I used leftovers from the other night's dinner)

-2 cups milk

-1 cup grits

-salt and pepper

-1 3/4 cups grated sharp cheddar

-2 cups water

1) Combine milk and water in a pan. Cover and bring to boil.

2)Add grits and pinch of salt. Lower to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until grits thicken.

3)Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring every few minutes.

5)Add pinch of pepper (I didn't as I hate pepper!), crumbled bacon, 1 1/4 cups cheese and mix. Transfer to baking dish or skillet and broil till cheese is bubbly. Eat!

The Bittersweet/Final Day of Work/Granola Recipe

*The most amazing ice cream I've ever had in my life! Ariane's homemade honey and lavender. So deliciously creamy and the flavors oh so complex...

*The sharp smell of tomato plants as you accidentally brush against them while watering.

*Coconut roti with blackberry jam

*Thai iced tea

*Delicious granola. Here's the recipe (adapted from the Barefoot Contessa):

4 cups oats
2 cups shredded coconut (i use unsweetened but the original recipe recommends sweetened)
2 cups almonds (sliced or otherwise)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
dried fruit (i use whatever I have--this time I added a cup of apricots/cherries/blueberries)

Preheat oven to 350
Toss oats, coconut and almonds with honey and oil
Spread on baking sheet
Bake, stirring occasionally until golden brown
When golden mix in fruit

That's it!

Chai

In America, the only time I've found good chai is at Indian or Nepali restaurants--forget about those pre-made mixes from Whole Foods! Here is my favorite chai recipe:

2 black peppercorns or 1/8 tsp ground pepper

4 cloves

5 cardamom pods (or like 1/2 tsp powder)

3 cups water

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp loose black tea

1) Crush the peppercorns, cloves and cardamom

2) Bring spices and water to a boil over medium heat. Steep 5 min.

3) Stir in milk and sugar--return to boil.

4) Remove pan from heat, add tea. Steep 3 min.

5) Strain and enjoy!

Dad's Hot Fudge Sauce-Happiness 4

Once upon a time, years and years before my husband and I married, we were a bit on the fritz. I had to woo him back to me. Little did he know I had a secret weapon. All I needed was a pan, a whisk, and a few ingredients. Many sundaes and at least ten pounds later, I had him right where I wanted him—prone on the futon.

Seriously though, on a cold winter night, there’s nothing to take the damp out of your bones like making a batch of hot fudge from scratch. As you slowly whisk sugar and milk into butter and chocolate, the kitchen smelling like the inside of a candy bar, hot steam covering your arms—the chill disappears—the memory of it vanishes. And you’re left with an unforgettable taste.

Dad's Hot Fudge Sauce

You need:
-4 blocks unsweetened chocolate
-1 stick butter
-2 cps confectionary sugar
-1 can evaporated milk

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (set the chocolate and butter in a smallish metal pan or bowl inside a larger pan which has a couple inches of water in it--boil this water so the chocolate will slowly melt and not burn over a direct flame).

After that's melted, alternately whisk in the sugar and milk. Whisk until thick--about a half hour.

This recipe makes a lot--I had enough for an ice cream cake I made for Keith's birthday and a good size smuckers jar full. Be prepared for an orgy of chocolate.

Flapjacks!

I don't make pancakes very often. Actually, until last week I don't think I'd made them for seven years! Pancakes are something I eat when I'm staying with my parents. I think of my dad, and I think of pancakes. Pancakes aren't me. Flapjacks, on the other hand. I am all about flapjacks--although I never made them until last weekend. Since then I've had them twice and might just have them again in a few minutes...

This recipe is adapted from one I came across in the Jan/Feb 2008 edition of Saveur magazine. It's originally from a small country store restaurant in New Hampshire. Okay, here it is--the most delicious breakfast recipe I know:

Mix: 2 cups flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Mix:
2 cups buttermilk
4 tbsp melted butter
2 beaten eggs

Whisk both mixtures together until just combined. Heat 1tbsp butter over medium heat and cook flapjacks one at a time. Last time I made them I added tiny pieces of banana and it was so so delicious! These might not be dad's blueberry pancakes--but they'll do!