Caribou Lou

Now that halloween has gone and past and putting away the decorations, I see the "fall" decor and just sigh. The holidays are here. Between the holidays and football season, Food and drinks with friends are in our future. Every year other than the turkey for Thanksgiving and a prime rib for Christmas, I try to do something different or perfecting my dishes, but the one thing that I honestly don't think about is mixed drinks. Sure, wine and imported beer are great to drink with our dinners but I'm starting to get bored and want to step out of my comfort zone. My son is starting to listen to various types of music and rap (hip hop) has been one of them. I was searching for drinks when I heard Tech N9ne singing his song Caribou Lou and remember having it once at a comedy club a couple years ago and was mouth watering and strong, with that I decided that I was going to master this drink. After several attempts and a drunk husband, I got the ratio down.  1 oz equals one standard shot glass.


1 1/2 oz 151 proof rum
1 oz Coconut rum
5 oz pineapple juice

Shake well and serve with ice in a highball glass, add pineapple slice to glass for garnish. 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

I make these for the boys all the time. I prefer to use fresh blueberries but as winter comes along, finding tasty fresh berries are hard to find here in Colorado so I make due with frozen. I rinse them and sprinkle just enough sugar to give them a boost and let them thaw at room temperature. If the loaf actually lasts through the night, pop in the microwave for 10 seconds and it makes a tasty breakfast with coffee. Enjoy!






       For the yummy bread:
          ½ cup Salted Butter

       ½ cup Sugar

       1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

       2 whole Egg Yolks

       1 ¾ cup All-purpose Flour ( I like using King Arthur)

       ½ teaspoon Baking Powder 

           ⅓ cups Milk

       1½ cup Blueberries (If using frozen, make sure that you strained every       ounce of water otherwise it will take longer and meaning a burnt top.)

2 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
2 whole Egg Whites
¼ cup White Sugar
FOR THE FILLING:
8 ounces (1 package) room temperature Cream Cheese
½ cup Sugar
1 ½ Tablespoon Flour
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
FOR THE GLAZE:
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoons Vanilla
1 teaspoon Water

For the bread:
Cream butter and sugar (1/2 cup) until fluffy. Add salt and vanilla. Add egg yolks (save the egg whites as you’ll need them later) to the sugar mixture; beat until creamy. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine flour (1 1/2 cups) and baking powder. Add this mixture, alternately with milk to egg yolk mixture.
Coat berries with 1 tablespoon flour and add them to the batter.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar small amounts at a time (1/4 cup), and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter.
Pour 1/2 of the batter (or a little less) into a floured and greased bread pan. Layer the filling over the batter and then finish with remainder of batter. This will create a layer of “cheesecake” between the blueberry batter.


For the filling:


In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, egg and lemon zest; beat until smooth. Set aside.


Glaze: 
 
Stir together the glaze ingredients and set aside.
Pour glaze over top of unbaked loaf and bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes.

Photo credit: thekeenancookbook.com

Fruity Delight

1 c. drained fruit cocktail bits

1 c. chopped pineapple bits

1 c. marshmallows

½ c. drained maraschino cherries

1 ½ c. sour cream

Combine everything and mix together lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve

Photo: insanemamacita.com

Sara Lee's Pound Cake

                                                        

1/2 pound real butter
1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons dry powdered milk
1 2/3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon lemon extract and vanilla

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 8 1/2-inch loaf dish with Pam and lightly floured.

Cream butter with sugar on high until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and powdered milk;set aside. Add 1 egg and then a little flour, beating 2 minutes. Add 2nd egg and half of remaining flour and beat 2 minutes. Add sour cream, rest of flour and extract, beating 2 minutes.

Spread batter evenly in dish. Bake for 65 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from dish. Slice 1/2-inch thick.

Photo: farsnotoria.blogspot.com

Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse

1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 drop red food coloring

Process berries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain mixture into a small bowl, and discard seeds. Add the sugar and liqueur, and stir until sugar dissolves. Makes 1 cup of sauce.
In a heavy saucepan on low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream and the white chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts. Let mixture cool until it is lukewarm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of raspberry sauce, and the food coloring. Transfer to a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whip remaining 1 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Fold into melted chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until no streaks remain.
Layer into parfait dishes, and serve with the sauce. May also be used to fill or ice a cake.

Courtesy: Stacey Walery @allrecipes.com

photo: garfavanspice.blogspot.com

Raspberry Diamonds

For the cookies:

11-1/4 ounces  (2-1/2 cups) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon  cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon  table salt

8 ounces  (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup  granulated sugar

2 tablespoons  confectioners' sugar

1 large  egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon  pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon  pure almond extract

6 tablespoons  raspberry jam (I prefer seedless)

For the almond glaze:

1 cup  sifted confectioners' sugar

  Pinch table salt

1 tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon water

1/4 teaspoon  pure almond extract

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cream of tartar and salt until well blended. With a stand mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into six equal pieces. If the dough is very soft, wrap each portion in plastic and refrigerate until firmer, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and have ready two large ungreased baking sheets (or line them with nonstick baking liners). If the dough is in the refrigerator, remove it and unwrap it. Using your hands or a rolling pin (or both), shape each piece into a flat 12x1-1/2-inch strip about 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour if needed. Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart.

Using the butt end of a knife handle dipped lightly in flour, make an indentation down the middle of each strip (this will widen the strip to about 1-3/4 inches and make a depression about halfway down into the strip). Spread 1 tablespoon of the jam evenly down the indentation of each strip.

Bake until the cookie strips are lightly browned on the bottom and edges, about 20 minutes. Let the strips cool on the sheets on racks for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to racks to cool completely (a long offset metal spatula is good for this). Before glazing, set the rack over a baking sheet or a sheet of waxed paper. If you plan to freeze these cookies, do it before glazing.

In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the salt, water, and almond extract. The glaze should be thick enough to hold its shape when drizzled; add more confectioners' sugar or water if needed. Using the tines of a fork, drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooled cookie strips. (Or transfer the glaze to a sturdy zip-top plastic bag, snip off a tiny bit of one corner of the bag and drizzle.) Leave the cookies on the rack until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each bar on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick diamond shapes.

Store at room temperature or freeze (unglazed) in an airtight container, separating the cookie layers with waxed paper.

From: Fine Cooking Magazine

Orange Baskets

6 large navel oranges

2 slices canned pineapple

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

6 large strawberries

Wash oranges; dry well. Cut a round slice off the bottom. Excavate all the pulp you can. Discard the white membranes. Clean out the shells. Place pulp in a bowl and combine with the pineapple, bananas and sugar. Gently fold in strawberries. Fill the rinds with this mixture.

Whip cream. Add confectioners' sugar and almond extract a second or two before beating ends. If desired, tint the mixture pink with food color. Heap orange baskets. In the center of each basket, place 1 whole strawberry. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

source:www.recipegoldmine.com photo:Taste of Home

Waldorf Salad

1/4 cup salad dressing

1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon skim milk
2 cups coarsely chopped unpeeled red eating apples,
1 cup chopped celery stalks
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped nuts
Salad greens, if desired

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and milk in medium bowl.

Stir in apples, celery and nuts. Serve on salad greens. Cover and refrigerate any remaining salad.

Photo: simplyrecipes.com

Fruit, Nutty, Whole Grain Bars

 1 cup rolled oats 

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds 

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ 

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour 

1/2 cup dried apricots 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup dried pitted dates 

1/2 cup raw almonds3

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/3 cup pure maple syrup 
2 large eggs




 

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Place oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, flour, fruit, almonds, dry milk, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and well blended.
Add maple syrup and eggs and pulse until everything is well blended.
Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Allow to cool and a wire rack on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut bars into desired size and shape.

Once they are completely cool, you can store these fruity, nutty, chewy, healthy granola bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days

photo:Posted by jacqui sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com

source: www.best-ever-cookie-collection.com

Apple Butter

1/2 red delicious apple

1/2 Granny Smith apple

2 cups softened unsalted butter

1/8 cup applejack brandy

1/4 cup apple juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/16 teaspoon pepper

In food processor, puree whole cored apples (skin on).

Add all remaining ingredients and blend until liquid is incorporated and entire batch is smooth.

Source:www.goldminerecipes.com photo:closetcooking.blogspot.com

Breakfast Shake

1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup of sliced strawberries or whole blueberries
1 cup of fruit juice
1 tablespoon of honey or sugar

Slice the strawberries on a cutting board with a knife (parents may want to do this step).
Pour all the ingredients into the blender.
Put the lid on and blend until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Photo: www.recipedose.com