Day 31: Peach Pomegranate Crisp

Yield: 4 people
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches
½ lemon, juiced
1 lemon zested
¾ cup pomegranate seeds

¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup oats
1/3 cup butter, soft
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
½ cup walnuts

mascarpone

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Peel peaches and cut into slices and mix with lemon zest, juice, and pomegranate, and put into a 8 inch square casserole until it comes to almost filled, maybe half an inch from the top.
3. In another bowl, place all other ingredients and mix with hand until forms dough.
4. Crumble dough onto the top of the crisp covering all the exposed fruit.
5. Bake for 25 min or until knife goes easily into fruit and the top is a little brown.
6. Serve with mascarpone cream or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: so, I under baked mine a little and the peaches weren’t ripe enough, but the flavor was right on. I had never baked with pomegranate before, and they didn’t add a ton of flavor like I hoped, but they add a great crunch and a ton of color which was nice. If baked to the right temp this would be killer, and the mascarpone really always makes a dessert wonderful! This is a perfect fall scarf wearing kind of dessert you want to curl up with and watch Annie Hall, and is served best with good company…thanks Travis Maggie and Hailey!

Day 30: The Beet Goes On

Yield: 3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
2 beets
2 med carrots
1 lemon zested and juiced
½ tsp salt
½ cup cilantro

Directions:
1. Peel and grate the beets and the carrot into a big bowl
2. Add the lemon juice and zest, salt and cilantro and stir until combined.

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: BEST EVER! I think the only way to make this better would be to add a peeled grated granny smith apple. This dish reminds me and was inspired by the lovely Kyle out in Colorado. He made this for These United States and me on a cold snowy day while we were out visiting in Boulder. I’ve been craving it ever since! Its light, fresh and really makes you feel healthy and like your body is healing. Warning…beets make your bathroom time red, so if you think you are bleeding, you are not! And feel free to play with this one, add grapefruit instead of lemon, lime juice, or whatever! By the way, this salad was named by the lovely Maggie…

Day 29: Peppered Watermelon Granita

Yield: 1 9x13 Casserole Dish
Time (Start to Finish): 3 hours

Ingredients:
1 round watermelon (about 10 cups)
2 juiced lemons
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
pepper, freshly cracked

Directions:
1. Peel watermelon and cut into cubes. This recipe is dependant on a good watermelon, so if the store doesn’t have a nice looking one, I suggest making another flavor.
2. Put melon pieces in blender with sugar, lemon and salt. I had to do it in 2 batches.
3. Strain into a bowl and taste. If you need to add more sugar or lemon, feel free. The way it tastes now is how the final result will taste.
4. Pour into a casserole dish, it should come about half way up and place in the freezer uncovered.
5. In 1 hour, take out of freezer and scrape with a knife, breaking up the chunks, and place back in freezer. Repeat this every hour until frozen and fluffy.
6. Serve in a dish or watermelon shell, and crack pepper onto the top when you serve. Looks like watermelon seeds! Not too much pepper though, it will be overpowering.

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: I think this is so cute with the pepper looking like seeds in the melon. Tastes SO good too! If you want to go the whole nine yards, make a lime granita as well and put it on the bottom of a glass bowl so it looks like the skin of the melon. The flavors mix really well too, and just a touch of pepper really makes it incredible! Happy 4 weeks to me!! It’s almost a month and even though this week I have lacked motivation to blog, I have no for one second lost steam to cook. I think those around me are finally seeing im serious about this. It has also been BEAUTIFUL out yesterday and today, and a frozen watermelon treat is a perfect addition to the day. Sarah Law, remember that watermelon we carried all over high sierra and never ate and went bad and I threw away? This is in memory of that melon! Also, its for Laurence who claims to love ice, so I thought I would make something icy. Its super yummy, and even though it takes a lot of patience, I think it is so worth it in the end. Best summer treat known to man.

Day 28: Lemon Peach Bars

Yield: 9-12 bars
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup powdered sugar

2 cups gran sugar
2 lemons zested
¼ cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
4 eggs

½ cup cream cheese
1 egg
2/3 cup peaches

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Mix soft butter, flour, cinnamon and powdered sugar in bowl until forms a dough
3. Press into bottom of a casserole dish and bake 20 min until cooked but not brown
4. Mix in a bowl the gran sugar, eggs, zest, lemon juice and pour into cooked crust
5. Mix in a food processor the peaches, cream cheese and egg until smooth and pour on top of lemon.
6. Bake for 20 min until it browns on edges and stop shaking in the center. Let cool before you cut them

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: THESE ARE SO GOOD! They didn’t get a 5 because the peach cream cheese melts in and you cant tell its there, but it makes the lemon bars way less tart and gives it something very special. I could eat a ton of these! It is a great snack for this beautiful sunny day and I am having trouble staying inside and waiting for them to cool!! Please make this recipe; it is so easy and so delicious. The peaches really change the whole flavor…so while your mouth waters, I’m going to go eat one out in the hammock!

Day 27: Apple Chips with Peanut Sauce

Yield: 8-12 chips
Time (Start to Finish): 2.5 hours

Ingredients:
1 granny smith apple
1-2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250F
2. Peel, core and slice apple into 8-10 slices. Using a mandolin works best, but I don’t have one so a knife works just fine.
3. Place slices on a cookie sheet and drizzle honey on each slice, just a thin drizzle. Bake for 1 hour
4. Flip the slices carefully and drizzle honey on the other side. Bake for another hour or until browning, but not too brown!!!
5. I know this takes a while but so worth it! While they are baking mix honey peanut butter and cinnamon together. It will be a little thick so don’t over mix
6. When chips come out of the oven, immediately transfer to a cooling rack, and enjoy them!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: These were so good!!!! I LOVE apple chips and the sauce was just such a killer compliment. I served them to my roomie in bed and she said they would be perfect after school while watching animaniacs…so true! I ate these so fast, and since it took 2 and a half hours to make, I suggest making more than 1 apple worth.

Day 26: Rocky Road Brownies

Yield: 9-12 brownies
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 ½ sticks butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
1 2/3 cup almonds, chopped
½ bag marshmallows, sliced in half

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Melt chocolate and butter together in either microwave or in a double boiler (bowl over water boiling on stove)
3. In bowl put sugar, add melted chocolate
4. Add eggs, almond extract and flour, then add almonds
5. In greased casserole pan, pour batter and bake until 5 min away from being done
6. Take out and put a layer of marshmallows on top covering and bake in oven until brownies are done and mallows are slightly brown. 20-25 min

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: If you cant wake up in the morning…eat one of these. There is so much sugar you will be awake for hours. Keep them covered or the marshmallows will get hard, but they are so good!!! These are really good, but you can only eat a small bit, so if you don’t want a lot cut the recipe in half, and use as good a chocolate as you can. I brought these to work during a long busy day and I think they helped everyone wake up! They were hard to carry to work though, I think I got a bruise on my hip from the bag hitting me!

Day 25: Blue Potato Gratin

Yield: 3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
5 blue potatoes
3 cloves garlic

¼ cup cream
¼ cup soy milk

¼ parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/8 inch slices.
3. In small loaf or small oven friendly bowl, layer potatoes with chopped garlic and parmesan cheese. Tear pieces of butter every layer and press down
4. Pour in the cream and soy milk. You may not need all of it (mine was too soupy)
5. Top with parmesan cheese and bake until bubbly and potatoes are soft when poked with a knife

Rating: 3 strawberries
Notes: It was pretty soupy, I think I needed to add a little less liquid, but it was still very delicious! Anything with potatoes and garlic is a winner for me. Sorry I haven’t blogged in a couple days, but remember, I AM cooking every day, just not blogging. Sometimes computer work is tiring. I made this and brought it to work and everyone liked it but agreed I put in too much liquid. Maybe remove the soymilk and have it be all cream…

Day 24: Potato Salad 1

Yield: 2-3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 red potatoes
2 blue potatoes
1 small gold potato
1 hard boiled egg
½ cup caramelized onion (cooked on med until golden brown, takes like 10 min)
3 strips cooked bacon
1 celery stalk
3 sprigs cilantro
salt and pepper

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp mustard
2 tsp vinegar (red wine or apple cider)

Directions:
1. Cut potatoes into cubes, skins on and boil until BARELY soft. A knife should have a little resistance going in and cool
2. Make sure boiled egg and onion are cooled too, they don’t have to be cold. Cut egg into same size cubed
3. Cut up celery into same size pieces as potato, and chop up bacon and cilantro.
4. Throw all into a bowl and lightly toss together. Add salt and pepper
5. In a separate bowl mix mayo mustard and vinegar. Pour onto the mix, about 2/3 and mix, adding salt and pepper to taste. I like light dressing and didn’t use all of it, but add more if you like a lot of sauce.
6. Let cool and serve! Yummy in your tummy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Happy Half Birthday to me!!! What a better way to celebrate than relishing in my irish/polish heritage and making something with potatoes! This salad is so yummy and not at all overpowering, like it seems like it would be. Laurence, you are a genius with the celery idea. I normally leave it out, but this salad craves a bit of crunch, so you rock. The flavors work really well without shocking your mouth and would go great at any picnic, or just eating it out of the bowl like my roomie Christina and I did. I love half birthdays! It was a good bright day and it was nice to come home and make something up…a lot of it was thrown together from things in my fridge. Oh, and the 3 different potatoes I think totally make it rock. And its named potato salad 1 because there will be others...you wait and see…

Day 23: Buttermilk Waffle with Strawberry Syrup

Yield: 3 waffles
Time (Start to Finish): 15-20 min

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp strawberry jam
½ cup maple syrup

cream cheese (Tbsp per waffle)
butter (for topping waffle)

Directions:
1. Turn on waffle iron. spray with pan spray and get heated
2. In bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
3. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. It should be thick but runny…if too thick add a little more buttermilk
4. Pour into waffle maker and cook until brown, about 3 min
5. In a bowl, mix jam and syrup to make a strawberry syrup
6. When waffles come out, pour melted butter on them and serve with a big dollop of cream cheese and a lot of the sauce.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: What a perfect start to a Sunday! This was a yummy treat. The waffles were crispy and soft and the syrup was really good. The cream cheese I think finished it off perfectly. Yet another week down on my project, and we are creeping up on a month! Im still motivated and have been dreaming of drawers filled with spices. So far the outlook is very positive, and I still have a TON of great ideas both thought up and in the works.

Day 22: Fried Heirloom Tomato

Yield: 1-2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
1 firm heirloom tomato (med)
salt and pepper
pinch ground cayenne

½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup flour

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup sour cream
½ lime

Directions:
1. Preheat skillet on med with olive oil in it to coat bottom plus a little
2. Slice tomato in ½ inch slices and put salt, pepper and cayenne on them. Let sit 5-10 min
3. In 4 bowls place the egg, buttermilk, flour and bread crumbs
4. When oil is heated, dip each slice in buttermilk, then flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and put immediately on the skillet.
5. Cook all slices, add more oil of you need to, until the sides turn brown and flip them. Should be about 3-4 min per side.
6. In separate bowl mix sour cream and the limejuice and serve on the side. Add some salt to the tomatoes if needed.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: These were SO GOOD! I know, Travis, you can make a killer fried green tomato, but this is Annie Style, and I must say, I rocked this one. I used a greenish yellow heirloom and it was so delicious! Any tomato will do, but green or yellow ones I think work best with the sauce…just make sure they are FIRM tomatoes. I ate these so fast! Enjoy this one!

Day 21: Stuffed Bell Pepper

Yield: 1-2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
1-2 bell peppers

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 ½ cup chicken stock
¼- ½ cup white rice (uncooked)

½ cup eggplant

¼ cup black beans (cooked)
2-4 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In saucepan on med – med high cook oil, onion, and garlic until soft. Add salt pepper and cumin
3. Add rice and slowly add chicken stock until rice is cooked and rice is slightly moist, but not wet. Stay with it and keep stirring. About 10 min.
4. Cook eggplant cut into 2 inch pieces until just soft on a skillet. Mix into rice.
5. Take bell pepper(s) and cut top off and remove seeds and stem. Make sure they are still intact, and slightly trim the bottom so it can stand up on its own.
6. Fill with layers, rice, beans, cheese until filled. Make sure cheese is your last layer and they are very filled.
7. Put on sheet pan and wrap foil around the bottom to make sure they stand up.
8. Bake for 15 min or until cheese melts and runs down sides and slightly browns
9. Serve with more of the rice if any is left and enjoy!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: If any of you have EVER met me, know me, or read my blog, you will know the one food I don’t like is bell peppers, but we got these beautiful ones in a CSA box, and I had to make one of these stuffed ones. I didn’t eat it, but my roomie alley did and she gave it a 4, but said more cheese and beans. She is right, so I lowered the rating because I hate bell peppers. The rice is AMAZING and you can put it with anything, and with this bell pepper it’s perfect...unless you hate them. Add more layers of cheese and beans than I did.

Day 20: Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies

Yield: 21 sandwiches or 42 cookies
Time (Start to Finish): 2.5 hours (including chill time)

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
½ cup cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
½ lemon rind
1 egg
2 cups flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

4 oz cream cheese (1.2 cup)
1 Tbsp strawberry jam

Directions:
1. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy
2. Add vanilla, lemon and egg and mix well
3. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until forms a ball…I end with mixing with my hands
4. Roll into a log 2 inches around, wrap in foil and put in freezer for 30-45 min
5. Preheat oven to 350F
6. Take log out of freezer and slice ¼ inch cookies, turning log as you cut to keep them round and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet
7. Bake for 10 min until beginning to brown and let cool completely
8. Mix soft cream cheese with jam until smooth
9. Take 2 cookies and spread a thin layer of the cream cheese in the center and sandwich them together! ( you can also sprinkle them with sugar before baking and just eat them like that)

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: Needs more frosting!! If you make these, double the frosting for sure! You might even want to add a little sugar on top anyways…these were made after a long day of work, and a sweet strawberry treat was just in order…watch out girls! These are trouble! Dunk in a glass of milk if that’s your thang.. Quote from Alley, "oh i want another one...but i just ate one..." (sigh)

Day 19: Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 2-3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
7 small potatoes (I used 3 red and 7 yellow)
3 Tbsp wasabi
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1-2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup half and half
salt and pepper
garlic salt

Directions:
1. Skin and boil the potatoes in water with lots of salt and then press them trough a ricer. You can also just mash them if you need to
2. Add wasabi (if dried, mix wasabi with water first to make a paste), cream cheese and butter and mix until evenly distributed, then add half and half
3. Add salt pepper and garlic salt to taste…I like a lot of garlic salt
4. Serve with a nice steak or any dish with a lot of sauce…the potatoes taste good with a wine sauce.

Rating: 2.5 strawberries
Notes: I think this needed maybe half an onion caramelized or something…maybe a clove of garlic...but something was missing. They were for sure tasty and good and I didn’t hesitate eating them, but an onion would have made them perfect…and thanks for the meal Travis! Good conversation always makes a meal better. The pic is of the steaks we had as well as some green beans we deep-fried in buttermilk and flour with an awesome secret Travis sauce…maybe it’ll be a later recipe!

Day 18: Buttermilk Pancakes with Fruit and Parm Cheese

Yield: 8-9 Pancakes
Time (Start to Finish): 20-25 min

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
¾ tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
blueberries
strawberries (cut up)

parmesan cheese
butter (for pan)
maple syrup

Directions:
1. Heat skillet to med high.
2. Mix flour, brown sugar and baking powder in a bowl with a wooden spoon
3. Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla and mix a little bit
4. Add melted butter and mix until just combined
5. Pour about 1/3 cup batter into pan (about 3 cakes at a time, they will spread) and sprinkle in blueberries and strawberries.
6. Cook until little bubbles appear on top of cake and they are brown on bottom and then flip
7. When you take them off the skillet, grate parm cheese on top. Just a little, not like you would on pasta. You want a hint of the salty cheese
8. Serve with maple syrup

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This makes me think of my best girl Cydney and Leo who gave me the idea of parm on pancakes, and it is incredible! This is a great buttermilk pancake recipe, but the parm with the fruit is really something different and marvelous. Try it! Its not weird, its delicious!!!

Day 17: Smore’s Puddin’

Yield: 9 pies
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup dutch cocoa
¼ plus 1 Tbsp corn starch
pinch salt
2 cups half and half
handful chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vanilla
9 graham cracker crusts (you can make your own, they are super easy, but in a pinch, you can buy them…I did…)
Marshmallows (about 2 for each little pie)

Directions:
1. Make crust or spread out crusts on a tray. Get something with a spout to pour the finished pudding into the cups
2. In saucepan, sift cocoa and corn starch.
3. Add sugar and salt and then add cream while whisking to not add lumps
4. Heat on med high until it is bubbling all over and is thickened and turn heat off. Should take 5-10 min
5. Add handful of chocolate and vanilla and whisk until melted
6. Pour mixture into pitcher and pour quickly into each cup. Go fast before the pudding gets hard.
7. At this point you can chill the puddin’ (covered) or serve warm
8. Take mallows and roast over a candle or burner until they are a’flamin
9. Put on top of puddin’ and eat!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Dinner Party! A great way to get people to contribute and flame some mallows! This dish was great, but I served it cold and I think a warm puddin’ would be more smore’s like. Also, I think the store bought crusts were too thin, I wanted more graham cracker, but all in all a crown pleasure and a dish licker! Thanks for coming Lucy, Maggie, Travis and Jack!

Day 16: Toad in Hole with Melon and Bacon

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
2 pieces Bacon (or pancetta)
¼ cup melon
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 slice sourdough bread
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in pan until the crispness you like
2. Take melon and chop into little pieces.
3. Put in pan on stove with the maple syrup and cook until is hot and just starting to cook. Not too much
4. Take slice of bread and cut a hole in the middle big enough for an egg. Don’t cut the sides, and save the center.
5. Put butter (soft) on the edges of bread, both sides
6. Heat pan to med high and put a skim of butter on the pan so the egg doesn’t stick.
7. Put bread on the pan and crack the egg in the hole. Add salt and pepper.
8. Cook until it is about half way cooked and the bread starts to toast and then flip. Its ok if the egg leaks a little, try not to break the yolk. Cook the way you like eggs. I like mine soft and runny.
9. Toast the little bread round on the same skillet. It makes a nice little treat!
10. Put toad in hole on plate and put the melon mixture on top. Then add the bacon and serve!

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: I have heard this dish called a number of different things, but I like toad in hole. I gave it a 5 because the melon bacon makes it go crazy in your mouth and is an excellent way to impress someone at breakfast. Also, it took 20 min, and I was full and happy afterwards. This is my second 5, so watch out! And come over for breakfast sometime!

Day 15: Basil Strawberry Scones

Yield: 6
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
6 Tbsp COLD Butter (cubed)
2 eggs
½ cup Buttermilk
1 cup Strawberries (cut up)
½ cup basil (chopped)

1 egg
splash buttermilk
sugar

mascarpone (or cream cheese)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add cubed butter and mix with hands rubbing the butter into the flour until is resembles corn meal. Takes about a minute. Try not to heat up the butter, just mix it in
4. Add eggs and cream and mix until ¾ of the mixture is mixed and there is still flour in the bowl
5. Take strawberries and in a separate bowl coat them with a sprinkle of flour
6. Add strawberries and basil to the bowl and mix with hand until just combined. The dough will be sticky
7. Use water on your hands to prevent sticking, but take dough and make 6 balls and place them as far apart as possible on a cookie sheet (they will spread)
8. Mix egg with splash buttermilk and brush on top of each scone. Sprinkle with sugar. You can you any kind of decorative sugar here
9. Bake for 20-25 min until light brown
10. Serve with mascarpone cheese for a perfect treat!

Rating: 4.5
Notes: A perfect combo of sweet and savory, and a great way to start the morning. SO YUMMY! I was shocked how good these are! You simply must try them. Today is my 2 week mark! Only 50 more to complete my project. I'm happy so far with all I have done, and you are in for a treat in the next couple weeks!

Day 14: Sage Ricotta Caprese Salad

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1 Heirloom Tomato (med)
Salt and Pepper
5 Sage Leaves
5 Tbsp Ricotta Cheese
Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Feel free to make this recipe larger to accommodate more people, but I’m eating alone here!
2. Cut Tomato into 5 slices (or however many slices you like, just make sure you have the same amount of sage leaves as slices)
3. Place on plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Take sage leaves and place on top. Make sure they are fresh and should cover about half, maybe a little less, of the slice (they are strong)
5. Add a Tbsp of ricotta cheese to each slice
6. Drizzle with a good olive oil, and enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Its important to be a sage lover to like this dish, and sage is my FAVORITE spice, so I am giving it a much higher rating than some! Also, as long as you have a good heirloom tomato, you cannot mess this up! It’s a take on the classic tomato basil mozzarella combo, and I really think I have a winner here. I wish I had someone to share it with! The secret to any good meal is starting with good ingredients, and this dish really only works with fresh tomatoes, fresh sage, and good olive oil. So don’t skimp! Oh, and I heard word that my pictures aren’t as good as they used to be??? Hey Haight House! If you got a problem, send me some feedback! Let me know how to make these pictures make your mouths water! And I’m starting photography classes Tuesday, so maybe that will help…

Day 13: Grilled Peaches and Berries with Espresso Mascarpone

Yield: 2 People
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
¼ cup mascarpone (can use cream cheese)
2 Tbsp cream
1 Tbsp gran sugar
1 Tbsp espresso powder

4 strawberries
1 peach
Handful blueberries
Handful toasted hazelnuts

Directions:
1. Heat grill pan to mid high heat
2. Slice strawberries and peach in half
3. Grill on grill cut side first until grill marks appear. Flip the peaches. Should take 2-3 min
4. In small bowl, mix cream, mascarpone, sugar and espresso
5. Put grilled fruit in bowl, add blueberries, pour cream on top and add toasted nuts

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: For those who don’t have a huge sweet tooth. It’s a nice sweet dish, but not a sugar sweet. A natural fruit sweet and a coffee hint. A perfect summer day grilling desert, and nice to warm you up when the sun falls down. I was a little tired today so I wanted something light and this was perfect. We also had some fresh fruit in the house, so who could ask for something better!

Day 12: Maple Bacon Soufflé Omelette

Yield: 2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon
3 eggs (separated)
5 Tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Pan spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Preheat skillet to mid heat
2. Cook bacon in separate pan until crispy and tear into pieces (small) and set aside
3. Take egg yolks and whip with whisk until pale and light...about 3-4 min (I recommend using a hand whisk for this)
4. Add syrup, vanilla, and salt and mix
5. In a separate clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peak ( meaning when you take the whisk out they stand up on their own, no drooping) this takes about 10 or so min, so I recommend a mixer in high.
6. Add the whites to the yolks and mix together. Don’t let sit around at this point
7. Pour onto skillet that is sprayed with pan spray. Spread out and sprinkle bacon pieces on top.
8. Cook for about 4 min until starts to cook on bottom and through.
9. Finish cooking on the oven until the eggs are cooked through, about 4 more minutes or until bottom is light brown
10. Should slide out of the skillet, but if not, slice and serve however you like!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Light, airy and a great morning starter. I ate it on my way to work for the start of a long day and it really stuck with me, but was light enough to not feel heavy. I thank my boy from Colorado Matt K. for introducing me to this…I added the bacon part. Good breakfasts are had in Matt’s house.

Day 11: Spicy Cornbread

Yield: 9 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 1. 25 hours

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
¼ cup gran sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp paprika
1 cup cream
2 eggs
¼ cup shortening (soft)
1 cup kerneled corn
¼ cup fire roasted green chilies (mild)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Put flour, sugar, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, cayenne, paprika in a bowl and mix
3. Add eggs
4. Add cream
5. Add soft shortening and mix until well combined.
6. Add drained corn and drained chilies and mix. Taste and add more spice if you need to
7. Put in greased square casserole dish and spread flat. Sprinkle sugar and a little cayenne on top.
8. Bake for 45 min or until a knife comes out clean. Try not to over bake so it isn’t dry.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Goes great with honey butter! I love spice, and this is a tasty spicy cornbread! Today was a tired one; a long day at work, so I needed something to wake me up and stimulate me. A kick of cayenne is the perfect thing! You can add hotter peppers, or leave them out, and serve with a yummy chili on a cold day.

Day 10: Salmon in puff pastry with white wine cream sauce

Yield: 2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1 shallot
olive oil
1 slice bacon
1 salmon filet (8 oz)
flour (dusting)
½ cup white wine (I used riesling)
1 cup cream
salt & pepper
2/3 sheet puff pastry
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp dill weed (dried is fine)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. heat skillet to mid high
2. Dust salmon (with skin on) with flour, light salt and light pepper.
3. Sear salmon on all sides (skin side first) on a lightly oiled skillet. Set aside.
4. Put bacon on pan and cook until lightly crispy.
5. Take bacon out and throw in shallot and garlic until slightly cooked and shallot is beginning to brown
6. Add white wine and boil until wine reduces by half (about 2 Tbsps…a little more)
7. Add cream and taste. Add salt and pepper if needed. Cook until begins to thick, it wont take too long and then add the bacon, chopped up. Turn off heat
8. Take puff pastry and put on a non stick baking sheet.
9. Make sure salmon piece will fit in the dough and be able to be wrapped.
10. In center of puff pastry spread the mustard.
11. Sprinkle the dill onto the mustard and place the salmon (deskinned at this point) onto the mustard.
12. Pour some of the sauce onto the salmon and wrap the puff pastry.
13. Turn upside down to seal, cut 2 small holes in the top and bake until brown all over. About 30 min.
14. Take out, cut in half (you can make 2 separate ones) and pour rest of sauce on the top.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: After getting over the hurtle of cutting my thumb wide open while opening the wine, I think I made a great dish. As my first savory dish, I must say I made a rich decadent one. It goes great with a glass of white wine, and after eating it you will NOT want dessert…or maybe a nice light granita. If you have left over puff pastry dough, sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon and throw in the oven to make a little treat. You can use any white wine, or champagne if you wish. I love this dish, and think it goes great on a summer night when it starts to get a little chilly out, but not enough for a sweater. Thanks to Tony and Will tonight who talked to me on the phone while I cooked, and enjoy!

Day 9: Toffee Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen
Time (Start to Finish): 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (1 stick, soft)
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ bag toffee pieces
12 oz mini peanut butter cups (trader joes)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix butter and sugar together until fluffy
3. Add egg and vanilla
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt
5. Mix well and add toffee and peanut butter cups and let sit in fridge for 15 min
6. Take spoon and make into balls about 1 inch. Flatten them on the pan so they are about ½ inch thick. They will spread so space apart 1-2 inches
7. Bakes at 350 for 10 min, no more

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: they are tasty and wonderful! But the peanut butter cups melt a little. If you want a softer cookie, substitute half of the butter for shortening. This recipe was inspired by Sarah at Patagonia wanting the mini peanut butter cups in something, my roommate Travis for wanting toffee cookies, and my aunt Paula who is not doing too well and I am visiting her today and wanted to bring a treat. All around a quick tasty cookie!

Day 8: Fruit Galette

Yield: 2-3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
1/3 sheet puff pastry
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1 egg
½ apple
½ pear
1 apricot
Sugar (for sprinkling)
Honey (for drizzling)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Put puff pastry sheet onto nonstick sheet pan
3. Mix egg and cream cheese until smooth and brush puff pastry with mixture.
4. Sprinkle puff pastry with sugar
5. Peel apple, pear and apricot and cut into slices, not too thin
6. On puff pastry alternate apple, apricot, pear, apricot, making sure they are tight together and slightly elevated. You will have extra fruit which is perfect for snacking
7. Sprinkle with sugar and brush with more egg mixture. Don’t put on too much egg or it will pour off the sides when baking (if that happens just cut it off with a knife) left over egg can be cooked up for a nice scrambled egg
8. Sprinkle with more sugar and bake 25-30 min until bottom becomes lightly brown
9. Remove from oven and drizzle honey on top

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: I just think this is great for breakfast or dessert. You can add more cream cheese if you like, or change up the fruits. It will be a little doughy and soft, and if you like a firmer crust, feel free to prebake the crust a little before you add the fruit. Don’t over bake it. This is my one-week anniversary!! I made it through my first week! Don’t worry, not all recipes with be bready or desert related, but this week I was really excited and motivated. Thanks to all who have helped me this week (mainly my roomies Travis, Alley and Christina who have tasted everything I have made) and look forward to more and more recipes! Email questions or concerns!

Day 7: Annie's Famous White Chocolate Cheesecake

Day 7: Annie’s Classic Famous White Chocolate Cheesecake

Yield: 1 9-inch cake
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours plus cooling time

Ingredients:
½ box Oreos (about 50)
1 tsp cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp butter

8 oz sour cream
9-10 oz white chocolate (guittard)
8 oz gran sugar
1 pound 5 oz cream cheese
5 eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla

2-3 white chocolate lindt truffle candies

1 teapot hot water

Directions:
1. Make sure all ingredients are room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 450F
3. Take 10 Oreos and separate the center from the cookie
4. Mix center frosting with cocoa powder and set aside
5. Take all rest of Oreos and blend until crumbs
6. Add melted butter until when gripped in hand the crumbs hold together and press them into a greased 9-inch cake/spring form pan
7. Bake in oven for 2 min...NO MORE!! Just until you begin smelling the chocolate. Take out and cool and preheat oven to 325F
8. In water bath on the stove (a pan filled with boiling water and a bowl over it filled with the chocolate) melt the white chocolate.
9. In a mixing machine but the room temp sour cream. Add the white chocolate in one batch and turn mixer on until combined. Scrape bowl.
10. While mixer is on, add sugar and scrape bowl again
11. While mixer is on, add room temp cream cheese a piece at a time. Turn mixer up and blend until lumps are out. Stop and scrape bowl a few times to make sure all the lumps are out
12. While mixer is on, add room temp eggs one at a time until combined, and then add vanilla
13. Mix until very smooth and pour onto cooled crust. Bang on a counter until all the bubbles come to the surface and pop
14. Put in another pan that has sides and fill with the hot water making a water bath, and put in oven. Be sure to check through the cooking process that there is still water in the oven.
Be CAREFUL opening oven during cooking, the steam burns your face!
15. Take out of oven when it wiggle like jell-o, doesn’t shake like water. Usually around an hour. Do not let get brown on top. Let sit on the counter until you can handle it, wrap in tinfoil and put in the freezer.
16. When frozen, run knife along sides and depan.
17. Take truffle candies and slice into peddles. Decorate top of cake with the Oreo filling to make vines and the truffles to make flowers. Serve to those you want to impress and direct them to my site.

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: this is my pride and joy recipe, so be thankful you are getting it. I was lent camping gear from my friend Evan, and this is his thank you gift. It is the perfect classic cheesecake recipe, and you can add berries, candies, anything you want, its ideal. Feel free to play with it as long as you keep the ratio the same. I LOVE this recipe and think it is why I have the friends I do…

Day 6: Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie and Berries

Day 6: Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie and Berries

Yield: 4-6 people round
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
10-12 strawberries
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 big mint leaves
1 sheet puff pastry
1 .5 lb. brie
honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Defrost puff pastry and place on baking sheet
3. Take strawberries and heat on stove until soft
4. Add vinegar and mint
5. Pour onto puff pastry in the center
6. Place brie on top
7. Close up puff pastry to make a sack and pour honey on top. Make sure there are no cracks in the pastry dough
8. Bake 15-20 min until brown on top
9. Serve with crackers, chips, or other pieces of puff pastry baked into crisps

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Made this recipe for a girls night in watching so you think you can dance. It’s simple, sweet, and can be a desert or appetizer. You can also make it with peaches, apricots, or anything and you can add nuts on top. A lovely little snack!

Day 5: Honey Glazed Banana Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf
Time (Start to Finish): 1.5 Hours

Ingredients:
¼ cup milk
1 cap vinegar
¼ sugar
¼ cup honey
6 Tbsp shortening
1 ½ egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ flour
½ tsp b. soda
1 tsp b. powder
¾-1 cup smashed bananas

½ lemon
½ cup honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Put cap of vinegar into milk and set aside
3. In mixing bowl, mix honey, sugar and shortening
4. Add vanilla and eggs
5. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder
6. Add flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture alternating with the milk
7. Add bananas and mix until combined
8. Put in greased loaf or square pan and bake for 45 min until a knife poked in the center comes out clean
9. While baking, mix honey and lemon together
10.When the bread comes out of oven, pour/brush honey lemon on top

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This recipe is great with the glaze on top. If it is too bitter, you can add a little sugar…I think it is just the right touch! You can also toast slices of it and put on a little butter or peanut butter.

Day 4: Chai French Toast with sauce

Yield: 3-4 slices
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
3-4 slices bread (I used sourdough)

1 egg
¼ cup cream
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup chai powder (trader joes, or add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, all spice and cardamom to equal 3 tbsp.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg

butter for pan (2-3 Tbsp for 2 rounds)

3-4 Tbsp sour cream
4-5 Tbsp maple syrup
1 peach
sprinkle cinnamon

Directions:
1. mix egg, cream, salt, powder, vanilla and nutmeg in a bowl that is wide enough to dunk bread into
2. heat pan to mid-high and add butter until sizzling and melted.
3. Dunk bread in mixture and place in pan
4. Cook each side until brown
5. In separate bowl mix sour cream and maple syrup
6. Slice up peach into thin long slices
7. Put toast on plate, drizzle with sauce and add peaches on top. You can sprinkle cinnamon on top

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: this recipe rocked my world. Its mainly the maple syrup sour cream sauce that is utterly fantastic and I think can be added to most breakfasty things. The French toast is spicy and perfect. I didn’t even need to add butter or extra syrup on top.

Day 3: Chai Snickerdoodles

Yield: 2-3 dozenn
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter (soft)
¼ cup shortening (soft)
¾ cup gran sugar
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3-4 Tbsp chai powder (trader joes, or add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, all spice and cardamom to equal 3 tbsp.)

¼ cup chai powder w/ added cinnamon (or 1/8 cup sugar with spices) for rolling cookies


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix butter, sugar and shortening in bowl
3. Add egg and mix
4. Add all dry (flour, powder, salt, chai) and mix with hand in bowl until forms a ball
5. In separate bowl put chai powder
6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls with hands and then roll in chai powder to cover.
7. Place on cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart (they spread a little) and bake at 350F for 10-12 min (when they come out they should be very soft, take out before they get too hard)

Rating: 3.5-4 strawberries
Notes: My roomies dug these cookies, but I need to find a way to make them taste even more like chai. I like soft snicker doodles, and these are nice and soft, so be careful not to take them out too late. I made them super fast and the dough is great to munch on!

Day 2: Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Yield: 4 Servings
Time (Start to Finish): 1.25 hours

Ingredients:
Pudding:
1 Cup Soymilk
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/3 Cup Gran Sugar
1.5 Eggs
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
¼ Tsp. Nutmeg
1 Tsp. Vanilla
3-4 cups bread 1 inch cubed, decrusted (any egg bread, day old usually, challah works great or brioche)

Sauce:
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Cup Gran Sugar
6 Tablespoons Butter
½ Cup Cream
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Vanilla

Directions:
Pudding
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Heat soymilk, sugar and butter in a pan until melted
3. Put eggs in bowl and slowly add hot milk while whisking with fork until combined
4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
5. Take bread and fill 4 buttered ramekins to top, then pour mixture over the bread making sure it is all soaked in (do not leave dry pieces of bread)
6. Bake on a sheet pan and cover top in foil for 30 min or until a knife comes out clean. You can also bake in a square pan if desired.
Sauce
1. Add sugar to a saucepan with a little water at mid high heat
2. Let come to a boil making sure it doesn’t burn bottom of pan
3. Add butter when it comes to a color you like and whisk
4. Add cream, salt, vanilla and apple
5. Stir until apple becomes slightly soft and sauce is thickened. Takes about 15 min total
6. Depan puddings and pour sauce over the top, it makes a lot of sauce so you can make less if you wish

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes:
If you don’t want to make a caramel sauce, you can buy a store sauce, and heat up an apple on a pan until soft. I LOVE this recipe, and love making it during fall. Be careful on the sauce not to overcook the sugar, and remember sugar is much hotter than boiling water. You can always add more spices if you like more cinnamon, or a hint of cayenne to make it spicy. It doesn’t get full stars because its not fall yet, and because the caramel sauce can be a little hard…and I didn’t have any ice cream

Day 1: Hazelnut Snowball Cookies

Yield: 6 dozen

Time (Start to Finish): 1.5 Hours

Ingredients:
1 Cup Softened Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 Cup Hazelnuts (Chopped and toasted lightly)

2 Cups Powdered Sugar with Dash Cinnamon for rolling cookies

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In mixing bowl, mix butter with 2 sugars until combined.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon
4. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix after each addition until combined. then add salt and hazelnuts.
5. Mix with hands until forms a ball and all ingredients are combined.
6. Roll the dough with hands into 1/2 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. they will not spread, so they can be placed close together.
7. Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes until cooked but not brown. you can lift one up and look on the bottom and if it is just starting to brown, it is done.
8. Take out of oven, let sit for a second until you can handle them and roll each cookie in a bowl of powdered sugar with a dash of cinnamon.
9. When all cookies are done, roll each cookie a second time in the powered sugar mixture and then enjoy!!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
-They are delicious, but powdered sugar is messy and sometimes makes you cough, so by the nature of the cookie, it got docked a little

Notes:
Welcome to day 1! I was excited and got up early, so most days wont be posted by 10am. Day 1 worked out great, and I am off to spread the wealth at work today. These can be made with different nuts and spices, so try your favorite combo! Thanks guys, and tomorrow's recipe is looking just as amazing!