Like so many people, I was in complete awe and disbelief as I watched the Boston Marathon disaster unfold. In the days following the marathon, as the manhunt ensued, I found myself absolutely glued to CNN live coverage of the events. I couldn't seem to tear myself away from the television while the news streamed live coverage of the locked down city. Since I couldn't get my mind on much else, I decided to do what always makes me feel better when I get stressed - I baked! I had "liked" this recipe on pinterest several months ago and I just hadn't taken the time to make it. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add baking powder and salt and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Beat in brown sugar. Lower the speed of your mixer and add as much flour as you can. Stir the rest in. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the biscotti dough onto the floured surface.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Slice each log diagonally into 3/4" slices (you should get about 12 slices from each log). Place the slices onto a baking sheet laying them on their sides. Bake 10 minutes, then flip each piece onto other side. Bake additional 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely. If you haven't yet jumped on the biscotti bandwagon - it's time that you do. It's delicious with your hot cup of coffee at breakfast. It's a perfect little afternoon snack with a steaming cup of tea. It's also a great little late night snack when the chocolate cravings hit.
Ciao!
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Nothing says summer like fresh strawberry ice cream and since today is the kids last day of school - it's officially summer in the Davis house! Whoo Hoo! We are celebrating the end of a great school year and the start of what promises to be a fun-filled summer. I think the best way to celebrate summer is with ice cream. So without further ado - onto the recipe of the day. Prepare this ice cream at the peak of strawberry season, from April to June, when the berries will have an intensely sweet aroma and flavor. If you can find the wild strawberries known as fraises des bois, use this variety. Strawberry Ice Cream 3 cups half-and-half 6 egg yolks 1 cup sugar Pinch of salt 2 cups sliced strawberries 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Nestle the bowl in a larger one filled halfway with ice and water and cool the custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. Makes about 1 quart. Summer is so sweet.
Ciao! Dinner isn't always fancy and elegant at our house. To be honest, sometimes the simplest meals are the most well received. With little time to plan or prepare dinners lately, I have had to rely on quick and easy recipes to get us through this busy season. I got some great dinner inspiration recently on a trip to a local Fresh Market grocery store. I stopped by the deli and purchased some really great sliced meats to create a giant Italian hero sandwich. I also picked up a rustic french bread loaf, some vine ripened tomatoes and some Boston lettuce for my hero. I came home, put my Italian hero together and then packed it up to take to a soccer game. Italian Hero 1 loaf rustic french bread 1/4 pound mortadella 1/4 pound hot capicola 1/4 pound genoa salami 1/4 pound Virginia baked ham 4 slices provolone cheese 4 slices colby jack cheese fresh tomatoes, sliced Boston lettuce leaves Roasted Red Pepper
If necessary, wrap and pack. As it turned out, a hero sandwich was a perfect dinner for my daughter's soccer game. She played a GREAT game. Ciao!
The end of the school year is near which means that it's teacher appreciation luncheon time. I really do appreciate my children's teachers and everything that they do. Teaching is certainly is not an easy job and it may be the most underpaid profession in America. Twice a year, the PTO at the school invites parents to help prepare food to treat these well deserving teachers to a luncheon. I really wasn't in the mood to make a big casserole for the event and I was already in cupcake overload so I decided to go another way with my luncheon contribution. I made a big bowl of chopped chicken salad for the teachers (and a couple of extra dinner bowls for Ben and I). Chopped Chicken Salad 1 head of romaine lettuce 1 can chick peas 1 can black beans 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half 1 chicken breast, shredded 1/2 avocado, cubed 1/2 cup corn, grilled or roasted 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro 1/4 cup blue cheese or feta Start with a head of romaine lettuce. Chop with a knife. Put into a big bowl. (Or a smaller bowl.) Add grilled, cooked chicken. Add corn and drained chick peas. Add tomatoes. Add blue cheese or feta. Add fresh cilantro. The great thing about this salad is that you can add to it, anything that you like. I like mine with black beans, cilantro and feta. Ben had artichokes and parsley on his salad. I had mine with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette and Ben ate his salad with Ranch Dressing.
I have a feeling this salad is going to make some repeat appearances at our dinner table this summer. Ciao! Most people think that I write a food blog for the benefit of other people. The truth is that the blog is a great way for me to store and record my recipes and stories for myself (and for anyone else who might be interested). I am loving this new way to keep track of my recipes. No more printing out page after page of recipes. When I need to look up a recipe, I set up my ipad on the kitchen counter and open up the blog. Instant recipes - I love it. I looked up my sugar cookie recipe recently and realized that it needed a little updating. It had the correct recipe but it was lacking in pictures and- for lack of a better word - pizazz. So here is it, the same sugar cookie recipe - undated and with pizzazz. Sugar Cookies 1 cup butter 2 ½ cups flour ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 egg yolks ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Frost with royal icing. Royal Icing 3 Tablespoons meringue powder 4 cups powdered sugar 6 Tablespoons warm water Combine in mixer until desired consistency. Sugar cookies - the possibilities are endless. Do you have a great, creative and easy way to decorate sugar cookies? Send me your ideas.
Ciao! |
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