Dispatches from the Failed Mommies Club: Santa Baby

Friday, December 26, 2008

Santa Baby

How sad, but oddly appropriate, that the singer of my favourite Christmas song would pass on this Christmas. R.I.P., Eartha, and thanks for making Christmas a little more sexy . . .

1 comments:

Karen said...: This is a terrible loss for the world of music -Eartha Kitt was a spectacular talent, and a fabulous eccentric, a combination in rare supply these days. She will definitely be missed.; December 26, 2008 4:38 PM

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My kids love these . . .

Ingredients:

Brownies

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Glaze

3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of milk
2/3-cup of sugar
1/2 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate

Putting it Together

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and baking powder
Melt butter in a large saucepan
Remove from heat. Add in cocoa and sugar and beat together with an electric mixer. Add in eggs one at a time, beating in between each one. Add vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pour into a greased 13" x 9" cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by combining the first three ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Pour over brownies and spread evenly.

Nutritional Information:

You don't want to know.

What's for Dinner?

Arnold's Caribou Stew

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in The Joy of Cooking for Beef Stew Gaston. If you do not have caribou, you can use beef. There's nothing like it on a chilly day, and it's an easy make-ahead for feeding a crowd.

Start with:

1 package of bacon (500 g), cut into bite-sized pieces
4 lbs. of caribou meat, cut into bite-sized pieces (we usually cut up a roast)
1/4 c. of flour, season with pepper.

Saute the bacon slowly in a large skillet. Remove and place on a paper towel when it is slightly browned.
Brown the meat in some of the bacon drippings. Remove from pan and sprinkle with the flour.

In a roasting pan, combine and heat until boiling:

3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups of beef bouillon
2 14-oz cans of tomato sauce
24 whole peppercorns
6 whole cloves
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 bay leaves

Add in the meat and bacon. Cover, and place in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hours.

During the last hour of cooking, add:

1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup of dry sherry or dry white wine

Cook separately until nearly tender:

8 medium sized potatoes, in cut into cubes
6 to 8 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped

Add these to the stew pot. Cover and cook in oven for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are tender.

Serve with a crusty bread or warm biscuits.

This freezes very well.

Beef Vindaloo

Ingredients

500 grams of beef, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
1 tomato, chopped
oil for frying (about 2 Tbsp.)
50 ml. plain yoghurt
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin
250 ml. water
2 tsp. vinegar
4 tsp. coconut powder

Putting it Together

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a heavy skillet. Brown onions, garlic and ginger until lightly brown.

Add tomato and still until soft.

Add yoghurt, spices and beef, then water. Simmer for at least 45 minutes.

When meat is tender, add vinegar and coconut powder.

Serve with rice, naan or roti.

Mexican Lentil Soup

This is one that my husband and I love. It's lovely on a cool day. It freezes well, too.

Ingredients

400 grams of green lentils
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
4 carrots, sliced in circles
2 celery stalks, diced
3 jalapeno peppers, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Putting it Together

Wash and sort lentils.
In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion, peppers, carrots, celery, jalapenos and garlic. Stir fry until vegetables are slightly soft. Stir in lentils, broth and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

Top with a tablespoon or two of plain yogurt and some chopped cilantro.

For a kid-friendlier version, omit the jalapenos (they will most likely still think it is poisonous, however).

Nutritional Information (Approximate, for 1 cup)

12.9 g. protein
2.7 g. fat
26.3 g. carbohydrate
4.3 mg. iron
48 mg. calcium
5.6 g. fibre

No Worries Chicken Tangine

I love slow-cooker recipes. This one is great. It feeds four adults. For a crowd, I double it:

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. flour
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 teasp. ground cumin
1-1/2 teasp. ground ginger
1 teasp. cinnamon
3/4 teasp. black pepper

Toasted almonds or pine nuts as garnish

Directions:

Layer chicken, onion, carrots, raisins and apricots in slow cooker
In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, tomato paste, flour, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. Pour over chicken and vegetables
Cook in slow cooker for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low

Serve over couscous or rice, and garnish with almonds or pine nuts if desired.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:

415 calories
7 g fat
28 g protein
61 g carbohydrate
5 g fiber
98 mg cholesterol

What's for Dessert?

Fruit Dip

This is a kid-friendly, easy recipe. Credit goes to my friend Jenny.

1 small container of fruit-flavoured cream cheese
1 cup plain, low fat yogurt

Combined these two ingredients.

Serve with fruit of your choice.

Marion's Slice of Lemon Pie

Ingredients

Pastry for a 9" double crust pie

1/4 cup of butter
3 eggs
1-1/4 cup of sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup water
1 lemon, peel and pith removed, sliced paper thin

Putting it together

Divide pastry into 2 balls. Roll out one and line a 9" pie plate.

Beat together all ingredients except the lemon slices and pour into crust. Place lemon slices over filling. Roll out other crust and cover the top. Seal the edges and cut some slices in the top crust to release steam.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes

Serve chilled.

Nutritional Information

Lots and lots of fat and calories

Cheater's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
(Sounds kinda gross, but it's unbelievably good)

Ingredients

1 box of devil's food cake mix (this is the cheating part)
1/4 cup of cocoa
1 cup of mayonnaise
3 eggs
1 cup water
2-16 oz. tins of frosting (more cheating)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teasp. vanilla

Putting it together

Pre-heat oven to 350
Grease and flour 2 cake pans or a bundt pan
Combine mix, cocoa, eggs, water and mayonnaise. Beat on low until combined and then on high for 2 minutes more. Pour into pan and bake according to package directions for the type of pan you are using.

Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes and then remove from pan and continue to cool on rack.

Nutritional Information

See Slice of Lemon Pie, above

Combine frosting sour cream and vanilla, and frost the cake

Dispatches from the Failed Mommies Club

Friday, December 26, 2008

Santa Baby

1 comments:

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Irresistable Brownies

My kids love these . . .

What's for Dinner?

What's for Dessert?