Spring has sprung!

This past weekend was wonderful. Our family got up early and headed out the door for what will hopefully become a weekly event this spring and summer, "treasure" hunting.

When I say treasure, I'm talking about the many yard sales, flea markets and farmer's markets we encounter. As much as I love finding pretty things, I also love a good bargain.

Since I started dating my husband almost 7 years ago, he has taught me the art of being frugal. I'm not quite as good as he is (I have my vices...coffee), but I've learned how to do what I call, "unshopping". When I'm out at the store or browsing online, I will add things to my cart and then take a moment and analyze if I actually need it or not. More often, I end up not buying. This has been a great money saving tool for me.

Rowley has an incredible flea market (http://www.toddfarm.com/). My husband has been begging me to go with him over the years. I've gone before, but I have anxiety with large crowds and for some strange reason, even get really dizzy while looking around. I gave in and decided to try it again. I am glad I did, because I was the one that ended up buying some great things!

Love love love this old cocoa tin!

I love finding food related items that I can incorporate into my recipes posts. I found these cute old bottles of extracts that I couldn't pass up.

Now that I've gotten into making snacks from scratch, I've become obsessed with jars and canisters. My eye immediately drifted towards this Ball jar.

After our treasure hunt, we came back to the house for a nice lazy day in the yard. We took the chicks out for a little so I could document them for my son's preschool. They are getting so big!

I know I shouldn't play favorites, but this little one is so friendly with me and she's adorable too!

Then I took a little walk around to observe the garden in bloom.

I like to call this our popcorn tree, but it's really our plum tree. When the buds finally open, from a distance it looks like it is covered in white popcorn.

And this is our pretty peach tree, which hopefully will bear some fruit this year.

One of my goals this year is to document the always expanding garden and our hens. My husband puts so much love into it, that I want to put together a book for him some day. So check back for more updates on what's growing and other fabulous finds from our adventures in bargain hunting!

Hot Fudge Sunday

What better way to end a great weekend then with a nice sweet dessert?

It's been a weekend full of family time and bargain hunting. Spring means the beginning of new life in the garden, the chickens are growing up and it's also the start of the yard sales and flea market shopping (blog post to come!). One of the special things I like to do on weekends is make a yummy treat. Like I said before, we try to eat healthy, but we only live once! And this mama's gotta have her chocolate.

One time I was watching Ming Tsai on PBS and Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) was on. They were going to make desserts, Ming's was a beautiful Tarte Tatin and Duff's was a supremely indulgent looking fudge. It included bacon and dulce de leche. He called it Mexican Breakfast Fudge (http://www.ming.com/food-and-wine/recipes/simply-ming-season-11/duff-goldmans-mexican-breakfast-fudge.htm) and I knew I had to make it.

I have very little candy making experience, so I was a little intimidated. But, I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
Pinch of salt
4 1/2 tbsp of light corn syrup
6 oz of unsweetened chocolate chopped
9 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 tsp of good vanilla extract
Spray for pan

Original recipe called for bacon and walnuts and 3 vanilla beans scraped. I omitted the nuts and bacon and I only had one vanilla bean on hand, so I improvised.

The reason I chose to make this fudge, was the amazing "magic" trick Duff did to make the dulce de leche. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw that it worked. First, you peel the label of the can of sweetened condensed milk and then you boil the can for 3 hours.

That's right! You boil the whole can! And then you get dulce de leche. What?! I had to see this for myself.

I soon realized I would need a bigger pan than the one I originally chose. So, remember to get a bigger pot (one that's sturdy on the bottom) and fill enough so it just about covers the can. Keep an eye on it and refill with water as needed. Once the 3 hours are up, cool the can (I lifted it out with tongs) in an ice bath for about a half an hour.

Now, I was so excited about the outcome, I completely forgot to photograph it with my camera! I did however manage to get some pictures with my phone. So, excuse the picture quality!

Amazing right? And it tasted as sinful as it looked. Now onto the fudge.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and salt and mix together until well combined and there are no clumps. In another bowl combine the heavy cream and corn syrup and blend well. Now, you will slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. What I did was wrap a towel around the base of the big bowl as I mixed the ingredients. It helps the bowl from slipping.

The consistency will begin to look like a batter. Make sure it doesn't have clumps.

Now begin chopping the chocolate.

Cut the vanilla bean right down the middle. When you open it up, you will see tiny little black seeds inside. That's the good stuff! Scrape it out carefully and set aside.

Add your mixture to a large pot (I just cleaned out the one I made the dulce de leche in) and place a candy thermometer on the lip of the pot. Cook this on high until it reaches 235-240 degrees. Stir occasionally so it doesn't scorch the pan.

Once it reached soft ball stage, mix in the chocolate with a heat proof spoon or spatula. Add the butter and once that's melted, the vanilla. Here's where I think I had an issue (although I didn't know it until later). The instructions didn't talk about crystallization. Stirring too frequently can actually cause the sugar that was melted to re-crystallize. So, stir, but use caution. I think this is where candy making really takes practice to perfect.

Remove the fudge from the heat and pour one third into a prepared pan. I used an 8x8 square (a 9x9 would have been better, but I don't have one) pan. I sprayed the pan and then placed parchment paper inside with some paper hanging over the sides so the fudge can easily be removed.

Once a third of the chocolate has been poured, add in some of the dulce de leche and make little swirls with a spoon. Add more chocolate, then more dulce de leche. Repeat until you've used all the ingredients.  Let it cool to room temperature before taking the mold out of the pan. You want to make sure that the fudge has set or hardened.

Now, for the best part.

Wowza. We couldn't wait to dig into this.

Even though the sugars crystallized a little and left the fudge on the gritty side, man was this good. The combination of the intense chocolate with the creamy dulce de leche was pure Heaven. And a little goes a long way.

Fudge is definitely a treat. We can't eat this stuff every day or else we'd be headed to the dentist more often. But it is nice to have in the fridge for those times when you just need a little something to cure that craving.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Happy Birthday

It's been almost 10 years. Wow. How can that even be possible?

In May of 2004, my family lost one of the most important people in our lives. My stepmother, Donna, who had raised me since I was 4, lost her battle to cancer. And I remember just about every detail of the final moments of her life. Those moments are not what I want to share though today. Instead, I want to talk about her life and what she meant to me.

The month of May for the last ten years have always been hard. It's not only the anniversary of her passing, but it's Mother's Day and her birthday, which is May 1st. Even though there isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of her, May just seems to slap me in the face with memories.

Donna was a person that everyone looked up to. She had a strong presence, even while being quiet. She was given a raw deal in the health department, which is the understatement of the century. She struggled with Lupus since she was 22. Battled countless issues related to the disease time after time, but she was so strong, that you often wouldn't know she was sick. When she was diagnosed with cancer and given a year to live, she was ready to give it her all. She was going to fight and try to kick cancer's ass.

Unfortunately, like everyone knows, cancer is one hell of an opponent.

I miss her so much. I miss the talks we would have daily. I'd curl up on the couch with her with a cup of tea/coffee or if she wasn't feeling well, I'd lay on her bed and discuss what was going on lately. In retrospect, what I would talk about was incredibly unimportant compared to what she was experiencing, but to her, she was just catching up with her daughter.

She was my rock.

Donna was a creative soul. She could create something out of nothing. She painted slates, made Christmas ornaments(for EVERY child she knew) and made broom dolls. Now let me tell you about these broom dolls! Picture little witch like brooms with different styled dolls attached to them. None had a painted face (made out of Styrofoam balls), but they were dressed with raffia paper for every holiday and included hair and hats. My favorite was always the Angel, which were decked out with wings. She would make hundreds of these things. And as one of her little helpers on occasion, they were tough. Unrolling the raffia paper hurt your fingers until they became numb to any feeling. She would show at craft fairs and do extremely well.

Donna had the best smile. One of those smiles that you could recognize anywhere and it would light up a room. And speaking of light, it just seemed to emit from her. It's almost as if she already was chosen to be an Angel, because she radiated warmth and love. She never did have children of her own, so she took raising my brother and I very seriously. She was amazing with children. They brought her such joy. And every child that met her, loved her back. Our house became the house that all our friends wanted to come to. She became an honorary mom to many of my friends. So, when she died, they felt the loss as hard as we did.

One of the hardest things about not having her around is all the moments that I don't have her here for. However, since I've always believed that she was my Guardian Angel, she has been "present" for every single one of them. My wedding day was very emotional. Not having her there to help pick out the dress, the venue, etc was difficult. But, I wanted her to be a part of the whole day. I ordered a lei from Hawaii (where she lived for awhile and loved) and had it placed on the closest chair next to me during the ceremony. It was accompanied by a cardinal statue (we had discussed she would be reincarnated as a cardinal). There were songs dedicated to her and words written in our ceremony about her. But, most importantly, if you believe in spirits, she was there. My husband and I got married in October on a farm. The night before the wedding it was pouring and the grounds were soaking wet. We planned on marrying under a huge tree. It didn't look good for us. But miraculously on the wedding day, the ground was completely dry! On my drive to the wedding, when I started getting that nervous belly feeling, "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King came on the radio and I knew that was Donna trying to calm me down. And then finally, the biggest clue that Donna was at our wedding, the wind nearly blew my veil off when our officiant (my cousin Yvonne, http://yvonnedesousa.com/) mentioned her during the ceremony. We all felt her in that moment.

Donna has been on this journey of our marriage every step of the way. I felt she was there when my son was born. I believe that she even became his Guardian Angel as well. There were moments that he would randomly look over his left shoulder and even reach out for something (I believe it was her hair). He seemed to recognize her picture without having a clue of who she was. That story is going to be a long one when he's ready and old enough to hear it. I also strongly believe she has been there for all of my miscarriages. When we lost our Olivia (my first miscarriage) at 18 weeks, I was petrified about the procedures I had to endure. When I didn't think I could handle the pain, I felt a warmth come over my body. I felt almost pinned down to the table. But I realized it was Donna, just giving me a hug. Telling me that everything was going to be okay. And at that moment, I took a deep breath and could go on.

There will never be enough words to thank her for everything she has done. I am blessed to have had her in my life as a mother and to have her in our lives as an Angel.

About 5 or 6 years ago (can't quite remember), I wrote a song. I was driving on the highway home from work, when a feeling came over me. Words started pouring out of my soul. Don't worry, I kept my eyes on the road, but as soon as I got home, I made sure to write it down. Never formally composed music to it, but that song (which still remains unnamed) has stuck with me.

So, instead of sharing a recipe with you today. I'm sharing a piece of my heart. Please be kind.

P.S. If you were wondering what the image at the top is...it's her bracelet. This is her name in Hawaiian.

Waffles!

Two years ago, when I asked my toddler son what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas, his answer was priceless.

"Pancakes and Waffles".

Plain and simple, that's all my little guy wanted! And it made sense, since that was clearly his favorite breakfast. He loved both with fervor, especially with what he called "Dip Dip" or maple syrup. When we didn't have time to make a mix from scratch, I settled for store bought frozen. Often I would buy Kashi blueberry waffles, but our FAVORITE brand was Van's (http://www.vansfoods.com/our-products-waffles). We particularly like their flax and their apple cinnamon. However, when it's a staple food in your weekly menu, it gets pricey.

I tinkered around with a few different recipes and then I came across one I loved from a wonderful blog called Give Me Lemons (http://givemelemons.com/2013/08/23/cinnamon-waffles/). Their recipe called for applesauce, which cuts down the added sugar and we already had tons of homemade canned applesauce to use. I played around with it, until I got exactly what I was looking for. I now make a double batch that I can store in my freezer and have on hand whenever we need them!

Ingredients (This doubled recipe makes about 8-9 large Belgian waffles. I break them into individual "triangles", so you get even more)

4 eggs
2 cups of White Whole Wheat flour
2 cups of Spelt Flour
1 cup of applesauce (preferably a low sugar kind)
3 cups of milk
4 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of cinnamon (normally I use Ceylon, but I want a powerful cinnamon flavor)
2 tsp of vanilla
8 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of ground flax
Spray for waffle iron

I chose to add flax, because I pretty much add it to every baked good these days. The health benefits for flax include; Omega-3 fatty acids, lower risk for certain diseases and great source of fiber among so much more! Spelt flour is fairly new to me. Spelt is in the wheat family, but it's a non-wheat flour. It contains a higher protein, lots of nutrients and quite frankly I get sick of using just one or two types of flours! I like to experiment to see what kind of texture each one lends to a dish.

Begin by whisking your eggs together until frothy in a large bowl.

Add in everything else.

Mix well to combine. Don't over mix. If there a few clumps here and there, just leave them alone. Mixed too much creates a tougher waffle.

Spray your waffle iron well (you'll want to do this frequently so they don't stick)

Once the iron is hot, add in about a couple small ladles full and let it do it's thing. Don't take them out until they peel (almost fall out) of the iron nicely. Nobody wants a soggy waffle!

These are so good, I sometimes don't put anything on them. Just give me a cup a coffee and I'm good.

But of course, if you absolutely MUST have syrup...live it up! I mean these pockets just call for syrup after all.

Behold, the Tower of Waffles.

Now that I've shared a truly beloved recipe with you, I'd love to hear from you! What recipes are your go-to in your home?

Oh..and totally make these waffles, you won't regret it!

Rainy Days Call For Soup

 The saying goes "April showers bring May flowers".

It's spring, so we all want sunnier weather, but Mother Nature needs to do her thing. On those days when it's raw, cold and drizzly (or downright pouring!), I like to have a comforting bowl of soup. Since this past weekend was pretty dismal in the weather department, I thought I would share with you my "famous" potato leek soup.

Yes..it is famous. Well, in my inner circle it is! Potato leek soup is easy, delicious and healthy. My version doesn't contain dairy and actually very little potato. To get that creamy, thick soup that feels indulgent, I use my secret weapon.

Rutabaga. There. Cat's out of the bag. I use rutabaga in my soup to replace some of the potatoes. Trust me it works!

 Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized leeks prepared ( I will walk you through this!)
2-3 medium russet potatoes peeled (or whatever potatoes you have on hand)
3 carrots peeled
1/2 or whole rutabaga peeled depending on the size
6-8 cups of chicken or veggie broth
2 Tbsp of olive oil for the pot
All to taste
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Salt

Let's start with the leeks, since they are really the star of the show. My friend Jacques, as in Jacques Pepin (okay, I don't know Jacques, but I wish I did!), taught me a really cool trick with leeks. Generally you are suppose to only use the white and very light green portion of the vegetable. Jacques, being the genius that he is, has a way to carve the leek to reduce waste.

Begin making a cut where the light green ends, following along in a circle until you've cut the first leaf off. You should see that the line of light green is higher on the inner leaf. Make another cut like your first. Again, the light green is higher. Continue cutting until you have two smaller leaves left. Then just cut those at it's lightest point.

Set aside your leftover leek tops to use for veggie stock or toss them.

This is what you will be using for the soup. Looks pretty doesn't it?

 Notice how dirty it is? Leeks are notoriously dirty. So here's another Pepin tip to ensure you can really get into the leaves and clean the leeks well.

Make 1 slice down each side (so 4 cuts total) and fan out all the leaves.

 First I soak the leaves in a bowl of cold water. Then I rinse the individual leaves. Really get in there and get all the dirt and sand out.

 Once all clean, finely chop the leeks (discard the stem), add oil to large stock pot at medium heat and throw in your chopped leeks. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so as not to burn.

Peel your other veg (rinse the potatoes after peeled!) and chop. I like to chop them fairly small because they cook faster. Add to the pot and put in your pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for another 5 minutes and then you can add your broth.

 Let everything simmer until all your veggies are really tender, almost mushy. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed. Now, comes my favorite part, blending it all until nice and smooth.

I use an immersion blender. Using a standard blender to puree hot soup can be scary. I've never really tried it, but I've read it can melt parts of the machine, not to mention cause burns. If you don't have access to an immersion blender, I recommend cooling the soup (this does take time) and doing small batches.

 Once your soup is well blended, check your seasoning again. Once you feel it has enough salt/pepper, take it off the heat and serve. I just happened to have made a nice hearth loaf that worked beautifully with it. You could also serve it in a bread bowl (yum!) or with crispy toast pieces on top.

 Now that will make you feel all nice and cozy!