Instant Pot Ideas

Happy New Year!

I, like a lot of people, got an Instant Pot for Christmas.  I'd been shopping for a great deal (the only way I like to buy things!) for over a year and had never pulled the trigger.  My sweet husband surprised me with one on Christmas morning and we had an Instant Pot side dish with Christmas dinner!

Todd's mom had asked for tacos for dinner. Because, really, when AREN'T tacos the right answer when someone asks you what you want for dinner?!  So I ran my test with water and didn't blow up the house or lose an eye (an ever-present danger evidently) and proceeded to make Mexican rice.

You know me - I have a huge cookbook collection. But I don't YET have an Instant Pot cookbook so I hit the Internet.  I found a great one at Cooking Classy.  It was great because it 1) is written to be used with an Instant Pot, 2) only called for ingredients I already had in the house, and 3) ultimately turned out to be absolutely delicious.  My husband's comment:  "This one's a keeper!"

Instant Pot Mexican Rice

This Instant Pot Mexican Rice will likely become a new go-to side dish to your favorite Mexican food! It's easy to make and cooks quickly in the pressure cooker, plus it has that delicious, authentic tomato based flavor.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Mexican Rice

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 222 kcal

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (8oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups long-grain white rice

Instructions

1. Select saute/browning on pressure cooker, once it reads "hot" add vegetable oil and onions, saute 2 - 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer (if using garlic powder add along with other spices).
2. Press "cancel" then pour in chicken broth, water, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste, stir. Mix in rice. 
3. Lock the lid in place, make sure valve is set to "sealing" position, select manual (or high pressure) and 4 minutes cook time. 
4. When the cook time ends, turn the pressure cooker off and let the pressure release naturally for 10 - 15 minutes
5. Once steaming stops finish using the quick pressure release method according to manufacturers instructions. Fluff rice with a fork and serve warm.
6. Recipe source: recipe adapted from The Electric Pressure Cookbook by Barbara Shieving

I'd love to hear from anyone who has other great Instant Pot Keepers!

And head's up - I did get a cast iron skillet cookbook so look forward to seeing some of those recipes featured in 2019!

All the best to you in the new year!

Copyright 2018 Cooking Classy

Italian Style Casserole

This is gonna be quick!  No photos, no big story.  Just a "here's a great family dish I found on Facebook and doctored so it better suited my pantry and my palate".  Eat this. You'll like it.

Italian Style Casserole

1 pound ground beef
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
5 green onions, chopped
1 8 ounce container sour cream
1 3 ounce package cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried parsley (optional)

In large skillet over medium heat cook beef until no longer pink. Add yellow onion and cook until beginning to soften.

Add next 13 ingredients. Stir to mix and simmer over low while preparing remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook egg noodles al dente according to package and drain well.

Soften, but don't melt, cream cheese in microwave. Blend with sour cream until smooth. Stir in green onion. Fold in cooked egg noodles until coated.

Spread 3 Tbsp beef mixture in bottom of 13x9 inch baking ban.  Add all of noodle mixture. Top with remaining beef mixture. Top with cheeses (combined or layered).  Sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Spray cooking oil on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place oil side down over casserole. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover. Bake 10 minutes more.

Spent Grain Bread

My husband started home brewing beer a couple of months ago and if you've never seen the process you might find it interesting that the combination of grains that makes the beer are steeped in a pot of hot water in what can be described as a great big tea bag.  Not exactly, but it gives you an idea.  Once those grains have steeped long enough to make delicious beer they are removed and discarded.  I thought they looked too good to just throw out so I did a web search for some spent grain bread recipes.  I found one that looked interesting and gave it a try.

Some people use those spent grains as bird feed.  Perhaps that's what I should have done!  The loaf looked great when it came out of the oven.  I lovingly brushed it with butter and waited, drooling, for it to cool enough to slice into it!  It was like a novelty shop gag gift loaf.  The knife went through the crust into a great void of hot, delicious-smelling air, with an inch of sticky, glue-like dough on the bottom. Definitely one of those laugh-or-you'll-cry moments in the kitchen!  I believe the extra moisture in the wet grains was to blame.  Or, more accurately, I was to blame for not compensating for the extra moisture in the wet grains.  Lesson learned.

The hubs brewed again yesterday.  In the weeks since my last bread effort I've given some thought to what I'd do differently.  I hit the internet again for ideas.  Nothing I found looked quite like what I wanted.  So I grabbed bits and pieces of recipes I liked and came up with my own recipe which resulted in a rustic, dense loaf with a hearty, crisped crust.

Here is the recipe I came up with.  This is just how I made mine - not how I will probably tweak it going forward.  I'll share those results as they happen.

Whitacre Dry Spent Grain Bread

1 ½ cups warm water

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs yeast

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour + extra for kneading

½ cup wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups dried spent grains*

Combine water, honey and yeast in small glass bowl and let activate for 8 minutes.  In food processor combine wheat flour, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour and salt.  Pulse to combine.  Add yeast mixture to flour and process until smooth.  Add spent grains and remaining cup of all-purpose flour.  Process for 30 seconds until ball forms.  Turn out on lightly floured board and knead until firm but elastic, adding additional flour as necessary.  Place in greased bowl, cover with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled (about one hour).

Divide bread into two pieces.  Form into oblong loaves and place on lightly floured baking sheet.  Allow to rise for an additional hour. Slice tops with sharp knife before baking.

Bake in 450F preheated oven for 25-35 minutes.  Place a pan of water on the lower shelf to create a crispier crust.  Cool slightly and serve!

* For dried spent grains:  take 3 cups wet spent grains that have been allowed to drain a bit and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.  Bake in oven on low (170F) in 20 minute increments, stirring after each 20 minutes, until dry (about 2 hours).  Process in food processor until desired coarseness is achieved. Yields approximately 1 ½ cups dried grain.

Things I'd like to try going forward:  More honey.  Longer rising times. Molasses and raisins? Press some fresh rosemary sprigs into the crust before baking? Bake that bad boy in my pizza oven in the yard. (I also found a spent grain pizza dough recipe.  You'll be hearing more about that I'm sure!)

Tell me, bakers, what are you thoughts?  Have you tried baking with spent grains?  Do you have any hints, tips, or suggestions for me?

Winter Cocktail

I know, I know...I haven't been here for almost a year!  It is just amazing how quickly time flies!

When I logged in I noticed I have a draft sitting here for some web-popular sugar cookies. A draft that I started 10 months ago! I'll revisit that later and post it.

My Ingredient Challenge group is going to be doing a Finger Food & Cocktails night later this month so for our Cocktail Experiment for the weekend I tried Drunk Jack Frosties. I'd just seen this on Facebook and followed this link to the Delish website for the full recipe.  I didn't want to be eyeballing ingredients from the quick video for my friends.  Maybe I should have.  I followed the recipe and got a nearly undrinkable beverage. Probably would have been undrinkable for the masses, but my hubs and I are no quitters!

DRUNK JACK FROSTIES

1 C vodka
1 C Champagne
1/2 C Blue Curacao
1/2 C lemonade
3 C ice
Lemon wedge
White sanding sugar

In a blender, combine vodka, champagne, blue curacao, lemonade and ice.  Blend until combined.

Run a lemon wedge around the rim of each glass, then dip in sanding sugar.

Pour frosties into rimmed glasses and serve immediately.

Here's their photo:


Isn't it beautiful?!

I neglected to get a picture of mine.  Probably because I switched gears immediately and made myself an amaretto sour instead.  But mine did NOT look like this.  It was much, much bluer.  Like a melted blue snow cone (or sno-cone,  Merriam-Webster will accept either). Which leads me to my hints/tips.

When I made this I followed the instructions with two small changes, neither of which should have changed the taste or color. I put the ice and vodka in the blender and ran it on "ice breaker" for a bit before I added the other ingredients. And I didn't add the champagne until I had everything else fully blended.  I added it at the very end and gave the blender a couple of quick whirls.  I didn't want to "crush" the bubbles.

If I were to make it again I would start with 1/2 the Blue Curacao.  And I'd probably make my own lemonade and make it much sweeter than the store-bought stuff I used.  And then I'd probably set it all aside and make myself a cocktail that I like.  But don't take my word for it!  Everyone has their own preferences and you might love this stuff!  Let me know!

Like mother, like daughter

It is well-established that I am a recipe junkie and that I get that from my mother.  She loved trying recipes from magazines, cookbooks, friends, and labels from cans and boxes.  I was just looking through my small, blue recipe box for a specific recipe of hers. I noticed her small, beige recipe card box on the shelf above mine and thought I'd check in there.  Still haven't found the recipe I'm looking for (guess I've got to dig into the big boxes!) but I did find nearly identical copies of  B.T.S. Cake.  B.T.S. stands for Better Than Sex and I remember how scandalized my mother was when her co-worker told her that!  I'm not sure if my mom or her friend typed up copies, but Mom sent me one to me.  Pretty fun to see how similar our recipe hoarding styles are!

The funny thing is - neither of us ever actually made this recipe.  Mom's friend had taken it to a potluck and mom thought it was delicious so she shared the recipe with me right away.  I'll make it soon and let you know if it lives up to the name!

I also came across this recipe for a family staple.  Good ol' Macaroni-Beef Casserole.

I can't count the number of times my family shared this around the dinner table.  I've only made this once in the past 30 years but I'll have to give it another go.  Here's what I love about this copy.  1) So many of the recipes that I have from my mom are folded because she mailed them to me after I left home.  2) Mom started writing it down for me.  3)  She must have gotten busy and asked my younger brother Jeff to take over. 4)  Jeff seems to have gotten distracted and my older brother Nick took over.  Three of my loved ones were thinking of me and sharing time and love and food with me from 350 miles away at a time when you didn't just snap a photo and send it in seconds.  No wonder I'm hooked.

As always - I'd love to see or hear about your favorite family recipes!

HRR update 2/9/17

HOME

I'm off to a great real estate start in 2017 - making the top 5 in my office for the month of January. I have several other deals pending and plan to make the list repeatedly this year!

RUN

Today is day 1187 of the running streak though I have not yet run.  My treadmill isn't working properly and we are having a windstorm here today.  I'm dressed to head out as soon as I see a few moments of calm.  If you've ever blown in a babie's face you have some idea how well I handle running in the wind!

RECIPES

My Ingredient Challenge Group meets this weekend for an Italian feast!  I'm still undecided about what to take.  Meat-filled cannoli?  Dessert cannoli? An Italian cocktail to serve double-duty as my Ingredient Challenge AND my cocktail challenge?  I'll run it by Todd and get back to you with a recipe and photos!

Whipped Cream Biscuits

Way back when I started this blog I shared a recipe for 2 Ingredient Scones.  I had seen the recipe and had to try it.  They turned out surprisingly well and I loved how simple it was to make them.

I have a great recipe for biscuits that I got from my mother.  LOVE them!  But I'm a recipe junkie and whenever I tell my husband I've found another biscuit recipe that I want to try he says, "Why mess with perfection?".  So I've held off. Until now.

My sister, Sheila, the same one that shared Diana's delicious casserole with us recently, told me she'd tried a new recipe that were on a par with Mom's.  She does not lie. And these actually require less work because the shortening, eggs and milk are replaced with plain old whipping cream which reminds me of the simplicity of the scones.

Sheila found this in the recipes section of www.familyfun.com.

Ethereal Whipped-cream Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 cup cake flour*
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups cold heavy cream

Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 and get out a large, light-colored baking sheet.  Test Kitchen Tip:  Don't use a dark or nonstick sheet, or the biscuit bottoms will burn.
Step 2
Sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.  Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream in a medium-size bowl until it thickens, but not enough to hold soft peaks.  Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the cream.  With a wooden spoon, stir briskly just until the dough coheres.

Step 3
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  With floured hands, knead the dough 3 or 4  times, then pat 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
Step 4
Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds and transfer them to the baking sheet, leaving room between them.  Gather the dough scraps and cut them into rounds as well.

Step 5
Bake the biscuits until light golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a  cloth-lined basket and serve as soon as possible.  Makes about 12-14 biscuits.

* To make your own cake flour remove 2 tablespoons of flour from a measured cup of flour, replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Instead of making 12-14 small biscuits, I made 6 large ones.  So instead of a baking sheet, I used a small casserole dish with sides to help contain the biscuity goodness.  Because of their size I also let them cook about 5 minutes longer.

These are so good Coco was willing to trade her Tiny Frog for an opportunity to lick the plate!

If you've got a favorite biscuit recipe - please share it in the comments!

The Cocktail Experiment

As I mentioned previously, my husband and I are trying new (and revisiting old) cocktails.  We call this the Saturday Night Cocktail Experiment.  Turns out we sometimes do it on Friday in case it is really delicious and then we can have it on Saturday too!  When I was battling the flu I skipped it for several weeks.  It all balances out.

The way we usually pick a new recipe is to evaluate what we have behind the bar and plug an ingredient into my Mixology app.  This time, however, I saw a Facebook post by Tipsy Bartender with a recipe that looked refreshing.  I had everything but Strawberry Vodka. So a couple of weeks ago I went out and bought some.  Voila!  The Vanity Cocktail!

The Vanity Cocktail

1 oz. Strawberry Vodka

1 1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps

Splash of Cranberry Juice

Dash of Sweet & Sour

Top with Sprite or 7Up

Garnish with strawberries

That's it!  Very simple and pretty good.  I'd give it a 6 out of 10.

But now I have Strawberry Vodka on hand.  So this past weekend I hit up Mixology and found this:

Creme Rosa

1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream (I used Saint Brendan's because it is what I had)

1 oz. Strawberry Vodka

1/2 oz. Bacardi Rum

5 dashes Grenadine

Strawberry garnish

Shake all ingredient vigorously, then pour into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a strawberry.

Also pretty good.  Another 6/10.

But this got me thinking!  Todd had just purchased some lemonade.  I had the strawberry vodka and grenadine sitting right there.  So I threw an ounce of strawberry vodka, a splash of grenadine and 3/4 filled with lemonade, and 1/4 filled with Sprite in a cooler glass over ice.  Pretty tasty if I do say so myself!  I forgot to get a picture, but I'll give this one a 7.5/10.

Let me know if you've got a favorite strawberry vodka cocktail recipe and I'll try it, share it here and give you credit!

This is how you do it!

Today was a particularly good day!  I closed on the sale of a house I had listed for some of the sweetest sellers a realtor could hope for.  I went for a run in 19 degrees on a snowy path to maintain my streak.  And I took leftovers for lunch that smelled so good to my coworkers came out of their offices and asked me what it was.

HOME

First week of the year and I closed a sale!  Not a bad way to start things off!  Not to overstate it - it was the third escrow on the same house.  But a lovely family just purchased themselves a really lovely home and my terrific sellers get to move on to their newly built home to start a new job.  Very exciting!  It is really the a perfect example of why I got into real estate - dreams coming true left and right!

RUN

Day 1153 of my running streak.  Yesterday I did my run at the Sparks Marina Park because they are super-diligent about keeping the walkways clear and we got 3-5 inches of snow )depending on the location).  Today I worked until after 4 and then planned to help a dear friend move sandbags to his house because of the flooding that is expected in the next few days.  That left a small window of time to go for a run.  So I squeezed in my 1.1 mile route around my neighborhood.  Cold and crisp but oh so beautiful.  The snow on the path was like running in loose sand except where it was a sheet of ice.  A treadmill would have been easier - but THIS is how you keep a streak going when your treadmill dies!

RECIPES

My sister shared this recipe for Mexican Lasagna with me recently. "You probably already have all the ingredients!"  She was almost right - I did have to buy a green pepper.  Sheila got this from her sister-in-law Diana so we have renamed it Diana's Mexican Casserole because Todd objected to the use of "lasagna" when it doesn't call for lasagna noodles.  It is so easy and delicious and is one of those meals that actually tastes better as leftovers!

Diana's Mexican Casserole

½ to 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped coarsely (we’ve used red and yellow)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder (or to taste)

Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

1 c. whole kernel corn

One 16 oz. can pinto or kidney beans, drained (we’ve used black and it turns out great)

1 c. tomato sauce

Six 7 inch corn tortillas

1 c. low-fat cottage cheese

½ to 1 c. cheddar cheese (we use the shredded Mexican)

Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and saute 1 minute more.

Remove from heat. Mix in corn, beans and up to 1 cup tomato sauce.

Place tortillas in a 2 quart casserole dish, arranging to cover the bottom of dish. Spoon ½ the 

corn/bean mixture and spread ½ c. cottage cheese on top. Sprinkle with ½ the shredded

cheese. Repeat layers. Microwave uncovered on high until heated through, 10 – 15 min. (I microwave for half the time and then bake/crisp the cheese.)

My notes:  This is so easily adapted to what you like or what you have on hand.  We added olives and diced tomatoes because we had them in the fridge. We used more corn and beans than the recipe called for and cut 4 additional tortillas into strips and added them in between the other layers and sprinkled about a tablespoon of dried cilantro on top of the second layer of cottage cheese.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Starting my year with VODKA!

Another year has passed and I failed miserably to maintain a regular blogging schedule.  But a new day means a new chance at achieving my goals so here I go!

HOME. RUN. RECIPES. recap:

HOME

Real estate was back-burnered through my mother's illness and passing and I am excited to be making strides again.  I'm working with two wonderful sellers (closing on one tomorrow) and am thrilled to help them make their financial dreams come true.  I became a realtor because I love houses and I really love people but I had no idea that I would make such dear friends with the people I work with.  Looking forward to new friendships and successes in the new year!  And let me know if you know anyone who is looking for a fantastic Sparks, Nevada home - single story, well-maintained, great location, 3bed/2bath, sunroom!

RUN

We started the year off strong with our midnight resolution run and I'm still on my running streak.  My cold, wet 1.1 miles today marked day 1151!  My darling husband (and inspiration for the streak - and everything else I do!) had to stop at day 1000 due to significant and increasing knee pain.  He is still very much the reason I get myself out the door each day.  A lot of my motivation comes from those that would love to run but can't.  Glen with his neuroma, Francine with her struggles with Lyme disease, Todd and his bone-on-bone knees. My mother and my aunt who were avid runners before they passed.  Whenever I think about quitting I think about them.  Amazing what I will do for others that I sometimes won't do for myself!

RECIPES

This is the funnest part of my post for me today!  I've already kicked off the year with some great new cooking experiences. Todd and I are trying a new (or revisiting old ones we haven't had in some time - hello Tequila Sunrise!) cocktail each week.  I'll start sharing those as well as food recipes.

I'll start with the recipe I used for dinner last night.  Todd said he's been wanting penne with vodka sauce.  I haven't made that from scratch before. Oh my gosh!  How easy and delicious it is!  I found two recipes that I liked the look of and merged them to create what I call Vodka-Pancetta Penne Pasta!  Kicking myself for not getting photos for you - but they wouldn't have done it justice anyhow.

Vodka-Pancetta Penne Pasta

16 oz penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
4 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. vodka
3/4 C. heavy cream
7 oz  diced tomatoes, drained a bit (approximately half of a 15 oz can)
15 oz can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta per package instructions.

While pasta water comes to boil and pasta cooks - saute pancetta in butter until lightly browned.  Add onion and cook until soft.  Add vodka and simmer, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and cream. Add chopped basil when other ingredients are fully combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.

Serve sauce over pasta, top with Parmesan cheese to taste. 4 generous servings.

Note:  I will try this sauce with Italian sauce and red pepper flakes in the future.  Will also try substituting lobster ravioli for the penne and leaving out the pancetta.

Coming soon:  Pho, Mexican Lasagna, Georgia Punch and a popular web recipe for sugar cookies.

Look forward to sharing with you in 2017!!

Overstatement

When Regina said her toffee recipe was "foolproof" that may have been a teeny tiny overstatement.  Or I'm a different kind of fool than she had in mind!

I tried her recipe yesterday.  One of our darling neighbors gave us a tin of cookies for shoveling their driveway.  I wanted to return the tin and thought I'd make some toffee to put in it.  So I threw the ingredients in a pot and let it cook while chopping vegetables for dinner.  Regina had said that she followed the recipe to a T which included medium heat (no rushing it with medium high or high) and allowing it to get to 285F.  I got out my new candy thermometer and got to work.

Things started out just fine.  Melting butter with some added sugar and salt.  Any fool can do that!

Still looking good.  Getting nice and foamy and heading toward the "dark amber" the recipe calls for.

Deceptive success.  This looks pretty much like toffee. 

What you can't see is that I overcooked it.  It started to separate and I had to drain off a bunch of butter because I couldn't get it to incorporate.  When I poured it in the pan it only spread out to half the surface area it should have.  I had to pull up the edge of the parchment to keep it from slumping pathetically across the pan.  It doesn't taste bad...but it is hard.  Definitely not the crispy, delicate, delicious treat Regina made.

My take-away is this:  When your friend Carol tells you, "Test your candy thermometer in boiling water against your meat thermometer to make sure it works.  I've had one that wasn't calibrated properly." you don't just assume you know more than she does.  That, my friends, is what makes you a fool!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Thank goodness for toffee! I mean thank goodness for friends! No...I meant toffee!

As you know - a lot of my recipes are those that friends and family have shared.  Unbeknownst to my friend Regina, I made toffee the week before Thanksgiving.  I didn't intend to keep it a secret.  It just wasn't anything to write about.  I didn't own a candy thermometer so I used the ol' hard ball water test.  It turned out just okay.  A little soft,  a little bland.

And then Regina made toffee as a Christmas treat.  It is sublime!  I told her how much I enjoyed it and she told me yesterday that she'd made some more. I had to admit I liked the first batch so much I ate almost half of it in the car on the way home and had to rearrange it on the plate so my husband wouldn't think I was a glutton.  She brought me another plateful today!

Not only did she bring me more toffee she sent me the (very simple) recipe she found at www.allrecipes.com.  It is so good and she assures me it is nearly foolproof.  Since Todd bought me a candy thermometer for Christmas I'm even more excited to give it a try!

Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy

 Recipe By: FUNKYSEAMONKEY


"Chocolate and almonds top off a rich buttery toffee. A simple recipe that you could easily remember

and whip up any time. I always get compliments and requests for more. Use any type of nut that you

like in place of the almonds."

 

Ingredients

2 cups butter

2 cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped almonds

 

Directions

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium

heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture

becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C).

Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking

sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread

the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and

press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight

container. 
www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Well That Got Away From Me In a Hurry!

New year, renewed commitment to my blog.  Which I also see as renewed accountability to my real estate business, my running and my passion for cooking.  Or eating...which leads me right back to running!

It seems like just yesterday that I posted my last entry when, in fact, it has been nearly a year!  This is one of those things I always say I'll get to "later".  Much, much later.

HOME

My real estate business was put on the back burner this year while I focused on my mother's and my mother-in-law's health issues.  And, to be honest, I enjoyed kicking back a bit and spending more time at home.  I'm sad beyond words to report that my mother passed away shortly before Christmas.  So grateful to her for her unconditional love and support.  "Later" doesn't always come.  My mom loved to read this blog (because she's my mom she thinks I'm amazing!)  and now I won't have the opportunity to wow her with my exploits, wit and wisdom.  Grab life by the balls folks!  It never lasts as long as we think it will.

All of that aside, real estate was still good to me in 2015.  I am working with some lovely people right now who are looking to make Reno home.  The market here is strong and there are so many ways that Reno is growing and changing right now it is impossible to list them all in one post.  If you're interested in our market please drop me a line!  I'll post updates about all the goings-on as I build this blogging habit back up to where it belongs!

Random photo of "home"

RUN

The Hubs and I are still on our running streak!  In our running streak?  Either way we're still running!  We started on November 11, 2013 with the notion we'd do at least a mile a day until the end of the year.  It was some harebrained idea my husband got while reading an issue of Runner's World.  I can't really blame him.  After all, I'm the one that thought it was smart to go along!  Today marks 785 days.  Starting was hard, stopping is much harder!  Other 2015 running highlights include the California International Marathon, three Turkey Trots (two in one day!) and another resolution run.  That last one technically belongs in 2016, but we've done them for 7 years in a row and think they are a fantastic way to jump start a running year.

CIM bibs top center

 

2015 Fallon Turkey Trot - second race of the day.  Forgot to get a photo after the Fernley run.

 

Oregon Mid-Valley Road Race on Thanksgiving morning.

 

December 31, 2015

 

Forgot to get a group shot after our Resolution Run at midnight - but here's Coco, ready to hit the cold road!

RECIPES

In the past I've shared some of my treasured recipes.  You know the ones...little scraps of paper covered with splashed and spilled ingredients, often handwritten by loved ones, tried and true family favorites.  My mom was a recipe junkie like me and was willing to try all sorts of odd dishes.  This was torn from the back of a Best Foods Mayonnaise jar and, in my family, is lovingly known as Green Death. It indicates that it will serve 6 but I'd go so far as to say it will serve 20 because no one really wants much  of it!  I'm mostly kidding.  It is kind of delicious. But definitely not for everyone!
One of these days I might even add the horseradish.  Do you have a crazy favorite?  Be sure to share it with me!

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Gentrification...I like that word

I got on here to blog about shortbread but that will have to wait for another time.  When I log in I see posts by other bloggers that I follow. Riding In Reno (which I recommend!) posted about The Depot in downtown Reno.  I hadn't heard about it but it sounds like just the sort of place I'd like! 

The owners have brought new life to the old train depot on 4th Street.  From the video posted on RIR, which I'm reposting here, it looks like they are doing everything right!  Check out their website to see their menu.





When, not if, I go, I'll be sure to post a review!  I'd write more but I've got to go line up a date with friends!  If you've been, let me know what you think. 

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Shakespeare & Quiche

I recently spent a weekend in Ashland, Oregon with my mom and sister taking in some great plays (both Shakespeare & modern productions), and wonderful food and beverages at Liquid Assets and Standing Stone Brewing Company. 

 

 

We also enjoyed some delicious coffee at Rogue Valley Roasting Co.  We went because my sister's nephew's half brother is an owner...but we went back because it has a warm, friendly vibe and really good coffee.

 

I usually come home from this annual trek with a desire to up my culinary game.  Quiche sounded good so I read through a number of recipes until I found one I wanted to try.  I've made quiche before, but this one intrigued me. I found this recipe at www.epicurious.com. There is a basic pastry crust embedded in the instructions.  Use it.  It really is the secret to the "quiche-iness" of it.

 

Madame Quiche's Quiche au Fromage

 

Ingredients 

• One recipe basic pastry (see below in Preparation)
• 6 large eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
• 1 cup milk (preferably whole)
• 8 ounces gruyère, emmenthal, or other Swiss-type cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional

 

Preparation

 

• Basic pastry for One-Crust Tart:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Large pinch sea salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
• 5 to 6 tablespoons chilled water

 

Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Cut the butter in chunks and add it to the flour. Process it, using pulses, until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.  Add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry beings to hold together in large clumps. Turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball.

 

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie plate (not removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry to the oven to bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

 

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended, Turn the mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg if you've used a Swiss-type cheese, and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes. To test for doneness, shake the quiche - if it is solid without a pool of uncooked filling in the center, it is done. You may also stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is baked through. Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.

Bacon and Cheese Quiche:

To make a bacon and cheese quiche (one reader reminded me that Alsace is the home of the quiche, which to deserve its name there has bacon, not ham, in it - ham is a Normandy variation), remove the rind from 4 ounces good-quality slab bacon, and cut it into thick slices, then cut the slices in half, lengthwise, and crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place these in a heavy pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is crisp. Drain it on a paper-towel covered plate, and sprinkle it over the pre-baked pastry before adding the custard.

Onion and Cheese Quiche:

Peel and halve a medium-sized yellow onion. Cut it in quarters then slice the onion paper-thin. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the onions and stir, season lightly with salt, cover, and cook until the onions are very tender and translucent, and just slightly browned at the edges, 10-15 minutes. Remove them from the heat, and spread over the pre-baked pastry before adding the custard.

 

** My notes - Because the crust got too dark for my taste I will skip the entire foil and weights part and just do 15 minutes, watching it closely, without the second step.  Have a pie crust protector ring, or formed aluminum foil, handy in case the crust starts getting too dark while the filling cooks.   I made the bacon version.  In the future I will sprinkle with cayenne rather than nutmeg for this version.  Be careful to not overfill the crust.  I ended up discarding almost a cup of egg mixture, which I suppose you could bake in a ramekin and serve on toast. You may also find the top getting too dark before the filling fully sets up, you may want to put a loose sheet of foil over it for the last few minutes.  I ended up baking it for almost 40 minutes.  The recipe says to serve immediately but I think it should set up for just a couple of minutes first. I'm making this again tonight but will use the Labne (kefir cheese spread) in place of the crème fraiche.  I think the slightly tangier flavor will give it some nice zip! 

 

I served this with the 50/50 spring mix/spinach salad with a sprinkle of gruyere, an olive oil and pomegranate balsamic (from Big Horn Olive Oil Company) dressing and a Sweet Cheeks Chardonnay. 

 

Let me know how you customize the recipe or how you serve it!  I'd love to hear from you!

 

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Yelp's On Tap Reno!

Last night I attended an event at Siena Reno called Yelp's On Tap Reno! In addition to providing food and drink the mixer benefited the Volunteers of America and the important work they do for the homeless in Reno.

It was a fun evening with my dear friends Regina and Travis Cowell.  Their son Chris is the new executive chef and I was excited to sample some of his delicious creations.  The Rotunda Bar is hip, the adjoining Whitewater on the River is elegant (I can't wait to get back there for a brunch of Crab Benedict), the service was friendly, and the beer and food was great!

If you like beer, and I know you do, you should try nevadabeer by Under the Rose Brewing Company. 

It is served locally at some fine restaurant/bars, but I say you might as well hit the Siena, enjoy a beer in the bar, and then check out what Chef Chris is cooking up at Whitewater!  You'll thank me!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Corn test

When I see recipes or videos on the Internet...not THOSE kinds of videos!...I like to test them to see if they actually live up to their hype.  Slow cooker pulled pork?  Yes please!  Easy pineapple cake?  Delish!  Mentos in a two liter Coke?  Fun! Messy, but fun!  So I was eager to test the "Microwave Corn Perfectly" video I saw on Facebook recently.

I went back to find the actual video so that I could share it with you and couldn't find it.  I went to YouTube and did a search and found several that show the same results.  Microwave your corn and it will slide, silk and all, right out of the husk.  I've been eating corn for a LOT of years and you'd think I'd have heard about this before now.  But I hadn't.  And now my life has been transformed!  This is so easy I could have corn every single day!

Feel free to do your own video search.  If you'd rather get right to it, here's what you do:

1.  Get an ear of corn in the husk.  You'll probably want more than one.
2.  Put the corn, still in the husk, in the microwave.  All I did was snip the silk and the stalk so that it fit in the microwave.
3.  Microwave for 4 1/2 minutes.  I saw anywhere from 3-5 minutes in the videos I watched, but 4.5 worked perfectly in my experiment.
4.  Using an oven mitt, remove the hot corn from the microwave and place on a cutting board.
5.  Cut the stalk end approximately 1 inch above where the stalk attaches to the ear.  You'll lose just a little tiny bit of corn.
6.  Still using the mitt, grasp the corn by the silk and husk.  Squeeze gently and shake the corn.  The corn will slide right out with just a little bit of effort!  Silk free!!
7.  Butter and season to taste. 
8.  EAT!

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RTO

I'm excited to update my blog with some new posts...the running streak, Reno Aces baseball, a drool-worthy mac and cheese recipe, some big changes to our quest for the perfect pizza, and stories about something my husband likes to call "tourist season".  That being said, one of the very best events I want share is the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey.

2014 marked the 10th annual 178 mile Reno-Tahoe Odyssey 12-person adventure relay. I mentioned this several weeks ago as a big motivator my running streak.  Todd, his co-worker Clay, Clay's triathlete friend Tim and I competed in the sister event, the RTO One. This 54-mile course designed for teams of 6 runners and is in its second year.

First let me say that this is one of the most well organized events I've ever been a part of, either as a participant or organizer.  Eric and Ryan do a phenomenal job putting this together and have rounded up some of the friendliest and most dedicated volunteers you could hope for.

We did the event as a team of four.  While it may have been nice to share the distance with more legs, I have to say it was an ideal experience.  It helps that my teammates are three of the nicest guys around.  And because there were just the four of us we fit very comfortably in our 4Runner so we didn't have to scare up a van or larger vehicle.

We did really well!  We took third place out of ten teams and our time beat the previous year's winning time.  Not bad considering we had two fewer runners than any other team.

The party in the park at the finish was a blast and a great place for family and friends to join in the fun. 

If you're interested in getting into an epic relay event this is the one for you!  Act fast!  Registration is open for 2015 and they filled up quickly this year.  Follow the link above for details, maps, pictures, results and testimonials!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Home Improvement

My husband and I have been busy recently working on projects in our back yard and helping some friends do a surprise update on their daughter's bedroom.  I love to see the immediate results of this type of hard work.  When I start one project my mind starts jumping ahead to the other projects I might like to do...swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit, pizza oven, etc.  As a homeowner and a Realtor I always consider the return on investment of these projects.  It is great to be able to maximize your financial investment when choosing to make changes to your property.  But that isn't the only consideration.  Your quality of life, the enjoyment you get from your home, are important too. 

The notion of a pool keeps coming back to me.  When I start thinking I'm going to push ahead I get into a cycle of analysis paralysis.  In ground or above ground?  How much should I spend?  How much would we actually use it? How much do they cost to maintain?  How will this impact my homeowner's insurance?  What safety features do I need to implement?  Where would I put it?  Can we do the work ourselves or would we need to hire someone? 

I felt this was a good article to help prioritize some of the pool issues:

http://www.zillow.com/blog/above-ground-swimming-pool-guide-155527/

Now I'm going to go look for fire pit plans.  And maybe some info about apple trees.  Did someone say "horseshoes"?!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

It has "easiest" right in the name!

Some time ago I posted a recipe for my favorite carrot cake with a heavenly buttermilk caramel glaze and cream cheese frosting.  It is so delicious that is totally worth the time and effort to make it.  But I don't always have that time!  So I was very excited to see a recipe posted on FaceBook called "Easiest Pineapple Cake".  I am not kidding...this is EASY!  And really delicious with a texture that makes you think it was much more labor intensive than it is!

EASIEST PINEAPPLE CAKE

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple in it's own juice - not syrup (DO NOT DRAIN)
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
1 8-ounce cram cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
coconut for garnish - optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all of the cake ingredients together in a bowl.  Pour into a greased 9X13 inch pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is golden brown.

Frosting:  Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla together until creamy.  Gradually mix in powdered sugar.

Frost cake with cream cheese frosting while still warm.  Sprinkle with coconut if desired.

I don't like to mess with a recipe the first time I make it, but I did make a few modifications since I was making this as a birthday cake for my mother-in-law:

 - I added about a half cup of chopped walnuts to the cake mix.
 - I used two round pans instead of a 9X13".  In the picture the cake was frosted and served from the pan.  I let the cake cool and frosted it as a layer cake.
 - Because I wanted them out of the pans in good condition in addition to spraying the pan with Pam, I lined them with parchment paper cut to size.
 - I doubled the frosting recipe so that I* had plenty for decorating
 - I* sprinkled the top with more chopped walnuts

* By "I" I mean "my adorable husband Todd".  :-)

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