La Chefesse

The Secret's in the Pudding

2012-01-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

The secret to the chewy, fluffy, chocolate chip cookies is in a very interesting ingredient. Instant pudding! I'm not always a fan or putting any packaged or canned items into my baking but these cookies turn out so great, I make the exception!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pudding

(this recipe taken from a family cookbook)

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 c. salted butter softened
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 (4 serving size) pkg vailla flavor instant pudding
2 eggs
1 pkg chocolate chips (2 c.)
1 c. chopped walnuts (opt)

Mix flour with baking soda. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla, and pudding mix in a large mixer bowl. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts (Batter will be stiff) Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungresed cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Yield approximately 3 dozen.

Key (for any bakers who aren't so familiar with abbreviations)

c. - cup

tsp - teaspoon

Tbsp or T. - tablespoon

note: I omitted the nuts just because I'm not really into nutty cookies.

Enjoy!

Latest Projects

2010-10-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest projects...as a premier for Thanksgiving we have gingerbread turkeys! The candy corn works really nice with the gingerbread taste.

Classic NY cheesecake with a perfect creamy texture and delicious graham cracker crust!

Twice Baked Potatoes

First made in the village of Cheddar in England, cheddar cheese is appreciated for its tangy, salty flavor, which ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age. Although naturally a creamy white, cheddar is often dyed orange with annatto, a paste made from achiote seeds. Other cheese-and-greens combinations that would be good in this recipe include fontina cheese and arugula, goat cheese and watercress, and Jack cheese and mustard greens.

Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes, about 2 1/2 lb. total, scrubbed and patted dry
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, minced
2 bunches fresh spinach leaves, tough stems removed and leaves rinsed well
2 Tbs. sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup firmly packed shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place them directly on the oven rack. Bake until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté until the shallot is translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the spinach, and toss until wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Transfer the spinach mixture to a sieve set over a bowl and press all the liquid out of the spinach.Using a serrated knife, cut a slice 1/2 inch thick off one long side of each potato and discard. Scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl, leaving a shell 1/4 inch thick. Add the sour cream, salt, pepper and the remaining 4 Tbs. butter to the potato flesh and mash with a potato masher to blend. Stir in 2/3 cup of the cheese and then the spinach. Spoon the potato mixture into the potato shells, mounding it high. Press the remaining cheese on top of the filling. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. To test for doneness, stick a small knife into a potato and leave it there for about 15 seconds. Remove the knife and feel the blade; if it is hot, the potatoes are ready. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, Edited by Chuck Williams (Free Press, 2008).

Old Fashioned White Bread

2010-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is the BEST white bread I've ever tasted!! Make sure you follow the rolling instructions when you put the dough in the pans as it makes the texture so nice! The crust is perfectly chewy and my toddler will sit down and eat a whole slice by itself. (it does great for French toast too :)

Old Fashioned White Bread

from the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook

1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees - 115 degrees F)

2 cups warm whole milk (note: I combine the water and the milk when warming)

4 tsp active dry yeast

2 Tbsp plus 1 pinch sugar

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbsp salt

6-6 1/2 cups bread flour

Canola oil for greasing

In a bowl, combine the water and 1/4 cup of the milk. Sprinkle the yeast and the pinch of sugar over the liquid and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining milk, the butter, the 2 Tbsp sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on medium low speed until creamy about 1 minute.

Beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed, adding flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it well with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly grease two 9 by 5 in. loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide in half and pat each half into a long rectangle.

Fold 1 rectangle like a letter, overlapping the short sides in the middle; press to flatten.

Beginning at a narrow end, tightly roll up the dough into a thick log.

Roll the log back and forth with your palms until it is the same length as the pan.

Pinch the ends and the long seam to seal.

Place the loaf, seam side down, in a prepared pan, tucking the ends under to make a neat, snug fit. Repeat with the second portion. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise until about 1inch above the rim of each pan, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, about 40 minutes. Turn out onto the racks and let cool completely.

Enjoy a nice slice of homemade white bread!

Railway Cake Pan

2010-09-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I came across this at Williams-sonoma.com and I thought it was such a cute idea so I'm sharing it with everyone else! Its got 5 stars from 44 reviews so it must work pretty well!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/railway-train-cake-pan/?pkey=ccake-pans|bkwcakspt#BVRRWidgetID

Canning, canning, canning...

2010-09-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

We picked up some nice ripe peaches in NY state and canned most of them..we got 7 quarts of peaches out of it all.
I used the Ball Blue book of food preservation for my recipe and used the light syrup. For the leftover peaches, we pureed them in the blender and froze them in ice cube trays for future smoothies...and the last thing we did was a delicious recipe of Brown Sugar peaches and Ice cream. (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/brown-sugar-peaches-with-ice-cream.html) It was very delicious..you will definitely want to try this recipe. I would recomend using fresh peaches instead of ripe ones or else they get a little mushy.

Last night we cooked and pureed two gooseneck pumpkins bought from a great place to go apple/pumpkin picking. These pumpkins have so much meat in them! I got 9 pies out of two pumpkins and it was only $14 for the pumpkins!

picture from http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/let-pumpkin-harvest-t7364707.html?p=1964657026

Pochuck Valley farms was a very enjoyable place to get out for the day, enjoy some fresh apple cider, amazing carmel apples, and fresh apple cider donuts!(http://www.pochuckvalleyfarms.com/)
Tonight we will be canning apple pie fillings from the apples we picked at Pochucks according to this lady's recipe. (http://kathi-mygarden.blogspot.com/2007/10/making-apple-pie-filling-to-can.html)

Another Step Forward in Food preservation

2010-08-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

My brother and sister-in-law surprised us with a small chest freezer! We were planning on getting one anyway but they beat us to it. I think the freezer one of the most useful methods of preserving food and am looking forward to using it! First things first though, now the closet has to get organized so we have room to open it..then I'll get to freezing everything I can find!

Sour Cherries!

2010-06-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Our sweet cherry season didn't go too well this year so we missed it. But right now the sour cherries are out and looking great for some homemade pies!

This is the recipe I always use for my pies..it comes out flaky and soo tasty! Its a complete butter pie crust! I have tried other recipes using shortening but this one, I think, trumps them all :)

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/basic-pie-dough.html

Here's the crust from one of my last pies..

Strawberry Time!

2010-06-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just letting you all know that its strawberry season! Its quickly ending too due to the hot weather here in NJ. This summer my husband and I are going to learn how to preserve as much food as we can. We are learning different ways of preservation like freezing, canning, pickling, and brining. This week we made Strawberry jam!

Here's the recipe I used..

4 cups berries
3 cups sugar
Mash berries. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly while stirring continuously for about 15 minutes, until thick. (Depending on how much water your strawberries have, this may take up to a half hour). Pour into jars and seal.

Make sure to stir continuously and watch the boiling. If it gets too crazy, it could be too hot and burn. Also this recipe does not need pectin because the sugar acts as a thickener.

Little bit of a setback..

2010-05-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well the last couple months, food has been the most undesirable thing to me due to a bout of morning sickness! This is baby #2 on the way :)

Its starting to subside, VERY slowly, but I'll get back into the swing of cooking again soon :)

My new learning experiences!

2010-02-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, this week I was really churning out the cooking. I made donuts, a roasted turkey, hollandaise sauce and a danish pastry! All new things for me! All of my recipes are from williams-sonoma.com or the Essentials Series from Williams Sonoma and most of my kitchen tools are also from there!

Again, the reason why I'm using primarily Williams Sonoma recipe is because they are all extremely well written. I have not had trouble with a recipe yet. And I've been testing their recipes for a year. These books have given me the steps to reach for a higher aim, that of being a professional home chef!

The store just came out with a doughnut cutter and recipe...so definitely check it out! The recipe is amazing!! It totally gives Dunkin Donuts a run for their money! These are the chewy, doughy kind, not the cakey ones.

Tool
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/donut-cutter/?pkey=x|4|1||4|donut||0&cm_src=SCH
Recipe
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/glazed-doughnuts.html

This Week's Challenge

2010-02-18T09:21:00.001-08:00

I have a bosom friend coming over tomorrow so I'm going to surprise her with a little treat :) Today I'm tackling Danish pastry :)
I don't want to say what I'm making yet because she follows my blog and I don't want to spoil it..
but stay tuned for the rest of the story ;)

Beth and Debbie - the new Julie and Julia!

2010-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

I was greatly inspired this past weekend by the owner of the bed & breakfast we stayed in. (http://www.sevensouthstreetinn.com/) She's a self taught gourmet cook and let me tell you, she cooked a breakfast of your dreams! We had Stuffed French toast with a cream cheese strawberry filling and the next morning eggs benedict with asparagus and hollandaise sauce. She's never been to cooking school.

Well, as you know, I LOVE cooking and baking. I asked her how to get started and she told me she just ordered the books from the cooking schools and learned something new every week.

So, there's my challenge! I'm going to order the books and learn something new every week and I'll blog about how it went! And as a side note...it would be so cool to own a bed and breakfast when we get older :)

Vote with your dollar...

2010-02-08T19:11:00.001-08:00

My husband took me and the baby to the small towns of Rockport and Gloucester, MA this weekend. It's a place where there's still a lot of old American industry...fishermen still make a living off of fishing and catching lobsters, there's a silversmith who makes fantastic jewelry, and lots of potters and artists who sell their work. I want to encourage all of us to shop at our small local stores unless it's absolutely necessary to shop at a big chain store. For the sake of convenience we are filling the pockets of very rich people and letting our neighbors and friends go bankrupt. Even though it's sometimes more expensive, its worth it to have fewer things and keep our American industry and integrity alive. Walmart and Bed, Bath, and Beyond don't need your money. But the little country collectibles shop down the road does. You like fish and lobster? Go to the fisherman and buy it from him...the restaurant has bought it cheaply from him and tripled the price. The government is making it harder and harder for these fisherman to continue doing what they do..but if we vote with our dollars and keep the little stores around us running, maybe things can turn around. It just made me so sad to see that these fishermen can barely pay their mortgages...its another industry dying.

What do you all think about this?

these are some fishing boats in Rockport harbor

Artichokes

2010-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today I cooked an artichoke for the first time and it was very interesting!

The Perfect Spring Pie!

2010-01-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

So, its nearing February and I was in a "spring" mood so I made Lemon Meringue pie.
I don't use any vegetable oil or crisco in the crust because I love the taste of butter crusts.
Here's my butter crust recipe which I got off of williams-sonoma.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 Tbs. very cold water

Directions:

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.

To make the dough in a stand mixer, fit the mixer with the flat beater, and stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Makes enough dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie or one 10-inch galette.

To make a double-crust pie: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat each half into a round, flat disk. Roll out one disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the second disk. Roll out the second dough disk into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make a lattice top: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat one half into a round, flat disk. Roll out the disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the remaining dough half. Pat the dough into a rectangle and roll out into a rectangular shape about 1/8 inch thick. Trim to cut out a 14-by-11-inch rectangle and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nut Dough Variation: Add 2 Tbs. ground toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts to the flour mixture and proceed as directed.

Make-Ahead Tip: Pie dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the dough round on a 12-inch cardboard circle and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Alternatively, use the round to line a pie pan or dish, flute the edge and wrap well.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart, by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Honey Lemon Tea

2010-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Since cold season is upon us... here's a simple little recipe for a throat soothing, cold killing tea!

Honey Lemon Tea
-Squeeze half a lemon into a regular size mug
-fill with hot water
-add two heaping tsp. of honey
-stir!

The honey coats your throat and the lemon gives you a good boost of vitamin C as well as cleansing your throat of bacteria!

La Chefesse Creations

2010-01-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite baking and cooking episodes!
(these are all my own pix :)

This is Greek Rice Pudding (Rizogalo)

Chocolate Cupcakes and Vanilla buttercream frosting

Apple Pie

Walnut Waffles with Carmelized Pears

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T12:20:00.001-08:00

Thanks to God for sparing us through this difficult year and may everyone have a healthy and Happy New Year!

My Newest Craigslist Purchase: Marble Pastry Board

2009-12-25T23:04:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Craigslist, I took a 2 hour drive through Queens, New York to buy this item because it was $50 and you simply can't find them for so cheap.

This marble pastry board is a big help when making any type of pastry or dough that contains lots of butter that needs to stay hard. For instance, pie crusts or butter cookies. These are the more simple recipes...more complicated ones would be like croissants or any type of puff pastry.

I was trying to roll out some butter cookies..here's the recipe (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chocolate-coated-orange-cookies.html)...and the butter was melting so fast that the dough was sticking to the wax paper. It was a terrible mess after making about 4 cookies. On a sheet of wax paper, I quickly took the dough to my tile kitchen floor and rolled out the cookies and together with a pastry scraper (pictured below) I finished them in no time. The cold floor enabled the butter to harden back up and slide onto the pan with ease! So, I am not so comfortable with the thought of always using my floor for my pie crusts and of course if you have a vinyl/linoleum floor it won't work at all. That's what the marble board is for!
pictures courtesy of www.williams-somona.com

Peppermint Bark

2009-12-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

I made peppermint bark for Christmas gifts this year...and they came out delicious!!! And, its my own recipe..I hope everyone loves them :)

Kitchen Funnies!

2009-12-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

I got this off of Kelly's antique appliances!

http://kellysappliance.net/antiques.aspx

Jokes for Modern Day Appliances

Blender = Used for making alcholic drinks for guests so they don't notice when your dinner fails

Cookware = Term for utensils used in cooking. Types consist of
Cast Iron = Heavy/ Messy
Stainless Steel = Clumsy/ Hefty
Copper = costly/silly
Aluminum = flimsy/junky
Enamel clunky/bulky
Glass dopey/crazey
Teflon Coated = icky/phooey

Corkscrew = Several types of items considered a corkscrew

The plunger-- propels the cork into the bottle out of the way
The Auger -- with repeated sharp pulls cuts a narrow opening in the cork to let the wine slowly dribble out
The Stripper-- device with winglike geared levers and a screw in center which when screwed down into cork provides enough fulcrum so that downward pressure on handles will remove them from device

Cutting Board = Portable knife resistant surface allowing you to cut food either too large or too small for the recipe you are making

Dishwasher = Great convenient appliance that uses powerful water jets and high voltage to wash rinse and dry dishes
It will pulverize delicate china, stemware, earthenware, expensive flatware, and ceramics. Operating in the following ways, flood, soap, pelt, wallop, hammer, drench, flush, pummel, resoap, gush, shred, joggle, slosh, pound, churn, rattle, swish, thrash, rinse (take pattern off) Dry (melt and deform containers)

Food Processor = A simple item that will turn a normal vegetable into something totally unrecognizable.

Freezer = A fantastic invention that will keep food frozen for a few months or until it is burned so bad you don't want to know what it was when put in there.

Gadget = A device that will perform a kitchen task in a fraction of the time it takes to find it

Garbage Disposal = A unit that is run on the same principal as a teenager runs on

Kitchen = A room that is designed to be rugged enough for when someone insults the cook things can be thrown at them with easy clean up and minor damage

Microwave Oven = Fantastic item that uses radar to search and destry any food placed in it

Oven = Compact closet that will heat up to the temperature to incinerate most meat and other items placed inside

Outdoor grill = for those of you who want to feel what it was like to be a caveman cooking with fire

Range = appliance that cooks food with one or three burners that usually don't work and a oven that will burn anything you put in it or near it including your fingers.

Refrigerator = A storage compartment that is calibrated to maintain loww enough temperatures to lightly freeze salad greens in a lower shelf yet high enough to spoil a gallon of milk placed on a upper shelf

Toaster = A coutertop item similar to a oven but will only allow a couple of pieces of toast in at a time with settings from char to incinerate a crumb tray that will turn bread crumbs to coal, and a special dimmer that when you push the handle down to toast it will also dim the lights in your home.

Whisk = Used by the cook to build muscles while mixing liquid items. Other similar items in the kitchen are eggbeaters, cheesegraters, salad spinners.

Comments Fixed!

2009-12-15T10:46:00.001-08:00

I accidentally had my comments turned off! Sorry everyone! Feel free to comment now!!

A French Omelette

2009-12-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today I made the PERFECT French omelette...if I may say so myself :) My husband raved about it so there's the second opinion. It was perfectly soft and creamy and soo delicious! It takes quite the technique to make one too! You must have a very hot, nonstick frying pan. The whole process takes about 20 seconds!

First, you start with two eggs that have been whipped with a fork until they are just blended together. Then add a nice tablespoon of butter to your 7 inch pan. Wait for the foam to recede and add the eggs...give them a few seconds until they start bubbling on the bottom and start swirling the pan in a circular motion on the stovetop. The omelette will loosen and gather together as you "swirl". Then, rapidly draw the pan back and forth on the stove top and it will gather towards the edge farthest from you. You may need to use a spatula to kind of bring it together. Then, just "pour" the omelette onto your plate and you are ready to eat! I added some salt, pepper, and parsley...chives are great too!

Much ado about knitting!

2009-12-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

In my efforts not to go to the mall this Christmas season... I am taking up knitting. Yes, I know, that's what Grandma did/does. But why did Grandma do it? Because she was frugal! She didn't go out and buy her kids sweaters, hats, and scarves. She made them. And now, its a way to keep her mind busy. So, I bought a book on how to start and I've learned so far how to "cast on" and do the knit stitch...you wouldn't believe how good you feel when you can make your own Christmas presents!

Chocolate Molten Cake

2009-12-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

On of my favorite things to eat...Chocolate molten cake! The picture is blurry because I took it with my phone but the inside was perfectly melted like it should be

Some of my best graphics so far

2009-12-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my graphics..I made them on Adobe Fireworks...and they are done "by hand." Feel free to use them if you like :) I did put my signature on them just so I get the credit blah blah!

The Little Man

2009-12-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite songs..and all of you people who live in small towns will definitely appreciate!

2009-11-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

We have decided to stop using commercially made orange juice as I have done some research as to how nutritious it really is. It turns out that after all the processing you lose pretty much all the nutrients so they add them all back in afterward but of course its not the same!

So we have, again, decided to follow our grandmothers times and squeeze our own oranges and have fresh orange juice! Its just 2 oranges per glass and it tastes delicious and entirely different than either Tropicana or Floridas Natural.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

I was thinking about Black Friday especially this year since the economy is bad, and I do not think that Americans have learned their lesson. Being thankful for what you have is not about being thankful one day and then hording all that you can afford (or your credit cards can hold) the very next day! I truly believe that I have learned a great lesson in personal contentment this year. Thanksgiving is about doing with what you have, being thankful for a roof over your head and food in your stomach. Its about seeing your family members around you...some who have survived a cancer or who have made it to the 85th year. When I think about the first Thanksgiving in this country...that's what they did. They thanked God for his blessings upon them...even when most of them had not survived the voyage here and the sickness to follow. They used what the land had to give and treated their Indian neighbors with respect.
I don't care what's going on politically or how we are going to make it through the next year. I'm not worried at all. God has given me faith to rely on Him for my daily bread.

So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I will not be seeing you at the stores this year on Black Friday or any other day until after Christmas! This year and from now on will be different...

The Meaning of Charity

2009-11-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

I was at my local Williams Sonoma last week and was asked when I made my purchase if I would like to donate $1 to St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. I politely said, "No."I just have a funny feeling about donating to places where I don't know if my money will actually get to the person. I then went to Shoprite and was asked the same question when I checked out. Now this is what we call charity in this country...you send your $10 to St. Judes, the Veterans Association or to some Breast Cancer organization and yay! you get a tax deduction and you feel good because well, you gave something.

But I have learned that this is not charity. Charity is giving of what you have, your talents, your gifts. Charity is giving to those who cross your path who need help. Sometimes its sending a friend a check, sometimes its babysitting just to help someone out and not get paid, its visiting a relative or friend in the hospital and seeing the need all around you. Need is, yes, everywhere around the world. But sending your $10 to some organization doesn't help your neighbor who needs a meal when her husband is the hospital. Plus, you don't even know whats happening to your $10! I used to get envelopes with a child's picture and a little typewritten note saying, "I want a doll for Christmas." Did the child write that? Probably not! Who knows if the kid is even there.

So here's my challenge to everyone...watch for those who cross your path who need your help. Those who you must step out of your way for. This is charity.

~It is better to give then to receive.~

Josh and Sara visit!!

2009-11-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

We spent the evening with one of my best friends and her boyfriend and had a blast! Sara and I cooked dinner and made dessert. Well, the dinner was a little bit of an undertaking...we were going to make Greek food as Josh and Dennis are both big eaters. Greek food is heavy and takes some time to make. I have made Pastitsio before and I thought I had the whole meal down pat and that we would eat right on time at 6 o'clock. Well... first of all everything took longer than I expected. I had to redo the milk sauce (Bechamel) that goes on top since I burnt the first sauce...and let me tell you that sauce takes at least 45 minutes to make. (you could smell that sickening pungent burnt milk smell. So, we ended up eating at 8:15 or so. The pastitsio was so-so..it was definitely missing something. Everybody seemed to like it so I won't complain. So, I thought I would redeem myself with the molten chocolate cakes I had prepped for dessert. (actually Sara did these!) Three of the four cakes had nicely blackened bottoms. Well, the food hadn't turned out as I expected but the time we had as couples was spent with much laughter and good discussion! We had a fabulous night! Thanks, Josh and Sara!

Learning to be Content

2009-11-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

Contentedness...this is something we aren't really familiar with today especially with so much advertising around us. We always want bigger, better, and more efficient. But not all of us can afford this and put ourselves in a money hole trying to do so. Here are 5 points made by Mandi Ehman that help to steer one in the direction of being happy with what you have.

Messes, messes, messes!!!

2009-11-05T18:37:00.001-08:00

We have started feeding Tolis chopped foods and now I am constantly cleaning him and there's just a constant mess! Today I fed him kiwi, banana, and cheerios for breakfast. I lifted him out of his highchair and found that he was sitting on a stash of sticky fruit and mushy cheerios. Meanwhile there's food all over the the highchair, in the cracks of the highchair, on the floor, all over his clothes AND his undershirt...I wish I had a garden hose in here...I was about to just sit down and cry! anyways, I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed! Being a homemaker is hard work and boy it takes lots of patience! As one of my homemaker friends said it..just laugh it off, just laugh it off!

The homemaker's plight in the suburbs of NYC

2009-11-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

I am a young homemaker in Northern NJ. This is a very affluent society. Most people have two incomes. Young people don't get married here, they go to school...and then they keep going to school...then they make money...because that's all they care about.

My husband and I met in high school and got married after my husband had finished college. We spent 10k on our wedding because people already looked down on us for being so young when we got married. We wanted to show everyone that we were serious and that we could do whatever 40 yr old people do when they get married. We had a baby a year after our wedding. We were the only young people in our prenatal class and people at Shoprite gossiped about us because they thought we were an "accident teen pregnancy." So, I'm having a hard time..expectations are very high here.

Here is the lifestyle that we live in. For a woman..you go to school get your bachelors then your masters, start your career meanwhile dating endless numbers of men..nothing serious... Then, at the age of say 30 yrs old you have your "dream wedding" get married, buy a big house, and 5 years later choose to have one kid...at the most, maybe two kids...buy a bigger house. You send that kid to daycare and go back to work..get divorced...I'm stopping here. This is very typical..ok you have the minor tweaks here and there of "oh my mother stays home with the kids"or "my husband stays home during the day and I stay at home during the night."
Now, how are children supposed to grow up to be upstanding citizens and good people? Not to mention how are they supposed to support the kids who actually have hardships like not having a mother or a father, or kids whose parents are on disability, etc.? The mother is a crucial part of her family. She is essential..not for her money, not for her title and prestige, no..for being the caretaker and support to her husband. I just heard a story today about a husband and wife who were both making 6 figures and are not only contemplating divorce, but their teenage children have left their home and refuse to speak with them.
To all those women who are like, "Where are all the good men?" Ask your mothers..Its your mothers who raised the good and bad men. How are you raising your boys?
Today we live in a switched society...men are demeaned, not allowed to follow their nature of being breadwinners and hard workers and women, on the other hand are trying to be masculine and are failing in all directions...
I don't see the women of today, who think they are "free" because they have rights and can do whatever a man can, as happy. They aren't, they are miserable, aging fast, stressed out, and the funny thing is..they keep telling their daughters to do the same thing they are. I came across an older lady who told me that she regretted not staying home with her kids. She said she was encouraged to see a young mom staying home and raising her family. "Our children are our future, and when you get to be my age, you worry about whose hands you will be in."

So here's what I have to say...I am very much alone in my cause but I know I'm doing the right thing.

My Baking Husband

2009-11-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

For a change..my husband is actually baking me cookies tonight! He's making Gingerbread cookies and Oatmeal raisin cookies...A good cookbook for husbands is
--- Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).

Its nice and easy to understands and spells out everything!!

The Importance of an Apron

2009-11-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

I am going to make myself a nice apron..There's something about starting the day by putting on the apron. It's the start of a homemaker's workday and in a way its like putting on a uniform. I find that I stay focused and busy (and clean!) when I am dressed and have on my apron.

I'm going to choose a pattern that is similar to the retro '50's aprons because they are practical and cover you all over!

I will post a picture of it when I am finished!

Cranberry Sauce

2009-11-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

I just made cranberry sauce for the first time..and I can't believe I've gone 23 years with cranberry sauce in the can!
here's the recipe..http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/apple-orange-cranberry-sauce.html

A Very Good Place to Start...

2009-11-02T23:07:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start my home blog by recommending this pie plate... It makes amazing pies..perfect crusts, and looks fantastic on the table. I'm starting the blog with this because it is a basic tool to have especially during this season!

The Emile Henry Artisan Pie Dish can be purchased at Williams Sonoma

About My Blog

2009-11-02T18:48:00.000-08:00