Strawberry Galette with Basil Cream

Today we celebrated my first wedding anniversary and I decided to try something more sophisticated and refined than I usually make. I had been eyeing a recipe from Martha Stewart that was clearly for warmer months: Strawberry Galette with Basil Cream. I wanted to make it before I began prepping for my fall baking season!  The recipe is located on the Martha Stewart website here.


The Crust
This recipe was made in a few steps. The crust I made the night before. It was relatively easy to make and to work with. However, after chilling in the fridge over night, it was very hard to roll out. Brad offered to help me roll it out. Other than that, it tasted nice and buttery.


The Basil Cream
We changed this up a little. Instead of using flat basil leaves and brewing them in the cream, we used a frozen teaspoon full and did not remove them. The cream was sweeter than I expected and had an awesome taste that complimented the buttery crust. If we were to make it again, Brad and I agreed that we would add some more heavy cream to the mixture because the marscapone made created a pudding texture.


The Whole Galette
There are some things made by Martha that run exactly well from the recipe, and others that I will need to refine. The first thing was that the galette was rather small. We did not have enough space for the strawberries and  when comparing mine to Martha's image, she had smaller strawberries than I. She recommended a 10 inch diameter, which I created by using a a pie plate as a "cookie" cutter. Next time, I am going to make it bigger. 

How would Martha stop the leak?

The second problem occurred while baking. There was a build up of juice that bubbled up over the edge. Not exactly sure what caused this. Perhaps I will use less strawberries than it calls for. The one nice thing is that it came off of the Silpat very easily.  The cookie sheet... not so much.

Overall, it was a tasty dish. However, I am not sure I will make it again. There were not a lot of servings. Cutting up all of the strawberries perfectly was a touch annoying, plus very time consuming. Although it tasted great, there are recipes that are better. Plus, there was a lot of prep work and many steps. For a project over the summer where I don't have to work, that is fine. But during the school year, definitely not. 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes
by Diana Gabaldon
My Rating: 5/5 


Summary from Goodreads: Eagerly anticipated by her legions of fans, this sixth novel in Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander saga is a masterpiece of historical fiction from one of the most popular authors of our time.


Since the initial publication of Outlander fifteen years ago, Diana Gabaldon’s New York Times bestselling saga has won the hearts of readers the world over — and sold more than twelve million books. Now, A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire.


The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.


With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.


My Review from Goodreads: Tragedy. Comedy. Revolution. Hidden Treasure. Slavery. Mystery. Prison. Sickness. Adultery. Lies. Kidnapping. Sex. Birth. Time Travel. Marriage. Escape. All of the above is glued together with the strength of love and faith, and that is just the plot.


Never have I read a series that is more complete. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is perhaps my favorite book in the series aside from the first. Gabaldon answers a lot of questions that I had about situations in this series, and also opens new doors.


Aside from the plot, Gabaldon infuses her exciting story line with so much factual historical information. She has so much information written within her text that it could suffice as a textbook if you knew what to separate from the fictionalized plot. She also writes all of this factual information without being boring, and sometimes I even overlook it and forget it is there. 


Gabaldon has woven the information within her text and fused it to her story line. She has recreated the historical era for her text and touches on essential historical environments. The text touches upon historical views on different religions, economics, cultural traditions, medicine, family structures, and gender relations. It does not stop there. She has built a platform for the role of linguistics and the environmental aspects of plants, animals, and geography, too. The fact that I am an early American History teacher and archaeologist and can learn information collected from these different disciplines through her book thrills me. It is clearly evident that even though she has a Ph.D. in ecology, she has done a great amount of research outside of the discipline. 


I am also in love with her characters. I feel that I know each of the the main characters personally. There is something that I can identify with in each and every one. I have developed a strong relationship to them and their story makes all 980 pages worth reading. 


I recommend this story to anyone who loves historical fiction. However, I caution that it is not a quick read. To get the most out of this series, reading it is a commitment. Skimming these books would be doing it an injustice. Read and savor slowly, my friends.

Hufflepuff Bread (Hefezopf Bread)

First Hufflepuff Bread made in January 2012

One day in December 2011, I saw a book called Illustrated Step by Step Baking. I wanted it and Brad took note and gave it to me for Christmas. I wanted to learn how to bake with yeast. This book was an awesome introduction because it shows a picture for each step. I was launched face first into self tutorial!


I have baked a few of these breads before today. They are actually called Hefezopf, which is a German bread that is similar to a sweet brioche. Instead of constantly butchering the German language, Brad and I have nicknamed it Hufflepuff bread.


The difference in today's baking session was that it was during summer. For non-yeast baking, it really doesn't matter. However, this was the first time I baked it when it was hot out, and the bread rose to be HUGE. It continued to rise in its braided shape even after the first rising session. The rising consumed the braiding shape, but otherwise there was no difference in today's tasty masterpiece. 


Making the Dough


1. First dissolve 1 1/2 tsp of yeast in 1 1/4 c warm milk and then let it cool. Once cooled, add 1 egg to the mixture and beat well.

Beating an egg into the cooled milk and yeast mixture

2. Put 2 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix it and make a well. Then pour in the milk mixture. Add 5 tbsp of melted butter to the bottom of the well. Then, stir to form a soft dough.

Adding milk mixture to flour mixture well

 3. Knead dough for 10 minutes on a floured surface until smooth, soft, and pliable.

Brad kneads the dough!

 4. We add about a 1/4 c of golden raisins about two minutes into kneading the dough. You can also add them when stirring the dough during step 2. 

Adding golden raisins

 The Rising and Shaping Process


5. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave for 2-2 2/2 hours until it has doubled in size. 

Dough ball before rising

Dough ball after rising for 2 hours in the heat

 6. Put the dough on a floured work surface and gently knock it back. Divide it into 3 pieces. Take each piece and roll it under your palm to make a fat log shape. Roll it into a log about 12 inches long. Pinch the 3 pieces together at the end and tuck them underneath to start the braid. Loosely braid the dough, leaving room for it to rise. Pinch the ends and tuck them underneath.

Unbaked Hufflepuff braid

 7. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment (I use a silpat instead). Cover it with oiled plastic. I take the plastic wrap and wipe it on the bowl it rose in. Then cover the braid with a towel. Leave in a warm place for 2 hours.

Note: In the winter months, I turn the heat up and leave the baking sheet over a floor vent to rise. I put it outside today since it was about 90 degrees. It is not supposed to rise much while in the braid, but today it doubled again.

Dough braid rises in the sun (took the towel off so you could see the bread)

Finishing Touches


8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the braid liberally with beaten egg.

Brushing the braid

9. Add sliced almonds after brushing the bread with egg and gently tap them so they stick (optional)

Accessorize your braid with almonds

10. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check if undercooked where the braids meet. Use foil if you need to keep it in longer. 

Today's Monster Hufflepuff Bread!

Eat More Produce: Zucchini Turkey Boats!

 I am so very blessed for two things: A husband who likes to cook with me and a very awesome generator at the place where I live... er... "squat." We lost power again this evening for the sixth time this summer. Thankfully, the estate that we house sit has a generator that will run the whole house. When Brad came off of work to begin his "weekend" this afternoon, we made plans to try a new recipe. We made it together during a very windy thunderstorm that knocked the power out. We were saved by the generator!


I have become a recipe blog fanatic. It started with Betty Crocker. I signed up for Betty Crocker in order to get more Box Tops for Education for my school. Then, Betty started sending me emails. I loved going through the recipes! I became an addict. Then, the emails started to not come every day and I began withdrawal. Sad, right? Then I realized these amazing people who put recipes on blogs! Now I no longer have to rely on Betty and have expanded my horizon.


Tonight we made a recipe from No Empty Chairs called Zucchini Boats with Turkey Sausage. I posted my pictures below that go through the steps, but please visit the site for the recipe. I am trying to practice my so very horrible pictures so that I improve. For people who are trying to incorporate more vegetables, stay within WeightWatchers points, or just want a new and tasty meal that is NOT a stuffed pepper, I suggest you try it. Even Brad ate it with reckless abandon. 


Step One: Prep the boat by coring the zucchini and brushing olive oil and salt and pepper into the boat. We started with three small zucchini... and it ended up using four to get the sausage in.

Step Two through Four: We changed this up a bit for the sake of time and generator power to cook turkey and zucchini filling at the same time in two separate pans. We chopped the mushrooms, garlic, and onion in the food processor before hand.

Step Five: Add wine, zucchini mixture, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, pepper, and salt and let it cook! We did find that 2 tsp. of salt was a little excessive. Next time we will probably halve it.

Step Six: After cooling a little, we added an egg and parmesean cheese... ok, so I doubled the parm. I'm Italian, what do you expect?

Step Seven: Stuff the Boat!

Step Eight: Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees for healthy goodness. 

The Peach Cobbler Science Experiment

At my book club last week, we were talking about amazingly tasty recipes that were low in Weight Watchers Points. Someone mentioned the following recipe to me. It was a peach cobbler made with cake mix and a can of sprite. Seriously, that was it. It lured me in and I had to try it. As I was making it, my husband was so skeptical. He kept saying that it was like a science experiment!


As I made it, I am thinking you can change some things around. You can use berries or switch up the type of cake mix.


Ingredients:
1 can of Sprite Zero (or diet sprite)
1 lb of frozen peaches, no sugar added
1 package of Angel Food cake mix
1 tbsp cinnamon


How to Make it:
Step 1: Take the peaches out of the bag and spread them evenly in a 13 x 9 in pan sprayed with Pam.

Step 2: Pour the cake mix over the peaches and put the cinnamon over the mixture.

Step 3: Pour the Sprite Zero over the cobbler and let it fizz.

Step 4: Bake the cobbler in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 45- 50 minutes. 

I just happened to have peach sorbet in the freezer and had a small scoop with my cobbler. Overall, this was a very sweet dessert

Quaker Steak and Lube

Brad reading the
"Lube Up Your Fries" Ketchup

Quaker Steak and Lube
Category: Wings/ American
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Website: Quaker Steak and Lube

Likes: Variety of Wing Sauces, Atmosphere/Decor, Healthy and Not Healthy Choices, Prices, Bendy Straws, Warm Wet Napkins, TWIZZLERS! (the last three are Sara and kid friendly)

Dislikes: If you don't order enough wings, you can't switch up the sauces, Medium Wing Sauce was lacking

Brad's Favorite Sauces: Haute Parmesan, Buckeye BBQ, Cajun
Sara's Favorite Sauces: Haute Parmesan, Arizona Ranch, Cajun

Brad and I took my grandma "Gigi" out to lunch at the Quaker Steak and Lube. We went at noon on a Thursday, when they have unlimited boneless breaded wings. I repeat, UNLIMITED BONELESS WINGS for one flat price. You can even switch the sauces. Brad got the unlimited breaded boneless wings. Here are some of the wings we tried:

These are half-eaten pictures. We were to excited to try them and I forgot to take the pictures.

Top Wings: The Buckeye BBQ boneless breaded wings. They were hot and sweet. These were some of Brad's favorites.

Bottom Wings: Cajun boneless breaded wings. These were SO GOOD. We both agreed. Very flavorful, but not as spicy as we expected.

Wings to the Right: These were the Arizona Ranch wings. They were spicy and did actually taste like ranch. At first I was totally skeptical of the ranch taste on the wings, but it totally won me over.






I had something healthier. They have these grilled boneless wings. They are pretty much chicken tenders with no breading, grilled, and then coated in sauce. They came with broccoli and soft pita triangles. The pita triangles were great because they wiped up the sauce. I was able to scoop up the extra sauce. I had them with the Haute Parmesan sauce (which was AWESOME) and the medium Buffalo sauce (which was really weak). 

Gigi had a tasty looking wrap with some kickin' homemade potato chips that were really tasty. She chose a BBQ sauce to coat the chicken in her wrap, but you could choose any of them.


OTHER AWESOME THINGS:

1. Bendy Straws

2. Warmed Wipee Towels

3. Licorice at the end!!!

Quaker Steak and Lube, we will be BACK.

Call Me Irresistible Book Review

Call Me Irresistible (Wynette Texas #6) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My Rating: 4/5


Goodreads Summary: R.S.V.P. to the most riotous wedding of the year . . . 


Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former president of the United States. 


Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends. 


One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible—Ted Beaudine—the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache. 


But even though Meg knows that breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't," Meg becomes the most hated woman in town—a town she's stuck in with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive on her own wits. What's the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.


My Thoughts: This was the first book that I have read by Phillips. I picked it up in the Barnes and Noble discount section for about five dollars. I put it on my "cheap getaway" shelf for two reasons: 1. It was cheap (go figure). 2. It's a "getaway" from in depth literature (aka an easy read). I have been reading some things that really required me to concentrate and focus, so this book was intended to give me a break before I delve into my next 900 pager this summer.

I liked the continuity of this book. The plot was far-fetched and ridiculous, but I did not seem to mind it. Every time Phillips added a new twist or dimension to the story, it flowed very well. It reminded me of reading a Sophie Kinsella/ Madeleine Wickham. Although I could not really relate to the characters, it was still fun to watch. 

I did not realize when I picked it up that it was actually #6 in a series. At first I dreaded picking it up in the middle. However, as I read I realized it was a series on the town. It was not essential that I read the first five to get anything out of it. I think it is very telling about the series that I am now interested in picking up some of the earlier ones I have missed.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty book review

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardships and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family. Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb-spirited, sassy, and on the cusp of womanhood-is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it's there. Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager. But it is Jenny, Mosey's strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women's shared past--and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.


My Thoughts: I was a little disappointed with this novel. The idea of three generations and a huge secret totally enthralled me. As I read it though, it just did not sing. I spent the first forty pages figuring out who the characters were within the generations. "Big"... who was Big? Grandma? Ma? I might have missed a clue somewhere and did not figure it out until well into the book. Then, the time period switched a lot from the present to the past and was not always clear cut. For someone who was not always really into the book, this was rather difficult to surmise until after the first few paragraphs.


Overall, I felt that the plot was more of a white trash soap opera than a touching story, and the cover is not indicative of anything about the book. 

The Simple Perfect Pork Loin

Brad and I try to do our grocery shopping together as a couple because it makes life more interesting! Normally, I let Brad pick out the meat. However, I was looking through the coolers and this pork loin was toying with me. You know you want me, it said coyly. I responded by putting it in the cart. Brad reacted by giving me his "What trouble are you up to?" signature eyebrow raise. Neither one of us has ever prepared one.

A few days later, I urged Brad to marinade it the night before and he grilled it the day after. It was AMAZING. It was better than meat that is served in most restaurants. The best part about it, was that one serving of 3 oz. was only 6 PointsPlus. We served it with some broccoli and pearl onions. The pearl onions we get are frozen from Trader Joes and they are already peeled. They are so easy! This was very tasty and simple meal... as long as you have someone who knows how to grill!

Brad's Signature Eyebrow Raise

Marinade Ingredients

If you want to try this on your own, you're going to have to eyeball it. Brad doesn't measure, he just works magic without numbers (which is a huge plus to why I married him- I hate math). 

• Salt
• Olive Oil
• Rosemary 
• Pepper (added the next day)

The Process

1. Marinade it over night

2. Grill it. 

3. Eat it. 

Road Trip to Abingdon

Brad's Parents

Brad and I are continuing working on our Summer Bucket List.  It never ceases to amaze me how different my husband's upbringing was from mine, and yet we fit together so perfectly. I am always reminded of this when we visit his parents' home in Abingdon, VA. I am writing this a little later than I originally hoped. We went for the 4th of July and stayed for a week. Here are some of the highlights of our trip!


Fourth of July BBQ- Most of the dishes were the same fare we had up North. We had hamburgers, bratwurst, macaroni salad, potato salad, and corn on the cob. It was pretty standard American picnic fare. However, what is it with the south putting mustard in the potato salad? I never did understand this. It just does not belong. However, an addition that could be added from our southern picnic: Banana Pudding. Holy cow. I had never even heard of it until I moved down South. Banana pudding belongs... at every holiday. I am an addict.


Spiderman with a Side of Suicide: We decided to see the Amazing Spider Man movie on the 4th of July instead of fighting traffic from the fireworks (on a side note- liked the new actor so much better than Toby Maguire).So much for worrying about the traffic. We were on a one lane each way highway in the dark. There were adults and kids on bicycles everywhere. I could tell that Brad was concentrating very hard on the bicycles. With my very poor night vision, I saw something dark in the road. I couldn't quite tell what it was until we were about fifty feet from it. It was a girl sitting in the middle of the road talking to herself. I yelled, "ROAD!" and at the last minute Brad has to swerve around her. We pulled over just in time for the guy behind us to hit her, only going about 20 mph. I think she was on drugs.... or drunk... or both. Probably suicide. The police already knew who she was. Everything turned out all right, but it was scary to say the least.

Wolf Hills Brewery Penny Topped Table and Beer Flight... after sampled

Wolf Hills Brewery:  We also got to check out a new brewery in Abingdon called Wolf Hills Brewing. We had a beer flight and sampled five different brews before going out to dinner with Brad's parents. The beer was middle of the road, but the coolest thing: THE PENNY TABLE! The entire table top was adorned with glued pennies. It was a very cool idea. See the picture to the right.




Here is what we tried:

• Lonesome Pine Porter: It was awfully smokey and strong to be a porter when it was just pulled from the keg. After letting it sit a bit, it mellowed out with the rise of the temperature. 
• Holston River Hefeweizen: This was not too bad at all. It was very drinkable and even Brad's Mom liked it. 
• Trooper's Alley IPA: I have one word to say: GRAPEFRUIT. (It was because of the hops, but if you were to add three tablespoons of sugar to it, I would have thought I was drinking grapefruit juice)
• White Blaze Honey Cream Ale:This was my favorite out of all of the samples we tried. Coming from SUNY Geneseo, very near the home of the Genesee Cream Ale, I really learned to hate cream ales. However, this one was pretty decent. Very drinkable and you could actually taste the honey and the flowers with it. Score!

...and there was one more, and for the life of me, I have no idea what it was. It must not have been amazingly good or bad. :) For more info on the brewery, check it out at: http://www.wolfhillsbrewing.com/