This granola recipe might be one of the best that I have tried. No joking when it says it is easy. The maple syrup is a super nice addition.
Easy Granola
Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried fruit (such as cherries, cranberries, raisins, or currants)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and sunflower seeds with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.
3. Bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.
My current obsession. I have always liked the music, but I just discovered the videos today. Really weird and interesting.
Gotye (Wouter “Wally” De Backer) gets his name from “Gaultier” the French translation of “Wouter”. So, it is pronounced that way. Not “GOTCHA!” like my idiot self first thought until I heard a DJ say his name.
Coming Back kills me with its slinky drums. I feel like doing the tango every time it plays.
I’m all over that point in the song, at 4:35, where you hear the writing and Gotye says “La Composition”. How cool is that?
“Twitter: The Movie”. It’s like “The Social Network”, but with fewer characters.”
Haha! Cracks me up.
Onto Dinner.
This slow cooker recipe is outrageously easy and very good. The Italian dressing makes such a great sauce and the provolone melting into the sausage is downright delicious.
Serve with some onion rings or fries or just a simple salad. Done.
Slow Cooker Italian Sausages With Provolone
Ingredients:
10 Italian sausage links (4 ounces each)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 each small sweet red, yellow and orange pepper, cut into strips
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
2 cups Italian salad dressing
10 brat buns
10 slices provolone cheese
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown sausages in oil in batches on all sides. Drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.
2. Add the peppers, onions and salad dressing. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until sausages are no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
3. Place brats and cheese in buns; using a slotted spoon, top with pepper mixture.
Here’s an intriguing little pop song from Stockholm quintet Hari And Aino. Basically a break in to play the piano of an ex. Not a happy song that sounds happy. Very catchy beat.
I don’t know why I don’t make muffins more often. They are so easy to do, easily portable and usually really yummy.
I loved how big these muffins turned out. Truly Bakery Style and loaded with fruit and chocolate. If you click on the Fine Cooking link below, you will be able to customize the recipe to include your choice of additions. Some examples were:
Something for everyone. I can’t wait to try some more combinations.
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bakery Style Muffins
Ingredients for the muffins:
3 1/2 cups (1 lb) flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 oz butter, melted
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup raspberries
1 tsp vanilla
Ingredients for the glaze:
3 cups (12.5 oz) confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350℉.
2. Lightly oil the top of a standard 12 cup muffin pan and line with paper or foil baking cups.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs and egg yolk.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened (the batter will be lumpy and still have some streaks of flour visible).
6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, raspberries and vanilla onto the batter and fold in until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups to about 3/4 inch above the rim of the cups.
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown (the muffin tops will meld together). Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes then carefully cut the melded muffin tops apart and lift the muffins out of the pan. Place onto a rack that has a piece of foil under it (to catch the glaze that might drip over).
9. For the glaze, put confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and add 6 Tbs water. Whisk until smooth. Thin it more, if you like.
10. While muffins are still warm spoon the glaze over them. Wait 30 minutes for the glaze to set.
I saw this recipe the other day and knew I had to make it immediately.
Alas, Twinkie Trouble once again. When I made Minion Cupcakes I wrote about how difficult it was to find Twinkies in the area that I live in. Not any easier this time.
I was finally successful at a small gas station mini mart about 30 minutes away. No Twinkies, but Mrs. Freshley’s was close enough.
At least I know if Hostess goes out of business there will still be Minions and this very easy Twinkie Tiramisu (somehow, Mrs. Freshley’s Tiramisu does not conjure up quite as delicious an image).
And delicious this dessert is. It is very simple to put together with only a few ingredients. Chill to firm up and then dig in.
Sweet.
Twinkie Tiramisu
Ingredients:
10 Twinkies
Chocolate syrup (about a cup)
12 oz tub Whipped cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar (Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but half the amount was sweet enough for me)
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz tub Cool Whip
Cocoa powder to garnish
Directions:
1. Line an 8×8 pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. Using a mixer, whip cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until combined, about a minute. Gently fold in Cool Whip until combined.
3. Split Twinkies vertically and lay them across the bottom of the pan (with 5 whole Twinkies which is 10 halves), cream side up.
4. Pour chocolate sauce over the surface of the Twinkies to cover, but not too thick.
5. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate.
6. Repeat with another layer of Twinkies, chocolate, and cream. Dust the top with cocoa powder.
7. Chill for several hours. Use plastic wrap to remove Tiramisu from pan and transfer to a serving platter.
Learn more about Trains Across The Sea on their Website. The band is offering a free album download on their Facebook page. You can buy their music here.
Check out David Ford on Facebook and on his Website, where you can also buy his music. If you get a chance to see him live, definitely go. He puts on a great show.
Edinburgh band We Were Promised Jetbacks not only have the coolest name but they play some of the coolest music around.
This is a track from WWPJ’s latest album ‘In The Pit Of The Stomach’. The build ups and slow downs in the music are ace. We Were Promised Jetpacks-Act On Impulse
Lovely video, this one.
Check out We Were Promised Jetpacks on their Website. You can buy the music there and learn more about upcoming tour dates.
Speaking of Snowmen, this Snowman video is totally ridiculous, but it makes me laugh every time. Laser guy is my favorite. And isn’t it bizarre that nearly nekkid jogger when everyone is wearing jackets and scarves? Those slow mo sound effects are funny, too.
Back to speaking of snowmen, my litte guy wasn’t scary at all. Just very cute. (Tasty, too.)
I brought the Ranch Spread Snowman to my daughter’s Nordic Team dinner last night. He fit in just fine.
Ranch Spread Snowman
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 envelope (1 oz) ranch salad dressing mix
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Assorted decorations: small pitted ripe olives, pretzel sticks and sweet red and/or orange pepper
Assorted crackers and fresh vegetables
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the dressing mix, mustard and garlic; mix well.
2. Shape into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. (I did this using plastic wrap to help do the shaping) Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. On a serving plate, stack the small cheese ball on top of the larger ball to make a snowman.
4. Cut ends from olives to make small circles; attach to snowman for eyes and buttons. Insert pretzel sticks for arms. Cut top hat from pepper; place on top of snowman. Trim pepper to make a nose; insert into face. Serve with crackers and vegetables.
One of the bands I go to when I need to chill out is The Wave Pictures. They are seriously good. I find David Tattersall’s voice completely mesmerizing. And calming.
Check out The Wave Pictures on the band’s Website. They have a new album coming out in March. Learn more about that on the website and buy their older music there, too.
2. Pour 175ml of boiling water over dates and set aside to soak and cool.
3. Sift the flour and soda together. Add the vanilla to the milk. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly, until incorporated, before adding more.
4. Fold the flour and milk alternatively into the egg mixture. Pour in the dates with their liquid. (The mix will be light and runny like a cake batter.)
5. Ladle into 6 greased molds (I used ramekins) and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the puddings are firm and starting to pull away from the sides of the molds. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
7. To make the butterscotch sauce, put the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, over medium-high heat. When it is bubbling, add the brown sugar. Stir together for about three minutes, until the sugar has dissolved, and it is bubbling.
8. Carefully pour in the cream, followed by the Bushmills, and turn down the heat. Let it all come together and boil for about another minute or two. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly. (I served the sauce right away and it was delicious, but thin. The next day, with a leftover pud, I served the sauce cooler and it was a thick and lovely consistency)
9. To serve, place the puddings on warm plates and ladle a generous spoonful of the sauce over each one.
I was looking for some sticky music, but once Tindersticks came up in my iTunes search that was it.
I love Tindersticks and don’t listen to their cds as much as I should.
Every time I put on their music I get so wrapped up in the songs. The lyrics are ace as is the way the soft female vocals work so exquisitely well against the gravelly male ones. Tindersticks-Travelling Light
Check out Tindersticks on their Website. You can buy the band’s music there, too.
There are lots more of these things out there. This one has a musician.
You can tell I couldn’t think of a single thing to say today.
I have plenty to say about this Taco Pie, though. It is full of all of the flavors that make tacos so delicious, baked up in a corn flavored crust. The avocado purée is soooo good. Pile on the garnishes and you have heaven on a plate.
Taco Pie
Ingredients for the crust:
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups masa hrina
1 tsp salt
Ingredients for the filling:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Olive oil
1 cup refried beans (I used the whole 16 oz can)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
1 Tbs chili powder
Ingredients for avocado purée: (I doubled the ingredients because I love guacomole)
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1 clove garlic
Ingredients to garnish:
Shredded cheddar
Shredded Romaine lettuce
Corn chips
salsa or pico de gallo
sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. For the crust, cook all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking until very thick about 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then press into a greased cast iron skillet pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
3. For the filling, cook garlic powder, cumin, oregano and coriander in 1 Tbs olive oil in a nonstick skillet until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add beans and cook for 1 minute. Spread mixture over the bottom of cooked crust.
4. Wipe out skillet and sauté the ground beef until cooked through. Add remaining filling ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture over refried bean layer. Transfer to oven to keep warm while making avocado purée.
5. Process all avocado purée ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spread over pie.
6. Garnish pie and serve warm or at room temperature.
How about some dreamy, hazy pop from San Fran Band Papercuts? I love the singer’s breathy voice and those swirling guitars. Papercuts-Do You Really Wanna Know
I know that you all have probably seen this video around the internet, but I only just saw it yesterday.
Totally cracks me up.
Totally silly, right?
These Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are Totally not silly.
The recipe only makes 12 cookies. Do the math and you will see that there is a lot of chocolate in each delectable cookie.
I love the crisp texture and the wall of chocolate in each bite.
Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Put 2/3 cup (4 ounces) of the chocolate chips in a heatproof container and melt in microwave or double boiler. Stir the chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Set aside.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate chips until blended. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until blended. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. Mix in the remaining 2 cups chocolate chips.
5. Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a ¼-cup capacity, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.
6. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until they crack slightly on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie Comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter, about 18 minutes.
7. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The outsides of the cookies will become crisp as the cookies cool.
8. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
When I was typing up this post and linking to the page for the recipe there was an advertisement for The Shins upcoming album.
It is very unusual for me to find something about cool music, or any music for that matter, on any of the recipe sites that I go to.
I took it as a sign. A good sign. Because I love The Shins.
The Shins are a Totally fabulous band. The Portland, Oregon group have this new song out ahead of their album to be released in March.
Simple Song is simply wonderful.
Check out The Shins on their Website and Facebook. You can buy the band’s music on the Website and also listen to Simple Song on the virtual reel to reel they have set up. Cool.
A few years ago I was in a greeting card shop and saw this whole section of audio cards and magnets with these Hoops & Yoyo guys. I had never heard of them before and I drove the store staff batty by listening to all of the stuff.
But, they couldn’t shoo me off because I bought a magnet.
Onto the Icebox Cake.
This cake is positively swoon inducing.
I’m not kidding.
It’s all cake and pastry cream and strawberries and whipped cream. Fantastic! And very easy.
Don’t get nervous about making the pastry cream. It is super simple to do with the only caution being that you have to add the hot cream VERY slowly to the eggs so you don’t cause them to curdle.
It was all I could do to not spoon the pastry cream into my mouth instead of into the cake. I know I could have eaten the whole bowl it was that good.
Strawberries and Cream Icebox Cake
Ingredients for vanilla pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for icebox cake:
62 sponge cake-type ladyfingers (two and a half 3-ounce packages)
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 pints strawberries, stemmed, and thinly sliced
Directions:
1. To make the pastry cream, combine the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, and the salt in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until pale yellow and smooth, about 1 minute.
3. When the half-and-half mixture is simmering, remove from the heat and gradually whisk it into the egg mixture, going slowly and whisking constantly so as not to curdle the eggs. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, just until a few bubbles break through the surface and the mixture has thickened and is shiny, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, and the vanilla extract. Pour into a heatproof bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the hot pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
5. To assemble the cake, line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with about 20 ladyfingers, standing them up side by side, rounded side out. Arrange 14 ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan to cover it.
6. Whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Reserve about 2 cups of the whipped cream, transferring it to a smaller bowl. Gently fold the pastry cream into the remaining whipped cream.
7. Spread half of the pastry cream mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth with a spatula. Arrange half of the strawberries in a single layer on top of the pastry cream. Arrange 14 ladyfingers over the strawberries. Smooth the remaining pastry cream over the ladyfingers. Arrange the remaining strawberries over the cream. Top with the remaining 14 ladyfingers.
8. Smooth the reserved whipped cream over the last layer of ladyfingers. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
9. Just before serving, release the sides of the springform pan from the cake.
Here is an ultra catchy tune for you from Philadelphia band Hoots & Hellmouth. Love that beat. Hoots & Hellmouth-Picked By The Root
Check out Hoots & Hellmouth on the band’s Website and Facebook. Tour dates for Hoots & Holler’s East Coast USA tour are on the Website and you can buy the music there, too.
These songs are up for listening purposes and only for a short period of time. Like what you hear? Then please support the artist and buy the music. If you're an artist or label who wants the song taken down, please let me know.
