Food For Thought

Why hello internet! welcome to my beginning of fall budposts, brought to you by..me. Tonight, I write to you in my purple pillowed bed, mesmerized by the final rays of the setting sun sneaking between my bedroom curtains. I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of my favorite, healthy appetizers; Cucumber Sandwiches or as I like to refer to them: Cucumbies.

The recipe has largely been inspired by a chef in my life who I admire immensely; someone who inherently knows how to make the taste buds of those who she loves, plunge into a state of delectation. In fact, you should admire her as much as I do; without her, your lives would not have been enriched by these loving little bites. I quickly learned that one simply just isn’t enough.  So when you make them yourself, you should anticipate making several extra than your anticipated amount to fill those happy tums.

 I once heard that the key to an idyllic cucumber sandwich is finding a balance between the cream cheese-to-cucumber-to-bread-ratio. And here I would like to share it with you. There are two ways to make the cream cheese spread (entirely preferential) in this recipe I’ve combined herb cream cheese and Boursin cheese. However, another recipe calls for one Hidden Valley Dry Ranch packet, 4 tbs of mayonnaise, and 8oz regular cream cheese. Either way, you will end up with a piquant, creamy mixture.

Some recipes call for a regular white bread however, I went a little wild with the type of bread and spiced my recipe up with pretzel bread, thinly sliced, and spirited with flavor. Cut out into circular or square bites (approx. 1in and a half in diameter). Peel and dice a fresh cucumber or two a few millimeters apart. Spread the cream cheese evenly across each piece of bread, top with a cucumber and seal with a few shakes of dill.

These miniature treats are surely bite size- still crisp and flavorful, fresh and lively. They exude the perfect ratio of cream cheese-to-cucumber-to-bread-balance. Not to mention they are a quaint little appetizer; cute as a button!

Dedicated to Mrs. B :)

I have found the solution to my pickley qualms. If you know me well, you’ll know that I have a knack for pickles. And each week I must succumb to unsuccessful cucumbers which are either too sweet, too vinegary or just don’t taste like a genuine pickle! No longer! Being the ambitious and adventurous type, I have now undertaken a project to rectify my pickle problems.

After tightly packing diced emerald cucmbers into a small mason jar and patiently waiting a week, you won’t believe what I found; crispy fresh pickles packed with zangy flavor! These homemade pickles have a sharp and crispy taste which sends a mini-zing from here to the Moon. There is something so satisfactory and strangely gratifying about the taste of a crisp pickle mixed with dill weed, mustard seed, and some fresh garlic cloves. 1 gal. Water, 1 qt Vinegar, 3/4 c Kosher Picking Salt, 2 tbs mustard seeds, Garlic Cloves & Hot Dried Red Peppers, Fresh Baby Dill, 3 – 4 Fresh Cucumbers

Boil the mason jars, lids, and tongs for 10 minutes for disinfecting purposes. Put a bountiful amount of fresh dill, about 2 dried peppers and 2-3 cloves garlic in each small Mason jar. Quarter the cucumbers/pickles and tuck snugly into the jars. Place some more dill on top, and another pepper or two. Mix water, vinegar, and mustard seeds in pot.  Bring to boil, and then boil for 10 minutes. Ladle the hot liquid to fill the jars to the top.   Try to get a good amount of mustard seeds in each jar. After they cool a bit more, put in fridge, and ready to eat in 5-7 days (or to taste). 

Pack your snow boots, your climbing tools, and some mittens because we’re heading to the Himalaya’s! This mountainous region travels beyond the sweetest rivers of melted milk chocolate, extensive peanut butter plains, and notorious powdered sugared blizzards; blanketing each and every inch in sight.

No, I’m only pulling your leg. Truthfully though, who would have thought that when you add butter, milk-chocolate chips, peanut butter and a whole lotta powdered sugar, you would create something that will titillate your deepest and most covert desires. 

Puppy Chow may be a common snack time deeelight, but I am happy to say that it will make you uncover a completely new appreciation for sugar. This treat seasoned our gray house on elmridge with an affectionate and adoring glow. Courtesy of 1 bag of milk-chocolate chips, 1/2 c peanut butter, 1/4 c of butter, 1/4 tsp of vanilla, 9 c of Crispix cereal, 3 c powdered sugar

I packaged it up and gave it as a gift to warm the heart of someone I love. 

I can’t even begin to tell you the sense of sweet, satisfactory accomplishment I felt after I had successfully made doughy, puffy, soft pretzels. There is just an overwhelming wave of achievement that by mixing some ingredients, letting the dough rise, molding the dough, letting it rise again, and heating it up in the oven for just a few minutes.. VOILA! there you have a warm, soft pretzel! I twisted and rolled and pulled and kneaded and there you have it, a beautiful pretzel that will leave all of your friends ‘oooh-ing’ and ‘ahhh-ing’ all night with sincere delight. I carefully draped each pretzel in melted butter; glazing it softly with a brush and witnessing the butter sink in to the dough, like an artist and their canvas. I topped some pretzels with coarse kosher salt and dusted others with a sugary, cinnamon sensation. You can’t help but hum when the dough melts on your tongue and overwhelms you with a yearning sensation that one just simply isn’t enough. 

As a little added bonus I’ll share the biggest hit of the night. A dipping sauce the compliments these sweet doughy sensations.. a deviled egg dip. You will never even believe the amazingness of this secret dip. Its frothy and soft consistency coats each little pretzel with such perfection. Who would have thought that a light deviled egg dip would be the ying to a pretzel’s yang?

My closest friends, my maj and faj and I were all going to the Carrie Underwood concert so I figured what better way to celebrate than with a dinner party. Not to mention, it would give me the chance to get some more recipes online. Allow me to introduce, Rosemary and her Chicken Drummettes, packed with earthy, savory flavor that sends warmth straight to your core. They’re the perfect “end-of-summer” dish that compliments a variety of appetizers and side dishes. These little treats welcome your buds to the world of flavor, I’m talkin’ real, wholesome flavor. Trust me, your tastebuds will be thanking you after you try these delightful chicken drummettes which are adorned with garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs.

With some plainer eaters who accompanied me for dinner, I didn’t want to run the risk of cooking something wild, and it all going to waste. Thus, the reason I was more than pleased when I stumbled across these dainty little 3-bite drummettes. For those who want a change from a globby, Americanized meal, over-burdened with heavy flavor, I highly suggest you give these a shot! They’re deliciously seasoned with 5 or 6 garlic cloves, 10 rosemary sprigs, garlic powder, paprika, lemon pepper and seasoned salt (all added to taste).  

If you can imagine, the prep is easy and cooking is simple. Pop 2lb of chicken drummettes in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, take the platter from the oven and set the garlic cloves and rosemary aside. Place the chicken back in the oven on broil for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and cooked garlic cloves yummm.