Tag Archives: cooking

Autumn Hot Drinks

Don’t these look yummy?

What is your fav autumn “warm up” drink?

Mine is hot chocolate with all the fixins’. 😉

Hope you’re having a great week . Hugs, G

Groovy Green Kitchen UPDATES, Now Available :-)

GGK II cover (front )

The_Groovy_Green_Kit_Cover_for_Kindle

The Groovy Green Kitchen I: Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker

The Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups

I have updated the photos in both of my: Groovy Green Kitchen cookbooks (Kindle versions) and free updates are now available from Amazon.

Amazon.com has kindly informed me that they will be sending out notices to customers who purchased one or both of these eBooks previously, re: the update. But in case you don’t hear from them, you can also contact Amazon to get the free updates.

I was having issues with the photos in both of these eBooks, when zoomed in particular. They are now looking much better and I think have added to the overall presentation quite a bit.

I have less than an optimal set-up for kitchen photos at present, but with some photo editing that I did and some help from the talented: Lissa at Postcards from the Rain (thanks again Lissa!), they are now good to go.

I also suggested to Amazon that white borders on the zoomed version of photos (instead of the ugly brown they had previously) would look a lot better. They sent in my suggestion for consideration and woohoo, they have now made that change! 🙂

I am also looking for more reviewers for both of these cookbooks.

If you like to cook and would be interested in giving one or both of these eBooks a “test drive” send me an email at:

veggiecook  @myway  .com (spaces removed), type REVIEWER in subject line

and we can go from there.  

Have a wonderful week and Happy Cooking! 🙂

Book Review AND Recipes! :-) 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

750Muffincover[1]

ChaiLatte750Muffin[1]

From the Vegan Muffins section:

Chai Latte Muffins

Scented with many of the spices of chai, these muffins are wonderful with hot black tea.

Makes 12 muffins

 12-cup muffin pan, greased

1 cup vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, hemp)   250 ml

2 tbsp loose black tea  30 mL

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

2 tsp  baking powder 10 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cinnamon  7 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cardamom  7 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground ginger 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄4 tsp  ground cloves 1 mL

2⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar     150 mL

2⁄3 cup plain soy yogurt   150 mL

1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 75 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract    5 mL

  1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and tea to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, discarding tea leaves, and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, baking soda, salt and cloves.
  4. Whisk brown sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla into milk mixture until well blended.
  5. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
  6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.
  7. Bake for 19 to 23 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

 

 RaspOat750Muffin[1]

From the Breakfast Muffins section:

Raspberry Oat Muffins

These tempting, raspberry-filled muffins are a nice (and healthy) way to get started in the morning.

 Makes 15 muffins

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)

Two 12-cup muffin pans, 15 cups greased

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

1 cup large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats  250 ml

1 cup  packed light brown sugar   250 mL

2 tsp baking powder 10 mL

1⁄2 tsp   baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground allspice   2 mL

1 egg  

1 cup milk 250 mL

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted 60 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract  5 mL

11⁄2 cups raspberries  375 mL

1⁄4 cup granulated sugar  60 mL

 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.
  3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in raspberries.
  4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 21 minutes or until tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Courtesy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

© 2010 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

♥♥

As any of my regular readers already know, I’m a BIG fan of muffins! So, when I had the opportunity to test-drive this MASSIVE muffin collection, I was a happy camper! 😉

And 750 Best Muffin Recipes did not disappoint. This is a fantastic baking book and one that every muffin lover needs to have! 

So far, I have made the:

-Toasted Walnut Muffins (Satisfying and not too sweet, perfect for breakfast)

-Oatmeal and Prune Muffins ( I ♥ prunes and these are VERY satisfying, with a nice “toothsome” texture)

Brown Rice and Cheese Muffins (These were AMAZING served with the Cream of Cauliflower and Tarragon Soup from The Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups)

And on the menu today:

-Coconut Crumb Muffins (These look so delish, LOADED with coconut in the muffins and topping them too)

I’m planning to try one or two new muffin recipes each week, to work my way through this book. That’s going to take a while but what a yummy journey it will be. 😉

What do I like about this cookbook, well…everything actually!

The recipes are creative, original, easy to make, LOTS of variety (and that includes everything from the top muffin classics, coffeehouse gourmet muffins, gluten free muffins and a good selection of vegan ones too!)

Another plus, from what I’ve noted so far, none of the recipes are heavy on sugar or a lot of other unhealthy ingredients…it really is the ultimate muffin-lovers collection and I’m so glad to have a copy to enjoy, again and again and again!

The only thing that I am tweaking a bit in each recipe is when adding: coconut, fruit, nuts, etc…to the mix. I always add these with the dry ingredients, (not as the last additions)  to dredge them with the flour etc. and to help to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins when mixed. A little baking tip that has worked well over the years. No problem making this slight change and for me, it’s just a long-time personal preference.

And I hope you enjoy the two luscious muffin recipes featured above,that were graciously provided by Robert Rose, the publishers of this cookbook. Stop by their site to see all their bestselling cookbook choices.

And definitely DO plan to order a copy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes soon!

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.ca) 

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.com)

Now I’m off to the kitchen to get those muffin cups ready! 😉

Happy Baking!  

 

Got Pretzels to Use Up? Check Out This Recipe List! ;-)

I’m NOT a big fan of pretzels but I DO use them when I make:

Slow Cooker Party Mix. 

The problem is, where we live, there seems to be no small bags of pretzels, just LARGE BAGS that leave me with a lot left over, when I make a batch of party mix.

Thought I’d check out some other ideas for using up pretzels today and I found this list:

27 Perfect Ways to Eat Pretzels

I’m still undecided what I’m going to try from this list, maybe the Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars or the snack mix.

But I definitely will be able to use up those pretzels! 😉

Do you like pretzels? Have any recipes to share that include pretzels? Please do! 😉

Happy Cooking! 

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Are You Drowning in Pumpkin Puree? ;-)

how do you fix a broken pumpkin?

I JUST PUMPKIN, ANYTHING (pies, cookies, soups, muffins)… ! 😉

And this time of year, it seems like there are pumpkins and pumpkin recipes everywhere.

Last week, I was looking for a new recipe for a muffin that would include not only pumpkin, but dried cranberries and pecans too.

I found this oh so yummy one over at the Betty Crocker site for:

 Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins   (click for recipe)

They turned out great. A lovely dense but moist texture, flavorful and  colorful too.

A couple of tweaks:

I did cut back a bit on the sugar, used unbleached flour and added a dash of cloves and nutmeg to the dry mix too.

If you like pumpkin muffins, you’re going to ♥ these

Any fav pumpkin recipes (sweet or savory) to share? Please do. IMO, there’s no such thing as too much pumpkin….and it’s so good for us too!

Happy Cooking and Baking! 🙂

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Brown Betty

This oh-so yummy photo of Apple Brown Betty stopped me in my WP tracks this morning. 😉 I want some right now.

I make a similar dessert but definitely not with that much butter or sugar. 😦 The photo did inspire me to make some soon though. 🙂 Do you have a fav Brown Betty recipe?

Have a fabulous late autumn weekend. It’s still nice and warm, here in BC. 🙂

Artsy Wanderer

Source

Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert made from fruit (usually apple) and sweetened bread crumbs. It is similar to a cobbler or apple crisp, and the fruit is baked.  It is an old dessert, first mentioned in print in 1864.  Apple Brown Betty was one of the favorite desserts of Ronald and Nancy Reagan in the White House.  They served Apple Brown Betty at my elementary school cafeteria and I loved it.  They served real food back in the sixties and seventies!

Recipe for Apple Brown Betty from Pioneer Woman here!

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New Cookbook Progress and Reviewers Needed

potato soup

I’ve been working on my third cookbook for several months now and have been making slow but steady progress on this project.

This will be the second book/Ebook in the Groovy Green Kitchen series.

This one is all about yummy soups along with a selection of easy, interchangeable side dishes to go with them.

I ♥ soups so much and all year long, so this is definitely an easy topic/book project for me to take on with a lot of interest and enthusiasm!

I have had some unforeseen delays in getting this book completed (most beyond my control) but now I’m thinking that wasn’t such a bad thing after all. 😉 Summer is NOT the time to release a new soup cookbook, the fall is definitely better.

And by autumn: The Groovy Green Kitchen (Volume 2): Simply, Super, Supper Soups will definitely be a “done deal” 😉

In the meantime, I am also still promoting all my other books, including my newest one:

Laughing AT the Grim Reaper! Gems of Wisdom for Aging Well

 that I just published in April.

I need more Amazon reviews for all my books and here’s where you come in. 😉

If any of you are interested in reading/reviewing one of my books: 

Amazon Author’s Page for Geraldine Helen Hartman (click to see list)

send me an email (subject line: book reviewer) at:

veggiecook @ myway . com (spaces removed)

and I will be happy to send along a review/gift Kindle copy for this purpose.

I have 6 Ebooks now available so this is definitely not just for the cooks who are reading this! 😉

And thanks to everyone who has already written reviews for my books/Ebooks! Most appreciated.

Happy Reading, Cooking and Mid-Week! 

Got a Big Bunch of Parsley to Use Up? ;-)

parsley

That happens to me, quite often! 

 I use a LOT of parsley in recipes. But the bunches they sell at the stores are usually still too big to get through, without throwing out/composting some of the parsley.

Can you relate? 😉

I recently found this recipe over at Country Living for Parsley Walnut Pesto and gave it a try.

It was so good! 

Such a lovely fresh taste, healthy ingredients and a nice change from the basil types of pesto, I usually make.

I served it with fettucini noodles and some fresh green beans with lemon on the side; made a delish dinner!

Here are a few “tweaks” I made in the recipe:

I omitted the salt, used curly instead of flat-leaf parsley and it worked fine, used a bit less olive oil than they called for.

DO toast the walnuts as suggested, it is worth the bit of extra time this step takes. Really enhances the flavor.

Try to make this at least an hour or two before you plan to use the pesto, to allow flavors to thoroughly blend, in the fridge.

Happy Cooking! 

PS: If you have a favorite parsley recipe, do share! I’m always on the lookout for those. 😉

Photo courtesy of Flickr

On the Menu This Weekend ;-)


 I REALLY ♥ to cook, but sometimes it’s nice to have a day off from the kitchen, completely.

That’s where Joe comes in. 😉

When he’s home more on the weekends, he usually makes at least one supper and also a “mean” fry-up (yummm….) for Sunday morning breakfast.

I just sit back with my knitting needles on the couch and wait for my plate to arrive! 😉

This weekend, he’s going to be making Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lasagna from one of my fav cookbooks:

vegetarian-slow-cooker judith finlayson

The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson

Click the link above to read my review of this book. And  for the yummy Sweet Potato Lasagna recipe, courtesy of the author and publisher of this book. 

It’s a very easy lasagna recipe to make with an intriguing blend of flavors.

And as with all slow-cooker recipes, it’s great to just “set it and forget it” until it’s time to chow-down!!! Gotta ♥ that too. 

Happy Cooking and Weekend!

Carrot Cake Revisited ;-)

I MADE THIS CARROT CAKE WITH ICING (AGAIN) YESTERDAY. YUMMY AS USUAL.

THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO SHARE IT HERE AGAIN TOO. 😉

I’m not much of a dessert fan but I do love this cake! 

HAPPY BAKING! 🙂

PS: If you click through to read the rest of the post, you will see the updated version with a couple of new things added. The original post is showing up here but not when you click through to read more.

Gotta love WP!!!  

Another quirk I just found out about when posting with WordPress and in this case, reblogging. 

VEGGIES, YARNS & TAILS

DSCN0899

I thought with the fall’s garden harvest in full swing, this might be a good time to share this carrot cake“keeper” again.

Yes, it really does taste as good as it looks.

Let me know if you give this cake (and hopefully my icing too) recipe a try. If you and your family like carrot cake, you are going to be loving this one, I’m sure!

As with most recipes, I did a bit of tweaking and in the case of the cake, made half the recipe (measures can be adjusted right on the Allrecipe site, I used 8 servings instead) and made the following easy but rich and creamy icing to finish the cake…

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