CUP O' COBBLER RECIPE

With the Summer months coming and the fresh fruit soon to be abounding, I thought I'd pull this recipe from the archives and share it with you once again. This is so fun to make with kids on a Summer evening after a day spent berry picking. Enjoy, and be sure to let me know if you give it a try!

I've said it here before, but I love to cook - and it isn't just because I love to eat. I do, but there is something poetic about food that has always appealed to me. The significance of meals withstands any season of life. A certain recipe can bring you back to your childhood even if it's been twenty years since you last tasted it. An out of sorts day can turn memorable as soon as you gather around the table together and share in a meal, even if it's a simple one. You can create ties to your community and let your roots sink deep into your neighborhood just by inviting people over for dinner. It can be the most important gift you can give when someone is having a hard time financially, is under the weather, or is in the trenches of learning to care for a new life. Sharing in meals together is something that I feel has lost it's importance in society over the years, but it's something I hope to deeply ingrain in my children. There's something vulnerable about opening your home to someone, allowing them to see your flaws more closely, allowing them to put things into perspective and see that you're just human like them. We all have dirty kitchens. We all have loud kids. And here in this city, we all have small spaces.

TROPICAL BANANA NUT BREAD

Once upon a time I had a goal to bake something new each month for a year. It started out decent enough with a fairly tasty and successful raw cashew cheesecake in January, but come February, my ideas of being such a domestic goddess were promptly squashed, resembling the cake I attempted to make. I had high hopes for a beautiful, photogenic, decadent German chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting on the sides and a coconut pecan topping. The middle of the cake sunk. The frosting was too thick. It was a disaster that ended in a pile of crumbs held together by brown goo, topped with coconut mush. It was still tasty, but it was not picture worthy. I thought seriously about creating a 'nailed it' meme, but was not in good enough spirits at the end of the whole ordeal to laugh at myself yet. I was frustrated and I was sweaty and all I wanted was a piece of (okay, like half of a) cake and a bottle of wine. That's how bad that baking experience was. Thank God I still have my Kitchen Aid mixer to pull me back to reality or I might never bake again. (Who am I kidding? I love cookies too much.)

After I lost my baking juju, I waited for baking inspiration to strike, and I waited, and I waited, until I neared the end of the month, saw some old bananas on my counter and thought, "Eh, those'll do." So I set out on a quest for a banana bread recipe, but I didn't want the plain old stuff your Grandma makes and I think it's just wrong to add chocolate chips. (I know that statement will probably cause uproar, but I like chocolate chips in cookies. Period. Not in waffles or pancakes or banana bread or anything else that people toss them into. They were made for cookies.) While browsing Pinterest, I came across a recipe for Tropical Banana Bread on theKitchn and it was like an eHarmony commercial. It was love at first sight. I had to make it.

So I did, with a few little additions of my own, and it turned out better than I could have imagined. I mean this has to be what Manna tasted like.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

I've been taking a bit of a break from blogging. I wasn't sure exactly why I was stepping away or how long I'd be gone. I just knew that I needed time to organize my thoughts and hone in on what I really want to use this space for. Last week, inspiration hit and I started brainstorming on paper and here I am: I'm back. While I wasn't writing, I managed to sort through older posts to tweak some things and mostly make it all a bit more accessible. I originally posted this recipe a few years ago while I was in the throes of the 'morning sickness in the middle of a Brooklyn Summer and this window unit is not cutting it' stage of my life. I basically laid on the couch all day, nauseous and in my underwear, and fed my kid a bag of Goldfish for lunch. It was fun. We took these on the road with us to Niagara Falls and I will forever equate Morning Glory Muffins with Canada and my pregnancy with Noble. I stumbled on a more basic recipe years ago and since then, we've made them our own by tweaking them just right until they became a staple in our house. My favorite thing about these muffins, besides how healthy and filling they are, is how versatile they are. As long as you keep the ratios generally the same, you can add anything you like. We've added blueberries, oat bran, flax meal, chia seeds, and more. When I think of muffins, I think of food and I want something that tastes like food, not cake. This is really the only muffin recipe we bother to make because we enjoy them so much. Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you though! It may seem daunting or expensive, but they come together quickly, easily, and cheaply once you have the basic ingredients in your pantry.

THOUGHTS ON RAW MILK + DE SMET DAIRY FARM TOUR

A few years ago, I picked up Real Food by Nina Planck. To say that it has changed the way that we eat is an understatement. As I read through each section of the book, I could feel myself getting more anxious with every page. I was overwhelmed at the thought of the complete food overhaul that would need to happen in our home if we were to eat the way she described. Raw milk - where could I find that? It was (and still is) illegal in most states. Organic produce - we can't afford to shop like that! Grass fed, organic, local beef - no one raises beef like that anymore! I finally decided to just take it one step at a time. Raw milk wasn't available in this area until recently, so we opted for pasteurized organic whole milk. I sought out the cheapest place to get organic produce and will continue to sing the praises of Trader Joe's even though nothing they carry is locally sourced. Though I would prefer to buy locally, this was my middle ground for the benefit of my budget and sanity. On our first go around here in Albuquerque, we bought three chickens and let them run freely through our backyard so we could afford organic, free range eggs. I started to seek out more vegetarian meals, so that when we did eat meat, we could afford the good stuff. I started with one step and once that was second nature, we moved onto something else. At least 80% of what we eat is now organic and we actually spend the same, sometimes less on groceries than we did before we started this food overhaul, but I still consider it a work in progress.

One of the biggest things Planck focuses on in Real Food is raw milk. She is a huge proponent of raw milk, but I wasn't completely sold on it just from reading her opinion and research. The history of why milk is pasteurized is an interesting one that makes me confident raw milk shouldn't be illegal, but I was still a bit skeptical. I knew that if I could find a farm that met my expectations as far as cleanliness and how their cows are treated, I would be willing to make the switch. Enter De Smet Dairy. I finally got around to taking a tour of the farm and I'm sold. They're third generation dairy farmers located in Bosque Farms, New Mexico. Their cows are grass fed and allowed to roam freely on pasture, whereas most conventional dairies keep the cows confined indoors and feed them grain. They only milk them once a day, so that the babies get to stay with their mamas for an extended period of time. They're free of all hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs. Basically, the cows get to live a good cow life, which means they make better milk.

When looking for raw milk, the main thing I wanted was organic, so I asked why they weren't certified. De Smet Dairy is not certified organic at this time, but they once were (last year). They had to drop their certification because they expanded their herd and an organic certification requires all animals to have been raised under organic conditions for a year, plus the certification is extremely expensive for a small farm to afford. Though I believe that the benefits of raw milk far outweigh the risks, I'm not here to try to convince you of that. I will encourage you to do your own research and tell you that there's a chance of food borne illness from basically any food you buy at the grocery store. Listeria is found in pasteurized cheeses. E. Coli is found in bagged spinach. Salmonella is found on chicken that comes out of industrial plants even though they essentially bleach it before packaging it. Conventional foods and traditional foods both have risks involved in eating them. Personally, I would rather eat traditional foods from animals who also ate their traditional diets than factory raised animals whose products are sterilized before you can come in contact with them.

Evie was ecstatic the entire time we were at the farm. She is such an observer - she wanted to see everything and every step and know what every machine was used for. When she saw the cows being milked she said, 'I want some! Can I have some milk, pease?' I told her we would buy some when we were all done seeing the farm and when we pulled a jug out of the cooler she exclaimed, 'DIS MILK FROM THOSE COWS OUT THERE?! We're gonna drink it?!' Every time I pour her a glass, she can't stop talking about where it came from. She was equally excited about feeding the beef cows apples and climbing on all the old tractors. Overall, I was really happy with what I saw. The biggest challenge for us in eating local real food is the logistics in picking things up from each separate place. De Smet has partnered with a local farm, Skarsgard, that offers CSA memberships, so we plan on signing up for one in the new year and making the switch to raw milk.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on raw milk and the changes you're trying to make in your families diets in the comments below!

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Muffins

Summer is in full swing around the Jacobs' house and what says summer better than fresh strawberries and lemons? (Probably watermelon, but watermelon muffins aren't a culinary adventure I'd like to take.) I walked into Whole Foods a few days ago and noticed that they had local organic strawberries for $1/pound! I got so excited, I grabbed three pounds and I'm still regretting not grabbing a few more to throw in the freezer. I didn't count on them being as fresh and sweet as they were, so I tried to hold back for fear of getting stuck with pounds of 'eh' strawberries. I stood there trying to decide on how many pounds to get for a good fifteen minutes. The things you contemplate as an adult (or when you're just plain crazy). So I got these strawberries home and knew that we wouldn't be able to eat them all before they went bad. We're big fans of muffins, well all baked goods really, so I whipped these up and they were perfect. The recipe makes 12 and they're so good, you'll wish you had made more. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Muffins

adapted from Whipperberry

Muffins:

1 C. all purpose flour

1 C. whole wheat flour

1/3 C. brown sugar

1/3 C. sugar

2 teas. baking powder

1 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 C. milk

1/2 C. plain yogurt

1 teas. vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 teas. lemon zest

2 C. fresh strawberries, diced

2 Tbsp. flour (to coat strawberries)

Lemon Glaze:

1 C. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease and flour them.

- Cream your butter and sugars together. Add your vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until well combined with no clumps.

- Next add your eggs. I always add my eggs as close to last as possible for fear of over beating them. I don't even know if that's possible (look at me, baker extraordinaire), but it's one of those weird things that I heard somewhere and it stuck with me. After your eggs are well combined, add your milk and yogurt.

- Begin adding the flour to the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.

- In a separate bowl, toss your strawberries in 2 tablespoons of flour. This keeps them suspended in the batter and prevents them from sinking to the bottom whole baking. Fold them into the muffin batter, being careful not to squish them too much.

- Spoon the batter into each cup evenly. I practically filled mine to the brim so I wouldn't waste any batter and they turned out well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

- As your muffins cool, prepare your lemon glaze. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the powder sugar and mix. Continue adding the second tablespoon of lemon juice slowly until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle onto the top of your cooled muffins, or get impatient and drizzle on top of your warm muffins and it will soak into them like I did. Enjoy!

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

As a part of my New Year's resolution to bake a new dessert each month, I introduce you to this.

Now technically I did not bake this, but my thought behind baking something new each month was to step out of my kitchen comfort zone. I bake fairly often (easy things like cookies or muffins), but I usually shy away from anything with an ingredient I've never used before or wouldn't know exactly where to find it. This was something I wanted to rectify. I was sure there were change-your-life-delicious dessert recipes out there just waiting for me to move past the cookie baking laze and discover them. This definitely fits that bill. The filling is out of this world. I (and Evie) couldn't stop eating it before I even got it into the crust, and this was before the berries were added. We are no vegans in this household (give up cheese? Never!), but I do like to experiment with healthier substitutions so the idea of a dessert full of good fats and protein with no dairy pulled me in. In the end, it wasn't cheesecake, but it was pretty dreamy and delicious. It packs a mouth full of cheesecake flavor without the thick, sticky mouth syndrome that you get from the dairy and sugar in a traditional cheesecake. Not to mention it's much easier to make at home than a cheesecake is! It's a winner and will definitely be making a comeback in my kitchen - probably with some coffee liquor and cacao in leu of the vanilla and berries, so stay tuned.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake
(My New Roots)

Ingredients:

Crust -
1/2 C. Raw Almonds
1/2 C. Medjool Dates
(In my case, this was equivalent to 6 large dates. Make sure you pull the pit out.)
1/4 tsp. fine Sea Salt

Filling -
1 1/2 C. Raw Cashews
(soaked for at least 12 hours)
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 tsp. Alcohol-free Vanilla Extract
1/3 C. Raw Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Raw Honey
(To make this legitimately vegan, use agave nectar.)
1 C. Raspberries
(In my case, they were frozen.)

Directions:
- Place the almonds, dates, and sea salt in a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until the mixture has reached your desired consistency. (If the pieces are too large, however, the crust won't stick together well, so keep that in mind.) Test the mixture rolling a spoonful in your hands. If the ingredients hold together well, it's ready. If it's too crumby, add another date and process again. Scoop the crust mixture out into a round cake pan or pie plate lined with Saran wrap (for those you keep fancy kitchen items around, a spring-form pan trumps these). Press firmly, making sure the thickness is relatively even throughout. Put your finished crust into the freezer until your filling is ready.
- Warm the coconut oil and honey in a small sauce pan over low heat until melted. Whisk to combine, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
- Place all the filling ingredients, except the raspberries into your food processor or blender. Blend on high until you think it's smooth, then keep going. If you leave some chunks in it, that's okay, but it is better when it's been pureed well.
- Grab your crust out of the freezer and pour about 2/3 of the filling into it, smoothing it out with a rubber spatula as you go. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and once again, blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first plain layer and smooth it out, being careful not to mix the layers (Unless you're going for the marbled look and in that case, be as reckless as you want). Place in the freezer until the filling has set, then cut with a warm knife and serve.
- Store leftovers in the freezer, covered.

Warm Cabbage & Apple Salad

Alex and I have been talking a lot about food lately - how we want our family to eat and ways that we can encourage our kids to make healthy choices and have a positive mindset about food. Out of all developed countries, American children probably eat the worst and have the most basic palate. Their favorite foods are either sweet or salty. Those are the only foods we're accustomed to eating anymore, so we've lost the appreciation for bitter, mild, and complex flavors. I truly believe that what you eat as a child will carry into your adult life and affect your food choices for the rest of your life. My mom tried to keep plenty of fruits and veggies in the house, rarely bought soda, chips, or candy, and cooked from scratch more often than she cooked from a box or took us out to a restaurant. While I didn't appreciate it when I was younger and may have eaten Hamburger Helper way too often in college just because I could, I eventually came right back around to eating this way without even realizing it. This recipe is one that my mom made a lot throughout my childhood and is a taste that I've grown accustomed to, but most people may not like. Luckily, it only took one bite for my husband to be converted from 'that's weird,' to asking for it regularly. This has become a staple meal for us, and one that we always look forward to. If you try this out, be sure to let me know how it went!

Warm Cabbage & Apple Salad

• 1 pound Sausage
• 1 head of Cabbage, cut into 1" squares
• 1 medium Apple, cut into even squares
• 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil

The first step is to cook your sausage. There are no pictures of this because I assume you all know how to unwrap a roll of sausage and throw it in a pan. While the sausage is cooking, prepare the cabbage by peeling the first few layers off, then cutting it into 1" square pieces. Try to keep the pieces as uniform in size as possible, otherwise you'll end up with some crunchy pieces and some soggy.

Put the cabbage into a large nonstick skillet like so, pour olive oil over it all, and toss to coat. I'm not entirely sure how much olive oil I use. If I had to estimate, I would say 1/8 cup. Allow it to cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage has reached your desired texture.

While the cabbage is cooking, wash the apple and chop it into evenly sized pieces. I used a Gala apple, but have also used Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. I usually shoot for 1/2 - 3/4 inch squares. When your sausage and cabbage are done, pour them both into a large mixing bowl. Using the same skillet used to cook the sausage, turn the heat on high and throw your apples into the pan. You aren't trying to cook the apples, just warm them and maybe brown them a little. Continually move them around in the pan, so that one side doesn't become more tender than the others, for just a minute or so. These are really what highlight this dish, so you want to be sure you don't overcook them. They should still be slightly crunchy in the center.

When the apples are warm, add them to the mixing bowl with the cabbage and sausage. Add your spices, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar, mix thoroughly, then do a taste test. This is one of those recipes that each family will like a different way. After this, I usually end up adding another 1/4 cup of vinegar, a dash of salt, and a lot of black pepper. Like I said, just taste it and add whatever you think it needs - more vinegar, more brown sugar, etc. Once you feel like you've gotten it just right, spoon it into some bowls, and enjoy!

*Serves 2-3; if you want to stretch it out to 4, serve with bread and butter or something similarly filling.

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

I had every intention of sharing my cooking adventures here long before now, but I'm so bad at taking pictures while I'm cooking. I get into the zone and realize halfway through the recipe that I haven't taken a single picture, or I take pictures of all of the steps, then dig in when it's done, forgetting to take a picture of the finished product before it's half eaten and mangled. Who wants to hover over hot, ready to eat food worrying about lighting and angles and trying to get your camera to focus correctly anyway? Not I, but I managed to suck it up and get a few decent pictures this time around, so I thought I would make history with my first recipe post.

Cooking has always been a significant part of my life. I have tons of memories of helping my mom in the kitchen or cooking breakfast with my sister, bowing and laughing as the bacon 'applauded' us. Among the  many things I, at one point in my childhood, said I wanted to be, a famous chef was one of them. I don't have any funny stories to tell about how bad my cooking was or how we ate pizza for a week because I kept burning dinner when we had just gotten married. I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that there are people out there who can't manage to cook macaroni and cheese out of a box. Cooking just comes naturally to me. I have a love for food, family dinners, and trying different recipes that I hope to pass on to my children, so I thought I would start recording our favorite recipes in one place, so that I can eventually make them into something special to give to each of them.

Without further ado, I introduce to you Alex's favorite meal, shrimp and grits. 

This is one of those Southern meals that most people who didn't grow up eating grits wouldn't think about trying, but I promise you, these are not your ordinary grits. If you've never had grits before, this is the dish to try them in. If you don't like grits, give these a chance. I can almost guarantee you will love them. This recipe has two parts to it, the cheesy grits and the sauce that you top them with. It doesn't really matter what you fix first because both can be left on low and kept warm while the other cooks with no harm done. I usually throw everything into the sauce, except for the shrimp, bacon, and half and half, and keep it warm while I cook the grits. If you happen to cook the grits first, and after letting them sit for a few minutes the cheese hardens and makes the mixture a big rubbery, just add a little more half and half and stir before serving.

The first step is to fry the bacon. For this dish, I usually make it pretty crispy, since I'll be putting it into a liquid and no one likes soggy bacon.

While the bacon is cooking, slice up the mushrooms - or you can buy the pre-sliced mushrooms. I'm just cheap and the whole ones always look fresher, so I take the extra time to slice them. When the bacon is done, set it aside on a paper towel to drain. Don't pour out your grease! This is basically the foundation of your sauce and what you'll cook your mushrooms in. Healthy, I know.

Saute the mushrooms in the bacon drippings (sounds better than grease, right?) for 5 minutes, along with the garlic. After the mushrooms have released their moisture, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and a dash or two of hot sauce. Add as much or little hot sauce as you like, but don't skip out on it entirely. It really does add to the flavor of the dish. Set this aside and let it barely simmer while you move on to making the grits. (I wish I had a picture of the simmering, almost finished sauce, but this is my first attempt at food blogging so bear with me.)

Combine the chicken broth, half and half, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit, and gradually add the grits, whisking them in as you go. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. If all of the liquid seems to cook out before the 10 minutes is up, taste the grits and if they're still a bit crunchy or chewy, add a bit more water and continue simmering - a few tablespoons will do. When the grits have a few minutes left to cook, return to your sauce, add your shrimp, crumbled bacon, and half and half. Let it simmer until the shrimp have turned pink (3-5 minutes), but not too long or your shrimp will have the texture of a rubber band. To finish the grits off, gradually add the Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, stirring as you go, then stir in a dash or two of hot sauce. (I promise you the hot sauce is needed. This isn't a super spicy dish. All of the cream and cheese mellow out the spice of the hot sauce pretty well.) Pour the sauce over the grits and serve with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 slices of Bacon
• 1 pound of large or jumbo Shrimp - raw, peeled, and deveined
• 8 ounces of Mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced (or the equivalent in garlic powder)
• 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup of Half and Half
• 1-2 dashes of Hot Sauce*

Cheesy Grits Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of Chicken Broth
• 1 cup of Half and Half
• 1 1/2 cups of Water
• 3/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 cup of Old Fashioned Grits
• 3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated**
• 1-2 dashes of Hot Sauce*

* I estimate I add about 1/2 of a teaspoon for those who don't like to measure in 'dashes.'

**If you don't happen to have Parmesan cheese, just add another 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese.

Let me know if you try it, how you like it, and if you changed anything. Feel free to share any of your favorite recipes too!