Cinnamon Sugar Almond Butter

I am engaged.  I know that I kind of threw that tidbit of information in at the bottom of a random post about some yummy lemon chicken soup quite some time ago, but really it probably deserves a little more attention than just a emboldened line at the very end of a post.  So in fairness, it now gets to start it's own post.  Here we go:

We're engaged!  Like, to be married!  Living happily ever after with lumberjack Ben!  

That was our first official picture as an engaged couple.  In true scatter-brain form, I of course forgot to post with my left hand (now sporting the gorgeous diamond ring) in front.  And Ben forgot to put down our shopping bags with the fresh asparagus for Christmas dinner and my cranberry cream loose leaf team.  Preferably, I would have made Ben take off his bulky Northface winter coat and maybe even have tied the belt of mine.  I know it's not perfect.  It may not be black and white/surprise hidden photographer/Pinterest worthy, but to me, it is one of the best photographs out there.  Because it's the first of many happy, silly scatter-brain pictures for years to come.

There is no segue from engagement and couple pictures to almond butter, or if there is my poor brain is too tired to be creative enough for it.  But, seeing as it is inevitable that wedding stress will start creeping in here, as it has in all other facets of my life, it seemed I should give you all a fair warning.  But I refuse to give you a post simply bragging about engagement.  Seeing as we are pretending, just as well as we can here, that this is a cooking blog.  So now it is almond butter's turn in the lime light (which I will give up begrudgingly).

Almond butter is a few things.  1, it is absolutely delicious, spread on bread, plopped in morning oatmeal, scooped from the jar and eaten from a spoon while standing in the light of the still open refrigerator.  2, it is adaptable.  I haven't actually tested this theory yet, but from what I hear, you basically add what you want and run with it.  Personally, I can't wait to run with it in this direction.  And finally, 3, it is dead simple to make.  Don't get me wrong, you will think you've screwed it up at least 7 times before the nuts actually come together as butter, but as soon as it's scooped in a jar and tucked away in the fridge, you'll look back and realize there was never any reason to worry.  The food processor will run for at least 8 minutes.  The almonds will become smooth as butter.  I promise.  I'm pretty sure it's science.

The batch I made for Ben and myself last in the fridge about 3 weeks.  I caught Ben several times sneaking the same spoon back into the jar for just another taste.  He was promptly scolded.  When I was home in AZ a few weekends ago, I made a batch for my mom.  Less than 2 weeks later, the household of 5 (minus one very cute, now over ONE YEAR OLD, nephew) had taken the jar down.  There's your proof.  It is good.  It is really good.  Buy the Costco sized bag of almonds.  You're going to need it.

And just in case you were wondering, the beard/lumberjack look is a relatively new one for Ben.  He's been sporting it since Thanksgiving.  Personally, I love it, but I appear to be in the minority.  He keeps threatening that he will shave it off though.  I told him I would need at least a week's notice in order to properly mourn the loss.

Cinnamon Sugar Almond Butter
Adapted from a Full Measure of Happiness, my latest blog crush

2 c. almonds
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  On a rimmed sheet, spread out the almonds.  Toast in the oven until fragrant, 8 - 10 minutes.

Dig out the food processor.  When nuts are done roasting, dump in.  It's ok if you don't let them really cool first, just be aware that there's going to be some heat and steam coming out the top of your food processor.  Don't rest your hand there, it's going to get hot.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Turn the sucker on.

Don't bother pulsing.  You're going to have to run your food processor about 8 - 10 minutes before the almonds become almond butter.  It's ok if you freak out and think it will never happen.  It will, have some faith.  Keep going until you what you have looks like smooth peanut butter.  Stop every other minute or so to scrape down the sides of the food processor.

Once smooth and dreamy, pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Keep refrigerated   Enjoy on everything--or straight from the spoon, no judgement here.

Happy Easter!

I hope your Easter is filled with candy for breakfast, plenty of leftover ham and lots of love!  And maybe even an afternoon nap if you're lucky...

Happy Easter!!

Creamy Spinach, Feta, Dill Dip

Today was the first day that finally actually felt like Spring.  Days after the "official" beginning of the seasons and weeks after I am past the point of my limited patience of waiting for it, Spring has come.  Yes, I do realize that there is still snow on the ground, but do you know what else?  There are birds that are actually singing, outside, and the sky?  It's blue.  With white puffy clouds!  A blue sky!  I don't think I've seen one of those since November!  My heart is filled with joy.

Needless to say, for an Arizona girl, unhappily transplanted in the Midwest, the first day that actually feels like Spring is a Godsend.  And it could not have come at a better time.  Things are starting to really fly, both at work and at home (hello wedding planning!) and I don't know how well I could have taken any more drab, ugly, melt-y snowy, crappy days.  And if you asked Ben, he would tell you that I haven't been handling them at all.  But that doesn't matter any more.  Because I am calling it, although Punxsutawney Phil I am not, Spring is here people!  Put away the heavy down coat!  And scarfs, cute as they may be.  Good bye leather gloves and 180 earmuffs.  Because It. Is. Spring.  And so help me God, if it snows again, I may have a psychological break down.

For Ben's sake, let's pray it doesn't...

On the whole 3 month absence... I have come to a conclusion.  Although my brain may be a little punch drunk with the idea of spring, us here at the BGCB, we're rolling with it.  The conclusion was this: seeing as no one really even noticed I was gone (and if they did, they failed to mention it), I am not apologizing, giving explanations or excuses.  We're pretending I didn't fall off the bandwagon.  And hoping I won't again any time soon.  And that's that on that subject.

Creamy Spinach, Feta, Dill Dip
From Jan./Feb. 2013 Cooking Light

Not much to say about this dip.  It came together very easily.  Was tasty and somewhat tangy from the feta.  It did have a large amount of ingredients when, to be perfectly honest, I am just as satisfied mixing in Hidden Valley's Fiesta Ranch dip mix into some zero fat Greek yogurt.  Yes, I use dip mix.  But I put it in Greek yogurt, not sour cream.  It totally makes it healthy.  And it tastes the exact same.

In other words, below is the recipe for this dip (which is good!), but here's another, even easier, just as tasty one as well:  Fiesta Ranch dip mix + Greek yogurt.  Add veggies.

6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
2 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach, chopped (measured after chopping)
1 Tbsp. fresh dill
Fresh ground black pepper

In food processor, wiz together first 5 ingredients, through garlic, processing until smooth.  Add spinach, dill and pepper.  Pulse until well combined.  Chill.

Serve with veggies or pita chips or whatever you love to dip.  Like chicken wings!  Just realize, there's some loss of healthy-ness when you reach for a chicken wing...

Avgolemono

Hi... it's me.  Remember me?  It's ok if you don't.  I sort of ran away and hid for awhile.  Things were falling and I didn't bother to take the time to pick them back up.  I did come back once simply to tell you I was alive.  Does that count for something?

I hope you haven't completely written me out of your book yet.  I have new things to share, I promise.  Are any of them recipes, you may ask.  Which is a fair question, seeing as this is some sort of an excuse for a cooking blog.  And I'm hear to tell you that at least one of them is!  And it's perfect for right now, when all of us are fighting one type of sickness or another.  Soup.  The only kind of soup you want when you're feeling achy and cold and you have an elephant sitting on your chest.  There is an elephant sitting on your chest too, right?  Or is that just me?

It is chicken soup.  Chicken soup made creamy by the slow addition of an egg and almost impossibly bright by the swirl of fresh lemon.  It is chicken soup that is easy to make, requiring nothing out of the ordinary and no extra work, especially if you have a bag of shredded rotisserie chicken in your freezer.  It is chicken soup that will calm your nerves, warm your tummy, and if we are lucky, help beat up all this icky sickness around us.

This is the way that we're starting a new year.  With a new soup and an easy addition to my big green cookbook.  Oh, and with some other exciting news.  There happens to be this very shiny, very, very pretty ring thingy hanging out on my left hand.  It's a little strange and I'm not quite used to it yet, but it puts a huge smile on my face every time I look at it.  Yes folks, we're engaged.  Things are about to get all sorts of real.

Avgolemono
Adapted from Cooking Light, January 2012

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (~ 2 lemons, depending on their size)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 large egg
2 c. (8 oz) chicken breast, shredded

In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil and heat until it begins to shimmer.  Add chopped onions and garlic.  Saute 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.  Add chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil.  Add in rice and reduce soup to a simmer.  Summer for 16 minutes, or until rice is just a few minutes before done.

Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper and egg.  Whisk together well.  Once soup/rice mixture is ready, very slowly pour lemon juice mixture into soup, gently whisking the entire time.  Be patient and careful, you want the egg to incorporate, not scramble!  Add in chicken and stir.  Let lightly simmer until soup thickens and rice is done, about 305 minutes more.

I'm still alive

I know what you're going to say.  Or rather, I know how I've been scolding myself with in my head.  I've been bad. I left you. Willingly.  Knowingly.  And then I breathed a huge sigh.

It's just that my plate has been feeling a little crowded lately and I was trying really hard to keep it all balanced.  But then it toppled.  And instead of picking things up right away to start balancing again like a good girl, I let them all exactly where they lay and I ran away for a little while.

In case you are wondering, they are all still laying exactly where they fell.  I won't lie.  It might be quite a few days before I pick them up again.  I will pick them up again but for now I'm still living happily in my hiatus for the holiday season.  Besides, do you really need another Christmas sugar cookie recipe?

I did just make some peppermint fudge.  It is indeed fantastic.

Anyways, to prove that I am alive and doing some real, actual things (and not just watching Everybody loves Raymond reruns...) here's a quick update:

I turned 25! The days leading up to it totally scared me, but now I'm realizing I'm pretty much owning 25. I mean, I look pretty good in the light of my flaming birthday pie. Which by the way was triple chocolate pumpkin pie.  And it was exactly as intense as it sounds.

I tried several of new recipes from both new and old magazines.  I did it without taking a single picture.  I almost forgot how easy it was to cook when I was rushing trying to not burn the nuts and still get a half decent picture in the fast fading light. The newest recipe I tried?  Apple stuffed strata from Cooking Light's December 2012 issue. In case you weren't sure, no, I did not take the fabulous picture below.  But yes, it was as tasty as it looks!

I did take pictures of the new stuffing recipe that I tried out for Thanksgiving.  But, in keeping with the now one year old tradition, I will post it next year at this time.  Besides, you don't want stuffing right now when there are cookies to eat.

And did I mention the peppermint fudge??  Seriously, super easy.  It goes something like this: Buy some marshmallow fluff.  Follow the instructions on the jar.  Up until it calls for vanilla extract.  Now, use peppermint extract instead. Then top it with crushed candy canes. And do you best to refrain from eating half of the pan yourself. We've got a lot more calories go this holiday season...

In conclusion. I'm still alive. I'll be back. And hey, look at that, I even included a recipe.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!