Happy New Years!!!

I love this day. The last day before a new year begins. It couldn't be any better. I hope that in 2010 it will be a MUCH better year for everyone. Let's just stay healthy and happy. I think that what helps the most to get through tough times. Regardless of the other problems we have going on in this world, I try not to let it get to me. I don't usually make resolutions but goals instead. I've always been a goal getter, even if it takes me a while to achieve it, at least I won't give up. Some goals I've thought about for the year 2010 are:

• Run a 5k
• Continue being happy with myself and life
• Figure out what I want to do in life
• Stay focused on whatever I put my heart into and not give up

I feel like 2010 will be a big year for me, not sure what it has in store but I'm feeling really good about it! Since today is the 31st, I should probably share my pancakes I made for Christmas Day! I had froze a few and pulled out two this morning to have after my run. Which reminded me I should probably get this posted today before tomorrow. ;)

Christmas Day I always make a yummy breakfast that we don't eat all the time. Sometimes it is waffles, crepes, or pancakes. I opted for pancakes this year because those IHOP commercials kill me with their pecan pie waffles and whatever concoctions they come up with! I made the pancakes a little more healthier then usual but I couldn't stray away too much from your normal pancake, or else my dad would flip. He doesn't like flaxseed or whole wheat flour. He can be very picky, BUT if I don't tell him, he doesn't know! I made an extra large pancake for myself with the extra batter. Topped with crunchy almond butter and pure maple syrup. It was divine! Which I had again for breakfast this morning, that how good it was!

 
Fallon's Special Pancakes  
Ingredients 

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1-1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup 1% milk (this is optional, I added a few splashes to thin out the batter)
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, melted butter, flaxseed, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, thin it out with a few splashes of 1% milk or whatever you have on hand. Heat a griddle or frying pan with butter over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. When it is time to flip the pancake, the batter on top will start to bubble. I made my pancakes slightly smaller and had about 14 servings, and we each had about 3-4 pancakes.

The pancakes were a little denser then your typical fluffy pancake but they tasted delicious. The vanilla extract made a nice addition to the pancakes and gave it a slightly sweeter flavor. I was more satisfied off these pancakes because of the addition of some whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal, I didn't feel overly stuffed and just satisfied. Plus with the almond butter smeared on top for extra fat and protein, it was definitely a filling breakfast!

My extra big pancake, so good I had one more smaller pancake!

Why do I call these special? Well my dad never figured it out and loved every bite!

Happy New Years to everyone! I will see you in 2010!

Always,
Fallon

Christmas Baking Round-up

I can't believe how crazy these last few weeks have been for me. I recently was offered a promotion at work and will soon get me to my goal of becoming a manager hopefully the beginning of the new year! So I'm just working a lot of hours and being it is in retail and it is the holidays, it is pure craziness. I'm glad it is almost over though. I'm so behind in everything I usually do and just end up heading to bed at the end of the night. I'm also excited to announce my boyfriend arrived home on Wednesday, right before Christmas! Let's get onto Christmas baking! I decided against any cakes this year and instead to do an array of goodies. I make these goodies every year and I know they are good recipes. People enjoy them and it is easier then a cake! So let's get started.  

Peppermint Bark

 
The recipe is real simple. I melt 30oz of semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler, then spread it onto a baking sheet. While that is set, I will melt 30oz of white chocolate over a double boiler. I'll take off the heat, add in 2tsp of organic peppermint extract and about 2 cups of crushed candy canes. Spread on top of the semi-sheet chocolate and set in the fridge for an hour. Just break apart into pieces when done. Sometimes I will swirl the chocolates together, or I will layer them, so the chocolates do not get mixed together. It depends on my holiday mood. ;)  

Fantasy Fudge

   

I tried a different recipe for fudge this year. Normally it is made with condensed milk and it makes for a creamier fudge. I opted to try fantasy fudge. The recipe is located on the jar of marshmallow creme. I made it as directed, just omitting the walnuts. I wasn't happy with the results. It was super sweet and didn't have that creaminess I was expecting. I had to try it, but next year I'll go back to my old standby. Although everyone seemed to enjoy it because they kept complimenting me on how good it tasted! Click HERE for Fantasy Fudge recipe.  

Toffee Biscotti

 
Biscotti is becoming one my favorite cookies to bake. I loved the toffee biscotti because it is sweet and nutty from the toffee bits. Goes GREAT with coffee. Definitely a great coffee dunker! Click HERE for Toffee Biscotti recipe.  

Caramel Popcorn Brittle

   

This recipe was SO easy! I've made caramel corn before in the oven and it was more of a hassle. This recipe was done on the stove top and then was spread out onto a baking sheet to cool off. Then it is broken up into pieces like a peanut brittle. I like the zing of the molasses flavor it called for. These were a bit sweet, but I found myself not knowing when to stop eating it! They are really addicting, but a crowd favorite to anyone who likes caramel corn! Click HERE for Caramel Popcorn Brittle recipe.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies 

The chocolate chip cookies are the darker ones!
I could go for a cookie now, but they are all gone!

Nothing makes a better chocolate chip cookie then the recipe on the back of the Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips bag! I've never made a chocolate chip cookie for Christmas before, but I was in the mood this year. These were such a hit at my boyfriend's parents house. They couldn't believe how good they were! I think cookies are just always a hit with anyone. These were best straight out the oven, warm and gooey! Click HERE for the Toll-House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  

White Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

   

From Baking Bites, I made her White Chocolate Cherry Cookies. These were another successful cookie along with the chocolate chip cookies! I've made these before and remember how delicious they were. They are festive with the white chips and red dried cherries for Christmas. They are light, buttery and sweet. The chocolate and cherry compliment each other, making for a great tasting cookie. Click HERE for White Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookie recipe.

That was my 2009 holiday baking! I'm glad it is over with, I was really getting tired of all the sweets. Of course that only lasts for a few days and then I want dessert again! I hope everyone else had a great holiday just as much as I did. I was able to celebrate it with my boyfriend at his family's house. It was great. I couldn't of had a better Christmas. He also knows how to pick out a nice Christmas present. :) 

I'm off to the gym!

Fallon

I'm still here!

With my baby last Christmas! I hope we can take a new picture this year. :)

Hey Bloggers. Don't worry I'm still alive and breathing. I can't believe it has almost been a WEEK since I've posted anything. Work is very busy. I had 1 day off last week and I had to do some Christmas shopping since I didn't even start. The last few days I've been doing some baking like peppermint bark, fudge, biscotti, and brittle. Christmas Eve I plan on baking several cookies! As for tonight, I share with you a WONDERFUL dessert I made for last Christmas. A cake. Not just any cake but a cannoli cake. Never in my life did I know this would actually exist. You see my boyfriend loves cannolis and I wanted to incorporate it into a dessert. Used my online BFF, Google and I couldn't believe a cannoli cake actually existed. Very popular back east because of all the Italian families and the variety of bakeries out there. They also make a cake called a Cassata, but it is somewhat different from the cake I planned to make. The Cassata is a VERY traditional Italian cake around the holidays and I've yet to try. This was the first time I'd be spending Christmas with my boyfriend and his family, and my parents as well! It was a very exciting evening but I was more nervous about the pressure I put on myself to make this cake. Let's see, I've never tried a cannoli cake before so I didn't know what the expect on taste, texture, flavor etc. My cake baking skills are still not the best but I'm still in the learning stages. So I researched many recipes, compared recipes and at the end I asked our good family friend Doina to help me! She is a great baker and makes some of the best cakes. She looked over the recipes, told me what methods will work best and we went from there. I had to practice making this cake first because I wasn't going to make it perfect my first try. Doina helped me out and my first cake was not bad at all! (Please excuse the bad photography!)

This was the first trial. I decorated it with cannoli shells from an Italian bakery and chocolate chips.

Here is a slice, I already knew the adjustment I needed to make for the next cake! More layers and filling! Oh and better decoration!

Can you believe it took me 5 hours to make this cake? When I made the second time, it still took me 5 hours! That is hard labor let me tell you. So some things about the first cake was the "sponge" cake wasn't very light. I used cake flour and Doina couldn't understand the reason why, but I said that what the recipe asked for! She said, just shifting flour will make the cake lighter. The cake was drenched in rum syrup and really made the flavors in the cake come together. Also, not enough filling. Look how thick those layers are and the little amount of filling. The filling was made with ricotta, semi-sweet chocolate, orange zest, and sugar! It was very good but Mike being the taste-tester said not to make it with orange zest the next time because he doesn't like it. Let me tell you, the orange zest was needed but I didn't want to disappoint so I left it out. Christmas Day was coming close and I had to work on the cake. I made it the day before and iced it the following day so it be ready for the night. The final result was an AMAZING cake. It is worth the 5 hours in the kitchen. I remember the night I made it, my ricotta cheese went bad because I had defrosted it from the freezer and it was complete liquid. NEVER freeze ricotta! ;) So I ran to Trader Joe's and bought ricotta. I'm so glad they were still open. That was probably the scariest part that night because I had to get that filling done or there was no cake. Oh the pressure! Mike's parents were SO impressed with this cake. It was a winner that night. As for everyone else, our parents got along beautifully and it couldn't of been a better night. It was absolutely perfect!

4 layers and more filling, definitely made for a more proportioned cake. It couldn't of come out any better.

My HUGE slice! I gobbled it up and some. ;)

I used this recipe Cassata alia Siciliana from La Mia Cucina. I did make several changes like using King Arthur flour, no orange zest, and no nuts. I listened to Doina and did a more traditional sponge cake by separating the yolks and whites. The whites I made into a meringue which then I folded into the yolk batter. If you have any questions or comments, please email me! I wish I could talk more about this cake because it deserves it, but I'm short on time. I have to be at work in less then an hour! To end this post, what am I making THIS year? Well since I'm so short on time I decided against any cake. I don't have any time this year to make a practice cake before making the actual one. Which is sad and I hope next year will be different. I opted to do a dessert tray instead with an array of goodies! Tomorrow is my Friday and I can't wait to share with you the yummy goodies I have made.

Have a great day,
Fallon

Bunko Recap!

Monday night my mom had her annual bunko for the month of December. She always picks December because she has so much fun doing it. The past few years I've helped her with the food and this year I decided to do EVERYTHING on my own. We usually buy items pre-made to make it easier and then add fresh along, like a pre-made dessert from somewhere. Not this year though. I planned out everything and it was going to be all made at home! I had to cook for a large crowd 12 ladies including myself because I wasn't going to cook all the food and not have some! LOL.

The end result was a HUGE success. The ladies loved their meal and dessert. We had fun when it came time to do the present exchange, and were giggly from the lovely drinks we've all been drinking down, like red wine or my new favorite, prosecco and pomegranate juice. They were also using Chambord in their prosecco which is really delicious as well! My goal for the bunko menu was to keep it Italian, simple, healthy, delicious, and no meat. I don't think anyone notice that it was all vegetarian! One lady is allergic to chocolate and another is allergic to pecans. So I made sure none of those items were included in this menu because I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy everything.  

Appetizers:

Cream Cheese with Fischer and Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce, pita chips on the side.

This plate was CLEAN at the end of the night. This is always a huge hit at parties with everyone. The creamy cheese and the sweet, spicy kick from the sauce is so good! I like this with goat cheese too ;)

 

Mrs. May's Naturals Ultimate Crunch

These were all gone, they are so good! I get a huge bag at Costco for a good deal.

 

Meal:  

Caesar Salad (which I've made before and shared on the blog.)


Baked Ziti ( I adapted my recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.)

• I used Barilla Plus pasta. You can't tell the difference and you get the health benefits of Omega 3's and extra fiber.
• I didn't make meatballs and I added fresh basil to my sauce.

This was such a hit! I didn't make ziti in a while, so I wanted something to follow. My dad gave me some good tips, and now I'll be able to make this my way next time. I'm thinking for my boyfriend and I'll add meatballs to it for him! 

Ciabatta Garlic bread (This came from Trader Joe's, heated up in the oven, crunchy outside, soft middle with chunks of roasted garlic!)

My plate, but I went back for seconds on bread, pasta and salad! The bread was my favorite, I took a roasted tomato and smeared it on top of it when I ate it.

 

Roasted Vegetables ( I made a variation of this during the summer.) Yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, mini tomatoes, sweet onion, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and EVOO.
  Dessert:

Butterscotch Apple Cake (made this for Thanksgiving.) Vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce, no pecans.
 

I'm eating my cake and forgot to take a picture!! So here it is almost done =P

  This was what was left of the cake, and my dad came home and FINISHED the rest. Wish I had some leftover dessert for the next day!

 

It was a very successful evening. I had so many compliments on the meal I provided. I even had to give away copies of the dessert! They loved it a lot. I tried to get a mother/daughter photo but we never got one! Oh well. The food is always the most important part right ;) So this week I'm going to finally start Christmas baking! I can't wait, I'm really in the mood for my peppermint bark and fudge!

So stay tune!

Good night,
Fallon

Old Fashion Gingerbread!

Hey Bloggers! I'm back today to share with you the other recipe I found for gingerbread. I definitely got my gingerbread fix solved this season! The only thing left is to try a gingerbread latte from Starbucks! ;) The first recipe I showed you were for Gingerbread Squares. This cake was light, moist and fluffy, and would crumble in your hand. Butter was the fat used in this recipe.

Today I share with you from Cooking Light, Old-Fashioned Gingerbread. This recipe was slightly different from the other. It used more spice with the addition of cloves to give it that spiciness gingerbread is known for. The fat used was canola oil in place of butter. Canola oil is very light in smell and taste. The spice and molasses were the stars of this bread compared to the last one. One last thing that really made me want to try this recipe was the addition of applesauce! Applesauce is great in baked goods because it brings so much moisture to the cake and you would never guess it was a low- fat baked good. I made no adjustments to this recipe, I followed as is on the site. Except I used an 8 inch pan because I don't have a 9 inch!!! I should put that on my Christmas list ;) Or maybe someone should surprise me with one! Click here for the recipe for Old-Fashioned Gingerbread.

I had 25 pieces but used the biggest/prettiest ones for pictures! 

So festive with the dusting of powdered sugar. 

So which gingerbread was my favorite? I loved both, but when I make gingerbread again I'm going for the old fashion version! It was more dense but it was still light in taste with the use of canola oil and applesauce. The cake was so moist, it would melt in your mouth. It held it shape better and didn't crumble as easily when picked up to eat. The spice again wasn't over powering! It was the right amount of cinnamon, clove and ginger. You remember when I said my father is not a fan of the spice but liked the gingerbread squares? He liked this cake too!! So I don't know what his deal is with the whole "spice" thing, but I think I have made him a fan. :) So what is next for me?

Well tomorrow, Sunday 13th will be 1 week till my boyfriend is on a plane coming home for Christmas! It is actually happening. My family and I are invited to his parents house once again for Christmas this year. Sometime this week I will show you this CAKE I brought to his parents last year. It was a huge crowd pleaser. This year I decided to go a different route and bake items I truly enjoy doing every year. Which is making candy and cookies! I'm going to make a huge platter spread of all my favorite goodies that I know people love like fudge, peppermint bark, biscotti, and several new cookies I'm trying out this season! Can't wait to share everything with you guys.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Fallon

Gingerbread Squares

If there is ANYTHING about this time of the year with the holidays here and such, the one thing I love most is gingerbread. Cookies, cakes, breads, drinks etc. I love the taste, the smell, the spice it brings. It makes me feel warm and happy inside. The downside is that not many people love the taste of gingerbread. Some gingerbread recipes can be very strong in taste. Like my father he said he doesn't like gingerbread. I was in the mood for gingerbread last week. I went on a search to find all gingerbread recipes that I would enjoy. At the moment I'm trying to watch my weight so I can look extra good for my honey when he comes home in 3 weeks. I didn't want something super fattening but I wanted to have the moistness and flavor of gingerbread. First I skimmed some of my cookbooks and nothing fantastic. Then I checked some blogs and had no luck with any gingerbread recipes. I looked at some gluten free/vegan type breads but nothing of interest. So I went with the next best thing, Cooking Light. I know they have good recipes, they show calorie count, and I can easily substitute anything in the recipes. I found 2 recipes I really liked and today I'm going to share the first bread I made. I plan on making the second bread tomorrow and will share that one this weekend. The original recipe for Gingerbread Squares is here, and below I will share my slightly modified version. Gingerbread Squares (Adapted from Cooking Light)  
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup all purpose-flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses ( I used Grandma's Molasses)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
Cooking spray (I used EVOO in my Misto)
Powdered sugar to coat the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the inside with parchment paper to easily lift the bread out of the pan. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and tap lightly to level. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, and baking soda, stirring with a whisk. You could also sift the ingredients together. Combine brown sugar and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. In a separate bowl I beat the egg and added the buttermilk. (So it would be ready to add to the remaining ingredients.) Then stir in the flour mixture. Pour batter into a 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes (my bread took 30 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle gingerbread with powdered sugar. 

I've been drooling over the huge gingerbread slice Starbucks has right now, but when I saw that monster had almost 400-500 calories, I knew I could find a less caloric gingerbread and at around 85 calories a slice, give or take I was very happy with the Cooking Light recipe. I think this bread was great. The flavors were mild and had just enough spice. I think the brown sugar helped the molasses from not being as strong and helped on the sweetness factor. Plus it helped make the gingerbread very moist.

I didn't have a 9-inch baking pan, so I had no choice but to use the 8-inch. I still managed to get 25 squares out of it (tiny slices but if I wanted 2-3 I wouldn't feel so bad). Remember how I said my father doesn't like gingerbread??? WELL! I told him to try a small piece and he was surprised at how good it was. He was expecting a strong ginger taste that he despises and in return it was a light, moist and slightly spicy cake. No joke, I had maybe 4-5 squares and the rest was finished off by my parents in no less then 2 days! That why I'm going to make the other gingerbread recipe tomorrow! Check out what I received in the mail the other day.


A FRENCH PRESS! I ordered it through Open Sky on KERFs page. Her coffee always look so delicious and I couldn't miss the opportunity to order it with a $20 off coupon. After I publish this post I'm off to make some decaf Christmas blend coffee! Too bad I don't have anymore Gingerbread Squares to have with my coffee, boy was that a treat!

Happy Monday!
Fallon

Turkey #2

Check out that baby! We were so disappointed in our Thanksgiving turkey that we went out and bought a new turkey. This time we went with a different brand that we have been successful with before. This was a winner winner turkey dinner for several nights! I'm actually not turkey out yet and wish we had some leftovers still. Just a few more weeks and we will pick one up for Christmas to have. Can you say yummy protein?? I love oranges and this year the navel orange crop has been looking rather unappetizing. An orange isn't called an orange for nothing! I don't want a yellow or green looking orange. So I've been opting for different varieties. Like the Satsuma I have pictured above. A bit pricey but worth every bit of it. They are sweet, juicy, and incredibly easy to peel! I usually eat about 2-3 as a serving because they are so small. I got these at Wholefoods. You should try them if you haven't yet. You won't be disappointed. This post was sort of a recap from this week. Just been busy and relaxing. Getting in as much gym time as I can too! I haven't been doing any "exciting" cooking to actually share. I did make some Gingerbread Squares yesterday which I will share with you sometime early this upcoming week. I love gingerbread and thought it helped me get into the holiday spirit! Well not really. I'm just not in the holiday mood at all this year. It is totally weird, but I'm trying. :) My boyfriend should be here Christmas Day. I was talking to him today and said to him isn't that so "clique" that you are in the army coming home on Christmas Day?? LOL. Like a movie. I don't care I'm excited and I know he is too. Maybe he is what I need to get into the holiday mood. ;) One last thing, I have a few new readers on my blog and just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope I don't disappoint! Oh yeah... I found the most amazing yoga class on Friday. Too bad I have to work next Friday but I can't wait to try it again. I've never been so challenged in a yoga class before and this is what I need! Have a great weekend, Fallon