martes, 25 de agosto de 2015

Bruschetta Bruschetta is a favorite way to use up ripe tomatoes at our house. I’ve been having to do some readjusting to my cooking this week.  Now that we only have one child at home I am finding I am making too much food!  For dinner last night I cut the recipe in half and still had enough leftovers for another meal!  Yikes!  One plus is my grocery bill should go down. Another thing we have lots of at our house is tomatoes!  Yes, it’s tomato time!  We’ve got lots of ripe tomatoes in the garden so expect a few tomato recipes over the next couple of weeks. In fact, if you have a favorite tomato recipe I’d love for you to share it – just leave it in the comment box below so everyone can enjoy it.  By the looks of this tomato crop I’m going to need a few new recipes.  Thanks! One of our favorite things to do with the tomatoes is make bruschetta.  Tessa is the official bruschetta maker at our house and when it is tomato time we eat it several times a week. Our neighbor and friend Hannah shared with us a great bruschetta tip she learned when she and her family went to Italy.  We just brush some olive oil on the sliced bread and then toast them under the broiler. Then just pile on the yummy tomato/basil mixture.  The more, the better. I can basically make a meal out of bruschetta.  I really don’t need anythng else and I think I could eat it every night during the summer when garden tomatoes are ripe! This recipe was originally posted on the blog in September of 2008. Bruschetta – Tomato Time   Print Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: appetizer Ingredients 6 or 7 roma tomatoes, skinned and chopped into small pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped salt and pepper to taste 1 baguette style bread sliced into ⅜" thick slices Instructions Cut 1 baguette style bread sliced into ⅜" thick slices Brush on a thin layer of olive oil and then toast under broiler to toast until golden brown. To skin the tomatoes we put them into boiling water until the skins crack and then place them in cold water - the skins pop right off. Chop tomatoes finely, add garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix. Chop the basil thinly, add to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon tomato mixture onto bread toasts - enjoy! Yum!!! 3.3.3077 Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Bruschetta. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

Tomato Brushcetta is the perfect thing to make with fresh garden tomatoes @yourhomebasedmom

Bruschetta is a favorite way to use up ripe tomatoes at our house.Tomato Brushcetta is the perfect thing to make with fresh garden tomatoes @yourhomebasedmom

I’ve been having to do some readjusting to my cooking this week.  Now that we only have one child at home I am finding I am making too much food!  For dinner last night I cut the recipe in half and still had enough leftovers for another meal!  Yikes!  One plus is my grocery bill should go down.

Another thing we have lots of at our house is tomatoes!  Yes, it’s tomato time!  We’ve got lots of ripe tomatoes in the garden so expect a few tomato recipes over the next couple of weeks.

In fact, if you have a favorite tomato recipe I’d love for you to share it – just leave it in the comment box below so everyone can enjoy it.  By the looks of this tomato crop I’m going to need a few new recipes.  Thanks!

Tomato Bruschetta made with fresh garden tomatoes

One of our favorite things to do with the tomatoes is make bruschetta.  Tessa is the official bruschetta maker at our house and when it is tomato time we eat it several times a week.Fresh Tomato Bruschetta ingredients

Our neighbor and friend Hannah shared with us a great bruschetta tip she learned when she and her family went to Italy.  We just brush some olive oil on the sliced bread and then toast them under the broiler.

Bread Toast for Bruschetta

Then just pile on the yummy tomato/basil mixture.  The more, the better.

Tomato Bruschetta

I can basically make a meal out of bruschetta.  I really don’t need anythng else and I think I could eat it every night during the summer when garden tomatoes are ripe!

Tomato Bruschetta

This recipe was originally posted on the blog in September of 2008.

Bruschetta – Tomato Time
 
Author:
Recipe type: appetizer
Ingredients
  • 6 or 7 roma tomatoes, skinned and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 baguette style bread sliced into ⅜" thick slices
Instructions
  1. Cut 1 baguette style bread sliced into ⅜" thick slices
  2. Brush on a thin layer of olive oil and then toast under broiler to toast until golden brown.
  3. To skin the tomatoes we put them into boiling water until the skins crack and then place them in cold water - the skins pop right off.
  4. Chop tomatoes finely, add garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix.
  5. Chop the basil thinly, add to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Spoon tomato mixture onto bread toasts - enjoy! Yum!!!

Tomato Bruschetta is a favorite way to use up ripe tomatoes at our house.

Author information

Leigh Anne

Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion.

Continue reading Bruschetta.

This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.



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lunes, 24 de agosto de 2015

Salted Caramel Blondies Salted Caramel Blondies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty! Today’s recipe is what happens when you have a bag of pretzels and a jar of caramel sauce in your pantry that are just begging to be used!  You get Salted Caramel Blondies.  I love a sweet and salty combo and these blondies have it.  I used store bought caramel sauce because I had it but you could certainly make your own salted caramel sauce with this recipe. I am a big blondie fan and actually prefer them over a chocolate brownie if I’m given the choice although if the only choice is a chocolate brownie, I certainly won’t turn it down. I’ve shared lots of fun different blondie recipes over the years of this blog.  A few of my favorites are Butterscotch Blondies,  White Chocolate & Toffee Blondies and Malted Mill Ball Blondies. A blondies is like a brownie but without the chocolate.  That means there is a lot of butter and sugar! I like to line my 9 x 13 pan with foil because it makes it much easier to remove the blondies from the pan and slice them up.  Just lift up on the foil!  After you have the base of the blondie in the pan drizzle with caramel sauce and using a knife give it all a swirl. Then sprinkle with those salty pretzels.Bake and let it cool for at least a bit, if you can resist! As soon as I tasted these babies I knew they were going to have to be shared!  Not only because they were so good but because if I didn’t I knew Jim and I would eat the whole pan!  Our neighbors have returned from their two years in China and I hadn’t yet taken over a welcome home treat for them so I loaded up a plate of these amazing salted caramel brownies and took them over.  The were deemed blog worthy by my neighbors and by the movers!  They commented that they tasted like a pecan pie (without the pecans) Salted Caramel Blondies   Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 45 mins   Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 24 pieces Ingredients 1 C butter 2 C brown sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla 2½ C flour ¼ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ½ C Caramel Sauce 1 C broken pretzel pieces Instructions Melt butter and let cool. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla into butter. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Put into a 9 x 13 pan that has been lined with foiled and greased. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put batter into pan and spread evenly. Drizzle with caramel sauce and using a knife swirl into batter. Sprinkle with broken pretzel pieces Bake 30-35 minutes of a toothpick comes out clean. 3.3.3077   Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Salted Caramel Blondies. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

jueves, 20 de agosto de 2015

Berry Lemon Tart This Berry Lemon Tart is the true definition of pretty and delicious! This week one of my sweet friends is enjoying her first trip to Paris, a place she never thought she would get to visit.  I am so excited for her and when she sent me a video of her boat trip down the Seine to see the Eiffel Tower I felt a little like I was there with her.  Paris is one of my most favorite places to go. When we were in Paris a few years ago we couldn’t get enough of  all the wonderful bakeries. One of my favorite treats to buy from the French bakeries was a lemon tart,  especially when they are covered in whipped cream and fresh berries.  It’s like a little piece of heaven.  The French know pretty and delicious. Now every time that I eat a lemon tart I close my eyes and pretend I am in Paris eating it.  A girl can dream!  Lemon tarts are almost too pretty to eat, notice, I said almost.  I always  manage to devour the whole thing.  So I decided I really wanted to feel like I was in Paris this week, right along with my friend, so I made my own lemon tarts. Now, lemon tarts aren’t what I would call a quick and easy dessert.  They do take some time but they are so worth it!!  The tart starts with a yummy pastry shell which is a combination of flour, sugar and butter.  Lots of butter.  My butter of choice is always Darigold.  Darigold is a farmer-owned dairy co-op, and all of their products are produced in the Pacific Northwest and they use a European Style Churn for the butter! The addition of some powdered sugar in the pastry dough makes it sweet and all that butter makes it tender and flaky. The recipe makes about 6 small tarts.  I used small 4.75 inch tart pans with removable bottoms. As they baked they may puff a bit.  I would just check them about half way through baking and use my fork to deflate them.  I applied an egg wash after 15 minutes of baking and then baked them for about another 8 minutes.  It gives the crust a nice sheen and finish.  It’s all in the details! While the tart shells are baking you can make your lemon curd which is just about one of my most favorite foods in the whole world!!  Again, I used Darigold butter along with fresh lemons, eggs and sugar.  Use a double broiler for your lemon curd so it doesn’t burn. After your lemon curd has cooled, fill your tart shells. Then I topped it with a scoop of whipped cream.  Again, Darigold comes through for me and I always use their Heavy Whipping Cream. Then add the whipped cream, lots of whipped cream.  As far as I’m concerned you can never have too much whipped cream.  I then garnished with berries.  Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries were my choice. Dessert just doesn’t get much prettier than this! Just remember, all you have to do is close your eyes, take a bite and you’ll be in Paris.  At least in your mind.  Don’t forget, Paris is always a good idea! This post is sponsored by Darigold but all opinions are my own. Be sure and check at all the delicious Darigold recipes here. Berry Lemon Tart   Print Prep time 30 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 50 mins   Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 6 small or 1 large Ingredients Pastry for Tart Shell 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash) 1 tsp water Pinch of salt 2 Tbsp powdered sugar 2 cups flour 1 cup (2 sticks) Darigold butter, softened to room temperature Lemon Curd ½ cup (1 stick) Darigold butter Juice of 3 lemons Grated peel of 1 lemon ½ cup sugar 2 eggs Fresh Berries and whipped cream for garnish Instructions Pastry for Tart Shell Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough-hook attachment, stir on medium speed, slowly adding the dry ingredients. Add water and continue to stir until dough forms. Remove dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll out with a rolling pin to ⅛” thick and cut to fit into tart pans. Place individual pieces of dough into tart plans. Check half way through baking time and if crust has puffed up deflat with a fork. Bake in oven preheated to 350 °F for 15 minutes. Spread the egg wash over all the tarts. Bake for 10 minutes longer and cool at room temperature. Lemon Curd Combine eggs, sugar, lemon peel and juice in the top of a double boiler; place over bottom of double boiler filled with boiling water. (Note: water in bottom of double boiler should not touch the top pan). Cook egg mixture beating constantly with a wire whisk until it begins to thicken and ribbons form when whisk is lifted from the mixture. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Once all of the butter is incorporated into the mixture, remove from the pan and refrigerate the curd. Remove tarts from pans. Add lemon curd to each tart shell. Sprinkle fresh berries over each tart and top with whipped cream. 3.3.3077 Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Berry Lemon Tart. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

viernes, 14 de agosto de 2015

Makeup Cookies! It’s been so long since I posted a new tutorial! I took a little break last week to teach a private cookie decorating class to a couple of lovely ladies who came to visit me at my cookie studio all the way … Continue reading → The post Makeup Cookies! appeared first on SweetAmbs. http://ift.tt/eA8V8J SweetAmbs


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Baked Donuts }Kids Can Cook Baked donuts are a fun thing to do in the kitchen with the kids.  No hot oil is involved so it is safe! Hi!  I’m Leigh Anne from Your Homebased Mom and I’m excited to be here today as part of the Crafting Chicks. I hope you will stop by for a visit over at my blog and check out all the pretty and delicious I am sharing over there. I love spending time in the kitchen with kids.  They are always so excited and eager to try something new.  Because none of my children live at home any longer I have to borrow people’s children to play with in the kitchen.  They don’t seem to mind. This summer I asked three of my favorite sisters what they wanted to learn how to make in the kitchen and donuts were at the top of their list. I decided baked donuts were the way to go rather than fried donuts.  It was also a hot summer day and baking seemed a better choice than frying. Whenever I am cooking with kids I like to have all the ingredients lined up for them out on the table. Kids love to measure ingredients and cracking eggs is always a popular activity. We made a sour cream donut.  The sour cream helps make them nice and moist. After the donut batter is mixed up we filled the donut pan.  This recipe made about a dozen donuts, may depend a little on how full they fill the pan. We placed the batter into a large zippered plastic bag to make the filling process easier. Close up the bag and clip off a corner of the bag and let the kids fill the donut pan. No worries if they aren’t filled perfectly even – they will have fun doing it and when you are cooking with kids that is the first and most important rule – have fun!! The pan should be about 2/3 full of batter. They will puff up as they bake. Let them cool on a cooling rack before icing.  While they are cooling mix up your glaze.  You want it just the right consistency so it stays on the donuts but is  nice and smooth. Have all your toppings ready to go so you can add them as soon as you have glazed your donut. We had rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, mini M & M’s. I think decorating the donuts was the most fun for the kids! It was fun to see the kid’s personalities reflected in their topping choices.  Some them just added one topping and others added them all to one donut! The girls little brother was also there patiently watching and waiting for a turn to decorate a donut!  I think he actually  had more fun eating handfuls of the toppings!!Of course the best part of any cooking project is the eating! Have fun with the kids in the kitchen this summer and make Baked Donuts! Besides my blog, you can follow me on Facebook,  Instagram  and Pinterest too! Other fun Kids Can Cook ideas: Bread in a Bag– Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese – Chocolate Snack Cake – Fruit Flavored Milks Baked Donuts }Kids Can Cook   Print Prep time Cook time Total time   Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 9 donuts. Ingredients 1 C sour cream 2 egg 1½ tsp vanilla extract ½ C canola oil 1 C sugar 2 C flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt Glaze 1½ C powdered sugar 3-4 Tbsp milk, enough to make nice dipping consistency ½ tsp vanilla or other flavoring of choice Toppings sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, mini M & M's Instructions Preheat oven to 350 and grease donut pan. Mix together sour cream, egg, vanilla, oil and sugar in a bowl. Add in flour, baking soda and salt and stir until combined. Place batter into a large zippered plastic bag. Close and snip off corner. Squeeze batter into donut pan. Fill pan with batter (about ⅔ full) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and top springs back when touched. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack. Glaze Mix together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Add enough milk to make a nice dipping consistency. Dip donuts and then sprinkle with desired toppings. Eat! 3.3.3077     Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Baked Donuts }Kids Can Cook. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

miércoles, 5 de agosto de 2015

Blueberry Buckle Take advantage of blueberry season with this delicious Blueberry Buckle.  Can be made with fresh or frozen berries. Do you ever wonder how some recipes get their names?    A few I have wondered about are Strawberry Fool,  Puppy Chow, Dutch Baby and others!  Today’s recipe has joined that list – Blueberry Buckle. You may wonder why a food recipe would be named after something you wear on a belt?  Well, of course I had to do a little research and come to find out it is called a buckle because of how the top cracks or buckles as it bakes!  The berries and the crumb topping on the top weigh the cake down as it rises causing the topping to buckle.  Makes sense! A blueberry buckle could also be called a coffee cake.  It has a moist cake bottom layer, topped with fresh blueberries and then a streusel topping.  Now some people like to mix their berries into the cake layer but personally I like them on top.  I love the look of the pretty, light, clean cake.  But it is totally a personal preference and feel more than free to fold those berries right into the cake batter. I made my buckle in a round 9 inch springform pan but it can also be made in a round cake pan or 9 x 13 pan.  It will just be thinner in a 9 x 13 pan and cook for less time. You could serve this Blueberry Buckle for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, for breakfast or for afternoon tea.  Blueberry Buckle is good anytime.   Blueberry Buckle   Print Prep time Cook time Total time   Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 1 cake Ingredients 2 C flour 1½ C sugar ⅔ C butter 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp almond extract 1 tsp salt 2 egg yolks 1 C buttermilk 2 egg whites 2 C blueberries ½ tsp cinnamon, for topping Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a fork until small pea sized pieces form. Remove ¾ C of the mixture and set aside (to use for crumb topping) To the rest of the mixture, add in baking powder and salt. Mix in egg yolks and milk using a mixer and beat on low for 3 minutes. In a large bowl whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the batter. Spread batter into a creased and flour springform pan or 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle berries over the top of batter. Fold into batter if desired (I leave mine on top) Add ½ tsp cinnamon into remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle mixture over top of blueberries. Bake for 40-50 minutes. If using a springform pan it will take approx., 10-15 minutes longer. Bake until set and the top of cake springs back when lightly touched. 3.3.3077   Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Blueberry Buckle. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

lunes, 3 de agosto de 2015

Circus Animal Cookies and Sprinkles Ice Cream So Portland had it’s hottest day of the year last week and I decided it was the perfect day to make ice cream.  Well, it may be the perfect day to make and eat ice cream but not the perfect day to photograph ice cream!  Even in my air conditioned house I was racing to get photos taken of this yummy ice cream before it melted! I think I have visited every ice cream store in Portland.  If you ever  need a run down on Portland’s best ice cream shops, just let me know.  I visited a new one a few weeks ago and they had a flavor that totally took me back to my childhood.   What screams “childhood” more than circus animal cookies and sprinkles!  I loved both as a kid and I still love them both. I am a firm believer that sprinkles make everything better! I have been known to buy myself a bag of circus animal cookies and hide them for my private enjoyment  more than once! After trying it at the local ice cream shop I knew I had to come home and give it a try.  I used my favorite, basic vanilla ice cream recipe and just added in some circus animal cookies and sprinkles! It is was so yummy and so fun to eat and makes you feel like a kid all over again. I love the crunch of the cookies in the soft, creamy ice cream and the sprinkles just make it more fun to eat and  look prettier too! Enjoy a little visit to your childhood and mix up a batch of this Circus Animal Cookies and Sprinkles Ice Cream!  Of course I had to have it on a cone.  The only way to eat ice cream when you’re a kid!   Print Prep time Cook time Total time   Author: LeighAnne Wilkes Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 2 qt Ingredients 1½ C whole milk 1½ C sugar ¼ tsp salt 1½ C half & half 1½ Tbsp pure vanilla (use the good stuff) 2 C whipping cream 3 C Circus Animal Cookies, broken in half ¼ C rainbow sprinkles Instructions Mix together all ingredients except for cookies and sprinkles and pour into 2 qt. ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's directions. When ice cream is almost completely set up, add in cookies and sprinkles and process enough to get them incorporated. Place ice cream in freezer to firm up. 3.3.3077   Author information Leigh Anne Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! I have been a homebased mom for 30 years since my first baby boy was born! I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority. I blog about everything I enjoy – creating treats and meals in my kitchen, spending time in my garden, entertaining and party planning, reading, self improvement and tips and ideas on style and fashion. | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Continue reading Circus Animal Cookies and Sprinkles Ice Cream. This post is from your homebased mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne to let us know. Enjoy the posts.