Comfy Cozy Blankies

Isn’t it funny how families come up with their own little names or saying for things. In our house we call peroxide “bubble juice”, a name that it was given years ago as we held many a skinned knee over the bathroom sink. Slippers are called “pu-puns”, and when something is icky or yucky we say it’s “ca-ca putz”. Strange I know but not one of us in this house questions the strangeness of it all. Which brings us to the title of this post. Comfy Cozies. Let me explain comfy cozies in further detail. We use this term for a variety of different circumstances. For instance:

When you are getting settled on the couch and there is a little chill in the room you might call to one of your sons and say, “Please get Mama a comfy cozy, I’m freezing”

Or perhaps you have just eaten a delicious beef stew and with your belly warm and satisfied you would say, “Oh now my tummy is all comfy cozy”.

Cold feet? Not a problem “I love these comfy cozy socks that Grandma got me for Christmas”.

New sweater? “This is so warm I am totally comfy cozy in it”.

Cuppa tea and a magazine “I’m just going to relax and get all comfy cozy on the couch”.

Hot cocoa? “Drink this, it will make you all comfy cozy inside”

We use it a lot, but it is most referred to when we are discussing throws and blankets. One blanket in particular is the comfiest and coziest of them all, the thick fleece Steelers blanket that John’s Aunt made for him. With two layers of fleece, it is the warmest, and most sought after blanket in the house. In fact, John just stole it back after Jesse kidnapped it for well over 6 months. In order to bring some order back into the house, I decided that it was time for the boys to have their very own comfy cozies. The Steelers blanket was one of those no sew, cut and tie blankets. So Monday night the boys and I headed out to Jo-Ann Fabrics to pick out the fleece of their choice. Once we got to the material section we were tickled to see that Jo-Ann’s was having a 50% off sale on fleece blanket kits. The prices were much cheaper than the fleece by the yard, so they picked out two they liked, Jesse a cosmic/celestial one and Evan a Wall-E themed one.

We couldn’t have picked a better time to make these blankets. Bitter cold has gripped most of the east coast, and to say it is frigid is an understatement, so it was perfect timing for warm, thick blankies. Tonight we pushed the coffee table off to the side, spread the fleece across the living room and the boys got started on comfy cozy production.

There was lots of cutting..

....lots and lots.

Did I mention.....lots?

Then the tying began.

So they tied and tied and after a few hours, and many tired fingers, we had two completed comfy cozies.

Even Moose couldn't resist the coziness of the new blankies.

Livin' on the Edge

Do my friends know me or what? Eva bought me the Bakers' Edge brownie pan for Christmas. I had been eyeing it for quite some time, so I was ecstatic when I received it as a gift from her. I'm surprised it took me this long to use it. After all the sweets we had during the holidays, I'm surprised I'm still baking, but I just can't help myself. My neighbors and co-workers aren't complaining. They all get to share the love. I did nibble off a corner strictly for feedback purposes. I wanted to have a big fat piece, but I am resisting. That corner sure was good and John assured me that the whole big piece he had was moist through and through.

For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a brownie pan for people who love the edges. I love the brownie edges. I know there are "middle people" who will automatically go for the soft center, but I always go for the crispy edges, be it brownies or lasagna or baked ziti.

I picked the Marbled Cheesecake Brownies for my first use. I can't begin to tell you how well this pan bakes a brownie. They cooked so evenly. Sometimes the brownie edges get a little over done and the center is still gooey, not with this pan. They cooked completely evenly.

The folks at Baker's Edge are coming out with a lasagna pan in a few months. Can you imagine lasagna where the layers don't slide into each other? Oh I can't wait. Could be the perfect Mothers Day gift. Honey are you reading this?

Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Oh what a week it's been.

Going back to work after 2 weeks of vacation time is so not fun. I had so much to catch up on. I felt like I had been away a year, not just a few weeks. We had some issues with Jesse in school which only added to the stress and had my stomach in knots. I was so ready for the weekend and to get back to baking. To non-bakers that might sound strange but there is a certain comfort in baking for me. It calms all my senses. The scent of cinnamon in the air, the sound of the teaspoons tapping against tins, the purring of the mixer, the teakettle whistle, the warmness the oven brings to the kitchen. It put me back where I needed to be and that was in the kitchen with a great recipe.

Thanks to the ladies at Bread & Honey, I decided to make some Gingerbread Cake. We are getting yet another snow storm and I can't think of anything much better than a piece of warm gingerbread cake to coax me into a lazy weekend. Well as lazy as it can be for me, yes I cleaned the house a bit this morning, and did laundry and some crafting, but after that, it's gonna be pure, unadulterated laziness for us. Well, laziness accompanied by terrific gingerbread cake and a nice cuppa tea.

I made this recipe exactly the way Summer did over at her blog. I used half molassas and half pure maple sugar and let me tell you....this is the gingerbread cake you want to make.



Gingerbread Snacking Cake - from Martha Stewart Living/Bread & Honey Blog
Printable recipe
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses (I ran out and used 1/2 cup molasses and 1/2 cup pure maple syrup and it worked perfectly)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan; set aside. (I used Baker's Joy, as always)
In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

With an an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (mine tested done at 40). Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with confectioners’ sugar or whipped cream.

Oh brother.

I know those of you out there who are mothers of brothers will understand this post. I have 2 boys, one 12 and one 13. Irish Twins. That's what I heard a lot when I got pregnant with Evan. I had 2 babies in 2 years. I was ecstatic. I would daydream when they were little about how they would be each other's best friend when they got older. I grew up the only girl in my family and I had often wished I had a sister to play with. I was so happy knowing that my boys would have each other, and they did. As toddlers they were inseparable, often mistaken for twins when we went out, they were each others best friends. There were countless nights of Lego building, hours spent drawing and coloring side by side, and lots of nights of cuddling up together under their blanket forts. They liked the same things....Thomas the Tank Engine, Blue's Clues, the beach, going for a ride in their Red Flyer wagon, chocolate cupcakes, bubble baths, foot rubs, Beatle lullabies and a long story before bed.

Whenever they went somewhere without each other they always thought of each other. In the bank when the teller would hand Jesse a lollipop, he would immediately say "can I have one for my brother please?". Evan would do the same thing. They really liked each other. They shared everything...friends, clothes, food, games.....they just liked being around each other.

Fast forward 13 years or so and man how that has all changed. Don't get me wrong, they do get along, just not always. There is bickering and fighting. Sometimes there raised voices, and lots of "MOM....GET HIM AWAY FROM ME's" They are different people now. They have different likes and dislikes. They have different friends, different styles, different temperaments...different lives.

Last night I sat in the living room and they were both huddled together on the couch playing with Jesse's iPod Touch. They were giggling and laughing together. Evan was resting his head on Jesse's shoulder and Jesse didn't even complain or say "get offa me". I was amazed. I had to sneak out to get my camera, cause I knew I had to capture these moments so that the next time they start to bicker and argue I have photographic evidence that they really do like each other..... sometimes.

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Millie's Quick Dessert Cake

This is a recipe that my Grandmother Millie, aka klepto ring stealer, made for many, many years. It was her "go to" recipe. The ingredients were usually always in the house and it came together quickly, so if you find out in the morning that you have company coming for dinner, you can whip this baby up in no time at all. The toppings are endless. You could serve it to the same guests again and again and make it totally different.

My favorite version is apple and blueberry. That fact that you can use a a pie filling as a topping comes in handy too. Yes you can use PIE FILLING...in a CAN! Don't judge me people.

Most of the time I use Cracker Barrel's Fried Apples. They are so good. Anyone whose eaten this at the restaurant knows what I'm talkin' about. I chop them up just a bit then top the cake with them. Next comes my frozen blueberry stash from this past summer. No need to defrsot them, just drop them in straight from the freezer. It's such a great combination.

Just think of all of the different versions you can make with this cake....peaches in the summer...topped with fresh whipped cream....summer dessert heaven! Once I made it with pineapple pie filling and coconut. Tropically delicious. I have also used Comstocks "Country Apple" filling when I'm out of the Cracker Barrel Fried Apples. I did have a jar in the cupboard so this version was the Fried Apple & Blueberry.

Here's what the topping looks like before it goes in the oven. Don't worry all those apples and berries will sink into the cake.

After it comes out of the oven, all golden and delicious.

Every time I make this cake I think of my Gram. She's still with us, but with the Alzheimer's, not so much, if you know what I mean. When I take this cake out of the oven I can see her with her apron on, standing in her kitchen, shaking on the powered sugar, bringing a piece over to my Pa and he would always say "Thank you darlin' ". It's a very good memory for a cake to have.

Millie's Quick Dessert Cake

Printable recipe
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, (room temp)
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 – 21 ounce can of fruit pie filling or fresh fruit or whatever else you think might taste good!
Powered sugar for dusting.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In large bowl cream together butter & sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the almond extract. Whisk the flour & baking powder together and add it to the mixture. Beat until smooth. The batter will be thick. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Spread batter evenly into the pan. Take pie filling or fruit and scatter all over the top of the cake. Don't be afriad to put some of the juicy part of the filling on there too. It will all will sink into cake as it bakes.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until golden brown, or until tests done. *Check the center! Cool, dust with powered sugar.

This cake is going to my nephews birthday party today. It will be gobbled up before the store bought brithday cake....never fails.

Note: I have great success using my very seasoned Pampered Chef stoneware pan when I make this. The stoneware prevents it from becoming mushy in the center, but if you don’t have stoneware, don’t worry, just use a Pyrex baking dish and check to make sure the middle is baked through.

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup with Pancetta

It's another blustry day in Rhode Island. Wind chillin' cold is knockin at my door. I'm not lettin' it in. In fact I'm going to kick it to the curb with a hearty and creamy bowl of soup. Then after a long day of taking down all the Christmas decorations, making over 50 meatballs for future dinners, and finally getting my house back to normal, I am going to park my behind on the couch and watch movies (New Indiana Jones...I know I'm a bit behind the times when it comes to movies.) I am going to snuggle under a warm comfy blankie with my husband. I might even make us both some homemade hot moco-cocoa. It's gonna be a good night.


I found this recipe on a blog called Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I had no doubt that they couldn't. Lot's of great recipes - check them out. I adapted it a bit here and there, and made the addition of pancetta.

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup with Pancetta
Printable recipe
2 tablespoons butter
2 bay leaves
1 large or 2 small leeks, cleaned & sliced thin

1 medium yellow onion or 3 medium chipolte onions (I used the chilpolte's cause I had them in the fridge for almost 2 weeks now!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 to 6 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thin (skin on or off) - I used 6 medium red potatoes.
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup of half & half
1/4 cup diced pancetta, cooked until crisp - I buy mine at Trader Joes, all ready diced fine in a 4oz package. Total convenience!
salt & pepper
2 bay leaves
Pinch basil
Pinch tarragon

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot cook the pancetta until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan with a strainer and set aside, leaving the remaining oil in the pan. Add the onions, leeks, garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over medium high heat until onion and leeks are just beginning to turn golden.

Add in the sliced potatoes, chicken broth, half & half and 2 bay leaves. You want the broth to cover the potatoes. At this point you can add what you like for seasoning. I added in salt, pepper, a pinch of tarragon, and another pinch of basil. Up to a full cup of half & half, or heavy cream can be added to this recipe, but I found just a 1/2 cup of half & half made it creamy enough.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. This batch cooked about 45 minutes. I stirred it every once in awhile to break the potatoes up a bit. I didn't skin my potatoes. Once the potatoes seemed like they were breaking down, I took my stick blender and mixed it for about 30 seconds. I didn't want to break up all the potato pieces. I wanted to leave some whole. If you'd like a true "creamy" soup, you can certainly blender it longer. The last step is to add the pancetta back in.

A soup that will warm your bones.

Mocha Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Mocha. One of my favorite flavors. Maple, another favorite. Why not combine the two? Ok...done! I haven't made cupcakes in a while. This is yet another New Years Eve recipe. I figured cupcakes would be better than a big heavy dessert. Little portable handful's of goodness.

I found the cupcake recipe on Janet is Hungry. Her recipe had a mousse filling. Well let me tell you. The mousse did not work out for me. I made a batch and it was a total mess. It came out goopy and really not that flavorful at all so I opted to just ditch the mousse and make some buttercream frosting. While my frosting was mixing away, my brain was churning trying to figure out what else I could add to kick it up a notch. After a quick visit to my spice cupboard, I came back with a bottle of maple extract in hand.....a few splashes later....maple buttercream frosting. To die for.

It must have been a hit cause I had to stop Tati from removing the frosting off the cupcakes to eat it separately. Definitely some good eats. The mocha cupcake recipe is here.

Here's my recipe for the Maple Buttercream Frosting:

Buttercream Frosting
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces shortening
1 egg, room temperature
1-pound confectionery sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract

Approximately 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract

In a mixer with a paddle attachment beat the butter and shortening until light and fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined, about 2 more minutes at high speed. Work in the pound of confectionery sugar a ½ a cup at a time. Turn the machine off when you add each addition, re-starting it slowly each time. Once all the sugar has been added add in the vanilla and beat until frosting is smooth and light, about 3 minutes. If you are not using immediately, store in fridge. Let frosting come to room temp before spreading.