Vegan baked goods are sometimes good but this was not one of those times.

This is a Whole Foods vegan, wheat free, banana muffin. Please, step away from the muffin.




I do not recommend. I think this was one of the worst things I have ever tasted. It was dry and dense and salty. I'm not sure what they did to ruin this muffin but whatever it was, they did it well.

Sorry Whole Foods. I usually really like your vegan baked goods... especially the german chocolate cookies. You didn't do so well on this product and now my taste buds are ruined (at least for today).

Frozen Crème Brûlée?

I'm a skeptic when it comes to frozen food. I'll admit it - I actually can't STAND to put a frozen food idem into my grocery cart if I know it's something I can make. Frozen lasagne? Cheating. Frozen Salisbury Steak? Cheating. Frozen Spaghetti and Meat Balls? Absolute cooking cop out!

Today when I was at Trader Joe's picking up some extra rice for the freezer (it will keep longer in the deep freeze), and I spotted something shocking - frozen crème brûlée. I had to try it.

My favorite dessert by far is crème brûlée and I will choose between restaurants based on who has the luscious dessert on their menu and who doesn't. My criteria for a good crème brûlée is that is has to be served slightly chilled (not cold!) and the crust needs to make a "cracking" sound when I knock the spoon into it.

So, on to the frozen delight...





The packaging is cute - it's pink and whimsical.

I followed the directions on the box, making both ramekins at two different times. Both took approximately 5 minutes under the broiler (yes, the directions said broil, not torch) until the sugar melted. I let them stand for 10 minutes before serving, as suggested.


There was no sugar crust at all on either ramekin. Both had a raspberry pool of liquid on top from the frozen raspberries. The cream tasted like vanilla pudding. My husband, one of the three taste testers in this experiment, commented that it tasted like "vanilla pudding with raspberries on top." The second taster said, "this is not crème brûlée," and declined another spoonful. I noted that there was no crust and immediately drew my conclusion.


I would recommend purchasing a torch kit from your favorite kitchen supply store and take the time to learn a good crème brûlée recipe. When done properly, crème brûlée is divine!

Pots, Pans, and Politics: Chilean Salmon

I can not stress how important it is to read labels and get a full understanding about the the foods we are feeding our families.

A virus is killing the Chilean farmed salmon that you might be buying. Please, purchase only sustainable species of Salmon.

'tis a method to my mopping madness

My Mother used to sweep the linoleum floor in our kitchen and dining room three times a day and mopped at least twice a week. She doesn't remember doing this but my siblings and I reminisce about the brown broom with a yellow base as if it were a friend we had as kids. Now that I'm a homeowner with a bit of linoleum to keep tidy, I can appreciate it when my feet do not stick to the kitchen floor.

Call me crazy but I love the feel and smell of a freshly mopped floor. While mopping seems like an annoying chore, here are a few tips that might help you to become more effective and enthusiastic mopper.



Get prepared
First, put on some good music when you're cleaning! I've been listening to a lot of Bon Jovi (circa 1990) lately... cleaning on a prayer? (oh that's bad)

Need an excuse to go down to your local OSH? You'll need to purchase a mop for your floor type. If you have a floor with a lot of texture, you'll want the more classic white string rag mop. If you have a smooth floor, a sponge mop (make sure it has antibacterial growth properties) will work well.

Get the floor ready
To keep your floor from feeling like a sticky mess, sweep or vacuum the floor thoroughly before ever touching the mop to it. This is a good time to pre clean any spots that you notice when sweeping or vacuuming. A spray bottle with diluted floor cleaner and a rag will do.

Fill Bucket or Sink
Sink moppers: I do not suggest it but, some people prefer to use a sink instead of a bucket. WARNING - you must thoroughly scrub out the sink after you've drained the mop water. The last thing you want to do is ingest any cleaner or bacteria that your floor was hiding.
Bucket moppers: I'm with the bucket moppers on this one. We prefer a bucket because it can be carried along the path of the mop, the water can be either recycled as gray water, flushed, or put into the storm drain. Some fancy mop buckets even have have built in wringers for rag mops.

What ever type of mopper you are, make sure you use HOT water and a cleaner that is right for your floor type. I highly recommend using a biodegradable product or a home made recipe like the one below (courtesy of my Mom). They work just as well, if not better in many cases, than industrial cleaners. If you have pets, choose a cleaner that is not going to harm your pet (my dogs try to lick the floor when I'm mopping).

Linoleum floor cleaner
Mop with a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar in a one gallon bucket of hot water. Not to worry, the vinegar smell will go away shortly after the floor dries.


Housewife Hints:
Start mopping at the further point from the entrance to your room - there's nothing like mopping yourself into a corner
Extra cleaner will not get you a cleaner result - it will leave sticky or unsightly residue.
Try a biodegradable cleaning product - If you don't like it, you can return it or freecycle it.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I was given a bucket of gorgeous lemons by my friends Kersti and Jeff so I decided to experiment with Lemon Meringue pie recipes.

I combined a recipe from my Mom, and one from my Betty Crocker cookbook to create a "super lemon" Lemon Meringue pie. The difference between my Mom's and Betty's pie and mine is the tartness of the filling. I use double the amount of lemon juice in my recipe and I cook the filling 5 minutes longer so it sets more firmly.

Super Lemon Meringue Pie

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly squeezed & strained lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell - I choose to make my own recipe
but you can cheat and purchase a pre-made shell from the frozen aisle

Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat 375 degrees.
Slightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl and set them aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt, whisking as you are combining everything. Turn the heat on to medium and bring the mixture to a boil - keep stirring the whole time or you'll get lumpy filling. Boil for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually temper the hot mixture to egg yolks a little bit (I'm talking drizzle it in) and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.


Now you're going to go in reverse a bit...

Put the egg mixture into the rest of the hot liquid and turn the heat down to low and cook it some more - stirring constantly - for 4 more minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and gently stir in the butter, lemon juice, and zest until it's all mixed together.




Now quickly, you need to make your meringue:

Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your Kitchen Aid using the wire whisk attachment. If you don't have a Kitchen Aid yo should get one... or, you can use your hand mixer. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form (the egg whites will be a little foamy and slippery) and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the egg whites will be snow white and slightly shiny), approximately 1 to 2 minutes.



Pour the still hot lemon mixture into the pie shell and spoon meringue filling on top. Make sure the meringue completely covers filling and touches the crust otherwise it will shrink when it bakes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Shut the oven off and leave the door open 2" to let the pie cool inside of the oven. This will keep the sugar from forming syrupy sugar beads on top of the pie. When the pie is cooled completely you can serve!


My Mom likes the pie to cool in the refrigerator so it forms sugar beads on the meringue. You can try it both ways by making this recipe into three smaller 4" pie crusts.



Housewife Hint

If you have a large crop of lemons, juice them and freeze the juice (with pulp) in one cup blocks. Then during the summer, you can simply pull a block from the freezer to make a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade (with or without vodka).

Vegetarian Enchiladas

At our house we eat mexican food at least once a week. I have been playing with various recipes but we keep coming back to our favorite - enchiladas. Building a better (healthier) enchilada has been my goal and I think I've finally nailed it. Here is my recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350-degrees.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced onion
1/2 c diced carrot
1 cup diced extra firm tofu
1 can black beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
six 8" whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 10-oz jar enchilada sauce

Step one:

1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced onion
1/2 c diced carrot

Sautee the zucchini, onion, and carrot along with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp garlic powder. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step two:

Using the remnants of any olive oil and spices in your pan, sautee 1 cup diced extra firm tofu. This should take about 5 minutes... all you want to do is remove some of the moisture from the tofu.

Step three:

Mix together the vegetables, tofu, 1 can of drained and rinced black beans, and 1 cup of diced tomatoes (I used canned).

Step four:

Fill six 8" whole wheat tortillas (I recommend the Mission brand) with the mixture, rolling them like small burritos. Place them into a baking dish as you go with the tortilla seam facing down.

Step five:
Sprinkle enchiladas with 1 cup mozarella cheese and pour one bottle of enchilada sauce (I like the Trader Joe's brand) on top. Bake, covered with foil, for 35 minutes an serve.

Almonds... a magic ingredient

Almond butter is my new favorite "after school snack."

In moderation, Almonds are one of the healthiest things we can put in our mouths. First of all, almonds lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Because I have several relatives who have died as the result of heart troubles and because I carry some "spare housewife" around my middle, I pay attention to these things.

In addition to healthy fat and vitamin E, 1/4 cup of almonds contains almost 30% of the recommended daily dose of magnesium. Magnesium is momma nature's very own high octane performance boost for your blood. When your wonderbod is getting enough magnesium, your veins and arteries can relax. This makes the path through our veins free and clear for the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients (less fatigue and better skin due to good circulation according to my esthetician).

Almonds also contain potassium which is an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including your heart. Potassium, like magnesium, is a mineral that helps your body keep normal blood pressure and heart function (besides the occasional flutter when Vince Vaughn rolls by).

The healthiest guy I know who is also a bit of a foodie and cooking enthusiast, says that he likes to dip celery sticks into almond butter before a bike ride or work out. I've tried that and am convinced further that celery is only to be used in soup. Anyhoo... give it a try! I personally recommend slathering a little almond butter onto a slab of granny smith apple... mmm.



American Heart Assocation

Household Giving

I was grocery shopping at my local Whole Foods the other day and noticed that they are selling kits for women and children staying at "A Safe Place" domestic violence services center in Oakland, California. The kit is $5.50 and contains a big bottle of shampoo, body wash, a tooth brush, full size toothpaste and other toiletries that a woman might need. All you do is tell the cashier that you would like to donate a kit and they ad it to your bill, tax free.

Many women leave their homes quickly and are not able to grab comfort items or money so things like this really help them out. There are many ways to help out

To find out what your local Whole Foods is up to, visit their community givingWeb page.

If you are local to Oakland, California, please visit asafeplacedvs.org to find out how you can help them out. They have a wish list of items they need that you may have lying around the house but no longer use (I heart recycling with love).

I Heart Barkeepers Friend

When I got my first piece of Al-Clad copper core cookware, I also got a can of the recommended cleaner called Barkeepers Friend. I use it every other week to keep my Al-Clad looking spotless, shiny, and just as gorgeous as the day I got it.

Recently I used my 2 quart sauté pan to cook falafel and the oil got too hot (my bad) and burned to the side of the pan. I scrubbed, scraped (gently) and scoffed but the burned on oil wasn't budging. So, with a helpful tip from the Barkeepers Friend Web site, I learned that I should first "cook" the oil loose with hot water on the stove. Then, drain the water and immediately sprinkle on a little Barkeepers Friend. A little scrub here, a little rub there and the oil mess was coming off. Whew! I really thought that I had ruined my sauté pan.

For more stain removal tips, visit the Barkeepers Friend stain removal guide. Barkeepers Friend is available for purchase in a lot of places but I do believe the best price is at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $2.59.

Cupcake week continues with our own awards show!

Have you been checking out Cupcake Week on Martha? I know, I know - obsessed.

I'm finding out that there are so many cupcake shops to explore around the globe. Martha's favorite is Siwrlz Cupcakes in Chicago where the "chocolate passion" cupcake is a favorite.



Here are a few of my personal awards (so far... lots of world to explore) for cupcakes:

Best all around: My absolute favorite cupcakes come from a place I stumbled on while shopping on Portobello Road in London called Hummingbird Bakery.If you miss the "red velvet" while in London you may as well have skipped Buckingham Palace.

Prettiets cupcakes in the world award: This award goes to a little mecca on Bleecker Street in New York called Magnolia Bakery. I truly adore this bakery for more than just it's fantastic cupcakes and desserts. The staff is fun, the curtains and lace, and the cake stands are pastel. Ms Torey and her staff are the inventors of the perfect butter cream swirl. Please teach me, Alyssa Torey. Ms Torey has also written a few cook books. I own them both and have gifted them to my mother, a semi-retired pastry chef, who thinks the cake recipes are divine.

Most inventive flavor award: The Cupcake Bakery in Sydney. I recommend trying "sticky date."

Most pimped out cupcake award: Sprinkles Cupcakes in Los Angeles are the favorite of many, including Hugh Hefner's girls, Courtney Cox, Good Morning America, Tyra Banks, Jimmy Kimmel, and of course, Oprah. I've never seen a bakery have such an extensive press page. Good lord people, it's cake.

There are so many cupcake shops out there and too many of my personal visits to list here. I am eager to hear about any shops you recommend.