May11

Silence

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When you are thrown into silence, you have no choice but to dive in also …

What’s Cooking This Week

Not all things in life could be fixed, especially the ones you have no control over. You can always mediate your reaction to them though, chocolate, and desserts in general, found to be a good mediator, for just about anything.

Chocolate-Almond Loaf with Maple Glaze

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Makes 2 loaves:

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 cup of olive oil

5 eggs, room temperature

1 cup of flour (I used Authentic Foods gluten free multi-blend)

1 cup of almond flour

1/2 cup of cacao powder

3/4 cup of raw sugar

1/4 cup of maple syrup

2 tspoons of baking powder

In a bowl, beat together eggs and sugar, then add maple syrup and beat again. Whisk together melted butter and oil and set aside. In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

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Gradually combine the dry ingredients and the egg/sugar mix, then whisk in butter/oil into the dough. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and pour the batter in. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the pans and icing.

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Maple glaze:

1 Tbspoon of butter

1/4 cup of maple syrup

1 cup of powdered sugar

In a small pan melt the butter and then add maple sugar boiling the mix for 1 minute on a low flame, gradually whisk in powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Glaze the loaves right away before butter starts to harden again.

The not too sweet loaf with a hint of almond is perfectly mediated by sweet maple glaze, and in that moment, life is perfect again…

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Enjoy!

May8

5,844 Days Old

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5,844 days old, and I remember every one of them!

My baby boy turned 16 today, not a baby anymore, on a brink of turning into a man yet still very much a child especially to his mother. A strong and willful spirit, a true Taurus born in a year of a Bull (double horns anyone? :) ), an independent thinker who marches to his own drum, a sensitive boy (deep inside visible only to those who love and know him well), my one and only, my everything!

As a whole life awaits you up ahead, I know you’ll have some turns and twists, some set backs and disappointments and hopefully many many joyous days, just as life is in general. For a mother, all those hard moments are a real gut ripping experience but as our children grow up and go through their own trials, you know that they are dealt their cards and have to win or lose sometimes to gain a perspective what it is they want in life and who they are in their true self.

Happy big 16th, baby!

And many many more happy and healthy ones up ahead for you!

What’s Cooking This Week

As my usual food-tester, the kid has tried his share of many tasty dishes (and some that did not turned out as planned). So today I’m making something that he actually requested. I was almost sure that he’d ask for chocolate (my true child), but I guess not, he asked for a pie. A pie, kid, for a 16th birthday?! Yep! The recipe below is a combo of his requested food and mom’s quest to make it a bit more festive.

Mini Fruit Pies with Almond Whipped Cream

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For the crust (makes about 18 mini pies):

2 cups of flour (I used Cup4Cup gluten free mix)

2 sticks of cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup of iced cold water

1/2 tspoon of salt

Filling:

1 cup of any cut up fruit (I used strawberries)

6 Tbspoons of sugar

1/2 tspoon of lemon juice

1 Tbspoon of flour

variation: fruit jam

1 container of Healthy Top Mimic Cream (or 2 cups of dairy whipped cream)

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In a bowl combine the flour and salt and mix well, add cut up butter and start mixing in with your fingers untill it resembles a coarse meal with pea-like small crumbs. Pour cold water over and let it soak in, mix well, make a rough dough ball, place it on a floured surface and let ir rest for 10 minutes.

Start kneading it on a floured surface, then make a couple of folds, cover the dough with parchment paper and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use any large cookie cutter (I used a star) to cut out the mini pies.

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Carefully lift each cut out and place it inside a muffin or mini pie pan (I used mini tart pan) and mold each pie inside. Prick small holes with a fork.

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Place the pan into a fridge for about 30 minutes. In a mean while mix in cut strawberries with lemon juice, 1 Tbspoon of flour and sugar, let them sit. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the pan out of the fridge and bake for about 10-15 minutes or untill the edges become slightly golden. Fill each pie with the strawberry mixture or jam.

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Bake for another 15 minutes, let them cool before removing from the pan. Whip Healthy Top or dairy cream according to the directions. Place about 1 Tbspoon each on top of mini pies or decorate with sugar and fresh fruit.

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Happy Birthday Baby! Hope you enjoy them!

May3

Oh The Drama!

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In the past couple of weeks my life seems to be invaded by people with too much drama. And it makes the Peddler cranky and prone to drama herself. And this is one of those periods when I have zero desire to be involved in even a drop of high emotions (like there’s ever a time when you’d love the drama in your life)! Sometimes it could be fun though, mostly to just watch it unfold from the sidewalk, pull the chair up, munch on some popcorn… You get the picture!

Not one of those times! Especially if drama involves grown men behaving like little boys, for the 1000th time…

Now, I definitely know how to deal with grown-up drama, there are valid reasons sometimes to feel what you feel and act as you do if serious circumstances have entered your life. I’ll be right there to offer my professional advice and just support on a human level. I can also deal with girlfriends’ meltdowns and crying spells, been there many times myself. Usually a good “heart-to-heart” slightly mediated by wine and chocolate helps.

I do NOT know how to respond to grown men having “one of those moments” except to just walk away after offering a few words of “condolences” on having an obvious disconnect between mental and emotional functioning. And by the way, I tried employing the same tactic as with females, suggesting sweets and alcohol, it did not work!

So, any men reading this post, please help, let me know what does work for you in these situations, so I’ll know for the future! As practice shows, this is not the last time I’ll be dealing with male meltdowns.

So walking a tight rope here, trying to remain drama-free myself is difficult, my over-stretched emotions have spilled out a few times also. Yes, wine and chocolate did help a bit :)

Peddler is in search of a tranquil spot, untill all the storms and all the volcanic eruptions are finally settled down…

What’s Cooking This Week

Has to be something sweet, right?! To medicate yourself from the very morning. But I’m putting a slightly healthier approach to the usual cake or chocolate offerings. The recipe below combines the sweetness and wholesomeness in a drama-free fashion to bring you a great “pick me up” breakfast food.

Apple and Plum Muffins

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(Makes 12 muffins)

2 cups of flour (I used gluten free Authentic Foods classic mix plus 3/4 tspoon of xanthan gum)

1 large apple, cut into smaller pieces

2 small plums, cut into pieces

2 eggs

1 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 cup + 2 Tbspoons of light brown sugar

1/4 cup of oil

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1 tspoon of baking powder

1/4 tspoon of salt

1/2 tspoon of cinnamon

1/4 tspoon of ground cloves

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In a bowl combine cut apple and plums with 1 tspoon of lemon juice, chopped pecans and 2 Tbspoons of sugar and set them aside. In two other separate bowls combine all the wet ingredients and all the dry ones.

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Mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add about half of the cut up fruit. Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees, line the muffin pans with liners and distribute the batter between 12 muffins, top each with some of the remaining fruit.

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Bake for about 15-20 minutes or untill the cake tester comes out clean.  To avoid any internal drama, have more than one :)

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Enjoy!

Apr22

Any Given Day or Time

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And that is truly so I think! Everything is an experience we learn during our lifetime, the good, the bad, the happiest and the most ugly ones, all days come together to create a unique path that each of us follow. No life is ever alike, some we might say are easier than others, though never judge “the book by its cover”, the most ferocious battles are held inside that do not depend on how much money you have or how successful others view you. And  the “richest” people in the world are the ones who feel they have enough to be happy and fulfilled on all possible levels.

To strike a balance between your inner world, your needs, wants, aspirations and the environment around you, which includes people in your life, is truly a happy place. Emotional independence is that balance where you know who you are and how exactly to lead your life without any outside influence, be it in a relationship, work front or a chance encounter, that would knock you off your feet, bring anxiety and make you question yourself, the value of your being and the validity of your choices.

So then if you have a great day, you bask in all the glory of that happiness, no matter how fleeting it may be. And if you have a less that stellar day, you gain an experience, even if only to contrast and to recognize that when the next good day comes, you should enjoy it, and not question whether you deserve it or not, or when your luck is supposed to run out. And when a black period strikes, seemingly full of lost hopes and bleak outcomes, you learn a lesson of what mistakes were made and how possibly to avoid them in the future, and what always remains including your spirit and the most important life values, who is still “in your corner” and which people are gone to follow their own road.

In the big “Bingo of Life” we never know which number comes up next and whether you lose or win at the end or on any given day. We don’t always have any control over it, sometimes we think we do, but life is so illusory, we all get surprised with how fast the “sand castles” can topple over or be blown off by the wind.

Then what does still stand when everything is disappeared or gone with the wind? The answer is always the same: YOU! Your spirit, your inner strength, your value of yourself, your faith, your dreams.

So, no matter good, bad, ugly or the most blissful, the time and circumstances will always pass, the one who stands and maintains a balance despite the mad scale swings is the one who is an ultimate winner!

What’s Cooking This Week

Not all meals are created equal, some are more elaborate than others, and other ones are made for specific occasions. Though probably nothing is better than to shake that “Bingo bag” and have something unexpected or at a “wrong time of the day”. This recipe I feel is pretty versatile, it’s really whatever you want it to be, a filling breakfast, a great addition to your lunch soup or even a savory side dish for a weekday dinner. And it won’t take a lot of your time in the kitchen too.

Sausage, Cheddar and Chives Muffins

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Makes 12 muffins:

1 package/4 links of sausage, cut up (I used chicken apple sausage)

4 eggs

3/4 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used daiya)

1 3/4 cups of flour (I used multi-blend Authentic Foods gluten free mix)

1 Tbspoon of Dijon mustard

3 Tbspoons of chopped fresh chives

2 tspoons of baking powder

1/4 tspoon of salt

1/2 tspoon of basil

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In a bowl combine together flour, salt, basil and baking powder. In another bowl beat up the eggs and mix in cut up sausage with milk, mustard, chives, then add shredded cheese/daiya. Gradually combine with the flour mix.

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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, grease the muffin pan and fill almost to the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or untill the tops are lightly golden, cool off completely before removing from the pan.

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The muffins are slightly crusty outside but soft and very moist inside, almost impossible to have just one, so indulge, for breakfast, lunch or any other given time.

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Enjoy!

Apr14

Guest Post: German Pancake Bowls

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Reblogged from Rantings of an Amateur Chef:

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Today we have another guest post from Diana at Food n Thought Peddler. Unlike Diana, I am a morning person. It is rare that I am not awake and up before my alarm goes off as equally rare that I'm not in bed before 11PM. Take a look at Food n Thought Peddler and Diana's post below...

I don't know how about you, but I'm not a morning person, at all.

Read more… 576 more words

German Pancake "Bowls" and my 6th guest post for The Ranting Chef.
Apr8

Get Your Cheer Pom Poms Out

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What do we really mean when we say ” I’m there for you”?! Do we mean I’m there till the road gets tough, or do we mean till you decide to turn the wrong direction?

Then “there” becomes just a particular spot in life where WE feel you should be. And if you’re not, you’re on your own kid!

Much is talked about “unconditional love” (in a greater sense of it), very little is actually seen in real life. When you love somebody, whether romantically or not, you have that person’s best interest at heart. You show care, concern and appreciation that you have that person in your life. You listen, comfort and console when they need to vent or are seeking emotional connection. You set your needs aside and concentrate on what’s important if your loved one is ill or in a crisis. You offer what’s needed and when it’s needed.

Pretty “straightforward” and surely conventional.

But what about all the times when you’ve provided the care, listened to all the concerns, voiced your advice and offered some assistance, yet they are still not there where you want them to be, or even turning the wrong way (despite your desperate pleas and help in trying to get them back on a road)?!

What do you do then, do you turn and walk away (not looking back at the wreckage just about to happen)? Or do you stay and continue to offer the same care, concern and assistance as you did when things were going the way you wanted them? Well, it’s up to you of course, whatever it is that you can actually master. But don’t talk about love then if you decide to turn away, it doesn’t work that way, you don’t get to choose if and when, you just do!

So if you truly love somebody unconditionally, you simply get on a sidewalk and cheer. You support the person no matter what, even if you don’t agree with their actions. You support whatever big or small aspirations they set out for themselves, whether it’s a marathon or a sprint distance, if it’s hot or cold on that sidewalk, you put your best cheerleader uniform on, get the pom poms out and just cheer!

Yes, it is very possible (or even probable) that they are making a mistake, and yes, some mistakes are way more costly than other. Your job is to continue providing encouragement along the road so that they don’t feel abandoned and let your love carry them (possibly towards a speeding freight train).

If anything, you should be nearby as most likely you’d be the one helping to clear out the wreckage!

What’s Cooking This Week

In honor of “love” post, I thought it’d be nice to continue the theme and make some dessert to show my appreciation to the ones I love. As always gluten free yet completely delicious, and the heart shape adds nicely to the whole picture.

Vanilla and Strawberry Coconut “Heart” Cake

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Cake (makes 4 mini heart cakes):

 6 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup of almond or coconut milk

1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup of coconut flour

6 Tbspoons of honey or agave nectar

1 tspoon of vanilla

1/2 tspoon of baking powder

1/2 tspoon of orange zest

1/2 tspoon of salt

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In a bowl whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla and orange zest, then add honey/agave and melted but slightly cooled off coconut oil.

In a separate bowl combine together flour, salt and baking powder. gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil four mini heart cake pans and distribute the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

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Strawberry and vanilla frosting:

5-8 strawberries, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup of organic Spectrum shortening

1/4 cup of seedless strawberry jam

1 tspoon of vanilla

1 + 2 cups of powdered sugar

(optional) red food coloring, pink sugar crystals, sugar pearls

Whip shortening until light and fluffy, then divide it in half. Combine one half with strawberry jam and then gradually whip in 1 cup of powdered sugar, add a couple of drops of red food coloring to make it a deeper pink color. Combine the other half with vanilla and whip in 2 cups of powdered sugar for vanilla frosting.

Once the cakes are cool, slice the top parts off to make two even layers. Spread some strawberry frosting on the bottom half and place sliced strawberries on top.

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Cover with the top layer and frost the entire cake with strawberry frosting. Then use vanilla frosting to decorate each cake as desired. This barely sweet cake pairs perfectly with a combo of two “sugar rush” frostings.

A variation on strawberry cake can be this vanilla and blueberry one.

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Enjoy! And share with the ones you love!

Mar29

Party Like a Professional

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“It’s my party, and I cry if I want to”…

Well, not really. But it does feel like I’ve shed a lot of tears in the past several months, many job-related in a post-Sandy reality.

March is a professional social work month, so, yes, we partied like it’s our job. :)

With some good news at least, the first clinics have finally started moving back to our hospital in the city, the inpatient medicine will hopefully be moving back sometime between May and July, and though plans may change as the process goes along, at least there is an end to this seemingly long tunnel. We are all moving to a different floor when back in the hospital, but our offices have nice bay windows with a gorgeous view overlooking the East River. We will have to share office space with another coworker, but there is some glimpse that maybe sometime in the future we will all have separate offices like we’re used to. As long as there is a glimpse of hope, I’ll surely take it.

But for now it’s party time!

And, yes, I’ll cry if I really want to! :)

What’s Cooking This Week

It’s party, so you definitely need some sugar overload. Something that makes you forget you’re supposed to eat healthy and only nibble on dessert. Forget that! Have five of these at once! (One of my coworkers actually did :) )

Nutella and Strawberries Cupcakes

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For cupcakes, I used my chocolate cake recipe found here Every Day Should Be A Birthday, substitute water for Amaretto (or not) in this recipe. It’s gluten free of course using Cup4Cup flour mix.

Also have extra Nutella and cut up strawberries, makes 24 cupcakes.

For two types of frosting, Nutella and strawberry:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup of shortening (I used organic Spectrum shortening)

1 cup + 1/4 cup of powdered sugar

3/4 cup of Nutella

1/4 cup of seedless strawberry jam

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Prepare the cake batter according to the directions in the post above. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pans with liners and fill them about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or untill the cake tester comes out clean, let the cupcakes cool off before removing from pans. Using a knife or a cupcake corer, remove the inside of each cupcake, stuff them with cut up strawberries.

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Place about 1 tspoon of Nutella on top of strawberry and cover it again with the removed cupcake core.

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Make two types of frosting. First cream together butter and shortening, then divide the mix in half. To make Nutella frosting, add Nutella and cream together with butter and shortening, then gradually add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (more or less depending on your taste).

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To make the strawberry frosting, add jam to the butter and shortening mixture and then gradually add powdered sugar. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring if you want a deeper pink color.

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Decorate with both frostings as desired. All packed and ready to be transported to the party.

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Enjoy! Definitely have more than one! :)