Christmas Baking

1. Oreshki (Filled Nuts):  The original recipe is here.  I used this electric gadget.  Here are my changes:  (1) Instead of margarine, I used butter.  Yes, more calories but the difference in taste is -- Wow!  (2) Iinstead of vanilla essence, I used almond bakery emulsion.  These little balls are so fragrant and yummy!  (3) The filling calls for three sticks of butter and I only used two -- it's plenty.  (4) When shells are baked, there are leftover crumbs.  I mixed in crumbs into the filling.  It made it thicker.  I made goodie bags for S. to take to his coworkers.  They were begging for more! :)
2. Zefir (Homemade Marshmallows -- if you don't like marshmallows, do give this recipe a try; these marshmallows are nothing are like sugar puffs sold in stores; they are creamy, yummy, and fragrant).  The original recipe is here.  It's a great recipe to make along with Oreshki since there are leftover egg whites!  I doubled this recipe because I had lots of egg whites -- do NOT do that, too much white fluffy stuff to deal with!!!  One batch is plenty anyway.  I used mango flavor but raspberry flavor Jell-O will make these fluffy balls so pretty, like Lea's picture.
3. Banana Raisin Bread:  I "cheated" with this one...  We wanted to give little gifts to our neighbors but buying a tin of cookies is not the same...  Something homemade is much better...  So I bought banana bread mix and added some raisins.  We delivered bread last night and our neighbors were very grateful.  Maybe next year I will have time to make more things from scratch...
4. Apple Spice Cake:  The recipe is here.  I still have to make several for our immediate families.  Dollar Tree had reusable cake carriers so I bought six, for easy packaging.  S. is in charge of wrapping ribbons around each carrier! :)

Birthday Cake

This is a very old family recipe.  Traditionally, it's called "Firewood in the Snow" and arranged as a pile of "sticks," in a pile of creamy frosting.  Here how it usually looks:

I decided to arrange the "sticks" in a square gift box shape and decorate with a ribbon.  Ah, it did not work as envisioned.  Hmmm, just like the intended recipient of this cake...  lol... Stubborn sticks kept, well, sticking out!  The frosting kept sliding!  It resembled a pile all right but, unfortunately, nothing like what I wanted.  Frustrated, I stuck it in the fridge last night.  This morning, though, the frosting saturated crumbly sticks and wasn't as runny on the outside.  I was able to slice off the stubborn ends and achieve a somewhat square box shape.  Then I wrapped the ribbon and here is what is awaiting the birthday guy, who is not home yet.  I sure hope he likes it! :)

 

Dough Recipe:

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour (to make a cookie consistency dough)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder

Note:  I was not happy with this dough.  The ingredients are not the same in quality as when I was growing up and it's difficult to guess just the right combination, so I think I added too much flour.  The dough was easy to roll out but too tough, in my opinion.  Next time, I will make a much softer dough and just shape "sticks" by hand, folding cherries (or preserves) inside.

• filling:  very thick cherry preserves or sweet cherries in heavy syrup, drained

Frosting Recipe:

• 32 oz sour cream (I always use Daisy because it's thick and creamy), drained overnight to thicken
• 16 oz heavy cream
• 2-3 cups confectioner's sugar

1. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add sour cream and salt.
3. Mix flour with baking powder, then slowly fold into the mix.
4. Make the soft dough -- see my note above.  It will be sticky and very soft but, as long as you can roll little balls, enclose preserves or cherries, and roll out (in your hands) into sticks, it's fine.  You need to make 15-16 sticks.  Alternatively, you can make filled cookies (round shape) and make a snowball pile.
5. Bake at 400 until golden brown.
6. To make frosting, beat heavy cream until thick. Add sour cream and sugar and beat until thick.  It won't be as thick as cream cheese frosting, for example.  It's OK -- the dough needs to saturate.
7. Arrange in a pile, generously covering each layer with frosting.
8. Refrigerate at least overnight.

Grading Adventures and Birthday Cake

I really want to know what my students have learned (and haven't) as well as allow them to learn the skills rather than just memorize "stuff."  I really do carefully review what students have produced and offer feedback.  Otherwise, why ask students to complete projects, right?  Yet, I see more and more instructors taking the "multiple-guessing test" route and only glancing through the projects, if they assign any.  Of course, these instructors are saving hours (let's be honest -- days) of grading "hard labor" but how about authentic learning?  No wonder our graduates are clueless... 

Anyway, back on track...  guess what I did all week?  Yep, grading! :)  Some projects were actually a joy to review.  Some I had to pull myself through and try hard to remain objective.  Using rubrics helps but you know how it goes...  I finished grades for my full-time job by 6:00 am this morning!  They are due at noon so I was six hours ahead.  Yay, me!

And so I decided to get a few hours of sleep...  Two hours later, my cell phone rang (I would have ignored the house phone but cell is usually urgent).  Our new instructional coordinator wanted to know if I updated the program performance review files.  Really?!  After just announcing late last week, in the middle of final exams and grading?!  Ah, sometimes usually support staff is clueless...  I politely (at least I remember being polite -- not sure since I was half asleep) told her that her deadline of early January will be met but not this week, no need to freak out and pester me now (well, I don't think I used those words, I sure hope not)...

Back to sleep...  Brrrrrrring, brrrrrring, brrrrrring!  A part-time instructor, panicking because she forgot how to enter her grades into the system.  She did manage to average them in the LMS but our reporting system is separate.  Help, grades are due by noon!  No kidding!  So I woke up enough to guide her through the steps.

Back to sleep...  Brrrrrrrring!  Another part-timer, with a different problem -- knows how to enter grades but has no idea how to average grades in the LMS!  This one takes much longer because of formulas and explaining, repeatedly, how to complete all steps.

Two part-timers, really?!  Never happened before but it has been a rough semester...  One of our full-time instructors resigned a week before classes so we had to pull warm bodies off the street to teach some of the courses.  As a result, I spent countless hours this semester troubleshooting all kinds of problems that experienced instructors are usually able to resolve on their own.  I am dreading next semester since we will still heavily rely on part-timers...

Now I am very tired but wide awake... if I go back to sleep, I will just get a headache... and I still need to finish grades for my TA position.  Just a few more hours but that needs to be done today, for my sanity.  I want to relax this weekend and resume writing on Monday.  I promised myself that I will not check email next week so I can fully concentrate on completing my prospectus.  Next week is a Christmas gift to myself.  If I manage to pull it through, what an amazing gift that will be!

Because I dive back into more grading, I need to do the fun part -- cake for S., whose birthday is tomorrow!  He also wants Pelmeni.

I decided to make this cake:  Gift Box Cake.  I am using my own recipe, though, and just use the decoration idea.  My recipe involves baking cookie sticks filled with cherry preserves.  The sticks are arranged in a rectangular pile, with sour cream-heavy cream-confectioner's sugar frosting generously slathered on, to completely cover the "base."  The combination of cookies, cherry preserves, and the above-mentioned frosting is -- Wow!  It's a family recipe, passed from generation to generation.  It looks very pretty when cut, too.

Instead of gingerbread men, I will use doves around the cake.  Or maybe just leave the "box" white.  White box and frosted red ribbon may look better without anything else?  Any thoughts/advice?

Thanksgiving Plans

Ah, feels good to write a post, even if it's just a list of things to do... 

Another year has flown by in a haze of tons and tons of work, multiplied by new responsibilities due to faculty changes and new policies...  I still haven't accomplished the major milestone -- my prospectus.  However, I am taking tiny but determined steps, so getting there; a little closer every day. 

As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, I am so thankful for people in my life who sometimes do drive me crazy but I never doubt their love because it's so sincere.  I am forever grateful to my major professor for providing advice and encouragement as well as understanding that my super slow progress does not mean laziness or lack of academic skills, just total lack of time and, yes, overcommitment at times.  I wasted lots of time naively waiting for the "perfect" time to write.  Now, it's "making" the time to write, even if it's hard to come by...

Now to the yummy part!  My parents are spending Thanksgiving at our Florida house so I am in charge of the feast.  Some friends are coming, too -- so we will have a crowd.  We have hosted several small dinners this past year but I really haven't had a chance to do much of entertaining, one of my favorite things.  So it's a treat!

However, I am keeping it fairly simple, due to the above-mentioned lack of time.  Also, my Dad will try to fix some things around the house, stuff that S. can't tackle on his own.

Here is my menu.  Even though it's long, S. and I will work together, so it will be fine.  Cake will take the most time.  Everything else is no big deal.

Appetizers

(1) Spinach Dip
An all-time favorite but oh so simple!

(2) Hummus

(3) Mutabbal

(4) Marinated Cheese and Olives

(5) Vegetable Platter (my favorite and the most fun to make!)

Bread

(1) Buttered Rosemary Rolls

(2) Fresh Pita Bread

Meats

(1) Smoked Turkey and Ham
I bought both from a student who is raising money for the study abroad scholarship.  Her husband makes the best smoked meat I have ever tried.  And it's one less thing for me to do, even though I do love the aroma of turkey roasting in the oven... next year, maybe...

All recipe links are just sample recipes.  I am mixing things to taste so no specific measurements, sorry...  S. will be in charge of taking pics so maybe I will post real photos later...

(2) Pan Kibbeh
This one is for S. who has been asking me to make it for some time now.  He is favorite Kibbeh is football-shaped but that takes way too much time and patience...  After I graduate, honey... 

(3) Pozharskie Kotleti
This one is for Mom and Dad, somewhat a tradition in our family.

Sides

(1) Cornbread Dressing

(2) Vinegret Salad
Another tradition in the family -- and it's fairly healthy, too.

(3) Mimosa Salad
There are many variations but it's pretty much selecting the ingredients and layering them, usually ending with shredded cooked yolk -- for Mimosa effect...  I usually use canned chicken (normally, I don't like it, but it works great in this recipe; canned salmon or mackerel are great, too, if you like fish), chopped olives, eggs, cheese, shredded butter (just a little bit, for the onion layer), finely chopped onions, and a little bit of mayo, just to moisten the layers.  Another tradition...

(4) Cranberry & Broccoli Salad

(5) Potatoes in Alfredo Sauce

(5) Grape Golubtsi

(6) Apricot Cranberry Sauce

(7) Mushroom Gravy

Beverages

(1) Assorted soda and juices
(2) Sparkling Mimosa
(3) Assorted coffees (Tassimo)

Dessert

(1) Apricot Meringue Cake
(2) Assorted fruit platter

Old and New Adventures

Since I will be away from home all summer (details below) and, even more importantly, I am running out of time, I am working hard on the prospectus.  Things finally slowed down at work and so I have been able to concentrate on writing -- finally!!!  Fingers and toes crossed, I am hoping to finish Chapters 1 and 3 by Monday.  I really, really, really need to meet this goal!  I have failed to meet it again and again.  Now, I am out of time.  Who would have thought it would take so long?!  Certainly not me!  I usually do my best to clear things out of the way.  It annoys me to even have any unread emails in my Inbox.  But work and lots of personal things that I can't blog about have been winning so far...

Now here is a carrot dangling, as a reward for taking care of prospectus...  I am going to spend 12 weeks in China this summer, completing an internship in my field!!!  Yeah, I already had to buy the flight, in order to get the invitation letter for Chinese visa, so the trip is not dependent on prospectus.  However, there is no way I will be able to relax and enjoy the experience if the prospectus hippo is sitting on my back.  So have to take care of some old adventures before enjoying the new ones.  Prospectus is not the end but it's a huge leap.  Once I get it out of the way, results and conclusions will fall into place much faster.

Since I am completing a PhD, not Master's, internship is not required.  However, I am very happy about this opportunity because (1) it will make me a better instructor and (2) it will open doors if I ever decide to leave the world of academia.  And I will spend 12 weeks in China, with most of my weekends free for hopping on the train and exploring.  S. might even join me for a week.  That would be awesome!  He is not thrilled about me being away for so long, of course, but he IS thrilled about me being able to do something like this.  Thank goodness for Skype! :)

I had lunch with last year's intern today.  Even though she is in my department, I haven't met her before because I am rarely on campus these days, since I finished all my coursework already.  She provided lots of helpful suggestions.  Even better, we realized we have lots of things in common -- boyfriends in the same field, both of us enjoy cooking, we chose similar menu items w/out discussing them ahead, and many other things.  Now I have another great friend! :)

The process of obtaining Chinese visa has been interesting so far...  I received my letter of invitation yesterday and decided to start the application right away.  Well, you can't mail your application.  You have to bring it to the nearest Chinese consulate or ask somebody else to do it for you.  The nearest consulate is almost 11 hours away, one way!  I could find a travel agency but was not sure about handing my passport to them.  How do I know if they are reliable and won't sell my passport???  Ouch! 

Then I remembered that one of my good friends was attending a conference in the same state and would have to drive back through the city where Chinese consulate is located.  I called her immediately, hoping she has not left yet, and she agreed to come back one day later.  I overnighted my packet to her and she will take it to the consulate tomorrow.  Hopefully, I will have a visa by Friday afternoon.

Now back to writing so I can take care of old stuff and then enjoy the new stuff! :)

Best Pita Bread

Anybody who ever tried making pita bread knows that it has a mind of its own -- sometimes it poofs, sometimes it does not...  This King Arthur's Golden Pita recipe very rarely fails me -- and it's so soft and pliable, perfect for stuffing with yummy fillings or just dunking into your favorite dip.

I did not make any changes, other than skipping the dough enhancer (did not have any but I am sure it will this bread even better), so not posting the recipe here.

Four important things:  (1) do make sure the oven is very hot; (2) if making eight small pizzas, roll out into eight dessert-plate-size rounds; if the dough is too thin, it won't puff; (3) do let the rounds rest for at least 15 minutes before baking (I roll out, then preheat the oven); and (4) wrap hot pitas in a clean kitchen towel immediately (after they have cooled down completely, store in a plastic bag).

I made a batch yesterday.  It does not take a long time before the bread maker is doing all the mixing/rising.  All you have to do is remove the dough, place into lightly oiled bowl, form the dough into a large ball, and divide into eight small balls (or four large ones if you want to make large pitas).  Roll out on a lightly floured surface into eight dessert-plate rounds or four dinner-plate rounds.  Let rest at least 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 500 F.  Specific steps are listed in the recipe.  It's a magical moment when you see each round poof up! :)

We enjoyed pitas with falafel (made from mix so nothing special here), kebabs, and fresh salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, spices, and olive oil).

I don't think so...

Student:  Ms. Alice, I have to run some errands on Monday afternoon but will come to your office on Tuesday so you can show me what you did in class.

Ms. Alice:  Dear Student, unless you have a valid and properly documented excuse for missing the class on Monday, I will not repeat the entire class presentation.  You can still work on your assignments, though, and ask specific questions.

I mean, really???  Unfortunately, I do get these emails from time to time.  In fact, I get enough of them to include a disclaimer on the course syllabus.  Apparently, this student decided to conveniently forget that policy...

Morning Adventures

S. is tutoring a student today so I wanted to make breakfast for them.  Well, S. forgot to mention one important fact until this morning -- the student might be a vegetarian since he is from India.  OK, my plan of bacon potatoes was certainly out the window.  So I turned to my super-fast and yummy alternative -- Nutella Croissants.  I usually keep a can of flaky crescents in the fridge, just for this reason.  Just roll out, spread Nutella, roll up, bake, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Done!  Looks and tastes divine!  Of course, using homemade croissant dough is even better but it takes forever to make homemade croissants.  Yeah, well worth it but time is not something I have right now.

While croissants were baking, I decided to make hot chocolate, too.  I bought some organic milk at the market yesterday.  S., whose mother only uses hot chocolate mix, apparently keeps forgetting that I make my hot chocolate with real cocoa.  So he scooped a generous portion of cocoa into his mouth.  You should have seen his face!!!  He had to rinse his mouth several times, lol.  Then he cautiously took a sip of my hot chocolate...  Ah, much better...  

Amazon Adventures

I found a book on Monday that I think is very relevant to my study and immediately ordered it on Amazon.  Thanks to the free two-day shipping option (prime membership is awesome since I order quite a few things), the package arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  No thanks to somebody at Amazon who was obviously daydreaming or worse, I received a really weird book on Spanish exploration of South America (that's my best guess since my Spanish is limited to a few words and phrases).  Yesterday morning, I contacted Amazon to resolve the problem.  They sent me a return mailing label (no shipping charge) and I was able to hand the package to our mail carrier, w/out having to make the trip to the post office and waste more time.  Hopefully, I will receive the correct book today.  It says "out for delivery" now.

How do I survive???

This morning, I sent a few measly pages to my major professor and felt like having a good cry.  I try and try and try to find precious time for writing without any interruptions.  I wish I could be productive for a couple of hours here and there.  But, unfortunately, it takes time for me to get back into the writing mode.  Once I find the rhythm again, I am out of time, once again.  Thus, only accomplishing a few sentences here and there, not pages I keep hoping for...  I managed to write about ten pages of raw notes in late December so that was great.  However, I need to figure out how to accomplish that every couple of days, not every couple of months.

I must defend my prospectus this semester -- no other choice whatsoever, not at all...  So have to find that sheer determination I had when I survived a full load of grad courses and demands of the full-time job, semester after semester.  I allowed myself to relax -- a huge mistake!

Milk Bread Stuffed with Beef Roast

I am emotionally and physically exhausted, having worked straight through the break.  Um, what break?  Oh, yeah -- two days we spent on the road going to and from our parents.  Yes, that... sigh...  There are so many things pulling from every direction and that's what really, really drives me crazy.  While I don't mind multitasking and usually do that well, there is a point when it becomes too much to handle, just too much...  I can work on several projects at once but hate it when those projects are in constant motion, outside of my control.  I like to plan at least a little bit ahead but have not been able to for the last two years or so.  Several times this weekend I felt like just shutting down my computer and running away, somewhere, anywhere...  But the responsible me can't...  Two more urgent deadlines to meet... One is personally important and has been neglected for far too long...  The second one is, honestly, stupid; just another data collection stampede... but it's the kind you better meet if you want nice annual evaluations...

So, needless to say, I did not have much time to cook...  Last night, though, I needed to clear my head.  I think best in the kitchen, when I can relax, make something yummy, and actually think about what I have done and can do.  The result of last night's kitchen getaway was this yummy stuffed bread.  S. tasted a slice, fresh out of the oven, and declared he can eat this bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Good, I said, because we have two large loaves and I have two deadlines to meet tomorrow!  We enjoyed this bread for dinner, with a salad.  This morning, I heated a couple of slices in the microwave for a few seconds.  It did not get soggy at all and tasted great.  I think I will freeze some slices in individual baggies to grab for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.

The idea came from this Chicken Bread recipe.  I love beautiful step-by-step directions of braiding the loaf.  But I decided to use this recipe for the Braided Milk Loaf because it looked so fluffy and yummy.  I had some leftover beef roast for the filling.  I just added cheese and Italian Herb spices.  And sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Milk Bread Stuffed with Beef Roast

Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour (King Arthur's)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp dry yeast
egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water), for brushing
Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except egg wash and sesame seeds, of course, to the bread machine bucket.  My bread machine actually warms the ingredients and adds yeast later, so I have to add dry ingredients first.  Be sure to read the instructions for your machine because their suggested order will make a huge difference -- trust me! :)
2. When the dough is ready, divide into 2 or 3 portions, depending on the size of loaves you want.  I made two large loaves.
3. Use the photos below or the link above to create your loaves.  Note:  I used photos from the link posted above so many thanks to the original author!  For the filling, I cubed beef roast, mixed it with some shredded mozzarella, and sprinkled with Italian Herb spice mix.  Chicken or just cheese would work great, too.  Not sure about vegetables -- they may get soggy...  But we can always experiment! 
4. Note:  Another foodie made baby loaves (see photo below), very cute and easy to serve!
5. Let loaves rise on the baking sheet for at least an hour, or until doubled, in a slightly warm draft-free area.  I usually let bread rise in the microwave oven, after heating a cup of water.  Of course, in this case, the baking sheet is too large, so I turned the oven on Warm setting for just a few minutes, just to get the heat going, then turned it off and slid the baking sheet in, closing the door again.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
7. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
8. Brush loaves with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (or any seeds or herbs, really; rosemary would be awesome, I think).
9. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until baked through (ovens are different so use your prior experience and check if bread is done).  You may have to cover bread with foil if it starts browning too quickly, to prevent burning.
10. Brush with butter, if you like (I skipped because bread was already very soft).
11. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or toast in the oven (not regular toaster because meat will fall out) for a few minutes.

Peppery Potato and Carrot Bread

I am super busy this week so made leftover roast beef and Dill Havarti sandwiches for dinner last night.  They were great with tomato, cucumber, and sweet peppers salad!

This recipe makes three small loaves.

The best thing about sandwiches was this bread, lightly toasted to the crunchy perfection.  It was so good!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp water
• 2/3 cups shredded carrots (I needed to use leftover carrots and that's why I tried this recipe!)
• 2 tbsp butter (light Land O'Lakes, it really does taste like butter)
• 3 cups bread flour (King Arthur's, always)
• 1/2 cup dry mashed potato mix (buttery taste flavor)
• 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp bread machine yeast

Directions:

1. Let your bread machine do the "heavy lifting."
2. I divided the dough into three foil bread pans.  If you have large bread pans, you can use two.  This bread rises to more than double the size so you need to have enough space.  A large round loaf will work, too.
3. Preheat your oven to 400 F (or 350 if baking a large loaf).
4. Let dough rise for an hour, in a warm draft-free place.
5. Bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf (loaves).
6. It's great warm, with a bit of butter.  Even better toasted!

Bacon, Cremini & Camembert Potatoes with Lamb Loin Chops

I saw this Bacon, Cremini & Brie Potatoes recipe here and decided to use it for dinner today, since we already had most of the ingredients and it looked so yummy and easy to make.  Yes, dinner! :)  We usually have late breakfast and then early dinner on Sundays.

Ingredients for Bacon, Cremini & Camembert Potatoes:

• 2 medium baking potatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 bacon strips (center-cut), chopped
• 1/4 lb sliced baby portobello (cremini) mushrooms
• 2 oz Camembert, sliced and divided in half
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup assorted mini bell peppers, cut into strips
• salt/pepper/other spices to taste

Ingredients for Lamb Loin Chops:

• 2 lamb loin chops
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• salt/pepper/other spices (I used rosemary)
• a splash of olive oil
• a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Marinate lamb loin chops overnight.
2. Scrub and pierce potatoes.  Rub potato skins with oil and sprinkle with salt/pepper/other spices.
3. Bake potatoes at 400 F until tender (about an hour).
4. While potatoes are baking, grill or pan fry lamb loin chops.  Cover to keep warm.
5. Marinate mushrooms and peppers in the meat marinade, just for a few minutes.
6. Cook chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
7. Saute mushrooms and peppers, separately.  Cover both to keep warm.
8. Cut an X in tops of potatoes.  Insert cheese slices.  Top with mushrooms and bacon.  
9. Add lamb loin chop and some peppers to each plate.  Place in the oven for just a couple of minutes, to make sure all ingredients are warm and cheese is melted.  Be careful -- plates will be very hot!  Place hot plates on another set of plates or use heatproof mats.
10. Note:  As I was finishing this meal today, I mentally kicked myself for not using these handy fajita skillets.  They come with stands and handle covers!  I should have just arranged everything on these skillets, warmed up the meal in the oven, and brought them directly to the table.  Oh, well -- next time!
11. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
12. Enjoy! 

I shared on:
http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/melt-in-your-mouth-monday-blog-hop-48
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2012/01/foodie-friday-snowy-january-afternoon.html

Ah, students...

So I am checking email this morning...  One online course student replied to my reminder about several important steps of completing Assignment A.  Some students were cutting corners, thus a need for a quick reminder.

Student:  "I don't know how to complete Assignment A.  And I don't have a book to find the topics."

Yes, that's all.  Nothing else.  It's like, "I don't care and what are you going to do about that?"

Ms. Alice:  "Student, if you look on the course homepage, you will see an introduction video that demonstrates how to use various course resources.  That should lead you to the folder where I posted Chapter 1, anticipating the usual procrastination.  However, I will not be posting any other chapters.  If you don't have your book next week, I don't want to hear it.  Also, you will discover another folder filled with video demos of various assignments, including Assignment A.  Have a great semester!"

I am happy to report that this student is one of only few students still trying to play an excuse game with me.  Most of my online students this semester are doing great.  I spent a lot of time last semester on creating video tutorials but it was well worth it.  Students are doing much better on interactive assignments.

Lemon Raspberry Madeleine Cookies

I knew we would have company this afternoon so made yummy madeleines this morning.  We served them with hot tea and coffee.  I am happy to report that S. just savored the last one (apparently, he hid it in his napkin when he saw the plate rapidly emptying, lol)!

Madeleines are so elegant... and literally melt in your mouth...  Add a dollop of raspberry whipped cream and it's -- oh my!  Even more importantly, they are easy to make and don't take much time.  You only need about half an hour to whip up a batch of approximately 20-24 (depends how much batter you add to each cup).  It takes about 15 minutes to make the batter, 8-10 minutes to bake, and 2-3 minutes to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  I have two pans so baked all madeleines at once.  If you only have one pan, add another 15 mins for baking the second batch.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup plain flour (I use pre-sifted)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit (place it in the microwave on one minute before starting to beat eggs; it will be the right temperature when you're ready to fold it into the mixture)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp raspberry extract plus the amount needed for the whipped cream (I used another tsp)
• 1 cup powdered sugar plus the amount needed for the whipped cream (sorry, forgot to measure)
• heavy cream (sorry, forgot to measure -- approximately 1/2 of the small container)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spray the pan with non-stick spray.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder in a small bowl, then set aside.
4. Beat eggs with lemon and raspberry extracts on high speed for 5 minutes.
5. Gradually beat in powdered sugar.
6. Beat another 5 minutes.
7. Gently fold flour mixture into the egg mixture.
8. Then gently fold the melted and cooled butter.
9. Mix until smooth.  The batter will resemble pancake batter somewhat.
10. Spoon the mixture into madeleine cups, filling almost to the top but not quite (to allow for rising).
11. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
12. Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes.
13. Loosen each cookie carefully with a plastic knife (be careful not to scratch the pan).
14. Invert pan on a cooling rack or plate.
15. Cool about 5 minutes and sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar.
16. Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and additional raspberry extract, until thick.
17. Serve in a bowl next to a plate of madeleines.  Some people place a dollop of cream on each cookie before serving.  I let my guests decide.  Most of them do add whipped cream because it's a perfect addition to dainty madeleines.

Cajun Smoked Sausage Bean Soup and Major Changes

It's so cold outside!  Well, 40s during the day is cold for me.  And low 30s at night.  I live in the state where flip flops and short sleeves are the norm most of the year.  So, yes, this is cold for me.  And I am tired -- a loooong week, with still lots to do.  So soup for dinner!

We learned at the faculty meeting this morning that major changes are looming ahead.  A couple of months ago, we have been given a green light to begin the process of becoming a four-year rather than a two-year school.  Apparently, that triggered a lot of issues with transfer vs non-transfer programs and courses.  In response, programs were reshuffled to different departments.  My program is one of them.  So, if these changes are approved by the majority of faculty, I will have a new dean in a few months.  My current dean is absolutely wonderful and I would sure miss her.  There is always an uncertainty about the new person in charge... but I don't really anticipate any negative things.  And I do have tenure, which is not 100% foolproof, of course, but does help with job security.

My program will also lose the current funding.  However, it's not necessarily the bad news.  Right now, most of the funds are used for conference presentations and associated travel expenses.  However, the current requirements are stringent and exclude most of the research-related conferences I personally prefer to attend.  The new department actually encourages research.

Also, there are two new administrative positions.  I am encouraging S. to apply.  It would be so nice if he could move here...  Those of you who are praying, please say a prayer for us...

It's based on this Italian Sausage Bean Soup recipe.  I did not have all the ingredients, though, and did not feel like shopping.  Here is what I made.  It's yummy, filling -- and warm! :)  Cajun smoked sausage is a bit spicy and smoky...  Beans, barley, and veggies are filling.  Herbs, especially fresh parsley, add tantalizing aroma.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb Cajun smoked sausage
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14 1/2 oz) can white and green lima beans
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup quick cooking barley
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic.  Add sausage and cook for a few minutes.  Then add tomato and carrots; cook for several more minutes.
2. Stir in broth, beans, barley, and Italian seasoning.
3. Bring to boil and season to taste with salt/pepper.
4. Simmer for an hour.
5. Stir in fresh parsley, remove from heat, and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve with fresh croutons.

Letters of Reference Dilemma

I recently asked somebody who is very familiar with my professional work to write a letter of reference for me.  The person responded with:  "Write a letter and send it to me for editing."  Maybe it's just me but that response made me very uncomfortable.  Is it an indirect way of saying the person does not want to bother? 

I could see how this response would be appropriate for, say, a student who has taken a course with me several semesters ago.  Still, personally, I would not ask him/her to write a letter.  Instead, I would ask for a resume (or a CV for more advanced students) so I have more information.  Then I would look up my records.  And I would (and did, in the past) politely decline to write a letter for somebody I don't remember at all (e.g., too much time has passed, did not work with the person directly).

But telling this to somebody you do know well?  I would feel I am offending that person.

So I responded with a polite, "Thank you."  And found another person to write a letter of reference.

Did anybody have a similar experience?  Am I overreacting?

Baked Apple Coffee Bread

We have a meeting tomorrow morning.  Everybody is tired -- first week of classes is never easy.  So I made this treat to share with my colleagues.  It's not overly sweet and tastes awesome with tea or coffee.  You can also serve it a la mode as a dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cups warm water
• 3 tbsp butter, softened (I used Land O'Lakes light butter)
• 2 cups bread flour (King Arthur's, the best)
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp quick active dry yeast
• 1 cup baked apples, mashed, or 1 cup pie filling, any flavor
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Makes 10 generous slices.

Note:  This recipe makes a large loaf, which works for me this time.  In the past, I have divided the dough and made two small loaves.  This bread freezes well, too.  Just defrost in the fridge and warm up in a microwave for a few seconds for a quick breakfast.

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except the last three, to your breadmaker; set on Dough.
2. When the dough is ready, let it rest for 10 more minutes in the breadmaker.
3. Remove dough from the breadmaker pan and place on the lightly floured surface.
4. Shape and roll out into 13x8 inch rectangle (this dough is awesome to work with, very pliant).
5. Spray the large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
6. Move the dough rectangle to the cookie sheet.
7. Spoon the filling lengthwise down the center third of rectangle.  I used my very simple baked apple recipe and added 1/2 tsp of almond essence.  Any pie filling or even jam would work.  I have made this before with homemade orange marmalade -- and it was great.
8. On each 13-inch side, make cuts at approximately 1-inch intervals (see my drawing -- I forgot to take a photo, oops).
9. Fold strips diagonally over filling, alternating sides.
10. Let rise in a warm place for one hour or until double.
11. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
12. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Caution:  You may need to cover bread with foil if the top is browning too quickly, to prevent burning.
13. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
14. Cool before slicing.

I shared here:

Good & Bad

So I usually have a few students who want to race through the course.  I applaud their desire to stay ahead instead of barely meeting deadlines.  However, some students just do that -- race.  My courses are appropriately challenging and most assignments require at least some thought, rather than mindless racing.  I had to explain to one student today that simply completing assignments is far from enough.  Quality is what I am really asking students to demonstrate.  S/he was complaining that Week 3 assignments were not updated.  I asked her/him if s/he truly spent enough time on Weeks 1-2 and submitted high quality assignments.  S/he wasn't sure.  I hope I got the message through.  I hope...

I was not able to even touch the prospectus stuff for over a week now.  But I am back to writing, yay!!!  I made nice progress in late December so, if I were an airplane, I would be making a final approach now!  Once I submit my chapters to the major professor, I can finalize the IRB and start making arrangements for data collection, woo-hoo!  Hopefully, I will be able to defend in early February.  The light at the end of the loooooooooong bleak tunnel is finally glowing brighter!

Rosemary Surf N Turf Pizza

We still had one piece of steak and several bacon-wrapped shrimp left from the party.  Not enough for a meal for both of us.  Pizza time!  Oops, no pizza sauce...  Hmmm... but we have tomato chutney!

Ready to bake!

And now ready to eat!

Rosemary Dough Ingredients:1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp rosemary
3 cups bread flour (I always use King Arthur's)
3 tsp instant dray active yeast

Add all ingredients to the breadmaker bucket, set on Dough, and let it do its magic!  When dough is ready, place it into the large oiled bowl.  Cover and let rest in a warm place for another hour.  Divide into two balls.  If only making one pizza, refrigerate or freeze the other ball for later use (you can store it in the fridge for several days).  I often make breakfast pizza the next day.  Anyway, back to directions...  Roll out the ball or spread with hands, toss, rotate while holding by the edge, to pull out edges.  Have fun!  The goal is to spread the dough until you achieve the desired thickness.  I played with it until it fit on this rotating pan, almost 14" in diameter.  By the way, I love this rotating pizza stove.  It had dual heating elements so both the crust and toppings achieve the lovely golden brown.

Toppings:
1/2 10 oz jar tomato chutney (Espy's, Tybee Island)
1/2 16 oz package of whole milk mozzarella, shredded
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 piece of grilled steak, chopped
8 large grilled shrimp, chopped
4 slices of grilled center-cut bacon, chopped

I spread tomato chutney on my pizza, then sprinkled with half of cheese, while shooing S. away because he was trying to steal some cheese, lol.  Then I added onions, shrimp, steak, and bacon.  It would have been nice to add some peppers and mushrooms but we did not have any... :(  I sprinkled with more cheese and baked on the rotating pan for 18 minutes, until cheese was golden brown and bubbly.  It was yummy!

I shared here:

Oops!

I did not realize just how tired I am until this afternoon.  Usually, I relax and catch up on sleep over Christmas break.  This time, the break was way too short and there was too much to do.

This morning, I worked for several hours, until I became sleepy.  It was a bit chilly in the house, I was sitting on a comfy couch, the dog was snoring in her bed, it was very quiet...  Yep, I pulled the fleece blanket over me and decided to "rest my eyes" for a few minutes.

Beauty woke me up almost three hours later, when she needed to go outside and so unceremoniously pulled on the blanket, jolting me awake.  Oops!  It was a nice nap though... ;)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! OK, feeling better now!

1. I did not write as much as I expected during Christmas break (did we have a break? more like a few days...), even though I skipped most of the festivities.  We went to see my parents for just a few hours, literally -- arrived after midnight on Christmas Day and left the next morning.  Same for S.'s parents.  They live much closer but we stopped for less than an hour on the way to my parents.  Everybody was upset with us but both S. and I had so much to do...  I was hoping to leave the heavy burden of prospectus in 2011 but, alas, it's still there...  But it's much, much lighter, yay!!!  Just need time, precious time... without interruptions... just some peace and quiet...
2. Because I wanted to concentrate on writing, I avoided any preps for this semester.  And now it's here... and I am so not ready...
3. Several classrooms have been renovated -- nice!  All software is gone -- NOT nice!
4. Because of renovations, my office temporarily (I sure hope so!) doubles as storage area for equipment and supplies.  My request for a built-in closet in our regular classroom has been ignored so they are looking for another closet elsewhere in the building, sigh...
5. Part-timers are asking about this and that...  this and that...
6. My phone is ringing off the hook...
7. My Inbox is exploding...
8. Students, refreshed after a nice Christmas break, are eager to pester me with a gazillion of irrelevant problems once again.  And some of them have quite an attitude, sigh...  I have to remind myself to be polite and firm... polite and firm...  polite and firm...

Student:  Ms. Alice, I need *** class because it works better for my schedule.
Me:  Dear Student, this section is closed.  Please select another section.
Student:  Well, do something about it!!!
Me:  Dear Student, I cannot override closed sections.  Please contact the section instructor.
Student:  I did and the instructor said, "No."

OK, I just ignore this email.  What can I say or do?  Nothing.  Less than an hour later...

Student:  I haven't heard back from you.  I need this section.

Thus Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!  Happy New Year and Spring 2012 Semester!

Super Easy Creme Brulee

Here is how I made creme brulee in just a few minutes.

I forgot to take photos before serving, sorry...

First, I love this set.  The package below makes eight servings so I bought two sets and love them.  Because creme brulee contains so many calories, I don't make this dessert often.  I do use this set for other desserts, like flan.

Second, I love this creme brulee kit.  All you need to do is heat up the base, pour into individual ramekins, refrigerate, sprinkle with sugar (provided), spray with flaming mix (provided), and light to lightly caramelize the top, while guests are watching in awe!  Never fails!  Yes, I agree -- it does not taste just like homemade but very close!  If you have made the "real" creme brulee before, you know it's a delicate and time-consuming process.  Creating a very similar dessert in just a few minutes sure works for me.  It's rich and creamy.

We served in individual ramekins.  S. loves serving this dessert -- sprinkling, spraying, and lighting is a treat for him, lol!