Strawberry Icebox Pie

Hello friends...I'm still here! But *wow* what a month! Between Sam being sick and trying to work out caring for two children, it's been a little nuts. Sam has actually been home from work on short term disability until his body can fully recover from this last bout of pseudomonas. As wonderful as it is to have him share this special time with us at home, I'm anxious for him to recover and for things to get back to "normal". Like most men, he doesn't do very well sitting around too much.  And it would be nice to do my morning workout without the inappropriate commentary ;)

I wanted to post this recipe for Strawberry Icebox pie before strawberry season passes us by entirely. I found it in Southern Living last year, and it's become a family favorite. It tastes like a deliciously creamy, fresh strawberry milkshake in a salty-sweet crust.

Strawberry Icebox Pie

*Note- You will be most successful with slicing this pie if you serve it semi-frozen. It can be made well in advance and kept in the freezer. Set it out at least 30 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in the freezer. Also, the crust layer is quite thick, which is fine with me, but if you don't want it to be such a dominant factor either use a deep dish pie pan or don't use all of the crust mixture.

Ingredients

2 cups finely crushed pretzel sticks 
3/4 cup butter, melted 
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
2 cups sliced fresh Florida strawberries 
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 
1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. strawberry gelatin (1/2 of a 3-oz. package) 
2 cups whipping cream, divided 
1/3 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 3 ingredients and firmly press into a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

2. Process strawberries in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

3. Beat condensed milk and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add strawberries and beat at low speed just until blended. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. Beat 3/4 cup whipping cream at high speed until soft peaks form and gently fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture. Spoon into prepared, cooled crust. Cover and freeze 8 to 12 hours or until firm.

5. Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups whipping cream at high speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread over pie. Freeze 1 hour or until whipped cream is firm.

It's A Girl!!!

Meet Alice Ann

Born February 7, 2014

8lbs 2oz

20 1/2 inches

We're all back home and doing great. She's such a calm, happy baby and has truly been a complete joy. Even Jack is over the moon for his new little sister.

Nigella Lawson's Banana Bread

This is my favorite recipe for a simple, old-fashioned banana bread. No glaze, no chocolate, no streusel topping. And not overly sweet. I discovered this recipe in college in what's come to be one of my favorite baking books, Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess. I've changed it up only slightly by omitting the 1/2 cup of bourbon soaked raisins, which aren't necessarily a bad thing, but Sam prefers it without, and I'm a little uptight about feeding them to a toddler. I know a lot of people prefer quick breads like this one warm out of the oven, but I think it's so much better the following day and even a couple days after, once all the flavors have settled. Completely up to you.

Still on baby watch, and everyone's been sick around here except for me. Stay tuned!

Nigella Lawson's Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 small or 3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Coat a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl and combine well.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the mashed bananas. Next stir in the walnuts and vanilla. Gently fold in the flour mixture, one third at a time, stirring just enough to incorporate the flour, but not too much or your bread will be rubbery.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake on the middle rack of your oven for 60-75 minutes (mine was done at 60 minutes). You'll know when it's done when you insert a sharp knife or toothpick in the center and it comes out with hardly any crumbs clinging to it.

4. Let cool on a cooling rack at least 15 minutes before attempting to slice. Leave in the pan and store covered, at room temp.

One Pot Sausage, Kale and White Bean Pasta

Another one pot pasta dish. I don't often cook with sausage or bacon these days, but I felt this was a good exception. The original recipe called for 1 lb of hot Italian sausage, but I subbed in mild Italian turkey sausage. If you're cooking for small children be sure to chop your greens up small before adding them to the pot. Jack loved the flavorful sauce mixed with the bite sized pasta, and it warmed my heart to see kale being gulped down without a protest. This comes together fast, so be sure to have all your ingredients ready.

39 weeks pregnant today! Anxiously waiting, but enjoying the calm before the storm. Hope to have some good news soon.

One Pot Sausage, Kale and White Bean

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (hot/mild, pork/turkey, your call) casings removed
1 onion
1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
8 oz (2 1/4 cups) medium shells or orecchiette (something bite-sized that will capture the sauce)
12 oz kale, stemmed and chopped small
1 oz (1/2 cup) parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add onion and beans and cook until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and half of your kale. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 4 minutes. Add remaining kale on top of pasta, without stirring, and continue to cook until kale is just tender, about 4 more minutes.

3. Stir to incorporate kale into pasta. Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked, 4 to 8 more minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.    



recipe source: Cook's Country

{Make Ahead} Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Before things get too crazy around here, I wanted to share these Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls I made for Christmas morning. Not only are they so, so good, with a dough that is gorgeous and dreamy to work with, but they can also be made ahead of time- as in weeks, if not months ahead. So here you go.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
But just so we're all on the same page- these are not the over-the-top, sugar coma-inducing Cinnabon type cinnamon rolls you buy in the mall. They're much more restrained (and I mean that in the very best way possible) and won't leave you feeling *too* guilty about filling your family up on butter and sugar before 10am. Hey, it was Christmas.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

3/4 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

3 large eggs, lightly beaten 

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast 

1 teaspoon salt 

For the Filling: 

1 stick softened butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions

1. Gently warm the buttermilk on the stovetop or in the microwave (at 20 second intervals- you want it about the same temp as you would run for a baby's bath).  Whisk together the warm buttermilk and 6 tablespoons of the melted butter.

2. In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook (I couldn't find mine and used the paddle- worked great), mix 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

3. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If, after 5 minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom. (I didn't have to use the extra flour).

4. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 1 minute. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Let's talk a minute about a "warm place". My house is typically about 75 degrees which isn't warm enough to move things along. If it's warm outside, I'll set the bowl on the back porch. If it's cold, I create a warm place by turning my oven to the lowest setting before I start the recipe, letting it heat up and then shut it off. By the time the dough is ready for this step, the oven has cooled to a nice warm temp. You can also set a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of your oven and shut the door. Just some ideas.) With my warm oven method, my dough was doubled in 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

5. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press or roll it into a 12 by 16 inch rectangle. (I cut out a 12 x 16 parchment square and taped it to the counter so I knew my exact dimensions and didn't have to worry about it sticking to the countertop). Spread the softened butter carefully over the dough and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border along the top and bottom edges. Gently press the filling to make it adhere to the buttered dough as best you can.

6. Starting at the long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Gently stretch and roll the cylinder until it is 18 inches long and has an even diameter. Slice into 12 evenly sized rolls—use a serrated knife or bench scraper. Arrange the rolls cut-side down in a greased 9 by 13 inch metal baking dish.

*Now, you have three options. You can proceed and bake them the same day, refrigerate them overnight and bake them off tomorrow or freeze them at this point to rise and bake later.

To bake them today:

Wrap tightly with a lightly greased layer of plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake until the rolls are golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes and glaze.  

To refrigerate and bake them tomorrow:

Wrap tightly with a lightly greased layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 2-4 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake until the rolls are golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes and glaze.  

To freeze and bake at a later date:

Wrap tightly with a lightly greased layer of plastic wrap and top a tightly sealed layer of tin foil. Freeze. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 9-11 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. (I pulled mine out the night before and baked them 11 hours later. They were perfect.) Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake until the rolls are golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool 5-10 minutes and glaze.  

Proceed with Glaze:

Whisk the cream cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons buttermilk (or milk) and vanilla together until thick and smooth. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Remove the rolls onto a serving platter (or leave them right in the pan like I did) and drizzle with glaze.




recipe source: America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Handbook and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Do Not Be Afraid

This comes from Ann Voskamp's facebook page this morning and I thought I'd share it with you. Maybe you need a reminder too?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how different this pregnancy is from my first. Not so much physically, but mentally. Emotionally. I had no clue really about what I was getting in to the first time around. My due date was March 16, 2011, and I put full faith in everything going down as it should on that day. You can assume my shock when my water broke three weeks early, the night Sam and I returned from Moffitt where we learned about his diagnosis.

Of course, this time around is different. Life has settled. But as this pregnancy comes to a close, I find myself anxious. Yes, even fearful. Fearing the known. I know now firsthand the fuzziness of due dates, moving through my days and nights, wondering if it will happen within the next 5 minutes or the next 5 weeks. Fearing even the process. (Lord please let my husband stay healthy enough to be by my side.) And certainly fearing the aftermath of caring for another newborn.

But, you see, I'm torn. Because there truly is a miracle in my belly at this very moment I type. A baby I've prayed so very hard for. And I don't want fear to cloud out my joy. So my prayers are for courage in the face of whatever lies ahead. And right now, these words are scratched out on post-its around the house.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Creamy Spinach Crock Pot Chicken

 A small part of me cringes to even post this recipe. For me, it's one step up from ordering Dominos. But let's face it. We all have those days when dinner is just not on our radar. With baby's arrival just weeks (days?) away, I've been making a real effort to try to find crock pot dinners that will actually get eaten...maybe even enjoyed? So many have been downright awful, but this one sent Sam back up for seconds and resulted in a clean plate from Jack. Was it mind blowing? No. But it's crazy simple, has protein, something green and doesn't end up in the trash. Makes you want to run out and buy the ingredients right now, huh? I'm just being honest. But really, I will be making this again. 

Creamy Spinach Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing mix

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

2 cans low-sodium Cream of Chicken soup

a couple large handfuls of baby spinach, chopped

Directions

1. Combine cream cheese and soup in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until melted thoroughly combined. 

2. Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with Italian dressing. Pour soup mixture over chicken and cook for 4 hours on low.

3. Remove just the chicken and slice, cube or shred the meat. Set aside. Stir chopped spinach into remaining "sauce" in crock pot and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add chicken back in and stir gently to combine. Serve over rice or noodles.