Chocolate Ricotta Pound Cake

I had a hankering for some chocolate cake on Monday, which happened to be Halloween.  I think it was a backlash from all the non-chocolate desserts I have been baking lately.  This recipe looked interesting to me on a few levels.  I had some left-over ricotta in my fridge.  I also wanted some chocolate.  But mainly, the recipe looked like it could be delicious.  It turned out that I did not have quite enough ricotta for this recipe so I opened a half package of cream cheese that had been sitting in my cheese drawer for a few days and used that up as well.  I probably shouldn't do stuff like that but I can't help it.  I have the need to use what is in my fridge.  So, sue me!  At first, when D tried the cake he said it had a "funny taste".  In fact, he said, all my recent cakes and baked goods have it.  I realized that it is the "eggie" taste that comes from pound cakes.  When you use more than two eggs in a recipe, they tend to have that taste.  The next day, the cake tastes great.  My mom loved it.  She praised it to the heavens.  And this is from a woman who does not really love chocolate all that much.  So try this cake if it appeals to you or if you have some extra ricotta in your fridge that needs to be used up.  I didn't have the Dutch processed chocolate, so I used a substitute of 3 tablespoons of regular chocolate with 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda as recommended on many websites.  It seems to work just fine.  

Chocolate Ricotta Pound Cake
makes one 6-cup fluted cake mold

4-1/2 Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or 3 Tbsp Dutch-processed + 1-1/2 Tbsp black cocoa)
4 Tbs boiling water
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups All-Purpose flour (~220 grams)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
13 Tbs butter, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta (300 grams)
1 cup sugar (210 grams)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour the cake mold.  Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and boiling water until thoroughly combined.  Let cool to room temperature.
3. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.  Set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
5. In a mixer bowl, cream together on medium to medium high the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add the egg mixture and dry ingredients in three stages, alternating wet and dry.  Mix until combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40-50 minutes total.  About twenty minutes into baking, cover the cake with a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil.  Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let cool, turning the cake out onto a wire rack after about ten minutes.  Let cool completely.  Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

Why am I posting a recipe for Tuscan Lemon Muffins when it is snowing outside??  Why, because the snow was unexpected.  We do not normally get snow in October.  In fact, we haven't gotten a snow storm this big since the Civil War.  That is over 100 years ago. Well, I was not in the mood for snow or snow-friendly recipes. So, I made Tuscan Lemon Muffins. I am still stuck in summer.  These muffins are tasty.  

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients:

7-9/10 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

Preparation:

1.       Preheat oven to 375°.

2.       Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3.       Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

4.       Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Cooking Light, May 2011

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Orange, Lemon and Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemons, Meyer Lemons, Meyer Lemons....  I have been hearing about them on blogs for a long time.  I never really knew what they were.  I never saw them in any grocery store or market in Maryland.  I have lived in New York City and never saw them when I lived there.  I figured they must be some special type of lemon only available on the west coast.  I turned out to be wrong about that.  I went into my favorite grocery store of all time, Wegman's, the other day.  What do you think I found but a bag of lovely Meyer lemons.  I found out that they are a hybrid of oranges and lemons.  They seem to be "in season" around December or January.  That didn't stop me.  I still grabbed up a bag as quickly as I could. These Meyer lemons really look more like an orange to me but no one asked me!  I thought it would be really fun to make a Meyer Lemon Cake.  When I found this recipe it looked perfect.  I have never used Meyer lemons nor have I ever baked an olive oil cake.  It was an interesting experiment.  It made a very tasty moist cake.  I found the recipe on a blog called "Healthy Green Kitchen."  I won't tell you that I used all organic ingredients, because I didn't.  I used what I had in the house.  I'm sure using organic ingredients is a much better idea but ...  anyway try this cake!  You will absolutely love it.

Recipe for Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from the recipe for French Style Yogurt Cake in A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg.
Serves 8.

ingredients:

For the cake:
*1 1/2 cups white spelt flour (or use all purpose unbleached flour or almond flour if you need it to be gluten-free)
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*pinch of sea salt
*2 teaspoons candied Meyer lemon peel (or use Meyer lemon zest or regular lemon zest)
*1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
*1 cup organic sugar
*3 large eggs, preferably organic and free-range
*1/2 cup fruity olive oil (melted butter would work, too)

For the syrup:
*1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
*1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)

For the icing:
*1 cup organic powdered sugar
*3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil, and flour the bottom of the pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the candied lemon peel or lemon zest and mix well.

3. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and olive oil. Whisk well to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk again to combine

4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I suggest you start checking after 25 minutes: you do not want to overbake it.

5. Cool the cake for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan. Prick the cake all over with a fork, whisk the syrup ingredients together, and then drizzle the syrup all over the cake. The syrup will seep into all those fork holes you just made, and this is a very good thing.

6. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes or so and then whisk the icing ingredients together. Using a offset spatula (or a spoon), cover the top of the cake with the icing. You can serve the cake immediately, or wait 45 minutes to 1 hour and the icing will harden.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Butternut Squash Soup

You might be wondering why I decided to make two types of butternut squash soup today.  Well, I told you why I made the Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard and Bacon Soup earlier today.  I made another style of butternut squash soup because the butternut squash that I bought at the grocery store yesterday was almost 5 pounds!  I have never seen a butternut squash that big. I was compelled to use it all, so I figured another type of soup would be the best way to do that.  This butternut squash soup is creamier and smoother than the other soup.  Sadly, I did not have any heavy cream in the house today (I "forgot" to buy it) so I used a substitute that I found on about.com.  I will post it for you just in case you start making this soup without any heavy cream in the house.  I am not in the habit of buying heavy cream because I rarely use the stuff.  This substitute is a great idea for people like me who have an aversion to using heavy cream.  I didn't make any additional changes to this recipe.  I found the recipe on another food blog called Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped fine
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), cut in half length-wise, and each half cut in half width-wise; seeds and strings scraped out and reserved (about ¼ cup)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
Pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven (or heavy pot) over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the squash scrapings and seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns saffron color, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the water and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, place the squash cut-side down in a steamer basket, and lower the basket into the pot. Cover and steam until the squash is completely tender, about 30 minutes. take the pot off the heat, and use tongs to transfer the squash to a rimmed baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the flesh from the skin. Reserve the squash flesh in a bowl and discard the skins.

3. Strain the steaming liquid through a mesh strainer into a second bowl; discard the solids in the strainer. (You should have 2½ to 3 cups of liquid.) Rise and dry the pot.

4. Puree the squash in batches in a blender or food processor, pulsing and adding enough reserved steaming liquid to obtain a smooth consistency. Transfer the puree to the pot and stir in the remaining steaming liquid, cream, and brown sugar. Warm the soup over medium-low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste. Serve immediately. Soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.

(Recipe adapted from The Best Soups & Stews by America’s Test Kitchen)  

Heavy Cream Substitute

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Makes 1 cup 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk 

1/3 cup butter

Preparation:

1.  Melt the butter.

2.  Pour it into the milk and stir.

3.  Use in place of one cup of heavy cream.

Note:  This substitute will not whip.

Tip:  If you use low-fat milk, add a tablespoon of flour to the mixture to thicken.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard & Bacon

I have to tell you that I ate the best dinner last Saturday night at Monocacy Crossing in Frederick, Maryland.  My husband took me and my son out to celebrate my birthday.  I had the Pork Tenderloin with Sage-Cider Sauce and Scalloped Potatoes, my son had the Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Breast with Tasso Ham Gravy and my husband had the Herb Topped Salmon over Warm Potato Salad with Bacon and Horseradish.  We all swooned over our meals but for me the best part was my soup.  It was a Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard and Bacon.  I left there with a strong desire to make that soup at home.  I did just that this morning. I started with a recipe for Brodo (Broth) with Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard and Bacon by Betty Rosbottom that I found on a website.  I knew that the recipe needed some changes to satisfy my needs.  I added some skim milk and left out the pasta that the original recipe called for.  I also needed to add a tablespoon of flour to thicken up the soup a bit.  We have not tried the soup yet but it smells heavenly.  This is my version of Monocacy Crossing's delicious soup.

Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard & Bacon
Makes 6 Servings
Prep time:  30 to 40 minutes

Make ahead:  Homemade or store-bought chicken stock

1-1/2 - 1-3/4 lb. (750 g to 875 g) butternut squash
1 bunch (about 12 oz. / 375 g.) Swiss chard, preferably with dark green leaves and red stalks
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm.) pieces
1-1/3 cups (340 ml) onion, chopped
8 cups (2 liters) homemade or store-bought chicken stock
1 cup skim milk (or 3/4 cup heavy cream)
1 tablespoon flour (if using skim milk)
salt to taste
1 to 2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (125 ml) Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated

Using a large sharp knife, halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds and membranes.  Cut each half lengthwise into 4 segments.  Using a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife, peel the segments and then cut them into 3/4 inch (2-cm) cubes.  Set aside.

Rinse the chard and pat dry.  Cut off and discard the stalks.  If the ribs on the leaves are more than a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick, cut them out and discard.  Coarsely chop the chard to yield about 4 loosely packed cups (1 liter).

In a large pot set over medium high heat, saute the bacon pieces until they are golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.  Pour out all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the bacon drippings and return the pot to medium heat.  When hot, add the onions and saute, stirring until golden brown, 3 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer.  Add the squash and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  Once the squash is cooked, use an immersion blender or put soup carefully in a blender.  After blending, add the milk or cream and the flour.  Cook the soup another 5 minutes but do not boil.  If the flour gets lumpy just use the immersion blender to remove the lumps or put the soup back into the blender for a minute or two.  Pour soup back into the pot (if using a blender) then add the chard and cook until it wilts, for 1 to 2 minutes more.  Taste and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into 6 shallow bowls.  Pass around the bacon pieces and grated cheese separately in bowls.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Crock Pot Chili Pork Chops

I found this recipe on Food.com yesterday.  I made it on a whim because it got really great reviews from quite a few people.  Also, it looked easy to make.  I am very interested in easy recipes right now because I am back working temporarily.  It is only a three days a week job but there is enough work for full-time.  Especially since I am learning how to do everything from scratch.  My niece L gave us a bunch of pork chops (bone-in) from a pig they bought.  They don't particularly like pork chops but I figured I would try different recipes that she and my nephew might like, too.  This one is very easy and it smells great. I haven't eaten it yet but I expect it to be delicious!  The recipe says it makes 3 portions.  I will have to see about that.



Crock Pot Chili Pork Chops

Photo by Chef shapeweaver ©

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 -3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

5 -6 pork chops (bone in preferred)

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook onions in oil until lightly brown.
2. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, water, ketchup and salt and pepper.
3. Cover and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
4. Arrange pork chops in crock pot, pour sauce over the chops.
5. Cover and cook on LOW HEAT for 6-7 hours.

Cherry Burgers with Cherry Ketchup

This is another recipe from EatingWell.com that I waited too long to make.  I had bought, pitted and frozen a bunch of cherries at the beginning of the summer but I wasn't ready to make these until last night.  The cherries added some moisture to the burgers and gave the meat a delicate flavor of cherry.  After making them once, I would recommend putting the dried cherries into your food processor to chop them.  I had a hard time trying to chop them by hand.  It was surprising to me that the recipe did not require any egg but the burgers did not fall apart even without it.  I did slightly change the recipe.  I used Panko breadcrumbs instead of the whole wheat breadcrumbs called for in the recipe because I had a box in my pantry.

I think you will really like the cherry ketchup.  I don't know about you but I had never thought about ketchup as anything but the good old tomato ketchup that is available at the grocery store.  This cherry ketchup has a really different flavor.  There is plenty left over to try with other things.  I served the burgers with sweet potato waffle fries.

Cherry Burgers

Ingredients

12 ounces lean ground beef

1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped

1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs, (or Panko breadcrumbs)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 whole-wheat English muffins, split

4 lettuce leaves

1/4 cup Cherry Ketchup, (recipe follows)

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium (see Broiler Variation).
2. Place beef in a large bowl and gently mix in cherries, breadcrumbs, garlic, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Make a slight impression in the center of each. (This is so the patties cook evenly and don’t puff up.)
3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the patties until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
4. Toast English muffins. Drain the onions. Assemble the burgers on the English muffins with onion slices, lettuce and about 1 tablespoon Cherry Ketchup each. Broiler variation: Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Broil patties 3 to 4 inches from the heat source until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Cherry Ketchup
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine pitted cherries, dried cherries, vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel. Holding lid securely in place, blend until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Transfer the ketchup to a small bowl.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce

This recipe is from the EatingWell website.  It was originally from the May/June issue of EatingWell Magazine.  I bought all the ingredients for this recipe back in June.  I peeled, pitted and chopped the apricots then threw them in the freezer.  I don't know why I waited so long to make this recipe but I'm glad I finally did.  It is really tasty.  I made Alton Brown's glazed carrots and a bag of white corn to go along with the chicken.  I think the recommendation on the EatingWell website to make this recipe with quinoa or brown rice and sauteed spinach would be really good, too.  Unfortunately, my husband did not care for the quinoa I made yesterday so I wasn't about to make it again today.  My son does like quinoa so I will definitely be making it again at some point.  I want to try the red quinoa which I have heard is even better than the regular type.  It is harder to find but I hear that Wegman's carries it.  Maybe the hubster will like the red quinoa better.  I can only hope!

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce
4 servings
30 minutes
Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches with an additional 1 tablespoon oil.)

Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

Glazed Carrots
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, approximately 7 medium, peeled and cut on the bias 1/4 inch thick
1 ounce (2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
heavy pinch kosher salt
1 cup good-quality ginger ale
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, combine the carrots, butter, salt and ginger ale.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, remove the lid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid, add the chili powder and increase the heat to high.  Cook, tossing occasionally, until the ginger ale is reduced to a glaze, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.  Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Balsamic Pork Chops

I know that some of you don't like blueberries but I have a bunch of them still in my freezer. I also have several "bone-in" pork chops.  So I decided to make this recipe for dinner.  I know that the recipe recommends using boneless pork chops but I just cooked the bone-in ones a bit longer than suggested.  It worked out great!  Try this recipe.  I made it with Giada's Herbed Quinoa recipe that I got from Food Network's website.  I also served some zucchini but any side vegetable that you like is fine.  My son approved of the pork, the quinoa and the zucchini!

Blueberry Balsamic Pork Chops

Serves 4

4 boneless center loin pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season
½ cup white wine or chicken stock
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons butter

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Pan fry the pork chops in the olive oil and garlic until completely cooked about 4-5 minutes per side. Hold the pork chops in a warm oven. 

Put the blueberries, balsamic vinegar, wine (or stock), thyme, nutmeg and brown sugar in a non-reactive pan.  Bring the sauce to a boil.  Simmer to reduce the volume of the sauce by half. Add the lemon juice and butter and simmer for an additional minute or so until the sauce slightly thickens.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon the sauce over the cooked pork chops.  Sprinkle each pork chop with Blue Cheese.  

Enjoy!

Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant

After making this Moussaka I have a new appreciation for Greek diners and Greek moms.  They do not have it easy.  This is one of my favorite Greek dishes but I will probably order it out more often now that I know how hard it is to make.  Moussaka is a casserole made by layering eggplant with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy bechamel sauce that is baked to golden perfection.  This recipe is a traditional rendition but you can layer in zucchini or any other vegetables that you prefer.  

Moussaka is perhaps the most widely recognized of all Greek dishes and was made famous by the legendary Greek chef, Nicholas Tselementes.  He must have been quite a chef or he had lots of help.  

While it can be time consuming to prepare, I think you will find that once complete it is a very worthwhile endeavor.

Moussaka - Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3-4 eggplants, about 4 lbs. total

1 lb. potatoes

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)

2 large onions, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups plain breadcrumbs

8 egg whites, lightly beaten (reserve yolks for bechamel)

1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)

1 cup flour

4 cups milk, warmed

8 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Preparation:

Prep the Vegetables:

Using a sharp peeler, partially peel the eggplants, leaving strips of peel about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out. They will need to sit for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably an hour. The salt also helps to remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant.

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole until they are just done. They should not get too soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch. Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to a flat plate.

Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 an hour, turning them over once during cooking.

When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Make the Meat Filling:

In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the Béchamel Sauce:

Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.

Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.

Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Assemble the Moussaka:

Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.

Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.

Enjoy!

Quick Avgolemono, Orzo and Chicken Soup

This soup called Avgolemono (ahv-goh-LEH-moh-noh) is a tangy Greek soup that combines chicken broth, eggs, and lemon juice.  I got the recipe from the Cooking Light Magazine January 2006 issue.  I made it today and it meets with my son's approval.  It can be served with Ricotta Garlic Pita Wedges and a Greek Salad.  You can also use rice if you don't have orzo.

Quick Avgolemono, Orzo and Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

Preparation:

• Bring broth and dill to a boil in a large saucepan. Add orzo. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until orzo is slightly tender. Remove from heat.
• Place eggs and juice in a blender; process until smooth. Remove 1 cup broth from pan with a ladle, making sure to leave out orzo. With blender on, slowly add broth; process until smooth.
• Add carrot, salt, pepper, and chicken to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook 5 minutes or until chicken and orzo are done. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in egg mixture; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly (do not boil).

RICOTTA GARLIC PITA WEDGES

Preheat broiler. Combine 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 minced garlic clove in a small bowl. Place 8 pita wedges on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes until toasted. Top each wedge with 4 teaspoons ricotta mixture. Broil 1 minute or until cheese is lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Hurricane Irene

Not a Hurricane - A Margarita

Hurricane Irene just blew through Maryland on Saturday night into Sunday morning.  It was scary listening to the wind howling and wondering what type of oz we would wake up to on Sunday.  All in all, we were very lucky.  We had electricity throughout the whole event but I found out that many of my friends had to endure a day and a half without any.  We had no cable or Internet through Monday afternoon but really it wasn't that bad.  I took my son to Panera Bread to have breakfast and get online.  That was where we saw how many others were without electricity and/or Internet service.  I felt so bad that I called my sister to ask her if we could go over there to use her Internet service.  She said sure. I gave our outlets at Panera over to two nice ladies who looked like they really needed an Internet fix.  Actually, I think they needed to do some real work.  It made me feel better to give our seats up to them.  I guess the worst thing about Hurricane Irene for us was that one of our trees broke in half (almost).  We  had tree limbs and branches covering our driveway.  I have to thank my nephew for coming out to "save" us.  He cut up the tree and we hauled the branches out to the back of our house where we have a mini forest anyway!  It all worked out just fine.  Thanks Steve, Laura and Henry!  We also enjoyed a delicious dinner of grilled steak, broccoli and rice at their house last night.

Cleaning up the aftermath of Irene

More Clean Up Needed

Bradford Pear - Buh Bye!

Broken Bradford Pear Tree Thanks to Hurricane Irene

I really wanted to make Hurricanes in honor of Hurricane Irene but I did not have any passion fruit syrup.  Here is the recipe that I found for the "Original" Hurricane Cocktail.   The legendary Pat O’Brien’s Bar in the French Quarter, New Orleans is where the Hurricane is said to have originated. Pat O'Brien's Bar opened its doors on December 3, 1933, two days before the end of Prohibition (well, ya had to have a few days to get ready).  Sadly, I have read that the Hurricane Cocktail that is currently served at Pat O'Brien's Bar in NOLA is no longer made with the original recipe.  It is said to be an overly sweet concoction now.  So, if you want a "real" hurricane you will have to make it yourself with this recipe.

Hurricane

4 oz Dark Rum
2 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a hurricane glass (or in its absence a pint glass will do) filled half-way with ice.  Garnish with orange slices and a cherry with stem.

Enjoy!

Indian Dinner

I have been wanting to make tandoori chicken for a long time.  If finally made it for dinner tonight.  It was great. Definitely worth the wait.  I know that I can't make "true" tandoori chicken because I don't have a clay tandoori oven but this was truly yummy and easy to make.  I combined two recipes and the chicken definitely reminded me of the tandoori chicken I ate in an Indian restaurant.  I also made Basmati rice with carrots and golden raisins and a cucumber salad.  I was thinking of making a dessert out of the Naan bread but I didn't do it.  Naan is supposed to be good for breakfast dipped in egg sort of like French toast.  I definitely want to try that.

Tandoori Chicken

Serves 4

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

1-1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp each paprika, garam masala and minced garlic

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp kosher salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or mint

1.       Mix yogurt, ginger, paprika, garam masala, garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin, lemon juice and tomato past (if using) in a medium bowl until blended. 

2.       Scrape ¾ cup of yogurt mixture into a 1-gallon zip top bag.  Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Stir cilantro into remaining yogurt mixture and set aside for serving.

3.       Meanwhile, heat broiler and line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.

4.       Remove chicken from bag and place on prepared pan (discard bag and its contents).  Broil 10 to 12 minutes, turning once,, until cooked through.

5.       Place chicken on serving plates and drizzle with reserved yogurt mixture.

Steps in Cooking Basmati Rice

Stove-Top Method:

1. Put the Basmati Rice into a medium saucepan. Rinse the Basmati rice with cold water thoroughly before cooking, because there is so much starch clinging to its grains. Wash two to three times with your hands.
2. Drain the water again and then fill with fresh water The quantity of water should be either be :1 cup of rice and 1 1/2 cups water to boil if you want firm rice,Add the correct amount of water and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil.
3. Make sure you cook it in a heavy pot and do not disturb the rice or take a peek while its in the middle of cooking.
4. When it boils, lower the heat, simmer for 12 - 14 minutes before turning off the heat.
5. Remove from heat and stand covered, for another 5-10 minutes. until you're ready to serve. The rice should have absorbed all the water and will just need fluffing up with a spoon.

Add a handful of carrots and golden raisins to the water before it boils.

Adrienne’s Cucumber Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white vinegar

½ cup water

¾ cup  white sugar

1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste

Directions:

1.        Toss together the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. 

2.       Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil and pour over the cucumber and onions.

3.       Stir in dill, cover and refrigerate until cold.  This salad can be served at room temperature but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

 Enjoy!  

Zucchini Marinara ala Proietti's Restaurant

We just got back from our annual pilgrimage to Rochester, New York to visit my husband's family.  The first thing we did when we got to Rochester was to have dinner at Proietti's Restaurant in Webster.  The best thing about eating there is having the Zucchini Marinara which is a free appetizer they serve year-round.  Proietti's is an awesome restaurant.  Check out the Proietti's Restaurant website if you are planning to visit the Rochester area in the near future.  My husband ordered the Ravioli, I ordered the Chicken Scampi and my son ordered the Gnocchi.  Everything we ordered was swoon-worthy.  Just don't over order.  You will barely be able to finish your meals.  They serve large portions!  We took half our meals back to the room where we were fortunate enough to have a small refrigerator.  Luckily, I found the recipe for the Zucchini Marinara online.  I suppose they don't mind sharing this recipe since it is a free appetizer.  In any case, this zucchini is delicious.

Zucchini Marinara

May be eaten hot or warm, as an appetizer, or over your favorite pasta.

Servings: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

Approximately 2  Zucchini
4 oz.  100% Olive Oil
1 oz. Sweet Basil
½  teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Chicken Base
1 tablespoon Sugar
1-28 oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (drained & smashed)
1 clove Fresh Garlic chopped

Preparation:

Cut ends off zucchini and discard. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Slice zucchini in pieces approximately 1/4” wide. In a medium size frying pan, combine all of the ingredients except the tomatoes.  Saute’ on medium high heat until the zucchini starts to soften, approximately 5 to 6 minutes, mixing often.   Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 20 minutes mixing often, being careful not to over-cook.  If desired you may skim off any excess oil.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

This is a recipe from Rachael Ray.  I don't believe she eats this stuff.  These burgers are huge!  I ate half of one and was stuffed.  They are tasty, though.  The burgers made my son happy because although he likes burgers he only prefers to eat chicken.  I would recommend making them much smaller. If you are going to make them this big then cook them a lot longer than she recommends.  I cooked them about 8 minutes on each side.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers
by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 slices Canadian bacon
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 teaspoons sweet paprika, eyeball it in your palm
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended:  Montreal Steak Seasoning) or salt and pepper
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 deli slices Swiss Cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise, eyeball it
3 rounded tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves, 4 sprigs
4 kaiser rolls or sandwich size sour dough English muffins, split and toasted
8 leaves leaf lettuce
1 vine ripened tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat grill pan, nonstick griddle, large nonstick skillet or table top electric grill to medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil and Canadian bacon. Warm bacon and caramelize it at edges.  About 1 to 2 minutes on each side.  Remove to a piece of foil.  Fold over loosely to keep warm.  {This keeps the Canadian bacon from getting dried out.}

Combine chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, and shallot.  Score meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts.  Make 4 large patties.  {Or make 8 smaller ones.}  3/4 to 1 inch thick.  Drizzle patties with oil and place on hot grill pan, griddle or in skillet. Cook 5 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through.

Top patties with reserved cooked Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese. Fold each slice of cheese in  half to fit the burger.  Cover loosely with foil.  Turn off pan and let cheese melt, 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and tarragon.  Slather bun tops or English muffin tops with sauce.  Place Cordon Bleu burgers on bun bottoms and top with lettuce and tomato.  Put bun or muffin tops in place.  Serve with oven fries.  {I served with sweet potato waffle fries.}

Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Linguine with Garlic and Zucchini

This is another recipe that I have been looking at for a long time but have only just made it today.  I adjusted the amounts to make a larger portion.   It is originally from Food 52 website and I combined that recipe with one I found in Cooking Light Magazine's August issue.

Lemon Ricotta  Pasta with Garlic and Zucchini
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 16 oz box of linguine
1 cup fresh ricotta, preferably homemade (see recipe below)
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 small yellow squash, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest of 2 lemons
1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
black pepper

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente and drain.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic.  Gently cook the garlic until it is starting to turn golden.  Add squash, zucchini, and red pepper flakes to pan; saute 1 minute.  Add broth and pasta to pan, cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine.

3.  Add the ricotta, lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.   If pasta needs more moisture, add additional chicken broth.  Add black pepper to taste.  Dig in.

Homemade Ricotta

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1.  Combine ingredients in a microwave safe 1-quart liquid measuring cup; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

2.  Stir to form small curds.

3.  Strain through a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth; let stand for 5 minutes.

4.  Discard liquid.

5.  Scrape cheese mixture into a small bowl; stir in rind and 1/4 teaspoon salt.


Enjoy!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

I can't believe that I am posting ANOTHER banana bread recipe but I do often have bananas that get over-ripe in my house.  If I buy fruit, it goes bad but the snacks never do.  Oh well...  This recipe turned out really yummy.  This banana bread is very summery and tropical with the coconut and the lime.


Believe it or not, I had to leave the bread in the oven for an extra half hour beyond the recommended baking time.  You would think that after I have baked about 30 or more banana breads in my oven I would have figured that out.  But I never thought that I would have to bake anything that much longer than the recipe states.  I always wondered why my banana bread would sink.  Obviously, I didn't bake it long enough!   

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)

2 large eggs

1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream

3 tablespoons dark rum or apple juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut

1 tablespoon coconut

Cooking spray

Glaze:

1 tablespoon coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.
• Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.
• Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan.
• Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

Trip to Glacier National Park, Montana

I wasn't planning to post this but both my husband and my son asked me to post it.  I was honest so some of the things that happened are a bit embarrassing for me mostly...  

Memories from Trip to Montana (Glacier National Park)

Friday, July 15, 2011 – we left for the airport at around noon on Friday.  The first funny thing that happened was that after I went through security at BWI, when I went to put my sneakers back on, I noticed that the sole of my right sneaker was separated from the shoe.  I had to walk around BWI with my right sneaker flapping.  Once we got to Denver where we had a four plus hour lay-over, we found out that they had a Croc Store at the airport.  I bought a pair of Crocs really quickly.  I promptly threw out the old sneakers.  Unfortunately, in my excitement to buy the new Crocs, I left my carry-on bag at the Croc Store.  I did not realize I left it until we were at a French restaurant in the airport getting ready to be seated.  We had to run back to the Croc store and fortunately the bag was still sitting where I left it!   After dinner at the French restaurant, we had to hang out and kill time while waiting for our flight to Spokane, Washington.  Unfortunately, the weather was bad that night.  We sat near some windows and watched the rain and lightening.  Our flight to Spokane was delayed not so much due to the weather but because our flight crew was stuck in San Francisco for reasons unknown.  We were really worried that we would not be able to pick up our rental car in Spokane because the rental companies all closed at Midnight.  We arrived in Spokane at 11:45 pm and remembered that the Rental car agency close at Midnight!  B ran over to the National counter and got our car without a hitch. D and I went to the baggage claim to get our bags.  It was funny but the bags took so long to come out that B had already finished with getting the car before any of the bags came off the conveyor belt.  We spent that night at a Residence Inn in Spokane. 

Saturday, July 16, 2011 – we woke up on Saturday morning and promptly went downstairs to eat a nice complimentary breakfast at the Residence Inn.  After breakfast we took off for the 5 hour drive to our hotel in Kalispell, Montana.  We drove through beautiful Idaho and into amazing Montana.  We noticed on our drive that there were Espresso places on every block or maybe two per block.  It was funny.  They looked like the snowball stands we have in Maryland.  Just little stand-alone shacks with names like “Cowgirl Coffee”, etc.   That afternoon we made it to the National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge in Moiese, Montana.  The funny thing that happened here was in the parking lot I overheard two groups of tourists talking about how they had come all the way from Maryland.  The one group said they drove here a few weeks ago.  Of course, I chimed in to say that we were also from Maryland.  It was quite a week for Maryland tourists in Montana.  I have always wanted to see bison but when we got close to them I got pretty nervous because I read in the National Bison Reserve Wildlife Refuge (NBRWR) brochure that they were in mating season from mid-July so the Bison bulls are very irritable.  They will charge at a drop of a hat according to the brochure.  I wanted B to keep driving but we got stuck a few times with a large bull bison fairly close to our car.  Fortunately, nothing bad happened.  We also saw many white-tail deer and antelopes.  The best part was when we saw an antelope hanging out and eating when he saw another antelope and started chasing her (we guess) up a hill.  They did a funny zigzag run/chase up the hill.  It was quite amazing to watch.   We really wanted to see an elk but we didn’t.   After we left the Bison Range, we stopped at a small shop outside and bought some buffalo jerky and huckleberry jam, huckleberry gummies, huckleberry wine, huckleberry soda (you get the idea).  All of the huckleberry items were delicious.  D absolutely loved the buffalo jerky.  We drove through a town called Polson and ate dinner at a restaurant called 4B’s.  That restaurant is where we learned from our waitress that there were lots of grizzly bears around and that huckleberries are very popular in Montana.  I ate a piece of huckleberry pie that night.  The funniest thing that happened was when we were getting close to the hotel, B asked me for the address.  I looked at the paper B had printed out with the information about the hotel.  I gave him what I thought was the address.  We drove and drove and drove when finally B started wondering aloud about how could a hotel be on a dirt road?  We realized at that point that we were driving directly to the travel agent’s house!  I had picked up the wrong address from the paperwork.  We got a good laugh out of that (mostly at my expense).  We arrived at our hotel (the La Quinta in Kalispell) at round 11:30 pm.   The room was fine.  It had a pull-out couch in the living room for D so he had his own privacy.  The negative thing about it was that the stove burner pans in the kitchenette were disgustingly dirty.  I pulled them out and put them on the counter for cleaning.  Yuck! 

one of the many Espresso stands

Sunday, July 17, 2011 – on Sunday morning we ate a complimentary breakfast at the La Quinta which was good but not as good as the one at the Residence Inn.  Although, they had two waffle machines instead of one which was nice.  We took our first drive up to Glacier National Park (GNP) to get our $25.00 one week entry ticket to the park.  I thought that was very inexpensive for such a wonderful week of fun.  B decided that he wanted to drive up to Bowman Lake which is one of the many glacial lakes in GNP.  We figured it would be a fairly long drive but neither of us realized it would be a challenging drive, too.  We drove through Apgar and had some huckleberry ice cream, huckleberry lemonade and other snacks.  Our drive to Bowman Lake took us onto Outside Fork Road through a small town called Polebridge.  We did not realize that Polebridge is actually one of the main entrances to the park.  They have a store that we visited.  We bought a few snacks and things.  As we finally arrived at the lake, we saw how beautiful it was.  We decided to take a short walk through some trees to get to the lake.  During that short walk I was fairly nervous that we would encounter a bear (black, brown, grizzly or whatever) but we did not see any wildlife.  Bowman Lake is a glacial lake (of course).  It is surrounded by snow capped mountains.  The water was so clear and clean that D decided to go into the water.   He went in a bit deeper than he had planned and his new Ipod Touch was in his pocket.  Thankfully the Ipod did not get wet! A few days later I was talking to a Park Ranger who told me that there are bears near Bowman Lake!  That evening we ate dinner at a very nice restaurant called Truby’s.  It is at Meadow Lake Resort and Golf Course in Columbia Falls, Montana.  We had a bit of trouble finding the restaurant due to our GPS being fairly outdated.  This became a running theme throughout our trip.  That night D and I went for a swim in the pool.  The pool was super cold so we spent some time in the hot tub.  We met a family from North Dakota.  They told us that they had taken a hike through the park on a trail called Avalanche Trail and walked up to see Avalanche Lake.  They were sad that they did not see any bears because the trail was too populated.  It sounded like a nice hike for us.   You will read more about this on Thursday. 

Bowman Lake

Monday, July 18, 2011 – we drove around the park to the east side and ate breakfast at The Park Café which is in St. Mary’s Montana near the entrance to the Park.  They have amazing pie and the biggest pancakes I have ever seen!   B tried the pecan pie and I tried the razzleberry pie.  D is not a fan of pie so he did not have any.  Our waitress told us that the winter in St. Mary’s, MT was awful and at one point she was stranded in her house for two solid weeks!   After breakfast we got on the Going to the Sun Road and drove 52 miles across the park to see all the sites.  We entered GNP through the St. Mary’s Park Entrance.  We saw glaciers, trees and zounds of waterfalls.  They had just opened the road a few days before we got there.  It got pretty chilly up at Logan’s Run.  We saw a few people cross-country skiing in shorts up there.   We all agreed it the scenery was the best we have ever seen, including better than the Grand Canyon and Sedona formations.  After leaving the park, D wanted to get a splash ball and some goggles for the pool so we stopped at Walmart.  We ate dinner at a chain restaurant called HuHot Mongolian Grill in Kalispell, MT.  It was great.  After dinner, D and I took another swim in the cold pool and warmed up in the hot tub. 

Breakfast at the Park Cafe

Tuesday, July 19, 2011— we took a Scenic Boat Tour on Flathead Lake.  It was called “The Far West Boat Tours”.  The GPS did a number on us again while we were trying to find the Lakeside Marina.  The guy who was selling tickets was not in the booth when we finally got there.  When he arrived, he promptly got on the phone and spent the next 10 or 15 minutes talking and ignoring us while we tried to get his attention.   The line for tickets behind us kept growing.  He finally got off the phone and we got our receipt in time for the boat tour.  Later they came around to collect the hard tickets and we didn’t have them.  B said that we did not get our tickets because I was making mean comments about the guy but it wasn’t true.  We just did not go through the room where they were giving out the tickets.   The cruise took about an hour and forty-five minutes.  The lake was beautiful.  We chatted much of the time with a guy from Alaska who told us he was an anthropologist and a professor at University of Anchorage.  He was very interesting.  He guessed that D was Italian and that he plays an instrument and plays soccer.  When I asked him how he knew that he said, "I'm an anthropologist." So I guess that explains everything...  I also talked with a very nice farming couple from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  The guide pointed out the CEO of Starbucks house on the lake with a funicular down to their boat dock.  Nice.  After a bit, I started looking at the scenery around the lake which was amazing.  As I stared out at the lake I said to no one in particular, “If this was New York City we could be watching a body float by” after I saw a few logs floating by.  The next morning I read where a guy had drowned in that very lake on Saturday and his body had not yet been found.  Wouldn’t that have been ironic if we did actually see his body float by?   Afterwards, we went to the Big Sky Water Park in Columbia Falls.  There was quite a storm that day.  Luckily, we were able to wait out the storm and went into the park.  Most the patrons left because of the storm so we had the place pretty much to ourselves.  D went down the slides around 11 times in one hour!  That night we ate at Café Max Soup Company.  D ordered Elk and Buffalo Chili.  Unfortunately, he could not eat much of it because it made his mouth itchy.  We figured it had too much soy filler in the meat.  That night we all went back for a swim and hot tub in the evening.  Something I have not mentioned but was very obvious to us:  the sun does not go down in that part of Montana until after 10:00 pm.  We were definitely burning the candle at both ends by staying up late and getting up early each day.

Funicular on Flathead Lake

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 – on Wednesday we drove to the park again.  B wanted to drive Going-to-the-Sun road from the other direction.  It wasn’t as crowded and the construction traffic was lighter probably because we left earlier than on Monday.  The drive was even more beautiful and impressive than the east from west drive we did on Monday.  The waterfalls were much more visible.   We drove all the way to Two Medicine today in the hopes of taking a cruise around the lake.  The weather was rainy and cold.  The Two Medicine cruise was full so they put us on a waiting list.  The boat was out of order so all the people had to get off the boat until it was fixed.  We gave up on the idea of taking a cruise so we went into the camp store.  D had a hot dog and we all had a hot drink before we left to drive back to Kalispell. We saw a moose today on our drive back.  B was driving back on the road around the park when he said that he thought he had seen a moose.  Both D and I looked into the field and saw it too.  We drove back to see it again but sadly by the time we got back the moose was gone!   On this long drive we also saw a cow sitting on the outside of a fence and it looked like she was “talking” to another cow on the inside of the fence.   Dinner that night was at a restaurant called Blue Canyon.  The restaurant is at a hotel.  We had big problems finding the restaurant with our GPS.  We had called the restaurant and they told us to make a right at the intersection when the restaurant was actually to the left.  It was ridiculous but it took us a long time to find the restaurant.  We still got their before the restaurant opened.  We got a table directly under a huge Elk head that was on the wall.  It was kind of creepy.  The food was really good.  Their special was homemade potato chips with a blue cheese sauce that was so yummy!  We all enjoyed our meals at the Blue Canyon.  Then B and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 while D got to spend time on his computer to play some games.

Shellfish Couscous

Blue Cheese Crusted Flat Iron Steak

Thursday, July 21, 2011 -- we didn’t eat much for breakfast because we thought it would not be a very strenuous day.  We were planning to drive to Apgar and take a shuttle to Avalanche Trail.  There is a very easy trail called Trail of the Cedars that is wheelchair accessible and less than a mile long.  There is also a trail that you can take up to Avalanche Lake which is 2.1 miles each way. At the last minute, we decided to take on the challenge of hiking up to Avalanche Lake.   It sounded very easy.  We had talked to a family that did the hike on Sunday.  They had said it was very busy trail so no bears were found around there.  I read in the GNP literature that just because a trail is very busy it doesn’t mean you won’t see bears or other animals.  That got me a bit worried.  Also, we noted that the last shuttle from Avalanche back to Apgar was at around 6:45 pm.  We didn’t think that would be a big deal because when we decided to do the trail it was quarter to 2:00 pm.  The trail up to the lake was a lot steeper and harder than we thought it would be.  There were really quite a lot of people on the trail.  The views were beautiful. We could see the Avalanche River and a few waterfalls and mountains around us.  We knew that the lake was 2.1 miles away but we didn’t realize how hard the trail would be.  Luckily, when we got close we met a guy who told us just how close we were and not to give up because the lake is beautiful and worth the walk.  We finally made it up to the lake.  Once we got there, we enjoyed the view and relaxed a bit.  We figured that the walk back wouldn’t be as hard because it would be mostly downhill.  It was still pretty hard but B took his time.  I started to get nervous because it was getting late.  B told me to go ahead because I was not 100% sure what time the last shuttle was going to leave.  I started to speed up and go off on my own.  D had gone ahead and was sitting by the side of the trail waiting.  I saw him and asked if he was waiting for B – he said “no”.  He did wind up waiting and keeping B company as he slowly completed the hike back.   I started to take off and go as fast as I could – I was nervous about missing the shuttle and seeing bears!  I never saw any bears but I saw a few deer.  Once I got back to the Trail of Cedars I ran up to a woman who I thought was a Park Ranger. I asked her what time the last shuttle was and she said 5 pm.  I freaked because it was 5:20 pm at that point.  I ran up to where the bus stop was and I saw a shuttle there.  I asked around and read the sign.  I relaxed when I realized that the woman I had talked to was only a volunteer and she was talking about the time of the last shuttle was 5 pm when the road was closed due to snow but now the last shuttle back was at 6:45 pm (which is what I thought).  Bill and David came off the trail about 40 minutes later.  I made it back from the lake in about 1 hour and five minutes as opposed to almost 2 hours getting up there.  We had taken pictures and stopped quite a bit on the way up but still…  There were so many downed trees on the trail that B asked a ranger we saw on the trail about it.  The ranger told B that there was a big storm over the winter and the Chinook winds took the trees down.  My body was extremely achy by the time we got back to Apgar.  D (it was his night to choose) had a hard time deciding where to eat dinner that night.  We were really starving after our hike and not eating breakfast or lunch.  D finally decided to eat at Wasabi which is a nice Japanese Sushi place in Whitefish.  We called them and they were full with reservations; their first reservation was 8:45 p.m.  So instead we went to a place called Nickel Charlie’s in Kalispell which is in a casino.  I forgot to mention that we saw so many little casinos.  There were at least one or two casinos on each block.  The dinner at Nickel Charlie's was really good.  We over-ordered but it was alright since we had a refrigerator in our room.  D and I also took our last swim at the hotel pool that night and warmed up in the hot tub once again. 

Friday, July 22, 2011 -- we ate breakfast at a place called The Rack Shack for the second time this week.  It is a really great place to eat. Surprisingly, we saw an accident right in front of the restaurant.  Sadly, a guy on oxygen was driving a car that rear-ended a car that looked like it had just stopped in the middle of Rt. 93.  The bad part was there is a turning lane but the woman driving did not use the turning lane.  I wonder why she stopped short that way?  The favorite item for our family on the Rack Shack breakfast menu was Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.    The funny thing was that I had ordered the pancakes a few days before and the boys’ were about twice the size of the ones that I ordered.  Another funny thing was that the menu said that the pancakes came with strawberries but when I ordered them they came with raspberry jam on top and when B and D ordered them the pancakes came with blueberry syrup.  Weird.  After breakfast we drove over to see some bears!  We hadn’t seen any during the entire week so we paid $22 to drive through the Great Bear Adventure.  We saw 4 black bears in captivity.  One of the bears actually crossed the road almost right in front of us.  It was very cool.  After driving through the Great Bear Adventure a few times we decided to drive up to Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada.  The drive was pretty.  It took about 2 hours to get up there.  We decided to eat dinner in Cranbrook.  The first thing we saw when we got into the town was a Tim Horton’s so we used the bathrooms there.  Of course, we had to sample the donuts especially since D had never tried one that he could recall.  We had a really hard time finding a restaurant in Cranbrook.  The problems involved our GPS that hadn’t been updated and the bad economy.  Most of the restaurants we found on the GPS were either gone or replaced by other restaurants.  We wound up at a place called East Side Mario’s.  We had been looking for Boston Pizza.  We drove past Boston Pizza on our way out of East Side Mario’s.  East Side Mario’s had pretty good food. I would say it was sort of like a cross between Olive Garden and Pizza Hut.  The tomato sauce on my spaghetti was odd but not terrible.  I was so hungry I did not care.  On the way home, we drove through a big storm.  After the storm passed, we saw a great double rainbow.  It was amazing!  We drove back to the USA through Eureka.  B wanted to see the rodeo so we got our tickets and went into the rodeo.  The funny thing was I thought the rodeo was indoors.  B and D thought that was hysterical.  Then I saw 3 people riding what I thought were lawn mowers but they were actually riding on wheelchairs.  B and D thought that my mistake was a scream.  D and I did not feel very comfortable at the rodeo but we stayed about an hour.  We saw the bareback riders, bronco riders, calf roping, and barrel racing.   There was a weird clown type guy who was part of the show.  I was worried he would come over and start giving us a hard time but he never did.  We left the rodeo after an hour and went back to the hotel to get ready to leave for home.  It was getting close to the end of our journey. 

Black Bear at The Great Bear Adventure

Double Rainbow

Rodeo in Eureka, MT

Saturday, July 23, 2011 – Saturday morning B got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am!  I stayed in bed as long as possible and so did D.   In the few minutes I had to get ready to go, I saw B’s Park Café Mug (I thought) on the counter.  I wrapped it up and packed it in B’s carry-on bag.  It turned out that he had already packed his mug and I had wrapped up a mug from the hotel room.   I also managed to put B’s contacts in my eyes by mistake.  Remember, I was very tired by then!  We managed to get out of the hotel only about 20 minutes later than B wanted us to leave.  We had that 5 hour drive ahead of us.  We had almost reached Idaho when we needed to take a “rest stop” and fortunately there was one available right off the highway.  When we went into the restrooms we noticed that coffee and snacks were being served outside.  It was 37 degrees that morning but two ladies from the town of Mullan, Idaho were setting up a table to serve coffee, tea, cookies, lemonade and even dog biscuits for the doggies.  I was very impressed.  They only took donations.  I guess it was mostly for the truck drivers but we were offered coffee, too.  Since we had some extra time, we decided to have breakfast in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  Again, we had GPS problems but we found a great family restaurant that served only breakfast and lunch called “Jonesy’s”.  We had the best hash browns in Idaho at that breakfast meal!  We made it to the Spokane airport in plenty of time.  There were no problems with our flights but we still made it home to BWI about 15 minutes late.  The worst part was that the plane didn’t land until 12:30 midnight.  By the time we got our bags and drove home it was around 2:30 or 3:00 am.  All-in-all we had a wonderful if tiring vacation in Glacier National Park.

At the Spokane Airport

Sunday, July 24, 2011 – when we finally arrived home at around 2 am on Sunday morning, we noticed indications that the electricity had been off for a short period of time while we were gone.  When I woke up on Sunday, I saw my clock said it was 3:47 pm so I thought we had slept a really long time when in reality it was only around 10:00 am because my clock was not set correctly!