Challah for Dessert

On a recent trip to Brookston with some of my new friends. We stopped by  Two Cookin' Sisters for jam and gifts. We also ate lunch at Klein Brot Haus. I picked up a few loafs of my favorite bread, challah. I normally eat challah with butter or jam, it makes a great sandwich and french toast. However, I left it out the fridge, oops! I deiced to take the stale challah and make a dessert.   

Bread Pudding:

3 3/4 cups challah bread, cut into 1 inch squares

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs

5-6 ramikins, buttered

Toppings:

1 lemon, zest

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2  tablespoon melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375˚

Cut up the challah bread into about 1 inch slices, do not remove the crust.  In a large bowl or a mixer, mix together the bread, melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Mix well to make a mushy batter. Slowly mix in the milk and cream, almond extract and vanilla extract.

In a small mixing bowl add together the topping ingredients and mix well with a fork.  Divide the almond topping mixture in half.  Divide 1/2 of the almond mixture into the bottoms of the buttered ramekins and top with batter, about 1/2 cup.   Top with the remaining half of the almond mixture.  Place the ramekins on a foil wrapped cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the  bread pudding is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  If the bread is turning to brown, lightly cover with a sheet of foil.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Roasted Mint & Garlic Chicken

Webber Grills Garlic-and Mint-Roasted Chicken

It's wonderfully juicy... simple hearty food. One of my favorite bits of the chicken is the crispy skin and burst of mint that fills your mouth. I served this with a grilled vegetable salad with balsamic vinegar. Yum!


This is a family favorite recipe, but we haven't made it in a while.  Enjoy!
Indirect / high heat
10 to 12 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds


In a food processor  or blender, combine the garlic, mint, chili powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, orange juice, and soy sauce. Puree until smooth. Remove the wing tips and excess fat from the chicken. Spread the puree mixture over the inside and outside of the chicken. Truss the chicken with cotton string. Place in a plastic bag, secure closed and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or as long as 24 hours.  
Following the grill's instructions, secure the chicken in the middle of a rotisserie in place, and turn it on. Cook the chicken indirectly over high heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the breasts is 170˚, 1 to  1 1/4 hours. Check the chicken occasionally; if the skin is browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. 
When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the rotisserie and using thick pot holders, remove the rotisseries from the grill. Slide the chicken from the rotisserie, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot juices. Cut the chicken into a serving pieces. Serve warm.  
4 servings

IMac Contest Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered the name my IMac contest. The winners are ... 

 Michael, with the name ICook and George with the name Maxie! Thank you and your cookies will be ready soon.  Thanks, Kate

Thank You

Thank you all for your entries. The IMac contest has ended.  The winner (s) will be announced on May 30Th.  Thanks you !

Memorial Day BBQ

Memorial Day Barbecue!  We had a great meal and lots of fun!  My parents had about 15 friends over and my brother, Josh, and his dog Fenway!

Corn salad is always a crowd pleaser. The avocado takes it from delicious to sublime, the seasonings can be adjusted to the crowd's  preference. We like it packed  with punch, so we go heavy on the spices. Note: We hate to  give this dish up when the corn season ends, so we prepare it with 4 cans of drained shoepeg corn, a worthy substitute.






The Ultimate Corn Salad

serves 10 

12 ears fresh corn off the cob

2 cans black beans , drained and rinsed

1 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

2 avocados, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Chop pieces for a salsa like presentation. Cut large pieces for a composed salad.

Dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon ground cumin + add extra

1 tablespoon chili powder + add extra

salt and pepper

Combine the first nine ingredients, and stir to distribute. Pour dressing over the salad and season to taste: it you prefer it hotter, add more jalapeno or spiced red pepper flakes: if you like it tarter, add more lime juice. The cumin and chili powder can be added to suit your palate.

Cupcake of the Year with Billy's Vanilla Buttercream Icing

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar, 1 added 2 additional tablespoons

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup special dark cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚ degrees. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners, about 12. Whisk together coconut milk, sugar, oil and vanilla extract and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients and beat until no lumps remain. Pour into cupcake lines, about 1/4 cup of batter. Bale  18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

1 cup butter at room temperature

6-8 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, 1/2 cup milk, and vanilla ( I like 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla) mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar.

1 Week Left to Enter!

1 Week Left to Enter!!!

My new IMac has arrived and have been busy playing with all the new features and all of the cool things that come with having an updated computer.

I recently killed my old Mac book in the last 2 months or so, by cracking it's shell. Ink or whatever (LCD?) is in there is now leaking out between the screen and the case. My Mac now looks like it was shot in the upper mid-left corner. Bleeding ink started in a nice light purple color and has continued to build on itself in a royal blue and now black. This has made blogging and just about everything else I do on the computer even more frustrating and more complex.I have bought my new blogging buddy, my birthday IMac!

As it is my own tradition to name almost everything I own, ie: my car is Louie Blue-y and my La-Z-boy recliner is called Gibbs.

I thought a contest will be fun and help welcome in the new IMac. The winner will receive a batch of homemade cookies, of their choice. I will offer up a few suggestions :) !

Rules:

• The computer's name can not have anything to do with my name
  
• It can not be something rude
  
• The winner will be named and chosen by me. The deadline for this will be May 28th and the winner will be announced on May 30th. Homemade cookies will be deliver if you are local or mailed to you.
• Your IMac name and the winner's first name will appear on the blog

Please send me your name, phone number, and address with your IMac name to notjustvanilla.kate@gmail.com or katiedid512@gmail.com

Please leave just your computer name idea on comments too please. Good luck and may the best name(er) get the cookies!

IMac Names So Far:

ICook- like Iphone

I love 2 cook

Mac the cook- like Mack the Knife from the play

Mackintosh- like the apple

The white night- because I blog late at night

Iggy

Mackie
Mac-aroni and Key's
Maxie
Lady Apple

I love the names so far. thanks guy, continue sending them in, the contest has been extended until May 28th! Please help name my I Mac!