The Hostess with the Mostest

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bobgreiner.tripod.com

This blog is about food.


Last month I was at a loss for inspiration. This month, I have a few blogs in my head, but have been too busy to get them out! I can't decide if I should back track and get further behind, or start with what's most current then go backwards. 


November is my birthday month! heehee. I only say that because it drives Hubby crazy. He barely recognizes one day, so I love to declare November as MY month, just to watch him roll his eyes. 


However, I will wait and tell you about my birthday, and instead show you my Hostessness. Yeah, I just made up that word. I like typing ssss!


I am part of a bunko group, and last night was my turn to host. The hostess has to buy prizes, and prepare a lovely meal. In truth, my hostess abilities pale in comparison to most of the other bunko "babes" (as we like to call ourselves), but this is how it went last night.


Jennee helped me out by making her specialty, sweet potato burritoes. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, they are yummy. I don't have actual amounts, because it's all "to taste", but here is the gist of it: Mashed sweet potatoes, with cumin, salt, garlic powder; grilled onions, black beans, (drained and rinsed), cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese. Layer it in the burrito, then brown in the skillet. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

 We also have a very easy, yet delicious salad. I use spinach and Romaine lettuce, add craisins (dried cranberries), and sunflower seeds, serve with poppy seed dressing. It doesn't get any easier than that. Sometimes we add grilled chicken to it, and presto-chango, it becomes a meal!


And dessert was peach cobbler. I saw this idea from another blog (sorry, I don't remember which one, but it's a great idea!) Single servings baked into little half-pint jars. So cute. I left plenty of room at the top to allow for a scoop of ice cream.

 The recipe I used comes from The Barefoot Contessa,(Peach and Raspberry Crisp) but I make it without the raspberries. This recipe makes the perfect topping. Crunchy and delicious. I like a little peach with my crisp.


Here is my version:


2 to 2 1/2 quart jars of canned peaches
1 orange, zested
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 2-3 TBSP. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup oatmeal (I like to use old-fashioned oatmeal)
1 stick cold butter
1/2 cup hardened coconut oil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Drain peaches and place in large bowl. Add orange zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 TBSP flour. Toss well. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, and 1 more TBSP flour (I usually do). Divide peaches into jars, or pour into a buttered baking dish. 


Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and cold, diced butter and coconut oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches. (This makes a lot, pile it on thick! If using individual jars, leave about 1 1/2 inch head space, to allow for the ice cream.) For 9x13, bake for 1 hour, until top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. For the jars, I think I baked them about 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge.


I forgot to get pictures of my prizes, but I found some really cute decorative bird houses at JoAnn Fabrics (on sale! whoo hoo!). Too bad I didn't have any of those cute birdhouses made out of gourds!


Everything turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. 

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Try it, You'll like it! Tuesday - Sweet Potato Rolls

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and maybe you're looking for a new roll recipe to try.  This recipe is originally for Butternut Squash, but I had some leftover sweet potato, so I used it. This is good with butternut squash, but the sweet potato made the rolls a little sweeter. Either way, they are yummy.

Sweet Potato Rolls


1 pkg. (1.4 oz.) active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk (110 - 115 degrees)
1/4 cup warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
3 TBSP. butter, softened
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato OR butternut squash
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk and water. Add the butter, salt, sugar, sweet potato or squash, and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 min. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.


Punch dough down. Form into rolls; place in two greased 10-in. cast-iron skillets or 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 min. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Yield: about 2 dozen.

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Try it, You'll like it! Tuesday - Peach and Raspberry Crisp

With the cooler temperatures coming on, I thought I'd share this yummy dessert with you. I love, love, LOVE the topping, and would almost just as soon eat it without the peaches. It's easy and yummy, my top two criteria!

Yes, this does have peaches in it!

Peach and Raspberry Crisp  
2qts. of home canned peaches 
1 orange, zested
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 2 - 3 TBSP. flour
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced OR (I use 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil, hardened)


Drain peaches and place in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. All the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour.  Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.


Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, cold diced butter and coconut oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed untl the butter is pea-sized and mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of peaches and raspberries. NOTE: This makes a lot, and it may be a struggle to get it all on, but don't waste a drop, and pile it all on! Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve. One scoop of ice cream looks mighty purty with that!


I've also made this without the raspberries, and using blueberries. Yum, yum, and yum!
  
          

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WOW - BON!

Today's my birthday! Well, not really, but it feels like my birthday! Today is my day to shine as the BON (Blogger of Note) at WOW (Words of Wisdom).  I want to start out by thanking Pam and Sandy for featuring my blog, and welcoming everyone from WOW.  I've been blogging since January, and am still trying to "find my way", and be a better organized blogger. I'm not sure how much wisdom will be found in my blog, mostly because I'm so forgetful, but, maybe from time to time, there may be a smidgen. I'm not usually the one being out in the spotlight, but rather, standing somewhere in the shadows. I like it there. It feels safe. But today, the shadows are gone. So, I will do my best to shine brightly. (Even though my palms are sweating as I type this.)

So, with that all said, I'll share with you my latest adventure in baking. I've been out of the kitchen way too long. It's been about five weeks or so since I've cooked a meal.

Hubby and I have been doing some work for family members, who all live about three hours away. I paint and he does handy work  The first job required that we be gone about two and a half weeks. We were home for two days, then left on a two week road trip out West. (I promise to post pictures in the somewhat near future.) We were home one day, then left for another three day stint of more painting and handy work for another family member. We came home from that, then left the next day for a weekend family reunion. And the day after we got home from that, we discovered a produce auction, and we came home with three bushels of green peppers, three pecks of yellow peppers, 16 dozen ears of corn, two pecks of onions, two pecks of cukes, and three pecks of green tomatoes. So this week I have been freezing corn, and grinding everything else to make a sandwich spread, and salsa. Oh yes, and on top of all that, my Dad gave me some zucchini from his garden.

I have a really good recipe for zucchini bread, but I thought I would try something different. So I thought I'd hope onto the good old internet and quickly print out a new recipe. But, first I have to check my email, and I might as well see what's happening on facebook. Oh yeah, I'm looking for a recipe. About an hour later, after wandering around like an ant on different interesting looking sites, I finally stumble on a chocolate chip zucchini bread. Sounds like a winner. (Thank you Paula Deen!) And, I have just enough chocolate chips remaining that haven't been gobbled up from a chocolate feeding frenzy.

I printed off the recipe. What? Are you kidding me? Why is the print so stinkin' small? It looked like this:

I mean, I can read it, don't get me wrong. But, it does put a strain on my eyes. I could try and find my reading glasses, not that I need them, of course, but that would take too long. Unbelievably, Hubby knows how to enlarge the print  reprint the recipe so it is readable.

So, I start making the zucchini bread. I feel like a stranger in my own kitchen because it's been so long since I've used it. Things are going well. I'm mixing up the batter in the mixer, adding the spices. One tablespoon of orange rind. This was dried, and in a spice container. I measure it out, have it right above the batter, about to pour it in. For some reason, I stop and look at it. Hmmmmm. I double check. (Highly unusual for me). Holy cow! I nearly put in one table spoon of nutmeg! That was a close call.

I continue mixing everything else, add the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the mini loaf pans. It seems a little runny, but I've never made it before, so I continue on. Put it in the oven, set the timer. I take a taste of the batter. Yum, it's good. I decide that Hubby might like a little taste. On my way to take him a taste, I walk past the bag of flour sitting on the counter. Hummmmmm. Flour? The warning lights are flashing. Flour! Flour!  Oh, shoot! The bowl of dry ingredients are sitting on the counter. I quickly pull the "bread" out of the oven, pour the runny batter back into the bowl, then add the dry ingredients.

In spite of the near disaster (twice!) the zucchini bread turned out to be quite tasty. It's served chilled with a dollop of cool whip.

If you have made it to this point, here are a few other stories you might enjoy.
The time I was almost arrested for stealing a car  
What are fudge farts? 
Unusual house guest

 Thanks for stopping by.

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