It's Monday Already.

Boy. The start to another week. I feel like I'm not even finished with last week. We had a very quiet weekend. Not much exciting going on. I managed a teeny bit of sewing and some cleaning. Aside from birthday cake, the highlight was visiting MeMum and catching up on Big Love. I'm addicted and it provides a nice diversion while WE (you are waiting aren't you?) wait on Sawyer's return.

So, when there are no new tidbits of craftiness, you either get an old project or recipe. Flip a coin? Um...it's tails -- recipe. This is my favorite baked gift. (I may have said that about those Orange Cranberry Cookies, 'cause I love to give them too, but really, this is my favorite gift of baked love.) Several of the kids friends love it too, so when they all come home from school, if I know they'll be around, I'll make it for them. But, my biggest fan is BigDaddy. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so I usually have plenty to take to him too.

BigDaddy's Favorite Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. each, vanilla, almond, and butter extract

Combine all the dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add all the wet ingredients and mix well. (I just use a wooden spoon, rather than a mixer.) Bake in 2 large greased loaf pans at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire racks for approximately 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and place on wire rack. Poke holes in bread while it's still warm and pour glaze over top of each loaf.

Glaze:
2 Tbsp. frozen orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. each, vanilla, almond, and butter extractThe extracts in this recipe really give it a wonderful flavor. I like to wrap these loaves individually in parchment paper, tie them with string, and add a cute homemade tag.

And while we're hungry... wouldn't this make a great dinner -- butter roasted chicken, twice baked potatoes , and pie? Yum - O - Yum!!! Go ahead -- you can start your diet next week!

Behave yourselves....
XOXO,
Anna

Strawberries!

On Sunday, while I was sewing, MeMum called and said she'd made some strawberry shortcake and wouldn't I like to come over? Well, no one has to twist my arm! MeMum makes awesome strawberry shortcake. Except, can you call it shortcake if there's no shortcake? We've always called it shortcake, but it's really an angel food cake. It's one of my favorites and the highlight of this time of year!The sponge cake is sweet, moist and just heavenly. Nothing like those little angel food cakes they sell next to the strawberries this time of year. In the event you might be interested, I thought I'd share MeMum's recipe:

Angel Food Cake

12 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Sift remaining 1/2 cup sugar and flour together. Gently fold into egg whites. Add flavorings.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Invert cake; cool 1 hour or until completely cool. Remove cake from pan. Yield: one 10-inch cake.

Add strawberries mixed with a little sugar, and whipped cream. (Cool whip, if you must, but this cake really cries for the real thing!)

In the meantime, I've been trying to keep up with all of you bloggers. You're all wearing me out -- in a wonderful sort of way! I think maybe we should have one blog-free day a week. You know, kind of like in the old days, how Sunday was a day of rest. Probably wouldn't work though -- everyone would just save up what they had to say and then double-blog.

Apparently, Julie just can't sit still. Look what she's come up with now. She's incredible!

Here and here are some samples of the cute quilts at Dogged.

And check out this little beauty over at Barefoot Daydreams. Very inspiring.

I feel a nap coming on. See you next time.
XOXO,
Anna

My Favorite Places to Eat

On Friday night, TheManoftheHouse asked me if I'd like to go to The Big City on Saturday. We had a fun day, with just one annoying moment. For some reason, he decided to inform me that, with the boys soon out of college, we should think about downsizing.

We have several friends who are beginning their downsizing. But, I've never understood this concept. Just because the kids are gone, doesn't mean you don't need the space. I want space so the kids will want to bring their kids back home. And we can have big family dinners. And if TheManoftheHouse is bugging me, I can hide out somewhere.

So, after a little thought, I told him I had a downsizing plan for him. He'll be the first thing to go. He wasn't amused. It's such a burden to have to slap him back into reality sometimes. And he's burdened by the fact that his wife is a smart arse. Oh well...there'll be no more talk of downsizing, if you know what's good for you. ThankYouVeryMuch.


Now....on to the purpose of this post! KBG has tagged me to list my 5 favorite restaurants where I live. Please keep in mind that she said I can cheat:

1. Hands down, my favorite place in Ft. Wayne, IN is Asakusa -- a little hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. Not that I'm a big sushi eater, but I LUV their Teriyaki dishes. I found out about Asakusa from our customers who visit us from New Jersey. They insist on eating at Asukusa whenever they come to town. And rumor has it that our corporate goobers in Boston make up excuses to visit us, just so they can eat at Asakusa too.

2. Next would be the Casa chain of locally owned Italian restaurants. The afore-mentioned NJ customers claim it isn't that great (and being from Soprano-land, I suppose they would know), but it's better than the big chains and it's what we have.

Now, here's where I start to cheat. I've seen these posts on other blogs, and a lot of them mention high-end restaurants. We have some really good high-end restaurants here, but we rarely frequent them. I'm just too practical. Think how much fabric you can buy for the cost of one good high-end meal! So...

3. Das Essen Haus in Middlebury, IN. This is an Amish-style restaurant where you can eat family style or order off of a menu. It's not that the food is incredible (although, it is good), but if you tell me I'm eating at Das Essen Haus, I start salivating, 'cause that means I'll be visiting the nearby quilt shops in Shipshewana, IN. (Someday, that will be a separate post!)

4. MeMum's. Sorry, I know this isn't a restaurant, but I love to eat at MeMum's. She's a fabulous cook.

5. Now, for some, this one will be boring. A big chain. While in The Big City last night, we ate at Cheesecake Factory. (At least some of you have a chance of being able to eat at this restaurant -- 'cause what are the chances that you'll be eating at any of my previous 4 -- northern Indiana isn't exactly a tourist mecca!) Almost everything on Cheesecake's menu is appealing to me. Especially the cheesecakes -- duh! My very favorite dish is Madeira Chicken. And fortunately, since Cheesecake is a 90 minute drive from where we live, I was able to find a knock-off version of this recipe on the internet. I have made this recipe and it's a dead ringer for the original. Here's a very unappetizing picture, but trust me, it's delicious! (Kim -- really, I know it has mashed potatoes, but it's fabulous. If you must, give the potatoes to the kids!)


Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira

1 T olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
8 asparagus spears
4 mozzarella cheese slices
Madeira Sauce:
2 T. olive oil
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
3 c. madeira wine
2 c. beef stock
1 T. butter
1/4 t. ground black pepper
(And here, I have a handwritten note, to add a little cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it up a little.)

1. Heat up 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap, then use a mallet to flatten the chicken to about 1/4-in. thick. sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.
2. Saute the chicken fillets for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken has browned just a bit. Remove chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil to keep the fillets warm while you make the sauce. Don't clean the pan. You want all that cooked-on goodness to stay in the skillet to help make the sauce.
3. With the heat still on medium, add 2 T. of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the madiera wine, beef stock, butter and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduced to about 1/4 of its original volume. When the sauce is done, it will have thickened and turned a dark brown color.
4. As the sauce is simmering, bring a medium saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add a little salt to the water. Toss the asparagus into the water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender when done, not mushy.
5. Set oven to broil. Prepare the dish by arranging the cooked chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet, then cover each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to appear on the cheese.
6. To serve, arrange two chicken breasts on each plate, then spoon 3 or 4 T of madeira sauce over the chicken on each plate. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Of course, if you make this dish, you'll have to make cheesecake to go along with it!
XOXO,
Anna

Oh P.S.! Who to tag: How 'bout everyone who commented on the last post 'cause it makes for great diversity! That's Nicole from the west coast (who has potentially already done this?), Rohanknitter from the Heartland, Jade in Australia, and two girls from the UK: Lucy Locket and Kim, who is sure to include pubs with mashed potatoes! Also, a little boomerang tag for KBG, since you taught me how to cheat, could you give an example of a typical Ukrainian meal eaten at a local restaurant?

Jane's Flapjacks

After I finished my work this weekend, I rewarded myself by finally trying Jane's recipe for Flapjacks. I had purchased the golden syrup weeks ago at our local World Market. I'd never made an "untranslated" recipe from the UK before, so it was certainly an educational experience! I made the stupid assumption that you can use the 8 oz. = 1 cup rule for both liquids and solids. (What the heck was I thinking -- obviously it's been way too long since I learned "how" to cook and I've forgotten a few of the basics.)
So, anyway, Jane's recipe called for 6 oz. of butter and 6 oz. of brown sugar. That's 3/4 c. each, right? Well, conveniently, that worked. But, how 'bout the 9 oz. of oats? 1 1/8 cup you say? Now if you're thinking (which I clearly wasn't), you'll realize that brown sugar is much heavier than oats. The recipe was WAY short on oats. What emerged from the oven was a gooey mess. (Which actually, when cooled, molded into tasty little candy-like bits that weren't too bad.)

At this point, I realized that we did indeed have a small RARELY used scale. So, I got it out and weighed the ingredients for a second go-round. 9 oz. of oats, is approximately 3 cups -- a lot more than the 1+ cup I used the first time. Viola. There's a reason for the scale. And it worked -- the little bars were wonderful. Even TheManoftheHouse and TheFirstChild really liked them. I'm pretty set in my ways though. It would take me awhile to get used to weighing everything out whenever I follow a recipe. Maybe if I make this recipe often enough, weighing ingredients will grow on me. I'll definitely be making them again.

And while we're on the subject of cooking, I've noticed a few more recipes I'd like to try:

An Eclair Cake recipe at Homespun Living

Pink Meringues from Miss Marzie

And, Cream Scones from Smitten Kitchen

(Hmmm. I've just noticed they're all sweets. Why do you suppose that is???) Now, I'm off to sneak a leftover Flapjack before bed.
XOXO,
Anna

The Beehive Cake

I'm sitting in O'Hare airport on a delay from a cancelled flight and thought I'd take this opportunity to catch up on all the blogs I'm way behind on and post the beehive cake information that some of you have requested. And by the way, thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments. I love to read your comments and I try to answer all of them. Blogger is a weirdo though -- and I often can't find an e-mail address or website for some of you so that I can respond to your comments. So, just know, that if you don't hear from me (or if I don't reciprocally comment on your blog), it's not because I'm ignoring you!

Now, for the beehive cake. I've googled the pan and it seems to only be available from Williams Sonoma. It's made by Nordic Ware and I'm wondering if maybe it's made exclusively for WS. I love Nordic Ware pans -- I have an embarrassing number of them because MeMum and my DadLovesMeBestSister know how much I love them, so they are often gifts to me. I'm very lucky that way!

Here's the recipe (it's long and looks much harder than it really is, so hang in there):

Lemon Beehive Cake

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups (440g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks/250 g) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups (410 g) granulated sugar
3 tsp. lemon zest
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:
1/2 cup (185 ml) honey
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt

For the quick buttercream:
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick/60 g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (185 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the royal icing:
1 cup (125g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tsp. milk

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour the Beehive Cake Pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated suar and lemon zest and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and beat for 30 seconds.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are highter than the center. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the honey, lemon juice and salt and bring just to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Tap the cake pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely, at least 2 hours, before assembling and decorating.

To make the buttercream, in a small bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and continue beating until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more. To make the royal icing, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and the 2 tsp. milk until smooth. If necessary, add more milk 1/2 tsp. at a time until the icing is thick but still pourable.

Stand one half of the cooled cake vertrically on its base. Using a serrated knife, level the flat side of the cake by trimming off 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3 to 6 mm) from the edge. Repeat with the other cake half.

Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream, about 1/2 cup (125 ml), on the cut side of one of the cake halves. Place the cut side of the other cake half against the frosted side and gently press to secure the two halves; using the spatula, smooth the buttercream at the seam.

Using the large spatula, carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter. Drizzle with the royal icing, making sure to cover the frosted seams of the beehive. Decorate with sugar honeybees. Serves 16.

I'm sure this recipe would be good made in other cake pans too -- TheManoftheHouse loved it cause it's plain and simple, just like he likes his desserts.

Congratulations if you stuck it out this long and you're still here. And thanks for keeping me entertained while I see if my standby status will pay off. I really must go now though....I'm being drummed out of my waiting area by people who talk too loud on their cellphones!

XOXO,
Anna

P.S. Check out this picture posted by PamKittyMorning. That crochet on cardboard is the cutest thing I've seen in a Long Time. I'm seeing it soon in our future! ;-)

My Favorite Pasta Salad

The weather this past weekend was so beautiful and stirred up visions of summer to come. Now, however, it's cold and rainy as winter coughs up it's last (hopefully!) gasp. The forecast promises better weather after tomorrow, so, in preparation, I thought I'd share my favorite summer salad.

Ham and Chicken Salad
Salad:
3 oz. (1 cup) uncooked pasta nuggets
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup cubed cooked ham
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 *8 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained

Dressing:
1/2 cup tarragon or cider vinegar
1/3 cup oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package; drain. Rinse with cold water.

In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. In jar with tight-fitting lid, combine all dressing ingredients; shake to blend. Pour over salad; toss to coat. 4 (1 1/2-cup) servings.

This salad should have kind of a sweet and sour taste to it, so it's better if you make if several hours before you're going to serve it. I always have to at least double the recipe because TheManoftheHouse loves it!

XOXO,
Anna

My Favorite Cookie

Holy Cow. I'm SO tired. It's taken me three nights to catch up on blogs. You guys sure write a lot! And I'm getting a cold, so I'm not getting much sleep. Makes for a lot of yawning during my boring meetings.

Before I left home, I grabbed a cookie recipe to share with you this week. So far, there's been no recipe sharing here at Thimbleanna -- a problem that needs to be remedied, since I do love to cook. These Orange Cranberry cookies are my VERY favorite and that's saying a lot, 'cause I love cookies. My aunt found these cookies several years ago at a bakery and since I don't live in the area and can't get the cookies whenever I want, I wrote to them and asked them for the recipe. And they sent it! I've made some changes to their recipe and if it's possible, I actually think they're a little better -- not quite as dry. I took 2 dozen of these cookies on the Hawaii trip and after the first day, they were all gone. (Note: the recipe calls for a box of yellow cake mix. I suspect there are some of you who don't have access to a yellow cake mix. The only thing I can think of is to maybe try substituting the mix with the dry ingredients in this recipe.)

Frosted Orange Cranberry Cookies

1 box yellow cake mix (I like Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix)
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
Generous 1/4 c. sour cream
2 T. orange juice
1 t. orange extract
2 t. orange zest
1 c. coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/2 - 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix all ingredients together. Drop by heaping tablespoons (I like to use a medium sized ice cream scoop -- six scoops per sheet) onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. You just have to watch them -- I take them out when they are still underdone in the center and I leave them on the cookie sheets for a few minutes to keep cooking. When cool, frost.Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
dash salt
2 T. butter, melted
2 t. orange zest
3 - 4 T. orange juice
Mix all together.

I've found 1 large or 2 small oranges will provide enough juice and zest for the cookies and the frosting. You might not think these cookies are that great when you're eating them. But trust me. Eat one. Then go and do something. Pretty soon, your tongue will be craving another cookie. So. Good Luck!

XOXO,
Anna