One of my very favorite series is the British Bake Off. In a big white tent, rain, heat, or shine, these bakers make every wonderful recipe submitted to them by their hosts. Making puff pastry in the heat is nearly impossible, but they are not forgiven if their effort turns out to be bad. Off they go. It starts tonight (Saturday) on Public Television. So excited. BUT, I discovered you can watch the entire 6th season on youtube: (several seasons, in fact.)
Saturday, July 30, 2016
British Bake Off is back tonight at 6:00
One of my very favorite series is the British Bake Off. In a big white tent, rain, heat, or shine, these bakers make every wonderful recipe submitted to them by their hosts. Making puff pastry in the heat is nearly impossible, but they are not forgiven if their effort turns out to be bad. Off they go. It starts tonight (Saturday) on Public Television. So excited. BUT, I discovered you can watch the entire 6th season on youtube: (several seasons, in fact.)
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Today it's cabbage
Beth and I like cabbage, but the rest of the family does not bother with it. Today I tried a version of Kimchee spicy slaw. It seems anything goes as long as there is cabbage as a base. So on top of cabbage, onions, carrots, garlic, I added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sesame seeds and Kimchee based spicy chili sauce.
The second picture is stir fried cabbage and peppers with zesty sausage. (Momoya spicy chili sauce works well in both dishes.)
Andy has cabbage growing the size of a big man's head and so this is cabbage day at the Lechler's whether they like it or not.
The second picture is stir fried cabbage and peppers with zesty sausage. (Momoya spicy chili sauce works well in both dishes.)
Andy has cabbage growing the size of a big man's head and so this is cabbage day at the Lechler's whether they like it or not.
Go to carlsbadcravings.com for this recipe for overnight creme brulee French toast
It looks scrumptious especially with brioche. Helps men get over cabbage.
It looks scrumptious especially with brioche. Helps men get over cabbage.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
More products to try from Tensuke Market
This was run around day for Beth, Alyssa, and I. We got our nails done, visited Tensuke Market and ate in that area at a great restaurant. Here are some products I bought to try.
Matt's degree is in Japanese , so I bought him these noodle bowls for him to take to work. Since we went through a bottle of kimchee hot sauce in a week (I put it in everything.), I looked for that in the market. I finally had to ask and they were stunned to think I was going to make kimchee which is cabbage based with hot sauce. I told them I had put kimchee hot sauce in my stews and soups and they were surprised for some reason. Anyway, they did not have the brand we finished so I bought Momoya kimchee spicy chili sauce...wish me well. Beth loves kimchee and we have cabbage and now the base so here goes. I also bought BBQ garlic soy sauce; miso sesame dressing and sauce; rice vinegar; and Yamasa soy sauce. Then black poppy seeds and sesame seeds finished the deal. I am going to be very busy. (The peppers are from Pete, with thanks.)
Monday, July 18, 2016
Netflix choices
Tomatoes are pouring in from the garden. This is the first offering of the season. Serve it hot or cold and make it spicy. Yum
Couscous couscous salad dressed with a bit of gazpacho
Get busy.
I expect you all are on Netflix. We love it here and Alyssa (in New Orleans) and I shoot notes to each other about what to watch for sure. I started slowly because I didn't think I would like a movie on an iPad, but I do. I put on earphones and it is as though I am in the movie with the characters. I started off with Doc Martin, a British series that I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to the next season. The movie Primal Fear is very good, but it has been on regular TV, but so has Doc Martin (on public television.) Scandal, the Borgias (really good), Double Jeopardy, the movie, is gripping. How to get away with Murder was good and then I got really confused and tired of trying to find out who killed whom. The old West Wing and Madam Secretary are favorites. The Lovely Bones was excellent, but sad. The Tutors was a favorite and there were lots of bad goings on in that one! I just finished Atonement today. In the Valley of Elah was gripping.Twisted with Ashley Judd was good. Madam Bovary makes me mad. I had the same reaction to the book. The Girl who Played with Fire series. The Double was interesting to me. Iris was different and I likes it. Loved Breaking Bad. Can't wait for the new episodes of House of Cards...so good. The Paradise; loved it. Call the Midwife is okay, but not my favorite. Keeping up Appearances; I've watched this British series for years. Haute Cuisine is another that I liked. Basic Instinct is old but interesting. I have more, but the Republican convention is on and chaos is afoot.
We are looking at our plot of spaghetti squash with mouths watering. The squash will take a few more weeks, but it looks like we will have a bumper crop. Picture it with butter, garlic and shrimp as well as the tex mex boat below. (Also, chicken pot pie for dinner.)
Sunday, July 10, 2016
World Market products to try
Do you love coconut? I tried this cake this morning and I am wild about it. The recipe calls for coconut icing, but this, plain, has such a pure coconut taste that we have forgone the icing. Another plus is it is easy. It is supposed to be white, but with four eggs how is that possible? I will print the recipe for you to try at the bottom of this post.NOTE: I just made this with chocolate mixes and it looks great. I have not tried it, however. Will let you know. It's cooling at the moment.(I like the original better, but then I am not a chocolate lover.)
Beth and I went to World Market today and found a lot of new products. These will be fun to try.
Kimchi hot sauce gets rave reviews from the family. The bottle is 1/2 gone already.
1 white cake mix (You could use yellow because with 4 eggs, how can the batter still be white?)
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar ( I did not use this because it is sweet enough)
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 cup Baker's coconut (or some sweet coconut that is moist)
Mix all together and add the cup of coconut by hand at the last step.
The recipe calls for: soft cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, 1/2 cup toasted coconut. and enough milk to make it spreadable. (I would skip this, but it is up to you.)
Friday, July 8, 2016
supreme mac and cheese
We are still eating the salads from the party and Beth took several to treat her co-workers to lunch. I won't be happy until it all disappears, however. I don't like opening the frig to surprises
I feel compelled to give out this recipe. You can't hurt it no matter what you do and you don't need a mixer. It calls for bananas and I made it that way several times. Then I had so many blueberries, so I used them instead of bananas. Perfect. Then I used a combination of apple sauce and homemade cranberry sauce (today) and look what I got. I tell you there is nothing as easy as this excellent recipe. Here is the basic recipe and you can take it from there:
3-4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup of sugar (I use only 3/4 cup)
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
NO NEED FOR A MIXER. Preheat oven to 350
With wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, the beaten egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt over the mixture . Mix. Add the flour last, mix until no flour shows. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. bake for 40-50 minutes depending on your oven.
Monday, July 4, 2016
All over~ another lovely time
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday and Thursday~ time is closing in
Yesterday I had a picture of baked beans on this site but it looked so dark and dreary that I took it off. Actually the dish looks, in real time, like it would be delicious and it is stored for consumption for Monday, July 4th. We are expecting 40-50 people, the list keeps growing and we are glad to have everyone celebrating JD's accomplishments. I have a slow cooker going again with another ham and bean concoction. If there are left overs, the Cincy gang likes to take the left overs home to enjoy all week so they don't have to cook. Yesterday was busy in the kitchen. Andy brought in a large head of cabbage from the garden and I had a pork shoulder in the crock pot along with carrots potatoes. kale, onions...you know the bubble and squeak kind of goodness? Well, in went the cabbage for another hearty party dish. All of this is not just for the party. JD, David, and Johnna are coming Saturday for several days, from Florida, and they too have to eat (or so they hope.) I don't want to spend every minute over the stove.(JD's thank you note.)
I had to bake another maple pecan cake with maple icing. It has cream cheese in the batter and people went wild over it. I have this file of 'to make' dishes and this scrap from the Dispatch paper (Cook's Corner) was among the clippings and I just read it and thought that sound lovely and easy and so I made it. I took a bite and called Andy to try it and that was all it took; soon the entire family was tasting and then, some how, it was gone. If you want the recipe, just email me.
I am cleaning out the kitchen frig today making room because soon it will be pasta salad day, cheese ball day, and who knows what else will appear on the party buffet. I am cooking like this is my last event, I pray that it is not. lol
Have a great day. Ours is cool and sunny and after the rain the plants are jumping out of the ground. I have to make my rounds outside and pull the spent flowers off the plants so they will looking lush on Monday.
Note: Keep checking back. I keep adding to the post all day long. No pictures so far, nothing pretty enough to show you, yet,... besides my phone is up stairs.
These thank you notes are so cute. This one is from JD. We celebrate him on Monday.
Pasta salads obviously, with pepper jack cheese, and salami and vegetables... With corn, black beans, and couscous
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Tuesday, last of the baking and wine gathering
Day two of party prep:
I finished off the baking with maple pecan cake, a new recipe that is easy, fast and delicious. I will be going back to that one. Then the bananas tapped me on the shoulder and indicated they needed using.. So I whipped up a loaf and said that's it!
Now I am off to Trader Joe's to get the champagne. We like to start off the party with cold, sweet Italian bottles and Trader Joe's has the best prices for that.
After that it is set up and cover up day. I haul out all of the plates, flatware, glasses, cake plates, serving bowls...well you get the picture. After everything is in place I cover the areas to keep the items fresh and clean. That process takes a lot of time and needs to be done well ahead.
Note: I'm afraid this cake will not make it to the party. I cut it and tried it and it is wonderful. (maple pecan cake.)It was new to me and I wanted to see how it tasted The family will be on this like white on rice. It has cream cheese in the batter. Lovely.
Looks like I am baking again tomorrow. I have to make this again, it was that good. I got the recipe from Cook's Corner years ago and it has been on my 'to make list' a long time.
Looks like we are ready for a party...or getting there.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Monday is cake making day~
I've made three cakes so far and had my nails done and shopped at Carfagna's. I am moving right along because I thought I had two weeks before guests arrived and I have only a week as of today. It will work out because the Cincinnati gang is taking care of all of the meat this time and Pam is doing pies. Everything is under control because Matt is doing the outside, Andy does the pool and flowers, Beth does the inside and I am doing the cooking sans the meat dishes. Heather's husband is bringing one of his big, famous, luscious, cheesecakes too. So we are setting up the dining room as the dessert station; the porch is the drinks and starters, and the kitchen holds the rest of the delights for two meals on the 4th. We figure forty people this time and the day is supposed to be beautiful.
The orange juice cake is still in the oven, but here are two finished products: a rum cake / pecans and a raisin spice cake with a frosting of ginger lashing. And above, right is an orange juice cake. If you want recipes email me at dorislechler77@gmail.com
Cake #4 maple pecan cake
Feeling pretty happy here at Many Branches.
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