pumpkin cream tarts with candied cranberries

last weekend we had our friend christmas get together

and I was bringing a couple of different food items and a dessert

I really had an urge to do something different

and I believe I found a wonderful, wonderful recipe

I was beyond excited to make tarts

out of all the desserts I've made over the years I had never tried tarts

and besides I wanted something other than a chocolate dessert:)

So during my late night internet search a couple of weeks ago

I found the winning recipe I wanted to try

pumpkin cream tarts with candied cranberries

courtesy of country living

I thought I'd share the recipe with you all because I loved them so much

making the tarts was definitely more fun for me

 I felt a little like I was "creating" more in the kitchen

rather than going through ..."my routine of baking"

I did take pictures as I knew I wanted to get back to blogging

plus I am such a visual person with recipes

I love to see pictures of what I'm making

and thought you may appreciate them as well

As a side note before I get started

most of my ingredients came from trader joe's

I know...

I go on and on about Trader Joe's

but I really believe that 1/2 the time the ingredients from there make all the difference

especially their ginger snaps

so throughout the recipe...I'll make note of which ingredients I think are best from there

step one

make the tart shells

one of my favorite parts about making the tarts are the beautiful tart tins

and how pretty they looked stacked together

I know...not part of my recipe {smile}

Preheat your over to 350

Combine the gingersnaps cookies crumbs {3 cups} with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a large bowl...yes that much butter:)

so the gingersnaps are literally the best from Trader Joe's...I purchased the ones in the circular clear container because there was more in the container than the ones in the bag

I love their cinnamon as well

and absolutely love, love, love trader joe's butter....I like how their sticks are quartered size or you can use their awesome irish butter...make sure it's unsalted butter:)

Cover the bottoms and sides of eight 3 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms with the crumb mixture. Transfer the tartlet shells to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

They will look this color

step two

Make the cranberry topping: Bring 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the fresh cranberries {1 cup} and cook until they just begin to soften. Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and set aside.

Reserve cranberry syrup for another use.

I did use cranberries from trader joe's as well

and I added just a bit of orange juice to them as I cooked them

I couldn't help myself that I filled almost two ball jars up with the cranberry syrup

the color looked amazingly beautiful

and the syrup will be perfect for the pancakes I will make Christmas morning
or even for ice cream

 

***also when I made this recipe I doubled the recipe in order to make around 16 tarts so that's why I had so much syrup***

 

step three

Make the filling:

Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.

Place the milk {1/2 cup and yes I always stress organic...organic milk is a must in my opinion} in a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin {1 teaspoon} over it, and set aside.

Combine the pumpkin purée {1 cup}, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy, 1 1/3 Tablespoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 4 large egg yolks in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and a thermometer reads 140 degrees F.

***again trader joe's has the best pumpkin puree...and talking with the check out person she told me that their pumpkin is fabulous for dog's coats...

so I've been adding a little to my sweet cadence's dish at night too***

Stir in the milk mixture, cook for 1 more minute, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, and place over the prepared ice bath.

Stir occasionally, until cool — about 10 minutes.

Okay since I doubled the recipe it was taking longer than 10 minutes for me...I set it in the ice bath for about a 1/2 hour and it still wasn't cool so I resorted to the freezer for about 15 minutes 

 I was in a time crunch because the tarts still had to set for 6+ hours when finished

I got a little ahead of myself and started filling the tarts with the pumpkin mix after it was cooled and it looked like this

BUT...the recipe wanted me to fold the whipped cream I made into the chilled pumpkin mixture and THEN fill the prepared shells

so I literally had to scoop this mix out of 20 shells back into a bowl

and then I followed the directions which it said:

Fold the whipped cream into the chilled pumpkin mixture, fill the prepared shells, and smooth the tops.

GOT IT NOW!!! {smile}

so to make the whip cream...you need 1 cup of heavy cream whipped to soft peaks

I love to use my mixer because I can turn the setting on high and let it go

just to let you know

I added about 1 to 2 teaspoons {I can't remember how much} of my vanilla bean paste that I get from william sonoma... I love vanilla bean paste of vanilla extract because it looks prettier with the little flakes of the vanilla bean ~ love, love

pretty pretty!!!

but you have to do it quick or people like my husband keep trying my whip cream

Chill for 6 hours+ or overnight.

Top each tartlet with a spoonful of the candied cranberries and serve cold.

I personally thought it was pretty to drizzle a little bit of the cranberry syrup I had in the ball jars on the tarts after topping them with the cranberries:)

the recipe says it yields 8 tarts...

but I found it was probably more like 10 tarts
as I got 20 tarts from doubling the recipe

I hope you all enjoy

I'm actually going to be making more this weekend

just one batch this time:)

since Madison and Hayley weren't able to try one

plus I wanted to make some for my parents too

Happy Baking and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas!

xo



the biggest evah

who knows where I was going with that title

{chuckle}

but since we woke up to ice and no school this morning

the girls were super excited

and asked for the "biggest pancakes evah!"

topped with nutella, blackberries, strawberries, and a little reddi wip from the spray can

their ears and faces perked up as soon as I sprayed that whip cream

on their pancakes and they came running in the kitchen just to see

{the sound of it spraying makes them giggle}

you should have seen their faces when I actually set their plate in front of them

{I had to put them on our dinner plates}

of course they won't eat it all

but it sure made them smile and giggle

hoping everyone stays safe and warm

xo

{that is my beloved crab apple tree I adore

since it keeps some color during winter}

for the love of mahi mahi

this past week the girls were asking for mahi mahi

every.single.night

Monday or Tuesday of last week
{obviously I cannot remember which night}
we had mahi mahi burgers

courtesy of Trader Joe's

they are delish

if I do say so myself

but every night there after they wanted mahi mahi fillets

so Friday we headed to Trader Joe's

to get those fillets
 they are such a good price at tj's

and taste wonderful

{fyi...they are in the frozen section}

usually I just cook the mahi mahi fillets

very simple because I love their flavor naturally
I typically just rub them in olive oil

and season with lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper
and saute or grill them

but I came across a great recipe in one of my old

Food and Wine magazines

the July 2010 issue

and I said

"that's it"

we are trying something new tonight {Saturday}

and I was so excited that most of the ingredients I had in my pantry

which is not usual

{chuckle}
I really wish I could get better at stocking my pantry
but it seems impossible right now

so here we go

the name of the recipe is

Grilled Fish with Artichoke Caponata

recipe by Michael White

from the July 2010 Food and Wine issue

here's the final dish...
but I'll show you step-by-step
with the recipe at the bottom
{lighting in my kitchen is not the greatest so excuse the pictures}

first here's the ingredients:

 make sure you have a deep skillet

{it's just easier}

I'm a big fan of my Rachael Ray pan that my parents got me a couple of Christmas' ago

absolutely *love* it

first four ingredients to use...olive oil, onion, celery, and garlic

start with the olive oil

and heat the olive oil until shimmering in your skillet

add the diced celery and onion
I *always* use a white onion
just my preference

then garlic, thinly sliced

give it a stir and cook on medium heat until softened

about 4 minutes

about like this

next

add the seasoned tomato sauce

I just bought a basic sauce and seasoned to taste according to our preference

which for my family...is garlic powder {never garlic salt}, basil, parsley, and oregano, and a few other things I cannot remember right now

add a dry white wine
I laughed because I was saving the already opened bottle that had about a 1/2 cup left in it
to make this recipe
poured it in a glass without thinking
and took a sip...since I forgot I was going to be cooking with it
so I guess I had a little less than called for

{obviously I like to cook while enjoying a glass of wine at the same time
so my typical red was poured shortly after}

*oops*
but it still turned out just fine

and here's the wine...pour in the skillet

next pour in the white wine vinegar

artichoke hearts

pitted green olives

pine nuts

which i completely forgot about

but would have been yummy

if i'd remembered

next I added organic cane sugar

drained, small capers

then add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

*i always do a lot of pepper*

simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced

about 8 or so minutes

lastly...add the shredded basil

i roll my basil leaves and slice that way

it's so much easier

and they stay nicer...

I'm sure you all know that

but took me a couple of years to figure that out

when basil is added, stir
 and let cool while you prepare the mahi mahi fillets

for the mahi mahi fillets
it actually calls for six 7-ounce fillets
I just bought one package for us four which usually has 4 fillets
but the package I picked up happened to have two extra large fillets
so I knew I would have extra sauce
but we are an extra sauce kind of family

on to cooking the fillets...

here's our mahi mahi fillets
that we rubbed with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper

the recipe calls for grilling the mahi mahi

but being that it's super cold and we don't have an indoor grill

I just sauteed them by coating the pan with water

and a little more extra virgin olive oil so they wouldn't stick

you only cook them a couple of minutes on each side

it doesn't take long

and here you go...

next it's time to plate the mahi mahi

just put the amount of artichoke caponata on top as preferred

I did extra
since I loved the sauce and vegetables so much

for sides

I steamed some broccoli while the girls and Bobby made mozzarella cheesy~bread

for the broccoli

i seasoned with my homemade herb vinegar I did a couple months back

it is so yummy and made from freshly grown herbs out of my mom's yard

recipe found from this blog here

I added the herb vinegar while the broccoli was boiling as well as a tiny bit on top after

then I sprinkled the broccoli with trader joe's parmesan cheese

and voila!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for rubbing

4 tender celery ribs, diced {1 cup}

1 onion, finely chopped {I always use white onions}

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 pound marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 tablespoons of sugar {organic cane sugar is the best}

2 tablespoons small capers, drained

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons shredded basil

Six 7-ounce skinless mahi mahi fillets

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Add the celery, onion, garlic and cook over moderate heat until just softened, 4 minutes. 

Add the tomato sauce, wine, vinegar, artichokes, olives, pine nuts, sugar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced, approximately 8 minutes. Stir in the basil, and then let cool.

2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Rub the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Transfer the fish to plates, top with caponata and serve.

death by chocolate...

Alright everyone....

I don't have any pictures of my new so-called " hair-do"

but maybe another time...

 the hair whip that I got was from Aveda...

it is a defining whip

it's amazing how much product you have to use to get the "natural" beach look

on top of the sea salt spray

and volumizing stuff I already had...

but anyway...

I am desperately needing to take some pictures

I have been the slacker for too long now

and at the lake...my camera didn't come out once

shame on me, right?

because now it has left me without much to say

this week was a simple week

among my favorites...

was waking up to the smell of fresh lavendar on my bedside table

driving with the windows down and the radio up

seeing my vines outside take over our porch

having the girls stay up extra late with me last night to go see the 4 toads

and tree frog that we have in our yard...

and laughing as we are chasing them so we can pick them up

and then getting peed on by them

the toads peeing not Madison and Hayley

just in case you were wondering:)

we stopped by the pet store on the way home one day
we had so much fun adoring all the animals

from the dogs, rabbits, fish, birds, lizards

oh how I just wanted to grab a new addition to our family

but we didn't, of course...

and this morning aggravated that the newly painted chair I finally and just finished

had the paint peeled off by Madison

so I have to start over

grrrr...

but the frame for the mirror has been completed and I love the color

At first I wasn't sure about the color

I had picked a seafoam color that turned out lighter than I thought

but it'll end up being just fine

I still need to convert the mirror into a big chalkboard

well okay I have to recruit Bobby's help on that

I'm too much of a wuss to have the chalkboard spray bubble on me

all these things leading up to a death by chocolate night with girlfriends tonight

only for special, special people do I ever make chocolate cake for

{meaning only Bobby and my favorite girlfriends}
that doesn't mean you aren't special if I haven't made one for ya...
I just have to have an event to motivate me to do so

 chocolate cake is not my favorite

I won't say I don't like it

 but I'm just a plain vanilla or white chocolate kinda-girl

and tonight everyone has to bring chocolate chocolate

to our girls night

I may feel sick by the end of the evening

but I'm looking forward to another night out with the girls

to put a spin on the chocolate cake I made for the baby shower in June

I made it how the directions actually said - 3 layer cake instead of a bundt cake

with the original icing and made some ganoche on the side to dribble over the top

ridiculous, right?

on half of the cake between the layers I purchased black raspberry seedless jam

to spread between 1/2 of the cake so it isn't just chocolate

and topped with fresh mint leaves and blackberries

I was informed by Bobby that not everyone likes fruit filling

{meaning just him}

so I was instructed to do that for only 1/2 the cake

if you know Bobby at all he has an indirect way of telling you things

pretty much he was saying...

"Martha don't ruin the cake with fruit filling because I want the left overs"

I told him fat chance

no really if there isn't any cake left over from us girls there are issues

because this cake is huge and weighs twice as much as the cake plate

and there are 6 of us bringing desserts

although I must admit saving him some cake will become great leverage

because one way to his heart

is when I make chocolate cake for him

it usually only comes twice a year

Valentine's Day and his birthday

so this is a special occasion to him

I'm not going to lie and act like I don't bribe my own husband

with chocolate cake

because I do

{I tell you that as I chuckle}...

I absolutely do

it works every time like a charm

and to be honest...he really doesn't mind

so I'll save him a few pieces of this heart attack chocolate cake

just because I'm a good wife like that

in case you are a chocolate lover...

here's the recipe...

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 cup baking cocoa

1 cup boiling water

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cps sugar

4 eggs

2 t vanilla extract

3 cups flour {I did part wheat flour}

2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup sour cream

frosting:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips {I swear Trader Joe's has the best chocolate chips}

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

1 t vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

ganoche: {this is not from this cake recipe...but from a different one...so it makes a ton extra you won't              use but just adds texture and pretty to the overall cake}

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; heated to a simmer

for garnish: fresh mint leaves and blackberries

and if you want to add fruit filling between the layers...I purchased black raspberry

1.  Dissolve cocoa in water; let stand until cool. in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well. Add cocoa mixture; beat well.

3. Pour into three greased 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick insterted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

4. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat; stir until smooth. remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over the top and sides of cake. This is where I also added the black raspberry jam between the layers.

5. for the ganoche: chop chocolate chips into tiny pieces or you may use a food processer and pulse them until chopped. Add heated cream as you are pulsing the chocolate chips in a slow steady stream until the mixture is smooth and cream. Drizzle while warm over the cooled cake....{I just did a little to cover up the imperfections of my icing}

6. Garnish with mint leaves and blackberries and/or raspberries

right around the corner...

Wednesday is the last day of school for the girls

part of me says

"uh oh!"

but mostly I'm getting excited

I have to be more creative with my girls with getting work things done

but after the first week of them home

I'll get a schedule down

and it is always great!

Bobby has a little surprise for the girls on their last day of school

I am so excited he made it happen

and can't wait to see their cute little faces with the excitement

Today was water day for Madison at school

so they had to wear their swim suit under their clothes

she was so excited because everytime we pass the pool on my run in the neighborhood...

she asks me

"Is it summer yet?"
"The pool is still empty!"

"Not quite sweetie..."

but she was just thrilled today to put on that swim suit the first time this season

granted Daddy is already having heart attacks that she is in a two-piece

if you recall

Madison did not have a two-piece until her Auntie Monica purchased one for her

last summer

it was so very fun to play a joke on Daddy with it

because he freaks out about the two-piece issue already

so he said he was not spending money on a two-piece

 Monica gave him a good laugh

at the big family "C" weekend at the lake that is every summer

Aunt Monica gifted Madison with one cute two-piece

and once you give a little girl {or any child for that matter} a gift...

there is no taking it back

I knew it was happening and was so excited about it

because we all couldn't wait for Bobby to get a bit in a hussie
because he is being silly about such a little thing

this morning...

I e-mailed Bobby a quick picture of Madison in her swim suit this morning

{he obviously didn't know it was water day at school}

I got the "ummm....Martha"

"that's cute and all but why is she in it...?"

It made him laugh in the end because he knows it is not something to seriously get bent out of shape about...

I think it is hard for him to have little girls because he doesn't like to think about all that comes with them getting older

I very calmy told him

"a 4 year-old in a two-piece...that's nothin' honey to what is ahead of us!"

he knows that

He always ends up laughing about it

and I surely laugh at him getting his feathers a little russled.

the picture of Madison was so darn cute!

she was so excited

Summer here we come
{or so I say now}

I'm hoping it will be a bit easier to take the girls to the pool this year

with Hayley a bit older

I really and seriously want to freeze time with them and always keep them this age

actually...with a bit of honesty

I'll wait to freeze Hayley until she is out of the "No" stage...

or out of the

"I'm not going to bed with a dirty look towards us" stage...

I'm looking forward to some water fun

picnic lunches at the pool

Daddy's BBQ with his two little helpers

and a yard full of flowers {hopefully} and fun!

thank you all for the love you give to me:)

Oh and we made one of our favorites over the weekend...

super yummy recipe I thought I would share:)

It's one of Bobby's favorites

Morrocan Chili and 10,000 Grains of Sand

recipe by Rachel Ray

{I always wonder if pictures that show meat actually gross people out...you just never know}

Ingredients

{yes there are a lot...but once you make it once...you have all the staple spices for next time}

2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds of lean ground beef  {I buy the 96/4}

{the recipe actually says to use lamb...but we choose not to eat lamb...and yes to answer some questions...one of the few times I eat ground beef}

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1 large onion chopped {I prefer white...it's just what I buy}

1 green bell pepper chopped {and seeded}

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 lemon zested and juiced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 14 ounze can of tomato sauce {we used a 15 ounze can...hubby likes is saucier:)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chicken stock {I use water}

handful of golden raisins...yes golden!!

4 apricots chopped

1 1/2 cups couscous

3 to 4 Tablespoons pine nuts {we often omit this because we forget}

a handful of fresh parsley leaves

a handful of fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons of chopped chives

8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the skillet with the EVOO, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onion, and bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft ~ around 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

Bring butter and water or the chicken stock to a boil. Add the dried raisins, apricots, and couscous. Stir and then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand for five minutes and add the herbs and nuts if you prefer.

Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls and top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges...Bobby actually likes the sand underneath the chili so he can mix it!

A Little Side:

And as a side for veggies we sauteed some cucumbers in olive oil....
add some salt and pepper
Cover for 5 minutes...take off the lid and flip and cook for another 5 minutes...
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese...the recipe we got from our parents on the veggie said 2 to 4 tablespoons but we add a bit extra:)

it seriously feels like a Thursday to me...
but obviously not...I think I just need this rain to go away!

my new friend in the kitchen...

helped me cook this...

maybe it didn't really literally help me cook it...but you got to love it anyway and plus it never hurts to have a beauty in the kitchen while you cook...

although our fabulous pizza we made...
I like the looks from this view better...showing the tomatoes...not the pepporoni...pepporonis were added to the recipe by Bobby

I'm not a pepporoni girl so you can only tell Bobby's 1/2 of the pizza, right...I much preferred the overload of tomatoes...{I know the pictures of the pizza aren't the best...taken when it was in the oven because I forgot before}

this beauty I have been dreaming of ~

one I am sooo happy I patiently waited for because I walked in to take another peak at her ~ and she was on sale! A pretty decent sized sale...so I was sold in a heartbeat...

I was in love with her wheels...the barnwood...the layers of paint i could see...

we picked her up over this past weekend


and I've still got some fluffing to do with her ~ I am constantly re-fluffing as I walk by
but she looks fantastic and finally some more storage for our kitchen that we so desperately needed and wanted...

and oh yes...I did place my frame of my handsome man on it too...he was sitting on what was there before...and oh does it look great here too...
sigh...
probably embarrassed him but that's good for him:)

of course...I didn't forget to pick up some bargain tulips at Trader Joe's to place on her...

and I'm working on placing a #13 in every room...

if you think the pizza looks yummy...my parents recommended it to us...I'll give you the recipe for my side...super yummy...although it called for artichoke hearts...which I love but forgot to pick up at the store...
yummy enough for hubby to say...you mean you didn't actually use sauce {he said this a couple days after we made it}...because it was that good to him :)

I said..."no honey...it was the grape tomatoes...when you cook them in the oven the heat does just the trick...and creates a much better sauce from the fresh tomatoes...and see you didn't even know the difference until after the fact"

made me laugh to say the least...

Artichoke, Tomato, and Spinach Pizza

in the Feb. 2010 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

5 tablespoons EVOO

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and pepper

1 pd. refrigerated pizza dough {we were given homemade - definitely suggested over pre-made by me}

2 cups shredded mozzarella

5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

one 13.75 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved {I probably used more than called for}

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

one. position rack in the lower third of the oven, preheat oven to 500 degrees {I actually cannot go above 475 because my smoke alarm will go off and it still worked great. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, season with salt and pepper

two. using oiled hands, stretch the pizza dough to fit a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Spread 3 tablespoons of the garlic mixture on top, leaving a 1/2 border, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan. Toss the artichokes, tomatoes, and spinach with the remaining garlic mixture and arrange on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons parmesan on top. Place the baking sheet on the inverted baking sheet in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

oops I forgot I added black olives that I had on hand since I forgot the artichokes...

Enjoy!