Luftmensch

Wait. Don't tell me.
Let me think

of a jewel sifted

from the canyons in Arizona,

the feathers plucked

from a chicken, or the

last letter in a crossword

puzzle.

Let me think.

Perhaps, it is the scowl

sketched on the faces of grouchy men

after they lose a game of chess, or

a Germanic tribe that crafts pottery

from molten lava and beetlejuice. It could

be vast or finite, vibrant

and fierce or bland

and docile. It could.

The click sends

my thoughts away.

Google doesn’t speculate. It punches

me in the gut and sends me on

my way, facts in hand, wonder

pushed in deep.

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Mini Autumn Cheesecakes

Pumpkin. Apple. Cinnamon. These are the flavors of fall. Flavors for fuzzy socks and warm blankets. Flavors that sound like the crackling of a wood fire or the rustling of leaves. Flavors meant for coffee and conversations. 

These iconic  flavors incorporated into my Mini Autumn Cheesecakes. They are perfect for a snacking or a light after dinner desert. Of course, if you asked me, Id say they were perfect any time. Midnight snack, anyone? 

These bars were inspired by a recipe on one of my favorite dessert blogs: Sally’s Baking Addiction. Sally does a fantastic version of these in bar form featuring raspberry jam. Any boy, are they good. Being mildly obsessed with fall flavors, I decided to make a version of her delicious treat that spoke of the season. I replaced some of the gram crackers in the crust with ginger snaps, folded in some freshly made cinnamon apple compote, and swirled each cheesecake with a dollop of silky smooth Pumpkin Butter. The result? A delicious dessert that satisfied my cravings for the season flavors. 

 Though you’d never guess, these delicious mini cheesecakes are actually light. They Greek yogurt, Neufchatel cheese, and egg whites cut the fat, and all nine cheesecakes are only sweetened with only ¼ cup sugar. Neufchatel cheese is a French version of cream cheese. It is every bit as delicious, its French after all, and has 1/3 of the fat of regular cream cheese. It can be found in many grocery stores in the cream cheese section. If you can’t find it, feel free to use reduced-fat cream cheese instead. These mini cheesecakes have only 130 calories and are full of protein, making them breakfast, or midnight snack, worthy.

Mini Autumn Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup crushed gingersnap cookies

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling:

8 oz. Neufchatel cheese, softened

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt, at room temperature

1/2 cup pumpkin butter, divided

2 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup Pumpkin Butter (Recipe follows)

For the apple compote:

1/2 apple, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Make the crust:

Combine the graham crackers crumbs, gingersnap crumbs, and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir until the butter has been evenly distributed amongst the crumbs.  Press the crumbs 9 muffin tin cups lined with muffin tin liners. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Next, prepare the filling and apple compote while the crusts cool.

For the apple compote:

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add in the diced apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for a few minutes until apple has softened. Set aside and allow to cool.

For the filling:

In a medium bowl whip the Neufchatel cheese until creamy. Add in the Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of the pumpkin butter, egg whites, sugar ,flour, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg  and beat until well combined and creamy. Fold in the room temperature apple compote.   Spoon the filling into the muffin tins atop the cooled crust. Top each muffin with a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin butter and swirl. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Shut off the oven and leave the cheesecakes in the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove and let completely cool before serving.

Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients:

1 medium pie pumpkin, peeled and cubed

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 12 hours on high, and an additional 4 hours on low. Remove the cinnamon stick and puree until smooth like butter. Serve on pancakes, waffles, ice cream,  or swirl into my recipe for Mini Autumn Cheesecakes.

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Homeless

A foot lies brown against the white pavement. The tattered blanket cannot protect it from the cold, just as the sock of blue now faded to gray cannot hide the callouses from winters past. The sock is a mere sheet, crusted in mud and twine with a hole ripped wide letting three toes peek out at the sky. Three wise men, they long for foreign lands. They champion the chorus of anywhere but here. Tied to the pavement, the fire in their souls barely keeps them warm. In the night, the three seek a light to guide them in from the cold. No stars shine through the fog.

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Spiced Peach Plum Compote

It all started with the idea to make homemade applesauce in the slow cooker. I woke up early, peeled and spiced the apples, and left them in the slow cooker with the plan to return in the afternoon to a fresh pot of applesauce. After returning home much too early, due to a canceled class, it pained me to watch the apples cook so slowly. They say patience is a virtue, but it’s not a virtue I hold in the kitchen. So, with the inspiration to make sauce and small piece of time on my hands, I set out to make some kind of fruity sauce with the fresh fruit I had on hand. I happened to have peaches and plums. 

These were two summer fruits I had never cooked with before. I chopped them up and starting simmering away. Soon I was throwing fall spices in the bubbling mixture of peaches and plums. Sneaking a few tastes as I went, I knew I was onto something good. With the helpful guidance of Laurel and her recipe-saving fresh ginger, we had delicious compote in less than a half hour. But don’t take my word for it.  Try out the recipe below and spread a little of this spiced peach plum compote on a pumpkin pancake and I bet you’ll be glad you did.

Ingredients:

2 Peaches

3 Plums

½ C White Sugar

¼ C Water

2 Tbl Dark Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Fresh Ground Ginger

1 tsp Allspice

Pinch of Salt

Splash of Vanilla

Peel and slice peaches and plums. Simmer peaches with white sugar and water on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in plum slices and brown sugar. Continue simmering over medium heat for 10 more minutes. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Cook until desired consistency; I prefer the compote with some chunks remaining. Stir in vanilla and take off heat. Allow to cool before refrigerating. Serve as a spread on toast or ice cream topping. Yield: 1 Quart (32 Ounces). 

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Moroccan Stew

The leaves begin to turn, mornings become chilly, boots and scarves make their way to the front of the closet, and pumpkin takes its place in coffee houses across the nation. It is officially my favorite season. Soup season.  Creamy, or brothy, as a starter or a main course. There is nothing like a steaming bowl of soup on a crisp fall day. It’s a hug in your stomach, the feeling of comfort and completion. There’s nothing a good bowl of soup can’t cure. 

On the first day of fall, I was on a search for soup inspiration. I pulled out my soup cookbooks, researched on the internet, and came up with some great ideas. I was going to be adventurous, stepping out from my cooking comfort zone. I was going Moroccan. 

Moroccan food is heavily spiced, but not spicy or hot. It’s warm and flavorful, yet still bright and fresh. It embodies the elements of fall and pairs perfectly with the season. 

This soup features a fantastic lineup of Moroccan spices and seasonings. It is warm and savory, filled with lentils and beans in a tomato based broth. It is served best with a handful of pita chips for dunking. After spending my morning happily cooking in the kitchen I filled up a few bowls of my Moroccan Stew, passed them to my friends, and tucked in, enjoying good company, a steamy lunch, and the best season. Fall has arrived.  

Moroccan Stew

Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

4 medium carrots, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 T tomato paste

1 C dry white wine

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

2 bay leaves

3 strips lemon peel

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 cup red lentils

1 - 15oz can garbanzo beans

2 T fresh minced cilantro

2 T fresh minced parsley

Juice form 2 lemons

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add in the dice onion, carrots and celery. Cook over medium head until vegetables are softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Move all of the vegetables to one side of the pot, leaving some of the bottom surface clear of vegetables. Add the tomato paste to the clear side of the pot. Cook the tomato paste, stirring,  for about a minute.  This allows the paste to caramelize and brings out its natural sweetness. Add the white wine and stir. Allow the alcohol to cook out then add in the can of tomatoes, bay leaves, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, ginger, cumin, coriander, sugar, allspice, pepper, sweet paprika, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Add in the lentils, chicken broth and water. Stir. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook, covered,  until lentils are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir in the garbanzo beans. Cover and cook until the beans are warmed through. Stir in the parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste. Serve.

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Seven Layers to a Boy's Heart

Six days of living in our house. Six days of settling, unpacking, bonding. We decided it was high
 time to test the place out. So, we invited over some guests. We invited three of our closed guy friends to come for a small low key party Sunday afternoon. With food and cooking ever on my mind, I naturally volunteered to cook the main course. I needed our houses first showing to go flawlessly. I would serve my tried and true Best Ever Lasagna. This is a crowd pleaser has been fine-tuned to an exact science, ensuring that the dish would come our perfect. I use a jar of pasta sauce as the base for the red sauce. I know, quite unorthodox, but a nice and easy shortcut that won’t compromise flavor. I stalked up on the groceries and waited for Sunday to roll around.

Sunday came and I was found dutifully slicing and dicing in our 60’s era kitchen. Complete with a popcorn ceiling, lament floors, and golden oak cabinets (which never seem large enough to house 7 girls worth of cooking supplies). The lasagna was assembled and sent to the oven to cook, perfuming the house with its wonderful aroma as our boys arrived.

Jenna accompanied me in the kitchen to toss together a delicious salad of mixed greens, cranberries, pecans, and my signature orange vinaigrette.

We set the table with an eclectic variety of dishes and brought out the dinner. Plates were piled high and quickly cleared as we engaged in conversation, taking the moment to catch up with one another’s busy lives. Fellowship and food is a magical combination. Dinner was chased with a variety of gelato flavors, Tiramisu, Salted Caramel Truffle, and Strawberry Cheesecake, all brought from my gelato cart, La Crema Gelato.

I can say that our first house party went pretty well.

The boys even washed the dishes. 

Laurel’s Lasagna recipe:

Serves 12

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box (16) oz. lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

For the meat sauce:

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

1 (24)oz. can favorite pasta sauce - I used Classico tomato and basil

1/2 cup red wine

5 springs fresh thyme, left whole

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 cups Italian cheese blend, divided

16 oz. whole milk ricotta

2 eggs

For the béchamel sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups whole milk, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Parsley, minced (optional)

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.      In a large pot bring water for cooking the noodles to a boil. Add olive oil and a generous amount of salt to the water. This step helps  to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Cook as per package directions, leaving the lasagna noodles al dente.  Remove from water and lay the noodles in a single layer on wax paper. Set aside.

3.      In a large skillet cook the ground beef, stirring until the meat is no longer pink. Add in the minced garlic, red wine, pasta sauce, and thyme. Allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave the sauce on the stove to bubble for 20 min or until the lasagna is ready to assemble. Remove the thyme stems.

4.      In a medium bowl, combine the whole milk ricotta, eggs, and 2 1/2 cups of the Italian cheese blend. Mix to combine. Set aside.

5.      In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter for the béchamel. Once the butter is melted whisk in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. This helps to cook out any flour flavor. Slowly whisk in the milk. The milk should be at room temperature to prevent a lumpy sauce.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. The sauce should easily coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6.      The next step is to assemble the lasagna in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. First, ladle in one half cup of the béchamel sauce. Spread the sauce evenly to completely coat the bottom of the pan. This prevents the lasagna from sticking. Next, layer in three lasagna noodles to cover the béchamel. Cover this layer with half of the meat sauce. Cover with three lasagna noodles. For the next layer, spoon in half of the cheese mixture, using a rubber spatula to evenly distribute the mixture. Once again, cover with three more lasagna noodles. For the third layer spoon in half of the béchamel sauce. Cover with noodles and repeat one layer meat sauce and one layer of the cheese mixture, with three noodles in between each layer. After assembling these last two layers you should be out of the meat sauce, cheese mixture, and lasagna noodles. On the top layer of noodles pour the remainder of the béchamel. Top with the reserved half cup of cheese.

7.      Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil. Using a small knife cut two or three vents to allow the steam to escape. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the lasagna is golden and bubbly.

8.      Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes while you gather everyone to the table. Top with fresh minced parsley and serve.

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DIY: Fold Over Elastic Hair Ties

It’s as simple as tying a knot. Welcome to the easiest DIY ever. By now you have probably seen these elastic hair ties just about everywhere from the shelves of Target to the delicate displays of Anthropology. If you’re like me, you fell in love with the multitude of colors available and the promise to leave your hair dent and tangle free after use. With prices as high as $10 a band (Free People!) it didn’t take me long to figure out how to make my own at a fraction of the cost. Follow the simple steps below to try your hand at crafting your very own fold over elastic hair ties!

Supplies:

5/8” fold over elastic (1 yard yields 4 hair ties or 2 headbands)

Scissors

Ruler

Fray Check (optional)

Directions:

     1.      Measure and cut 8-9” strip of elastic.

     2.      Fold elastic in half. Shiny or printed side out.

     3.      Tie ends in knot. (Dab elastic ends with glue or fray check to prevent fraying).
 

    4.      Flaunt your fabulous, new, dent free hair tie.

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