Today is National Hug Your Cat Day.

I am at a family reunion in Iowa. Nightshade is getting extra hugs when I get home!

Foodie Friday- Tuscan Apple Cake

OMG, y'all, this is so GOOD!

Ingredients

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of sea salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar, preferably organic

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more at room temperature for the pan

4 large firm-fleshed apples (1 3/4 pounds), peeled, cored, quartered, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices

Powdered sugar, for garnish


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on medium speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is pale and thick, about 30-60 seconds.

Fold the flour into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Fold in the milk, then the butter and finally the apple slices. Be sure not to overmix.

Butter and flour a 10-inch nonstick springform pan. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Pack the apples into the mold and flatten the surface of the cake with the wooden spoon.

Bake for 10 minutes on the floor of the oven. Transfer the pan to the middle rack and continue baking until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for 50-55 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, and run a paring knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the ring of the mold. Let cool in its mold to room temperature. Unmold the cake and transfer to a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

Note: The cake can be baked up to 6 hours ahead and kept in its mold at room temperature in a cool place. It is best eaten the day it is made.

My New Favorite Acquisition

I'm still Fan-girling over Tom Hiddleston. So much so, that I bought a pillowcase with his face on it from Amazon. Here's the image:

This is the closest I'll ever get to snuggling up with him every night. Siiiiiigh.

Another comic I have come to love

This is hysterical. It only updates twice a week, but I can't wait to read each new installment.

This is totally me whenever I have an itch. I have long arms, but the itch always finds it's way to the middle of my back and i just can't contort myself enough to reach it.

Listmania the First

So, I read this book over the weekend and was totally charmed by it. A kid that makes lists? My kind of kid, and my kind of book. The best part was at the end, where the author helpfully provided lists to be filled in by the reader with a variety of goofy suggestions. Mind you, this is a kid's book, but I couldn't resist posting some for the fun of it.

Six Things I Would Like My Sweatshirt To Say

1. Quit Staring At My Chest!

2. No Vacancy

3. My Eyes Aren't Down Here

4. Loki Is My Love Slave

5. My Other Chest Has Drawers

6. What Are You Looking At?




Another list to follow next week! Just because I'm nuts like that...

Foodie Friday- Salmon Mushroom Coulibiac W/Sour Cream Dill Sauce

This is listed as a breakfast recipe on the site where I found it. Brunch, maybe. Lunch or Dinner? Absolutely! It's a little labor intensive, but oh so good!

Salmon Mushroom Coulibiac W/Sour Cream Dill Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 egg yolk

PASTRY

3/4 cup cream cheese; softened
3/4 cup butter; softened
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

2 tablespoons olive (or vegetable) oil
3 cups mushrooms; minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 onion; sliced – or diced
2 cloves garlic cloves; minced
1/2 cup long-grain rice
2 cups fresh spinach; chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill; chopped - (Fresh IS best for this recipe)
2 salmon filets

SAUCE

8 oz sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill; chopped - (Fresh IS best for this recipe)
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Rind; grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

PREPARATION

SOUR CREAM DILL SAUCE:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

PASTRY:
In large bowl beat together cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt until fluffy.
Stir in flour just to blend.
Divide in half; shape into squares.
Wrap each half in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm - about 1 hour.

FILLING:
In a large skillet, heat half of oil over medium heat; fry mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper until no liquid remains.
Transfer to a bowl.
In a saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Fry onion, garlic and remaining salt and pepper for 3 minutes.
Add rice and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Add spinach and dill to rice mixture and fluff with fork. Let cool. (NOTE: It is important to let this mixture cool for as long as possible in order that it does not make the pastry soggy and difficult to work with)

PREPARING COULIBIAC:
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of pastry to 10 inch square and about 1/8 inch thick. (Tip: Roll pastry a silicone mat for easy handling and easy transfer to the parchment paper). I don’t know if you can roll it right on the parchment – have never tried it since I always use my silicone mat.
Place on prepared pan. Spoon half of the rice mixture over pastry, leaving a 2 inch border.
Top with 1 salmon fillet; spread with mushroom mixture.
Top with remaining salmon fillet; spoon remaining rice mixture over the top. Yes ... you’ll find your hands are a handy tool!
Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash; brush over border of pastry.
Roll out remaining pastry to 11 inch square; place on filling, smoothing around edge. Fold bottom edge over top edge, pressing to seal. Flute edges.
At this point, cover gently and refrigerate if not backing immediately.
Cover remaining egg wash and refrigerate until ready to use. (Tip: cover egg wash with the brush ... brush will be fine to use with remaining egg wash, and you won’t need to wash it twice!)
Brush egg wash over pastry; cut 4 steam vents on top. Bake in 350°F oven until golden, about 1 hour.
Let stand for 10 minutes. Using serrated knife, cut diagonally into quarters and then cut each quarter into half or thirds.
Serve with Sour Cream Dill Sauce.

I Haz A People And This Is Our Day!

Yes, it's National Pack Rat Day!

I plan to celebrate by pretending to clean my house, but actually just shifting piles from one spot to another. I'd throw stuff away, but you never know...I might actually need the collection of dead batteries in the kitchen junk drawer! Or find the lid that goes to that stained, pitted tupperware bowl.

Foodie Friday: Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole

I know, I seem to be on a bit of a sloppy joe kick right now. But this recipe turned out to be pretty good! I like that you make your own sauce, rather than adding in a can full of preservatives & additives.

Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole

yield: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (I used the reduced sodium kind)
8 oz white mushrooms, minced (I used a food processor)
1 medium carrot, minced (I used a food processor)
1 medium onion, minced (I used a food processor)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used a food processor)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
15 oz can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (11 oz) can of refrigerated pizza crust dough (such as Pillsbury thin crust)
1 cup shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly mist a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Bring a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Break the ground beef up with a spoon or spatula while cooking. Sprinkle with steak seasoning and continue to cook until beef is browned. Add the mushrooms, carrot, onion, garlic, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir together. Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Unroll your pizza dough and lay it in your prepared baking dish. Push the dough down across the dish and up the sides. Pour the meat mixture from your skillet into the pizza dough. Place in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top. Place the casserole back in the oven and cook for 5 additional minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza crust is browned.


Lioness notes: If you want to sneak some extra veggies in, add a stick of celery and/or a small bell pepper, run through the food processor until finely chopped. If I make this for my parents, I'll probably leave the mushrooms out to appease my dad and add the extra veg.

It's National Eat What You Want Day!

Sorry, this is a bit late, but I just found out about it. I generally celebrate it every day, but it's nice to know there's an official designation. Here are some suggestions of yummy things to try if you need help.


Some of my favorite foods are:

Ribeye steak with mushrooms and onions.

Philly cheese steak- my favorite version is from the Philly Deli back home and comes with ham & mushrooms in addition to the cheese & onions

This is what the Formaggio Bene pizza from Incredible Gourmet Pizza in Wilmington looks like. White cheese, garlic, shredded basil, and a touch of olive oil. Bliss!

Nobody in my family can agree on the spelling or pronunciation of these (google spelled it fleischkuechle), but we all agree that they are one of the best things on Earth! How can you go wrong with what is basically a fried meat turnover?!?

Last, but not least, on my favorite foods for today:

Can I find this ANYWHERE in Kentucky?!? Hell no.

Guess What Today Is?

No, it's not the day I'm finally committed to the wacko-ward. Although that IS probably coming soon.

Today is National Lost Sock Memorial Day!

That's right! Today is the day we celebrate all those missing socks...the purple argyle that was a present from your eccentric aunt, the zillion and one black/grey/white sports socks, the novelty lion print you couldn't resist on your trip to the zoo...wait, was that last one just me? Anyway, today is the day to gather around your clothes dryers and scream "Where? Where are they, rat bastard?!? Gimme back my socks!"

Foodie Friday: Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

This is one of those things that just kind of jumped out at me when I was looking for a new dish to try. It's fairly easy and surprisingly good!

MOM'S SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS

PREP TIME
5 mins
COOK TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
35 mins

Author: Morgan

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

3 bell peppers (I prefer red, orange, and yellow)
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 can Sloppy Joe sauce (we use Hunt's Manwich)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices colby jack or cheddar cheese
Parsley or green onion, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Brown rice, cooked, to serve (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Using a paring knife or other small knife, cut around the stem to remove it from the pepper and discard.
Cut the pepper in half and cut out any leftover seeds or membrane.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the ground turkey, breaking it apart as it browns.
Once the turkey browns, drain off any excess liquid. Add in the Sloppy Joe sauce, cook for 2 minutes, and then cover and reduce heat to low.
Spray a large, oven-safe dish with nonstick cooking spray and place in the peppers, cut side up. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Divide the Sloppy Joe turkey meat evenly among the pepper halves. Bake again for 15 minutes.
Top each pepper half with a slice of cheese and bake one last time, for 5 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.
Garnish with parsley or green onion, if you'd like, and serve with brown rice.


Of course those who know me, know I hate brown rice, so this gets served with white rice. Cornbread is also a good side for this.

Books & Bloggers Swap Reveal

I can't believe I almost forgot to post this! My partner, Tula, sent me some great looking books.

Apologies for the picture quality. Photography is not my best skill. Not pictured are the candy bar & Starbucks card that Tula generously included. Those were used almost immediately!

Anyway, it was a great exchange & I'm looking forward to doing another one sometime!

Derby Update

I've seen everything but the drunk with no pants. I figure that one will roll in just after the Derby run when the infield celebrates with the Running of the Porta-Potties. 😝

Yep, it's Derby Time again...

I'm out here at the track as the mobile property clerk. I had to come in at 7 this morning, which was NOT pretty!

Anyway, to keep myself entertained, I've come up with a Fashion Victim Bingo chart. We'll see how many I've checked off by the end of the day.

1. Man in seersucker suit with visible underwear lines.

2. Man in seersucker suit with lack of underwear clearly visible.

3. Woman with skirt that could double for headband.

4. Woman with more material in her hat than in her entire outfit.

5. Group of frat boy types in coordinating ugly plaid shorts.

6. Woman wearing heels too high with skirt too short.

7. Anyone wearing ugly novelty hat.

8. Drunk guy without pants. (Seriously, I have seen this. They usually lose them fighting in the infield)

9. Couple who have taken the matchy matchy look WAY too far.

10. Trifecta- woman in hat too big, heels too tall, dress that provides inadequate coverage on both ends.

Chech back later to see how I did!z

Foodie Friday- Tunnel of Fudge Cake

I *LOVE* a good chocolate cake and this is one of my favorites!

Quick Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Source: Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn
Servings: 16

FILLING
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pkg.(3.4 oz) chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter

CAKE
vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
flour for dusting the pan
1 pkg (18.25 oz.) devil's food cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Place the milk in a medium size saucepan and whisk in the pudding mix. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips and butter. Stir until the pudding is smooth and thickened and the chocolate has melted. Set the pan aside.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Lightly mist a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, oil, sour cream, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 min. more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the walnuts, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.

Reserve 2 cups of the batter. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the pudding filling in a ring on top of the batter, making sure it does not touch the sides of the pan. Spoon the reserved batter over the filling, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare chocolate icing.

Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the warm icing over it. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and serve.

* Store this cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Her note: This cake contains a lot of walnuts simply because that's how Ella Rita Helfrich created it. If you want to cut back to 1-1/2 cups, that's fine. Just make sure the nuts are finely chopped so they don't interfere with the crumb of the cake. You can do this easily in a food processor or with a good sharp knife and a cutting board.

Pour your favorite chocolate glaze over the cake, or Martha's Chocolate Icing as I recommend here. Or just dust it with some confectioners' sugar and leave it as is. With the pudding inside, this cake needs little adornment. Note that I call for regular pudding mix here; not the instant kind."

MARTHA'S CHOCOLATE ICING
1 cup granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Place the sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 min. Still stirring, let the mixture boil until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the chocolate chips, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake or cupcakes of your choice.


My notes: I usually leave the nuts out altogether. I like them, but prefer the pure chocolate. I also usually skip the icing and use just a bit of powdered sugar over a slice or eat it plain.