by | May 25, 2011 · 8:25 am

Oatmeal Caramelitas

Last weekend, the girls and I were so excited to participated in the Milwaukee Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale.  We were honored to donate and so excited to learn that the entire event raised $2100 for pediatric cancer!

I decided to make my most favorite baked good – Oatmeal Caramelitas.  They are a buttery oatmeal bar filled with ooey gooey caramel and sometimes, depending on my mood, chocolate chips.  This is my sister’s mother-in-law’s recipe which I requested after having just one bite of these delicious treats.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup oats
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, slightly melted

Caramel
3/4 cup caramel or butterscotch caramel topping (the kind that comes in a jar by all of the ice cream sundae goodies)
3 Tbsp flour

Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.    In a separate bowl, soften the butter in the microwave until it is slightly melted.  Mix the butter into the dry mixture and set aside.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  Take half the dough and evenly crumble it into the bottom of the pan.  Press the dough into the bottom of the pan to create a bottom crust.  As you are doing this, it might seem like you don’t have enough dough, however the crust will be very thin.  Just keep pressing until the entire bottom of the pan is covered.  If you need to use a little more than half of the dough, that is ok too!

Bake the bottom crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  While that is cooking, mix the caramel topping with the flour in a small bowl.  When the crust is done cooking, remove it from the oven and carefully drizzle the caramel over the crust.  Keep in mind that the crust is only partially cooked, so it will be slightly fragile.  (If you would like, sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips or nuts over the caramel for some extra flavor or crunch!)

Crumble the remaining crust over the top and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes.  Remove the bars from the oven, they will look undercooked when you take them out.  Be sure not to over bake or they will become hard as a rock.  Allow them to cool before cutting.

These are much easier to cut and remove from the pan when they are completely cool, but they taste so good warm…so I usually sneak a few corners so I can get a few warm bites.  These are delicious on their own or heated up and served with ice cream.


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by | May 23, 2011 · 8:05 am

Croque Monsieurs with Bistro Salad

Warm weather has me wanting to stroll around the cobblestone streets and farmers markets of Paris, stop at a sidewalk cafe for lunch and a latte and people watch. However, since Paris is not in the cards this spring, this meal brings a little of the French je ne sais quoi vibe to lunch or a light dinner in any city.
croque monsieur recipe

Easy Croque Monsieur Style Sandwiches
1/2 lb ham
4 slices baby swiss
1 C+ shredded baby swiss
rustic french bread
4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 C milk
salt & pepper

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour, taking care not to burn it. Slowly whisk in half of the milk until clumps are worked out and mixture is smooth. Add shredded cheese and continue whisking until cheese begins to melt. Continue whisking in the remaining milk until cheese is fully melted and forms a smooth sauce. It should be semi thick and not too runny. Add more cheese or milk to reach a pudding-like consistency. Season with a pinch of salt and keep warm on very low heat.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Butter bread and place butter side down in skillet. Top with sliced ham. Spoon cheese sauce over the center of the ham, spreading almost to edges and top with 1-2 slices of baby swiss. Place second slice of bread on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until first side is golden brown. Then use a large spatula to carefully flip sandwich. Cook second side until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting.

Bistro Salad
mixed greens
3-4 slices bacon
2 hard-boiled eggs
fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C olive oil
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
pepper

Fill a saucepan half-way with water. Place eggs in, ensuring they are covered by the water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and continue cooking eggs for 8 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a spoon. Place in a bowl and run cool water over them for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet or in the microwave until crispy. Let bacon cool slightly and break into small pieces. Remove shells from eggs and roughly chop.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper until emulsified. Place mixed greens in a bowl. Top with chopped egg, bacon pieces and shredded parmesan. Lightly toss with dressing.

bistro salad

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by | May 20, 2011 · 8:33 am

Planting a Shade Garden

Ever since we moved into our house, I’ve had dreams of walking down our stone path to the backyard with colorful bursts of flowers spraying in all directions. Besides planting a few hostas here and there, I don’t have much experience with planting in the shade. I decided this year is the year. So here is what I am working with:

My husband and I started by ripping up all of the ground cover. Helpful for soaking up water and keeping the soil moist, but not the look I want to go for. I am sure we will be working to get rid of this completely for years, but for now, we have this:

And if you are paying extra special attention, you’ll notice our newest edition in the back. Our  brand new, eco-friendly, garden-loving, sewer-helping rain barrel! I’ve been entertaining the idea of getting a rain barrel for awhile now. I love the thought of using the wonderful rain water that would otherwise fill the gutters, and pool in the small dip in our yard. Using it to water our plants and herbs sounds like a much better idea, so we buckled and bought the Fiskars Rain Barrel. And so far so good!

So now that my rain barrel is in place and my ground cover is ripped up, I will make the trek to the garden shops this weekend to pick out my shade plants. This side of my house faces northeast and is bordered by some large oak trees. The plants toward the front of the garden get some sunlight throughout the day, but anything planted toward the wall, sees almost no sun. I’m more interested in planting perennials so I only have to plant one time rather than planting and replanting every year.

I want to create depth by having some taller grasses and ferns in the back, interspersing colors throughout. Here are some species of plants I’ve found that I am going to try incorporate in my dream shade garden:

From left to right, clockwise, Astilbe Fireberry, Lilyturf, Lungwort, Coral Bells. (whiteflowerfarms.com)

Ultimately, I want to create a look similar to this:

http://www.livdesigns.net & www.perennialnursery.com

And out I go to start the process. If anyone has any suggestions on great shade perennials, I would love to hear them! I will post my pictures once my garden is in full bloom. What is your garden project this summer?



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by | May 18, 2011 · 8:26 am

Nutella Brownies

I love nutella.  I mean, I LOVE it.  And awhile back I had heard a rumor of a 3 ingredient nutella brownie recipe.  It sounded too good to be true, but a quick search on google showed me that this recipe did in fact exist and looked amazing!  I had to give it a try.

Nutella Brownie Bites

1/2 cup Nutella
1 egg
5 tbsp flour

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 12 cup mini muffin tin.

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth.  Evenly distribute batter among the muffin tin, filling each one about 3/4 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.

Pop out of the tin and enjoy.

They truly taste like little bites of nutella heaven.

I cannot be sure where this recipe originated, however it looks like it was created by Abby Dodge and featured in her cookbook titled Desserts 4 Today, all desserts with just 4 ingredients (she sprinkled hazelnuts on her brownies!).  Pretty sure I will be picking up a copy of this book.

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by | May 16, 2011 · 8:05 am

Cookies for a Cause!

At HAP, we do a lot of baking in general but this week we’ll be putting some extra love and care into our cookies.  This Saturday we’ll be donating Katie’s Almond M&M Cookies, Stef’s Lemon Ginger Tea Snowballs and Anne’s Oatmeal Carmelita bars (recipe coming soon!) to the Milwaukee Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale. Since all of us have been touched by a friend or loved one with cancer, we can’t think of a better reason for baking or a better cause to be involved with.

The event will feature tons of goodies made by local food bloggers, bakers, and celebrity chefs, plus a silent auction featuring items donated by local businesses. All proceeds go to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit organization committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancers.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Bake Sale & Silent Auction – Milwaukee
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Best Place At The Historic Pabst Brewery
901 W. Juneau Ave.

So if you’re roaming around downtown Milwaukee this weekend, swing by the event to pick up an afternoon snack or two for a great cause!

For more info or to donate if you can’t make it, head over to the #MKE Foodies blog page or the event donation page.

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by | May 13, 2011 · 7:53 am

Chicken Teriyaki Pita

Back in high school, I spent a considerable amount of time at Baker’s Square. If not scarfing down a piece of banana cream pie, I always ordered a chicken teriyaki pita. I’m not sure what it was about the dish, but that taste has always stuck in my mind. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, so I decided to create my own version of the throw back meal.

Chicken Teriyaki Pita
serves 2

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 C shredded carrots
4 slices Provolone cheese
1/2 C teriyaki sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 pitas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet pan or wok, heat olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side. Add peppers, onion, carrots and garlic powder. Stir until vegetables soften, about 5-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, lay pitas on a baking sheet. Place two pieces of provolone cheese on each pita. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly.

Add teriyaki sauce to pan, thoroughly coating all ingredients. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture on top of pita and serve.

This meal is best eaten with a knife and fork, though I am sure you could make it work with hands only.

An easy, weeknight meal you can whip up in 30 minutes or less! And it really did take me back to my high school days at Baker’s Square. Now for some banana cream pie…

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by | May 11, 2011 · 8:35 am

Melon and Mozzarella Salad

A few weeks ago, the girls and I attended a cooking class at Oilerie, a local olive oil and vinegar store.  We made a couple wonderful summer salads and I just had to share the recipe for the Melon and Mozzarella Salad.  I usually am not a big fan of melon, but this salad has had me craving it since the first bite.  The prosciutto is a surprising, salty addition that adds an extra special kick.

Melon and Mozzarella Salad

2 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cantaloupe, cubed
1/2 honeydew melon, cubed
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp minced shallot
2 Tbsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the prosciutto in 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet until crisp.  Place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Next, combine the melon, mozzarella, basil and mint in a large bowl.

Whisk together lime juice, 4 Tbsp oil, shallot, honey, salt and pepper.  Drizzle over fruit and toss to coat.  Garnish with prosciutto.

This is the perfect salad for a hot summer day.

(Now, all I need is a hot summer day…I would even settle for a kind of warm spring day…come back sun, I miss you!!)

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by | May 9, 2011 · 8:25 am

Nursery Inspiration Board

Now that summer is approaching, I’ve realized it’s time almost time to get my nursery in gear! We know we’re having a little boy so we want the room to lean more masculine but I knew right away that themes like sports or trucks weren’t really for us.  Knowing that this kid will probably spend tons of time outside, I’ve been trying to put together ideas for a room that my outdoorsy husband will love too…without it turning into a Cabela’s catalog. I want it to feel soothing but bright and whimsical but not too “baby”.

Tada!  Here’s my inspiration board for our modern woodland nursery. I haven’t quite sorted out all the details yet but it’s giving me a long shopping list and multiple DIY projects to get started on!

1. Birch Stencil, 2. Stag Pillow, 3. Orange Alpaca Throw, 4. Owl Lamp, 5. Natural Tree Stump Side Table, 6. Polar Bear Rug , 7. Harper Crib Bedding, Classic Sage Crib Bedding, 8. DIY Bird Mobile

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by | May 6, 2011 · 8:25 am

{Haute Destination} San Antonio

They say everything is bigger in Texas. After my last vacation, I tend to agree.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of traveling down south to San Antonio, Texas to visit some family. Not only was this vacation a wonderful break from the dismal, poor excuse we have had for a spring, but it was very pleasing on the tummy as well. It was, what I like to call, a foodcation.

We spent our first day in San Antonio visiting the Alamo, walking the RiverWalk and heading down to Market Square. If we didn’t have the little one in tow, we likely would have feasted on the fabulous smelling street fare. We decided to dine at Mi Tierra. This mole was one for the books. It is by far the largest restaurant I’ve ever dined in (again with the bigger in Texas saying) and it hosted a menu of delicious traditional Mexican dishes.

Upon arrival, I told my brother-in-law I was interested in visiting some of the places I’ve seen on various food shows on cable TV. He did not disappoint. The first food destination was La Hacienda, home of the puffy taco. Bobby Flay visited La Hacienda and threw down on this San Antonio favorite and lost! A puffy taco is made by frying corn tortilla dough for the shell. I ordered the puffy taco in both beef and chicken. If I had to do it all over again, I would just order the beef. But the meal was great and the ambiance was even better. We sat outside at the largest outdoor eating area I’ve ever sat in (again, the biggest) and listened to a local singer cover some good tunes on his guitar.

The following day we headed to Shiner, Texas to tour the brewery of one of our family favorite brews, Shiner Bock. Shiner, Texas is an adorable, quaint Texas town. The Spoetzel Brewery pops up right along side the road. A free, short tour of the facility lands you four tokens to sample these tasty beers. If you enjoy beer, adorable Southern towns and beer, Shiner is worth the trip.

The second of our food show stops was to Lockhart, Texas to visit Black’s BBQ. Black’s was featured on the Travel Channel’s Barbeque Paradise. A friendly, rustic place, the smell of Black’s invites you in. They do not add sauce to their brisket and there is a reason for that. It doesn’t need it. Smoky and savory, like nothing you can get in Wisconsin.

If that weren’t enough, the following morning we headed over to Lulu’s to complete the food trifecta. Lulu’s was visited by Man v. Food host Adam Richman, who conquered not only a whole chicken fried steak meal but topped it off with a small 3 lb. cinnamon roll dessert. Don’t go to Lulu’s looking to try a small cinnamon roll. This is Texas. They don’t have small ones. It’s 3 pounds or nothing. For only $7.99, we had to try it.

We thought that perhaps a cinnamon roll this large would be too dense and too sweet. Not the case! It was warm, fluffy, and bursting with ooey gooey cinnamon goodness.

Four adults and one Lincoln (who may have counted as two adults, quite frankly) finished about three-quarters of the roll. The rest was delicious the next morning zapped in the microwave. The other breakfast items at Lulu’s are to die for as well. The chorizo and egg breakfast taco helped balance the sweet taste buds in my mouth.

Overall, it was one fantastic foodcation. San Antonio does not disappoint when it comes to cuisine. The best part is, there are plenty more places we want to try the next time we visit! But I may be going back for the cinnamon roll.

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by | May 4, 2011 · 8:07 am

Butternut Squash Ravioli

While digging through my freezer the other day, I came across some pureed butternut squash that I made and froze last fall.  It has almost been 6 months, so I needed to use it up!  I got an idea to try and recreate one of my favorite Milwaukee dishes, Butternut Squash Ravioli from the amazing restaurant La Merenda.  They are tender, sweet ravioli topped with melted butter and a crushed, crunchy almond cookie.

I love the taste of simple, pureed butternut squash, so I wanted to keep the filling basic so the squash would be the standout flavor.  I decided to try out wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta, which worked very well.

Warning:  This recipe is incredibly delicious but quite time consuming!  It took me about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish.  I will say that I think the outcome is worth the effort, but this is not a 30 minute meal!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

1 cup pureed butternut squash (I roasted mine and blended it with a small amount of water to reach a good consistency)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2-3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan
dash of nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup butter
1 package wonton wrappers
1 almond biscotti, crushed

Start by making the filling.  Blend the pureed squash with the ricotta and Parmesan cheese.  Mix in a tiny bit of nutmeg and then place in the refrigerator to allow it to cool down.

Place  your chilled wonton sheets on a cutting board and cut into a circle either by using a biscuit cutter or top of a wine glass or mug as your guide, cut out about  36-48 evenly shaped circles.  Set aside.

In  a seperate small bowl, whisk the egg.  Also, grab a cookie sheet and generously sprinkle with corn starch.  This will prevent the ravioli from sticking to the cookie sheet.

Now, you are finally ready to assemble your ravioli.  Start with one circle and place a small teaspoon sized dollop of the butternut squash mixture in the center leaving a good boarder around the edge.  Be sure not to overfill or you might have a hard time sealing them.  Dip your finger in the egg and completely coat the outside boarder.  Top with another circle and press all edges until the ravioli is sealed.  Then, with the edge of a spoon, go around the ravioli, pressing down to be sure they are sealed up tight.  (This will help prevent them from opening when they are placed in the boiling water.)

Continue this process until you have used up all of the squash mixture.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  In a separate pan, melt 1 /3 cup of butter and allow it to slightly brown, being careful not to let it burn.

Once your water has reached a rapid boil, gently place your ravioli one at a time.  I only boiled about 5 at a time to prevent them from sticking together.  (Tip: Gently stir once you place the ravioli into the water to ensure that they do not float to the bottom.  If this happens, they might stick and possibly burst open.)  Watch carefully, after about 3 minutes they will begin to float to the top.  Once this happens, they are done.  Take out each ravioli with a slotted spoon and place directly into the melted butter.

You can either let them all sit in the butter and soak it up, or dip them in the butter and place in a serving dish.  If you do not dip them in butter the ravioli will stick together and will be difficult to separate.

Continue this process until all of the ravioli are cooked.  Plate and top with the crushed almond biscotti.

One bite and I was in heaven, the delicate wonton wrappers really allowed the butternut squash to shine in this recipe and the addition of brown butter just enhanced the flavor.  The best part is the crunch of the biscotti, it adds just a tiny bit of sweetness.

Now, I am sure some of you are wondering why I spent all that time cutting circles out of the wonton wrappers.  I did some trial and error with this to see which shape would cook up the best.

First I tried to leave them whole, but the ravioli seemed a bit too large and were much more delicate, making them prone to breaking while in the boiling water.

I also made triangle shaped ravioli, leaving the wonton sheets whole and just folding them in half.  This worked pretty well too, but I just preferred the round shape.

My whole family ate these up and enjoyed every bite.  They all agreed that they are definitely worth the effort.

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