Well, since Heather put in a link to my pie crust recipe, I figured that I should actually write an entry for this it.  This is a very simple crust that works equally well for pies and quiches.  I usually double the recipe, making 2 crusts at once.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pastry flour (whole wheat or white)
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 3-6 Tablespoons cold water
• Extra flour for rolling the dough

 Directions:

1. Combine both flours and the butter in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter (my personal favorite), two forks or a food processor (only requires a few short bursts), cut together the butter and flour until they make a uniform mixture resembling coarse cornmeal.
2. Add a little bit of water and stir the mixture with a fork.  Continue adding the water, a little at a time, until the dough begins to hold together.
3. Gently roll the dough into a ball.
4. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the counter and begin rolling out the dough into a crust.  Be sure to roll in all directions from the middle of the dough.  I usually flip the dough over before it gets too big and add a bit more flour to the counter to keep the dough from sticking.
5. To transfer the dough to your pie or quiche pan, loosley roll the dough onto the rolling pin.  You can then carry/lift the dough into your pan.  Carefully unroll the crust.  Don't worry too much if it breaks a bit.  You can always mend the breaks by gently pressing the dough together.
6. Finish off your crust by crimping the edges between your fingers or with a fork.

Your crust is now ready for whatever you want to put into it.  If you made a double batch, roll the remaining dough into a ball, wrap with Saran-wrap, put into a freezer bag and place into the freezer.  It should be good for about 6 months.  To thaw, place in the refridgerator for a day.  You can also defrost it in the microwave but be careful not to cook it.

Stay tuned for a quiche recipe in the near future.  It will be a great way to fill your crust.

Since I travelled to Australia, I've been making Pumpkin Soup for holidays and get togethers.  This year I learned that you can substitute butternut squash for pumpkin, and made a version of this soup that we really liked.  The cashews add a bit of crunch to the otherwise smooth soup, and the fresh ginger adds just a touch of interest.  The flavors blend over time, but this is one of those soups you can just taste and add to, and it can turn out different every time.  You will need a large pot, a deep saucepan, a blender and a large bowl.

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 quart (4 cups) organic chicken stock
  
• 1.5 cups raw organic cashews (nuts have a lot of fat in them, which absorbs pesticides, so organic is best if you have a choice)
• 3 medium onions (red or yellow) peeled & chopped
  
• 5-8 medium carrots peeled & chopped
  
• 1" square fresh ginger peeled & diced
  
• 3 Tbs unsalted butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Start the large pot boiling with a hefty amount of water (to boil the squash and potatoes in).
   
2. Cut the butternut in half and scoop out the seeds.  Then remove the skin with a small knife and chop the insides into large cubes.  Add to boiling water.
   
3. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in large chunks and add to the boiling water.
   
4. Boil squash and sweet potatoes until soft when pricked with a fork.
5. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter & saute the onions, cashews, carrots, ginger & salt & pepper (kitchen starts smelling good about now).
6. Add about a cup of the chicken stock to the blender, and with a slotted spoon, scoop out chunks of the squash/sweet potatoes and add to the blender.
7. Blend in batches until smooth using the chicken stock as the liquid, and the boiling water from the pot once that is used up.  Place blended batches in the large bowl until all is blended up.
   
8. Once the onions and carrots are cooked, and the cashews browned, add them to the blender as well in batches.  Add to the bowl.
9. After everything is blended up, return to the pot.  You can eat it at this point, or let it simmer to bring out more of the flavors. 
   
10. Best served on a rainy day with a large dollop of Nancy's Lowfat Plain Yogurt.

This Thanksgiving, I found out some good news; you can replace a baking, sweet pumkin with butternut squash.  Butternuts are much easier to find this time of year, and they even have organic ones at the co-op.  So Miguel and I made butternut squash pie and butternut cashew soup for our contribution to Thanksgiving Dinner at moms house.  Here's the Pumpkin recipe that turned out brilliantly:

First Prepare the Squash, as it needs to cook for about an hour:

• 1 large butternut squash cut in half lengthwise
• 2Tbsp olive oil
  

Directions:

1. Remove the seeds from the squash 
2. Rub the insides of the squash with the olive oil
3. Set the squash insides-down in a baking dish and prick the skins with a fork.
4. Bake at 350 F for 45 min to an hour, until soft

Once the squash is done, put it in a cold place to help speed up the cooling process.  You can continue putting together the rest of the ingredients as it cools.

Ingredients for pie: 

• 1 c sugar
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1.5 cans evaporated milk
• 3 cups of butternut squash (blended)
• 1 cup crushed walnuts (optional but wonderful)

1. Take the squash and remove the skins.  Then place insides in a separate bowl and mix with a hand mixer for a few minutes, until it is nice and smooth (this helps with the satiny texture of the pie in the end).  Measure out the 3 cups (if you have extra, you can increase the recipe amount and cook the remaining batter in small dishes for "butternut custards", which are very cute).
2. Combine all ingredients except for walnuts in a large bowl.
3. Prepare your favorite pie crust recipe, or use a prepared pie crust.  We like deep dish pie, so Miguel makes the crust and we use a quiche pan or deep pie pan.  Here's his recipe for pie crust.
4. If you choose to use the walnuts, place them in the bottom of the crust and press down on them slightly to embed them in the crust (some will float, but it doesn't change the flavor :)
5. Pour the liquidy (don't worry if it is runny, it will firm up!) mixture into the pan with the uncooked crust.
6. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for 45-60 minutes.  Cover crust edges with foil to prevent them from burning. 
7. Best if served with the real deal whipped cream and lots of good company.
   

This has been a favorite for many potlucks.  It presents quite well, especially with the roasted walnuts on top, and generally gets rave reviews. 

Ingredients:

• 5 med zucchinis (can mix yellow squash too)
• 2 eggs beaten
• 10 bread ends (we collect them over several weeks and store them in the freezer)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 cups Grated Tillamook Medium Cheddar
• 1/2 stick butter
• Garlic Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup Feta Cheese crumbled

Directions:

1. Spread the bread halves through the oven, right on the racks.  Toast all the bread at once on about 250 degrees F for about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on it!  You wan the bread toasted to crispiness, but not burnt.
2. Wash the zucchinis and cut into rounds about 1/4" thick.  Steam these on the stovetop until they are mushy and easy to mash.
3. Drain the zucchini and place them in a very large bowl (you will add all the ingredients to the bowl)
4. Cut the butter into thirds and add to the zucchini so it melts all over.
   
5. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add  1 cup of the cheese to the mixture and mix with a large spoon until combined.  
7. Add the nutmeg, mix together again and taste it to make sure you like the general flavor.  *At this point, I've added variations to the recipe like chopped grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, mushrooms, etc.  Sometimes less is more, however.
8. Crush or chop the walnuts just a bit so they are still coarse and add half of them to the mixture (save the rest for the top).
9. Add the 2 beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
10. Get the bread ends out of the oven and raise the oven temp to 350 degrees F.
11. Chop the bread pieces into 1" squares.  They should be crispy and creating additional breadcrumbs on the board as you chop. 
    
12. Add all the chopped bread pieces and crumbs to the big bowl and mix thoroughly with your washed hands.
13. Spread the mixture into a buttered 9 x 13" baking pan.
14. Top with remaining shredded cheese and chopped walnuts.
15. Sprinkle top with feta if desired.
16. Cover dish with foil
17. Bake zucchini pudding in the oven for about 20 minutes (add time if you added extra ingredients).
18. Remove foil and broil for about 3 minutes, or until walnuts start to darken (watch very carefully!)
19. Cool for a few minutes before serving.  Goes well with a scoop of Nancy's Plain Yogurt.

I've never been too keen on alcoholic drinks...until I started hanging out with Miguel.  We got into drinking wine.  I still don't like beer, so that pushes me to keep trying other drinks.  At one of our frisbee tournaments, Miguel made everyone fresh Mojitos on the sideline.  That was the turning point for me and mixed refreshing lime/mint flavors.  I really enjoy them now.  So I've come to like the following gin & tonic whenever it's hot outside.  It's got mint leaves in it, just to add a bit of something extra...oh, and I'm putting mint in my fruit salads now, which rocks.

Ingredients:

• 1 shot or so of gin (we had to stop using the fancy Bombay Gin, so now we're on the $12/bottle New Amsterdam Gin)
• handful of ice
• juice from 1/2 a regular lime or 2 baby limes
• tonic water
• 2-3 leaves of fresh mint chopped (I use scissors to get really thin pieces)
• frosted glass from the freezer 

Directions:

My friend Andy explained that it is important to get the flavor out of the lime, so I've taken that to heart.  I put the gin, ice, lime juice and mint in the frosted glass and use a spoon to chop chop chop slosh slosh slosh it around and around for about 20 seconds.  Then I add the tonic water all the way to the top.  If serving to someone, I put a leaf or 2 of mint on the top.  The only problem is I drink it like it is 7-Up.  So be careful, and enjoy!

It wasn't until we came to Bellingham that we had ever tried pho.  We used to go out to pho quite a bit, especially on a rainy cold day; a bowl of soup became the best remedy for winter blues in Bellingham. One day we were contemplating getting take-out of this noodle soup once again, and I just couldn't bring myself to waste all that styrofoam they give you as the "to go" containers.  So I looked up a recipe and we've been making it ourselves ever since.  Here's the basic recipe for about 4-6 servings:

Broth Ingredients:

• 2-3 quarts of beef, veggie or chicken broth (we use the organic beef broth that comes in boxes from the co-op)
  
• 1-2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger 1/8" thick 

Meat:

• 1-2 servings of flank steak, lean beef or chicken cut in to strips as thin as you can possibly cut them (slices should be the shape of a stick of gum, roughly) 

Other Stuff: 

• 1 package rice noodles (thick or thin)
• 1-2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
  
• 1 jalapeno chopped small (if you like hot)
• 1 lime in 1/4 wedges
  

Directions:

1. Simmer all broth ingredients together for about 30 minutes (it will start to smell like Pho pretty quickly..yum)
2. Fill a medium bowl with hot tap water and add the rice noodles to soak
3. With about 10 minutes left, start a second pot of water boiling, just enough to cook the rice noodles
4. While broth is simmering, slice meat super thin and chop herbs and jalapenos
5. When broth is just about ready, cook the rice noodles separately by straining them out of the tap water and adding them to the boiling water for about 45 seconds.
6. Meanwhile, add the thin meat to the broth and boil for about 1 minute, or until you think the meat is cooked through.
7. Strain and place the hot rice noodles in deep wide bowls (if you have some)
8. Ladle the broth/meat over the rice noodles (remove anise, cinnamon stick and ginger)
9. Sprinkle bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, jalapeno and squeeze a lime or two into the broth.
10. Serve with chopsticks, and hot sauce.

I'm working on perfecting this recipe:  The recipe for the perfect cracker. 

I first found this cracker at our local Co-op and I've paid $5 ever since for a pack a trip.  That's like a cigarrette addiction for some people.  These crackers make my mouth salivate when I'm still at work, just thinking about getting home.  I'll charge up to the top of the hill, open the gate and put my bike away and then...then say hi to the dogs on my way to the kitchen where I'll pour either a gin & tonic or glass of wine and sit on the back stairs with a cracker and  a drink.  Then I look at the clock and it is still 3:34pm.  It was all a daydream. 

But when the clock ticks to 5:30 or 6, or whatever, I put that dream into  action, and I can be found engorging myself on these crackers within 8 minutes of leaving the office.

That was a long introduction for a great cracker.  Heres how if you've got 8 min to prepare and 30-40 min to babysit an oven:

Stuff You'll Need

*disclaimer: I'm still working on the proportions, but this seems to work well,

• Parchment Paper is necessary
• Preheat Oven to 325 F 

Dry: 

• 1.5 cups Oats (regular)
• 1 cup flour
• 0.5 cup wheat bran (*not germ)
  
• 0.5 tsp salt (important)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp oat bran (optional)
  

Wet:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup water
  

Ridiculously easy Directions:

1. Mix Dry ingredients together
2. Mix Wet ingredients in a separate bowl (or in measuring cup)
3. Mix all together until forms a dough (sticky)
4. Cut a piece of parchment paper that will cover a cookie sheet and place dough on top in a ball
5. Smash the ball down flat and sprinkle with flour; roll out until it is 1/8" thick or a little thinner.
6. Sprinkle top with sea salt or flaky salt and run the rolling pin over the top to embed the salt a bit
7. Use a knife to gently cut the dough where you want it to break
8. Bake for ~30 minutes on 325, or until the middle portion is hard....this is the part I'm still working on.  Adjust time and temp as necessary, but watch carefully on high heat so they don't burn.

Ta Da!  Great crackers.  Kids love em'  Dogs love em' even more. 

While I was checking out Etsy yesterday, I became intrigued by the "baked goods" and food that people are selling there.  I proceeded to look through the gobs of images of mouthwatering cookies and cakes and chocolate doohickies when I came across this magnificent photo of a plate full of pure white soft squishy squares. 

You must know, by the way, that I have always had a big liking for white foods.  Frozen yogurt (the whiter the better), puddings, cookies, ice cream, gummy milk jugs (only in Australia), and sure, the staples like cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, half and half, etc.  You get the picture.  Anyway...here it was, this white wonderfulness and it was for sale!  So I found out it was marshmallows and they were only $9.50.  I wanted them bad enough that I added them to my cart.  Hmm shipping was $7.50.  Something just didn't seem right, BUT, if I bought one more thing from this baker, shipping on that item would be only $2.50.  So I found some chocolate covered honeycomb (which Miguel later tells me sounds disgusting).  I added that to my cart.  Wonderful; a nice surprise coming to me in the mail.  Then I got to the checkout and had a big reality check.  Here I was buying puffed up sugar and a few chocolate covered morsels, and the bill was a whoppig $31!  Shipping fees.  So I bagged it. 

You know, every recipe on the planet is a touch away on the internet.  So I looked up "vanilla marshmallows" and found this great blog post on making the same exact thing!  Of course I needed to make a quick bike trip to get some gelatine (also an intriguing, inexpensive product, that Jell-O has completely masked from all of us).  The rest was so easy.  Sugar, more sugar, liquid sugar, water and vanilla (a little almond extract as I always add to baked sweets no matter what the recipe says), and about 20 minutes of full-speed beating with the hand mixer.  Apparently real people use the KitchenAid big mixer, but we have no room for one of those :).  Whallah, we have a mountain of marshmallows and they ARE fabulous.  Who knew?