Chick Magnet on Sale!

May all your hopes and dreams come true in 2011!

I usually do not promote in the Garden, but I discovered that BookStrand had Chick Magnet on Sale for $4.68 (Electronic version) Buy now!

Blurb
Madison McCullough is moving on. Her ex used her as a babysitter for his young son while he wined and dined other women.

Brady O'Neill is a Formula One race car driver recuperating from injuries sustained in a near death accident.

Brady's sister wants him to face life once again. Believing her son to be a chick magnet, she encourages Brady to take him to the grocery store to try and meet women.

When Madison and Brady meet oranges roll, thanks to Payton, Brady's nephew. The first eye contact over the fruit table makes the air sizzle. No matter how much Madison resists the attraction, she and Brady are destined for each other.

Check my web site for an Excerpt and to watch the trailer.  You can also read the reviews.

Vacation in the Garden

Many people are visiting their loved ones during the holidays. I am in my last week of training at my new day job, and trying to spend off hours with family. As a result I decided to take this week off. See you back next week, hopefully with lots of fun recipes or whatever.

Take care and see you next year! LOL

It's winter in the Garden

Have a happy holiday season, whatever you celebrate from the traditional to the annual solstice. 

I wish everyone the very best in 2011!

Turn overs in the garden

Sorry I've been MIA this week. You know how it is. However, I have a fun turnover recipe I experimented with. I cheated a bit on the crust.

Cran-apple Turnovers - 12 servings
5 Gala apples
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2 packets splenda
2 tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp - Cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves (if you use more it can be over powering)
3 pre-made pie crusts cut in fourths (12 portions)
Peel and core apples cut into cubes. In sauce pan add all the ingredients, stirring off and on, cook until tender. Then add equal amounts to crust portions and turn over and pinch. Sprinkle top with Cinnamon. Cook on 425 for 30-40 minutes (depends on your oven)

252 Calories, Fat 13g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 276 mg, Carbohydrates 35g, dietary fiber 1g, sugars 9g, protein 2g. Vit. A 2%, Vit. C 4%, Calcium 2%

Enjoy!

There's crabs in the garden--YIKES!

Here is another recipe from my friend, Cindy, at the SLC Airport Hilton.


MINI CRAB CAKES
INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp finely grated orange peel
½ tsp finely grated lemon peel
4 tsp plus 2 T chopped fresh chives, divided
¼ tsp coarse kosher salt
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
6 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, patted dry, coarsely shredded
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
Fresh chives cut into pieces

***You will need 2 mini muffin pans***

PREPARATION:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add ¼ cup Parmesan and egg; beat to blend. Beat in sour cream, citrus peels, 4 tsp. chopped chives, coarse salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in crabmeat. DO AHEAD: can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 2 mini muffin pans. Toss panko, ½ cup Parmesan, and 2 T chopped chives in small bowl. Drizzle ¼ cup melted butter over, tossing with fork until evenly moistened. Press 1 rounded T crab mixture into cup. Sprinkle rounded tsp of panko mixture over each.

Bake crab cakes until golden on top and set, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Run knife around each cake and gently lift out of pan. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Arrange on baking sheet; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350 degree oven 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange crab cakes on serving platter; sprinkle with chives.

Side dish Wednesday at the Garden

Sorry I'm a bit late today. I meant to add this last night, but time got away from me. We have a Christmas dinner Saturday night and I need to bring a potato side dish. Last Sunday night I experimented. It turned out great except I put WAY too much pepper in. I've cut down on that considerably.

Here it it:
Creamy Baked Potatoes 4- 3/4 cup servings

3 Medium Potatoes thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Bell Peppers Yellow Chopped
1/4 Cup Bell Peppers Red Chopped
1/4 Cup Bell Peppers Green Chopped
1/4 cup Chopped onion
1/4 Cup Diced Jalapeno Peppers (Fresh or canned)
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed until smooth in 1 Tbsp water
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (to your taste)
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp coriander seed (ground)
1 tsp chives (freeze dried or fresh)
1 cup Fat Free Half & Half

Mix Half & half with spices and cornstarch mixture. Place potatoes and vegetables in microwavable dish. Pour cream mixture over sliced potatoes and chopped vegetables and make sure they're all coated. Cook on medium for 5 minutes and stir and cook another 5 minutes on medium. Continue until done.

Calories 150, Sodium 167mg, Carbohydrates 32g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 8g, Protein 5g.

The next time I make it I'm leaving the caraway seeds out. Who knew they're the dang seeds in Rye bread. I hate Rye bread. My husband thought it tasted great. So that's optional to your taste.

Good luck. I suggest to all that you experiment with spices to taste instead of ingredients with high calories.

Trish Hull is in the garden today!

Good morning, everyone welcome Trish Hull to the garden. I’ve placed some space heaters around for all of us to keep warm.  Coffee, hot cocoa, peppermint schnapps, Kahlua, Bailey’s are all on the table, with Christmas treats.

Mary: I know Trish from the Magna Library. She’s the manager there. If you’d like to read about her work you can read the Mysteries and Margaritas. However, today we’re just chillin’ (literally) in the garden. Please tell us a little about your growing up and a bit about yourself, Trish.

Trish: I was born In Los Gatos California in 1956. I have-had 2 older brothers, one died a few years ago of cancer. We moved around a lot as a kid and I lived in St. Louis, Atlanta, Albany Georgia, Lancaster Pennsylvania, and  Lincoln, Nebraska before coming to BYU and marrying a Utah boy and staying put. We have lived here in Magna for 30 years. Hmmmm I bet a psychologist could explain that. I really love all the places I lived however. I adored the south and would move back in a heartbeat. I also love, love, love the East. Boston, New York, DC.  Everywhere we moved we always went to a library first thing. I love to read and have always loved to read. My brother told me a story recently about playing a game with he and his friends and I played with a book in my hand.  I graduated from BYU in 1977, married in 1977 had 6 kids and then in 2000 went back to school to get my bachelors degree.  I now have 8 grandkids who I adore and love to babysit. (Funny because I hated babysitting as a kid). My husband is an engineer at ATK and I am manager at Magna Library and we both commute about 3 minutes to work.

Mary: Thanks! When you’re not at the library what do you like to do to relax? I know your daughter/daughters are trying to get you into running, tell us about that?

Trish: Read and read and watch a little TV. I love Blue Bloods, Good Wife, Big Bang Theory, and Sing-off.  My daughters want me to run a 5K race in the spring with them. Unfortunately I don’t run, so I have started going to the gym and can now run 1 mile without stopping. I hope to build up to 3 before the spring. It is really hard though. My lungs need some strengthening I guess. I have really enjoyed the gym however, surprisingly.

Mary: Do you have any family traditions? Any that you have started since you started your own family?

Trish: Oh my. Let’s see. We always get together Christmas Eve for a family party and exchange brother/sister gifts and gma gpa gifts.  We have Sunday dinner twice a month, because I was never really close to my siblings and have always wanted my kids to be close. We go camping every year a couple of times and have a condo In St. George we like to go to as a family. We bought some property up in Idaho a few years ago with a couple of our kids and are planning to build a cabin up there for the family. We just love to be together and I am so happy my kids actually like each other most of the time. So there is hope because my 3 daughters are all 2 years apart and when they were teenagers fought like cats and dogs.

Mary: Everyone refill their mugs and grab some more treats. So Trish, do you like to cook? If so what’s your favorite holiday dish, and can you share the recipe?

Trish: I am not a great cook and only cook once a week. We are all on separate diets. My husband eats almost no fat, my son is vegan, I am trying to eat healthy but love breads and chocolate and cookies.  So my favorite recipes are all desserts. I have lots of  favorites and this one is weird but once you eat it you fall in love with it. (Ask my sons in law) Fruit Loop Cookies:
Ingredients:  I cube butter
                        1 yellow cake mix (dry)
                        5 Cups of Fruity Tooties or fruit loops
                        1 cup chocolate chips
                        5 cups colored mini marshmallows
                         1 can sweetened condensed milk
Melt a cube of butter in the bottom of a cookie tray with sides. Pour a yellow cake mix over the butter and try and get it so there are no dry parts. Pour 4-5 cups of fruit loops over the cake mix.  Sprinkle about 1 cup of chocolate chips over the cereal, and then Pour 4-5 cups of colored mini marshmallows over the top. Drizzle one can of Sweetened Condensed milk over the entire mess until covered. Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes or until the milk is golden brown. 

Mary: Do you like to travel? If so, where is your favorite place? And where would you like to go if you could go anywhere in the world?

Trish: I love to travel but don’t do much. Last fall my sons and I went back east for a college tour trip and loved it. I have been to Paris and loved France as well. I learned I can spend money in any language even if I don’t speak it. I have traveled all over the US. If I could go anywhere I think I would love to go to Europe, then The British Isles, South America would be great- Chile and Argentina, Costa Rica. I would love to see the Middle East- Maybe go to Qatar for the World Cup _hahha-  China and Japan sound fascinating.  Have I missed anywhere? Do you think they have discount tickets?? So when I win the lottery you won’t see me for awhile.

Mary: Before we say goodbye and head for indoors and a warm fire, is there anything I haven’t asked, or you haven’t shared that you think is unique and interesting about you and the holidays?

Trish: No I really consider myself pretty normal. I feel really lucky to have the amazing family I have and that they love me. I am not a huge Christmas person. When I was a kid I did not like Santa, he scared me and it made no sense to me how he could get all over the world in one night and how he could fit all those toys into one bag. Plus we didn’t have a chimney so I figured he had to break into our house.  So as a Mom I did not perpetuate the myth. I told the truth about to Santa to my kids (I know I was the Mom everyone hated) . The funny part is some of my kids didn’t believe me.  One of my daughters told me “I know you don’t believe in Santa Mom , but he is real, I know.” Now I love  doing all my shopping online for Christmas and having the kids and grandkids over to party. One funny thing we used to do was try and trick the kids by putting fake names on the presents . One year everyone was a Disney villain, or a power ranger or a super hero. Most of the fun was making up the names and tricking them.

Thank you, Trish for joining us in the garden and sharing your holiday traditions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

Napoleons in the Garden

Okay here is the other fillings for your Puff Pastry for Napoleons. (Refer to Wednesday's blog for the Puff Pastry recipe.)

Cream Filling
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. flour
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and flour. Stir into beaten eggs. Mix until smooth. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Pour into top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water. Stir constantly until mixture thickens, about 10 min. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Stire occassionally. Makes 3 1/2 cups.


Napoleons
1/2 recipe Puff pastry
1 1/2 cups cream filling
Confectioner's sugar

Make Puff pastry through step V
On a lightly floured board roll out puff pastry 1/4 thick, into a rectangle about 15" x by 8". Cut into 2 perfect rectangles 8x5" place on ungreased baking sheet. Chill 3-mutes. Bake in a very hot oven 450 for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate 350 bake 15 to 20 minutes longer. Cool on a rack.

Split the 2 rectangles in half so there are four layers. Put the layers together with filling. Sprinkle top with sugar chill. Cut crosswise into strips. Makes 6.

Puff Pastry in the Garden

As promised last week I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes of my mom's. It's great to take to a holiday party. Of course, it's a bit of work but well worth it. Remember these recipes are old--as in from the 1960's or some even earlier.

Puff Pastry
2 Cups sifted all-purpose flour (does anyone ever sift flour any more?)
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 cup ice water
Sift flour and cream of tartar together.
I.
Cut well chilled butter into 12 chunks about 1" square. (if butter is wrapped in quarters, each quarter makes 6 squares of proper size) Toss butter in the flour to coat squares but do not blend.
II.
Add water, reserving 1/4 cup. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining water to moisten unmixed flour in the bottom of the bowl. Mix only until the dough will hold together in a sticky ball.
III.
Toss and turn dough on a well-floured board until it can be handled. Pat into a rectangle about 2" thick. Then roll into a rectangle about 1/4" thick, about 12" by 16". Keep the corners as square as possible.
IV.
Keep enough flour on the board to prevent streaks of butter from sticking. Fold dough in thirds, right side over first, then left. Brush excess flour from dough with a pastry brush as you fold.
V.
Fold dough in thirds again, turning the front to the back and then fold the back portion forward over it. Dust excess flour. Wrap in wax paper. Chill 30 min. Repeat roll, folding, chilling exactly as directed above four more times. Always start with open edge of previous fold away from you. Chill for final 30 min. or overnight. use as recipes direct.

There are 2 fillings you can use with the Puff Pastry. One for Napoleons and one for Almond Cream Horns. One today, but you'll have to wait until Friday for the other one. Sorry!  Oh the tease. LOL

Almond Filling
uncooked Flavoring:
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. rum flavoring or almond flavoring (real rum might be very tasty in this)
1/2 cup ground almonds


Work butter in a bowl until creamy. Add sugar gradually. Beat until fluffy. Add egg yolk. Beat thoroughly. Stir in flavoring and blanched almond. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Almond Cream Horns
Little cornucopia with a light and fluffy filling!
1/2 recipe Puff Pastry
1/3 cup Almond Filling
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped (this is what the recipe instructs LOL)
Chopped toasted almonds.

On a light floured board, roll out pastry 1/4" thick into a rectangle 20"x7". Cut into 12 long strips about 1/2" wide.

Make cone mold from heavy aluminum foil 2" in diameter by 3" long. Wind pastry strips around each cone starting at small end. continue to top. Dampen ends. eal. Bend up tips to secure pastry. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Chill 30 minutes. Bake in a very hot oven. 450 for 5 minutes. Reduce to 350 bake 10-15 minutes longer. Cool slightly. Slip from molds. Completely cool on rack. Fold filling into whipped cream.

Cream Filling and Napoleons to come....
Enjoy!

Curry in the Garden

Last Friday night I found myself faced with some thawed chicken and not a clue with what to prepare. Once again I experimented. My husband paid me the highest compliment, he was disappointed after 3 servings there wasn't any left. LOL.

Curry Chicken & Rice 4.5 1 cup servings
13 oz. chicken cubed
1 stalk celery chopped
1/3 cup onion chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 Can Campbells 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 can water
1 1/2 cup Cooked rice
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp Curry

Spray fat free oil in fry pan. Add vegetables and cubed chicken cook until chicken and vegetables are slightly cooked. In bowl add soup and water, add in spices and mix thoroughly add to pan and bring to boil. Then lower temp to simmer while rice cooks. Add cooked rice to mixture and simmer another 5 -10 minutes.
1 cup servings
Calories 212, Total Fat 3g, Cholesterol 51mg, Sodium 396 mg, Carbohydrate 26g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugar 2g, Protein 23g. Vit. A 8%, Vit. C 64%, Calcium 4%, Iron 12%

Hope you enjoy as much as we did. We served a Spanish Marques de Caceres Crianza 2005 Rioja wine with dinner, it went better than I thought it would. Spicy always goes better with a sweet white wine, had I had a dry Riesling though I would have served that. 

Easy Christmas treats in the garden

Good Morning everyone! I'm scrambling to keep up. As most of you know, or maybe most of you do not know, I accepted a new day job with Apple. Great company, but I don't have as much time to play and blog with my friends.

I will do the best I can though. I have found a great recipe of my mom's. It would be good if you have a Christmas party to attend and you do not have much time.

Quick Crescent Pecan Pie Bars - Makes 2 dozen
8 oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated quick crescent dinner rolls
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 375
Lightly grease 13x9 pan. Separate crescent dough into 2 large rectangles. Press rectangles over bottom and 1/2" up sides of pan to form crust, seal any holes. Bake 5 minutes.
In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients. Pour over partially baked crust. Bake 18-22 minutes until gold brown. cool. Cut into bars.

And last but not least--Enjoy!
Next week I'll share my mom's Puff Pastry and filling. I think she should have been a pastry chef.