Culinary Delights

Mini Maple Pancake Muffins

Posted on by Ang Anderson

I saw these sweet little muffins on Bakerella‘s website awhile ago and have been waiting for the right moment to try them. I am happy to announce that this morning presented the perfect opportunity. We had recently been gifted some homemade maple syrup from Grandpa Anderson. Mmmmmmm….

Yes, he taps his maple trees and gives us syrup! He has a special place in our hearts for this amazing feat.

As per usual, Easton wanted pancakes for breakfast. I showed him Bakerella‘s post on the Mini Maple Pancake Muffins and asked him if these would work today. He asked,  “How long is it gonna take?”. I replied, “About the same time as the pancakes to mix up and then eight minutes to bake in the oven.” He agreed that the timeframe was satisfactory and went to watch Curious George. I began mixing up the batter much like I do the pancakes we have nearly every day. I also found myself excited to use my new mini-muffin pan! I am a big fan of the very kid friendly, bite-size perfection that the mini-muffin produces. So, this was our breakfast this morning and they were a hit!

I didn’t have buttermilk or feel like doing a substitute so I just used regular milk and it worked just fine. Bakerella‘s photos are exquisite and I urge you to check them out. These were a nice change from our usual breakfast and, of course, the kids enjoyed dipping in the syrup. Easton told everyone we encountered today how his mom had made him these chocolate chip muffins.  *heart swells*

I do have to be completely honest. I am still salivating over the Chocolate Pastry. I know, I’m weird like that. But pastry or muffin? You’ll have me at pastry every time. I have been pondering my fascination and think the memories they evoke are part of the pull.  Plus, they are just ridiculously good. But, then it also occurred to me that maybe my kids would have memories of me making these little muffins. I envision them saying, “Remember when mom used to make those little chocolate chip pancake muffins that we would dip in Grandpa’s maple syrup?”

So, as much as I would personally prefer the heaven-sent chocolate pastry and my memories of France, I am happy to be making new memories for my babes. I urge you to do the same! Muffin, pastry, cookie, pie, cake. Just go forth and bake!!

Tortilla Pie

Posted on by Ang Anderson

I’ll admit it.  I am a sucker for any recipe with the word ‘pie’ in it.  It causes my taste buds to be very interested.  As usual, dinner was up in the air tonight until about five o’clock.  So, I decided to give this Tortilla Pie a whirl.

I didn’t exactly follow the portions but I did use the recommended ingredients.  I served with some sour cream and guacamole because I believe sometimes a girl has got to live on the wild side.  Plus, I have never met a Mexican dish that did not go well with those two little babes.  More than the suggested amount of salsa found its way in.  What can I say?  I love salsa.  We also used significantly more cheese.  We are naughty like that. 

The great thing with this dish is that you can take as much or as little time in preparing it as you would like.  I used rotisserie chicken and store-bought salsa because I was pressed for time.  My little, local grocery store did not carry the black bean dip so I just drained a can of black beans and used those.  They worked just fine.

We were too hungry to wait for me to take a photo so this picture is courtesy of Oxmoor House.  They obviously made their own salsa because mine did not have those outstanding, gorgeous tomato chunks.

This dish has endless possibilities and you could easily omit the chicken to make it vegetarian friendly.  Change it up however you see fit.  Leave a comment with your adjustments if you are willing to share. 

Let’s hear it!  Three cheers for pie!!

Italian Club Sandwiches

Posted on by Ang Anderson

When I was on maternity leave with Easton, I fell in love with the Food Network and all things culinary.  What is a nursing mother to do with a babe stuck to her breast?  Yes, that’s right.  Soak in the kitchen magic that others create and hope that one day you may be able to bake and frost a cupcake like Martha Stewart or to use EVOO willy nilly like Rachael Ray.  Other favorite ladies were Giada De Laurentiis and Paula Deen.

My sweet friend Carissa (who also happens to be married to my cousin Joel) was the gracious hostess of a baby shower that was held after I had Easton.  She served the most amazing little Italian Club Sandwiches, created by none other than my newfound friend Giada De Laurentiis.  They have since become a staple in my arsenal of recipes.  Thank you Carissa and Giada.  I love you.

These flavorful sandwiches are wonderful for parties because you can make them ahead of time.  We have served at baptisms, birthday parties, baby and bridal showers.  I have also made them countless times on a Sunday evening so that we could have them in our lunch during the week.

Look at this beautiful focaccia…

The focaccia works really well because it provides excellent flavor and texture.  I have substituted ciabatta bread for the focaccia bread.  The single little ciabatta rolls are excellent and you can find them in multi-grain for a healthy bonus.  I slice them in half and toast on the griddle just like I do with the focaccia.  Another tweak I have made is to omit the egg crepe.  Just because.  Because sometimes I’m lazy and don’t feel like making crepes.  Because I am a mom to two little ones and time doesn’t always permit.  I’m about easy, simple and quick.  You could even buy the pre-cooked bacon to make things really easy.  I prefer to use turkey bacon because I like to make healthy adjustments whenever I can.  If you choose not to use the crepes, you cut down the ingredient list to five.  Five is do-able.  Five is perfect.  Five is ‘Yes, please!  I like that!’.

For me, the star of the sandwich is the pesto in all its basil and nutty garlic glory.  We have also used sun-dried tomato spread in place of the pesto.  This sandwich provides a basis for endless possibilities that you can adjust to your preference. Hello pesto!  I’ve missed you.

Here is the official Mini Italian Club Sandwiches Recipe and  Printable Version

They taste great with some kettle chips and a pickle.  Mmm-hmmm…Fancy.  Impressive.  Delicious.

If the time is right, you could add a beer to the mix while you sit out on your deck and enjoy the weather.

Easy to follow.  Make the sandwich.  Share the sandwich with loved ones.  Add beer.  Eat the sandwich.