SNAP! Two Great Causes Come Together

What if I gave you $16.00 and told you that you could spend it anyway you see fit? Would you spend it on a nice lunch for yourself? Maybe buy an extra latte and surprise a co-worker? How about a couple extra gallons of gas in your tank? Now, what if I changed that and told you that you could have that $16.00 only after you filled out an 11-page application with all of your personal family information? Oh, and by the way, that $16.00 needs to be used to buy food for that week since the basket you just received from the food pantry may or may not stretch as far as you'd hoped. Sounds crazy, right? Well this is the reality for many families as they try to make ends meet right now. It's a balancing act and unless we’ve walked in the shoes of that person, how can we truly understand what they face?

Last year, I took part in my first food bloggers’ challenge where I got an inside look at my local food bank, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. It was through this project that I was able to re-educate myself and truly put to rest the stereotypes that I had held to be true about who the actual face of hunger was, and more importantly, still is. Something I will never get my head wrapped around is how wide-spread hunger is in this "milk & honey" country. Like so many others, it’s my heartfelt desire to see an end to this and I will continue to educate myself and try to make a difference.

Making a difference seems to fall right into place with this next bit of news. I am proud to say that I’m now a member of an amazing new non-profit, the The Austin Food Blogger Alliance (AFBA), which was formed to bring our local food bloggers together and where one of our tenets is to support our community through social, educational and philanthropic outreach events. I have accepted the role of Philanthropy Committee Chair and consider it both a privilege and honor to work closely with local charities in our community.

For the AFBA’s first Philanthropy event, it made perfect sense to return to the CAFB one year later and do an Anniversary Challenge Project. This time we are focussing on the Texas SNAP initiative (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), or more commonly referred to as food stamps. SNAP provides qualified applicants with a minimum of $16 per month and the average family of four receives $306 per month in SNAP benefits.. The only problem with this program is that it's not at all a snap to get. Though changes continue to happen, it seems more and more that clients need to rely on other sources, like the food banks, to help them get through all of the application paper work. Hopefully, in time, this will change along with the growing number of children that leave for school hungry and end up going to bed hungry as well.

Another amazing resource that our CAFB offers is a CHOICES Nutrition Education Program. From after school snack classes with kids to adult education healthy choice classes, the food bank is showing clients that they can take that $16.00 SNAP money and make healthy "stretchable" meals. As AFBA members, our challenge was to come up with some healthy recipes that the CHOICES group could add to there reprotoire. Since breakfast seems to be the meal that is all-so-important to get our brain functioning in the morning, I thought I would start there. Cause after all, if you’re in a hurry, at least breakfast should be a SNAP... I'm jus' sayin'!


Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Shake
1 cup milk
1 packet instant oatmeal
1 banana (the riper the better)
1 cup orange juice

Cut banana into chunks.
Place all ingredients in blender container.
Blend until smooth.
2 servings


Breakfast Cookies (a cross between banana bread and warm oatmeal)
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 ½ cups quick oats (Gluten free Oats work well in this)
1/3 cup honey OR ½ cup sugar
1/3 cup oil OR applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet, flatten into cookie shape.
Bake for 20 minutes or until brown.
About 3 dozen cookies.
VARIATION: Add 1 cup of chopped dates & reduce the oats to 2 cups.
TIP: If your kids like to eat raw dough, this dough is yummy and it’s safe to eat this way (no eggs)



Cinnamon Orange Yogurt
4 oranges peeled and sliced
1 carton of plain or vanilla yogurt
2 tbs. Orange Juice
2 tbs. Lemon Juice
1 tbs. Sugar
1/4 tsp. ground Cinnamon
Combine the juices, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss the syrup with the oranges. Arrange in individual bowls and serve with plain or vanilla yogurt on top.

Throwing a Purposeful Dish Together

Has this ever happened to you? You get invited over to someone's house for a lovely dinner party and you're asked to bring something. At that moment, you instictfully respond with "Sure! Can't wait! Love to!" Then the week goes by, crazier than expected, and bam! here you are smack-dab on the morning of the dinner and you realize that you don't have a plan. Nor do you have a car to get you to the store since your husband had already left with it. Well, this actually does happen to me more often than not. I would love to boast that I'm a very organized person but with all that is continuous in my life, "chaos" seems to be at the top of that list. I do have one thing going for me in that I can usually pull something out of my hat (or should I say pantry) even under the procrastination gun and on top of that, I find that those are the desserts or tapas that usually end up being the best. If you have a few basic recipes memorized then quite possibly changing a few of the flavors will make for a pleasant surprise. Then, when you show up to the party with your contribution in hand, you can "Wow" them by saying "I was so excited to come that I was inspired to create this dish just for today!" I'm jus' sayin'!

I did a post a while back for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that has just a few ingredients in it and is very easy to throw together. I took that as inspiration along with a handful of leftover ginger cookies from the cookie jar and made this...


Chocolate Dreamsicle Pie

1 Graham Cracker Crust (I used left over cookies that I pulverized in the food processor instead of graham crackers)
1 8 oz Package of Cream Cheese Softened
1 8 oz Tub of Frozen Whipped Topping
1/2 Cup of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
1 Tbsp. of Good Vanilla Extract
2 oz. of Melted Dark Chocolate (to drizzle on top of pie)
Orange Wedges to Garnish.

In your mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese until it is fluffy. Add the orange juice concentrate and vanilla. Then beat in the whipped topping until all is combined and fluffy. Spoon into cooled crust. Melt chocolate and place in a small plastic sandwich bag, snip the corner and drizzle in any pattern all over the top of pie. Garnish with orange wedges. Chill for at least an hour before serving.


I was also supposed to bring an appetizer. Luckily, I have an easy pizza dough recipe that work's as a mock-Focaccia in a pinch. I use the same basic recipe but always change the flavors by switching up the toppings. It's pretty much a no-fail treat.


Focaccia 2-Ways

Basic Dough

4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Warm Water
2 Tablespoons of Instant Dry Yeast
1/3 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt

* For this version of the basic recipe I also added 1 Teaspoon of Granulated Garlic and 1 Tablespoon of Herbs de Provence

Mix all of the above in a metal bowl (a sticky dough will form). Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, knead on a floured board adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until it is no longer sticky (when the dough pulls away from the board cleanly), then divide in half. Take one-half and form on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the shape of a rustic oval. Do the same with the other half.

At this point you can drizzle olive oil on top and go to town with whatever topping(s) you have in the pantry and fridge. Rule of thumb is to use a fruit/nut/cheese combo and you can't go wrong.

In this version, I used Fig Walnut Conserve, Goat Cheese and prosciutto on one loaf. On the other loaf, I used prosciutto, goat cheese, pine nuts and thinly sliced green apple.

Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve sliced with olive oil for dipping.

Virtual Cookie Exchange

Once again, it's that time of year when the one holiday tradition that many bakers look forward to is upon us. The annual Holiday Cookie Exchange! Remember those? If you’ve never experienced one before, let me tell you, you’re missing out – unless, of course, you chose the month of December to start your diet, in which case I suggest you stop right here and go find something else to read such as “How to make celery last throughout a Holiday Cocktail Party.”

I’m of the opinion that cookie exchanges exist so that a bunch of friends can get together catching up on all the "goings on" in their lives and eat cookies till they split. Aside from getting to spend time with friends, additional benefit is that you go home with a cookie tin full to the brim and a pocket full of recipes. I’ve been to many variations of these parties over the years and remembering back about parties from years past made me homesick thinking of my special friends that don't live in Texas. That’s when the idea popped into my head about taking advantage of our virtual world and do my own cookie exchange with a twist.

So a week ago, I asked some of my out-of-the-area girlfriends that I correspond with online if they’d be willing to share one of their "tried and true, make it every year" cookie recipes. I told them that I wanted to bake each of them to feel like I was in the kitchen with them. Naturally, they were up to it and the recipes started coming in. As I was baking each recipe, I started soulfully thinking about each recipe and each wonderful friend that it came from. Before I knew it I was laughing out loud and feeling this overwhelming warmth - and not because the oven was on! It was certainly no substitute for the real thing, but it eased my heart and gave me a feeling of kinship with each lady as I worked through their recipes – and of course, I still walked away with more than a pocketful of recipes and a tin full of cookies. For this holiday season, it provided me with a sweet reminder as to why these ladies are so important to me – I’m jus’ sayin’!


Anise Biscotti - This recipe comes from Karen Bushaw, a childhood friend that grew up across the street from me. We had lost touch for about 9 years before reconnecting this past summer and it was if we never skipped a single heartbeat. I think some friendships can just do that. Her Italian family played a very strong role in my life. Growing up, I watched them and their cooking more than they probably will ever know and I still make some of their recipes today for my family. She is a very beautiful lady inside and out and I am honored to call her my forever friend.



Anise Biscotti

Mix in One Bowl:
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortnening
4 3/4 cup flour
3 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. anise flavoring
6 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350º

Form dough on cookie sheet into a long log and flatten till about an inch thick. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or light brown*, let them cool slightly, and cut diagonally and place back on the cookie sheet, side down, browning both sides of cookie and turning when brown - about 5 minutes each side.

* I find that 15 minutes is not always enough ;)


Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies - My friend Lisa Marks shared this recipe with me. She lives in Northern California and along with her daughter, join Johnee and I every summer for our annual Mother/Daughter trip. Although I've known her since our childhood, our friendship has grown over the last ten years and I value her guidance, wisdom and amazing listening skills every day. We try to chat every other day online to stay connected.



Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (craisins)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix well. Stir in oatmeal, cranberries, chocolate chips and almonds. Drop by teaspoonful onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.


Grandma Mahugh's Candy Cookies - This next recipe comes from my friend Katie Dickson, also in Northern California, who continues to bake her Grandma's "secret recipe" every year. Giving away the "family secret" comes as no surprise to me because in the nearly 30 years that I've known her she has always been the kind of friend that will give you the proverbial shirt off her back if she thinks it will bring you comfort. Her Grandma had a special home filled with love and I know that if Grandma were still with us she would be filled with joy to know that Katie continues in her legacy to embrace kids who need love and acceptance and focuses every day in giving of herself.



Grandma Mahugh's Candy Cookies

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 pkg (1 lb) brown sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup crushed wheaties
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer. Refrigerate over night. Roll into balls. Keep the mixture cold. If it gets to warm, pop back in the refrigerator. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. If you do not use parchment you will see the brown sugar caramelize. Be careful not to burn the bottoms of the cookies. If you use parchment, it won't burn but it also won't be the original cookie. So experiment and see which you like best. I personally like the parchment cookies better. My uncles like the caramelized version.


Orange Coconut Balls - This tasty recipe comes from Amy Hadley, a very special lady I met here in Austin a few years ago. Wait! Before you think I broke the rules by including a "local", let me explain. Last year, she and her husband made a bold move and decided to pack-up and live for a year in Prague. She is an amazing and talented woman and if you would like to follow her "Prague Adventure", please visit her website at http://hello-unknown.com/ She is funny, witty, crafty and organized and her contagious personality will grab you in a minute. She says this recipe is one of the most popular in the Bowlin house every year... "my brothers pop them like they're... well, candy".



Orange Coconut Balls

Ingredients:
1 stick butter (1/2 c.)
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 lb. box vanilla wafers, finely crushed

Mix well and form into balls. Roll in shredded coconut mixed with finely chopped pecans (or walnuts).
Store in airtight container. Can be frozen.


Soft Molasses Cookies = This last cookie recipe comes from another Austin friend who moved away to Arizona - hopefully to return home soon! Amy De Medici is someone that brings a tremendous amount of light into a room and fills it with love. I truly appreciate her insight and believe her to be a true gift. She recently lost both her grandmother and father and this particular cookie was one her Grandma always made.



Soft Molasses Cookies (Granny Wallace)

2 1/2 cups shortening
3 cups sugar (white)
3 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
6 cups flour
2 tbls soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/2 tbls of ground cloves
1 to 1 1/2 tbls of cinnamon

Roll pieces into small balls, flatten a little if you want and place on cookie sheet*. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.

* I tweaked this a bit by rolling the balls in sugar before placing on the cookie sheet


Peppermint Crinkles


This blog wouldn't be complete without including my own. Here's my recipe for Peppermint Crinkles (my new personal favorite). I found this link with the same recipe so I've simply pointed to it here. http://www.tootsie.com/rec_cocoacookies.php

When Life Gives You Citrus!

About 9 years ago, we moved from sunny California to the big state of Texas. This was a huge shock to our systems and not for the obvious reasons you may think. Take our backyard garden - when we were in California, we were spoiled by the soil and the weather. We could virtually throw seeds into the earth and up would spring a glorious garden or plentiful fruit trees. Of course, the first time we started our garden here in Austin, we had the same expectations. Unfortunately, the results were very different. My dear husband hit that hard Texas clay earth with the shovel and we started to realize maybe we don't have the magic green thumb after all. Still, we persevered and over the years we have managed to start a few gardens and harvest crops not nearly as abundant as we had grown accustomed too (humbling, absolutely!). A few pumpkins (grown from old jack-o'lanterns thrown in the compost pile), lots of peppers (naturally) and a surprising herb garden have been the highlights. Over the years, we have learned what we can and can't grow and what veggies we still need to learn more about as far as growing in this environment.

With all that said, we may not have the fresh and plentiful veggies growing in the backyard garden (there's always the local farmer's market!) but what we do have are 2 of the most prolific citrus trees around. Granted, they are transplants like us and we didn't listen to locals that said citrus wouldn't grow here. We have one Meyer Lemon that we brought in our moving truck from California and my Mom brought us our Moro Blood-Orange tree in her moving van when she moved from California to Austin a few years later. Both are now firmly rooted in our Texas backyard, just like us. Every year, the Meyer produces the most amazing lemons - which I will be writing about soon. This blog, however, is about our beautiful blood-orange tree. If you have never had the pleasure of drinking fresh blood-orange juice, then I suggest you put that on your must-do "foodie list". Having a tree with an abundant supply allows us to try many different recipes and still have plenty left over to bless friends and family.

We started our holidays off with blood-orange mimosas on Christmas morning, a glorious and sweet ruby-colored drink that makes regular mimosas blush in comparison. I have made blood-orange vinaigrette's for salads as well as candied orange peel. My daughter and I baked rich, golden loaves of cranberry-orange bread as gifts for neighbors. We infuse the zest into vodka and make lovely martini's. And this year, I attempted to make blood-orange marmalade. Tonight, we had blood-orange sorbet for dessert and Wow! so yummy! So with all the recipes and new ideas out there, one would think that if life gives you all this beautiful citrus, why just make juice? I'm jus' sayin'!

Blood Orange Marmalade - I found an orange marmalade recipe online from "The Barefoot Contessa" as a base and revised it to make blood-orange marmalade. If you would like to try her recipe with plain oranges you can find it here. I suggest you start the the night before, right before you get ready to go to bed.

In a large stainless steel pot, slice 8 medium size blood-oranges in half and take out seeds. Take each half and slice paper thin half-moons from them. (Ina Garten suggests using a mandolin for the slicing to make this chore quicker - good luck! I tried mine and ended up with a mess and the thought that bloody fingers instead of blood-oranges was enough for me to use just my knife) Transfer all the slices as well as any juice to the pot. Fill the pot with 8 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn of heat and add 8 1/2 cups of sugar to the pot. Stir until dissolved. Put the lid on the pot and let this sit on the counter overnight. The next morning, bring the pot with all the oranges, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Bring the heat back up and boil gently for about 30 minutes. Skim any foam off the top. At this point, use a candy thermometer and watch for the marmalade to come to 220 degrees F. It should be a thick consistency with a dark, golden-red color. Pour the marmalade into clean mason jars and place in a hot water bath to seal the lids. After they have been canned, they should last in a cool pantry for up to a year - that is, if you have not opened it and put it on a toasted English muffin, in which case I promise that jar will go fast. Enjoy!

Blood Orange Sorbet - Absolutely simple! I followed David Lebovitz's recipe which was very precise and you can too! I find David's work to be clean and clear and it's always a joy to read his blog.