Chicken Wings with a Side of Corn #FoodPicFriday

This meal was from sometime in September when farmer corn was still around. Love that stuff. We were getting some wicked deals on chicken wings around that time too (which have since ceased), so we were making them as often as we could. It was good living.

This meal consisted of spicy BBQ chicken wings, corn on the cob, and some sidekicks on the side.

Christmas Cactus Clone

The Christmas Cactus we got from Mom's (and that she got from Nanny's) has gotten big. Like, really big. John wants to cut it back, but I love it, even though it is a little out of control. It is out of control but still very beautiful. I think we might just transplant it to a bigger pot and let it be as big and awesome as it wants to be.

Some of the cactus did get trimmed a few years ago, and we made a little plant from it. This week it started blooming and I continue to be impressed by how hearty this 60+ year old plant proves to be.

Previous posts about the Christmas Cactus:
A Lesson in Perseverance #1
Back in Bloom #2
Guess What's Blooming #3
Well Hello #4
Christmas Cactus - 2012/2013 Season #5
Christmas Cactus - December 2013 #6

Layered Mint Chocolate Fudge

I love easy fudge made with sweetened condensed milk. The more flavours I make, the more I want to try. Each one I've made has been a hit, and the recipe makes over 2 lbs so it really goes a long way. So far I've tried Reese's Fudge, Christmas Fudge, Oreo fudge, and Salted Butterscotch Fudge.

My most recent adventure was with mint chocolate fudge, and I found the recipe on Eagle Brand's website. I adjusted the method and made it in the microwave. This was the first fudge I made in the microwave, and although it was really easy, the fudge cooled a lot faster than the stove top method, so I had to move quickly to make sure it didn't set before I got it into the baking dish.  

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips, divided (I used a mixture of dark and milk chocolate)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk (300ml), divided
2 tsp peppermint extract
2 tsp vanilla, divided
Green food colouring

Method:
1. Line 8 x 8 square pan with parchment paper.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk until blended (about one minute). Add 1 tsp vanilla and stir until combined. Spread evenly into pan for layer one of the fudge. Chill 10 minutes for layer to set.

Note: For ease of measuring the sweetened condensed milk, at this time I added the other cup of chocolate chips and another 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk to the microwave safe bowl. Set aside, as this will become layer three.

3. In another microwave safe bowl, add 1 cup white chocolate chips and the remainder of the sweetened condensed milk (it will be a little less than 1/4 cup). Melt in microwave until blended (about one minute). Mixture will be thick. Add peppermint extract and green food colouring and stir until combined. Spread over first layer of fudge. Chill for 10 minutes for layer to set.

4. Melt second bowl of chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk until blended (about one minute). Add 1 tsp vanilla and stir until combined. Spread over second layer of fudge.

Chill until firm. I usually chill mine for 24 hours and it always sets up perfectly.

Homemade Baguettes

Yesterday I told you about some fancy cheese my Mom surprised me with. When I have fancy cheese in the house, my first thought is always "oh, I wish I had a baguette". Cheese and bread is a favourite of mine, it's so simple and delicious. Being baguette-less and not wanting to drive to the store (or to spend the $1.50-$4.00 for a store bought one) I wondered if I could make my own. I found a recipe in my bread maker recipe book, made some dough, and ended up with two 15" baguettes. The cost of all the ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, yeast) was about $0.75, so a significant savings if I make them myself. They were also super easy to make, as most of the prep was just waiting for dough to rise.

Homemade Baguettes:
1. Make dough in the bread maker (1 hour, 15 minutes)
2. Turn dough into a greased bowl, and let rise for 30 minutes
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough with rolling pin until it is a big rectangle (this dough was incredibly easy to roll out)
4. Cut dough in half and roll each half up 'jelly roll style' and round out the ends
5. Let rise for 40 minutes, then cut some diagonal slashes in the top
6. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, turn down to 375°F and bake for an additional 8 minutes

The baguettes tasted great and were really easy to make. I'm so happy that I can make them at home and have a fresh baguette any time I need one.

The Gift of Cheese

I visited with Mom yesterday and she surprised me with a basket full of cheese, tea, and chocolate. She put it together herself, even shredding pieces of Christmas paper to make a bed of confetti for all the treats. Isn't she the best? I would have taken a photo but I was waaaaayyyy too excited to tear open my tea (Twinings Earl Grey), put the cheese in the fridge, and put the chocolate in my face.

Because of this wonderful gift, today I woke up with Gouda in my fridge. I knew I wanted to have some sort of sammie with it for lunch, so I Googled some ideas. I found this blog post that blended spinach, avocado, and Gouda for use in a kick ass grilled cheese. My bread options were limited, so I decided to eat mine as an open face sandwich.

I added a few handfuls of spinach to my mini food processor, and pulsed it until it was nice and chopped. Then I added half an avocado and pulsed it a few times to mix it with the spinach. Lastly, I added some chopped Gouda (thanks Mom!) and processed it until it looked spreadable.

I scooped my mixture onto a toasted bagel and then broiled it for about five minutes in the oven.

Yummy!

I'm also currently making some baguette dough in the bread maker so that I can eat more wonderful and fancy cheese with fancy bread.