twd ~ Sweet Cream Biscuits

I had no idea that biscuits didn't have to have butter or lard and could still taste so good!

I used half regular flour and half whole-wheat flour. I made the dough one night to freeze. My mom was coming for dinner the next night and I knew I wouldn't have time to make them after work. Dorie writes to make the biscuits and freeze them on a baking sheet before securing them in an airtight container. I popped them in the freezer on a baking sheet...and totally forgot about them! The next morning they surprised me, and they looked a little worse for the night - a little frosty. Given this little misadventure, I was a little worried how they would taste. But they were delicious! They came out being very crisp on the outside and doughy in the middle. I didn't roll and cut them, instead just roughly forming them into rounds. My mom and I both prefer rough biscuits. They aren't as pretty, but they have more crispy corners on top.

I would definitely make these again, although it won't replace a good buttermilk biscuit. It's a little too sweet for that. We had it with coconut curried carrot soup and salad and it was perfect. Thanks to Melissa of Love at First Bite for this week's pick!

twd ~ Swedish Visiting Cake

All baked up, and no where to go.

This is cake is really quick to make. Its a no fuss, no frills bitt of cake. But it's still very tasty! The top gets a sprinkling of sugar that adds a shiny, sweet crunch. It smelled lovely - all vanilla, butter, and sugar!

The recipe calls for lemon zest to rub the sugar into. The only citrus I had was grapefruit, and it worked well.

It seems like I have a lot of cakes and sweets these days. Lots of family birthdays and leftover treats. That's why this little cake is going into the freezer for another day.

twd ~ Coconut Tea Cake

After my mom's birthday this weekend, I'm all caked out. But I still had to make this one. It's coconut, and Dorie gave a "Playing Around" option to add spices. So I made it tonight before I went to kickboxing class, and had a piece when I got home.I'm planning on eating this as a breakfast loaf. I can't wait to try it with strawberries tomorrow morning. It is a bit dry and not too sweet, which is why I would never make it just as cake. Pecans would be a good addition. The top has a lovely golden crunch to it. I love the added black pepper, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. The spices aren't overwhelming as I thought they might be. The coconut milk still comes through in a subtle, addictive way. All in all, a great pick by Carmen of Carmen Cooks.

twd Dulce de Leche Duos

These take me back to Miami, where I lived for couple of years in South Beach loving the water, sun, and Cuban food!

My favorite cookies were a sandwich cookie with dulce de leche in the middle, and then rolled in coconut. The caramel on the side just picking of the coconut shreds. Lovely! The only downside was that they could be a little dry.

Not with Dorie's Duos, which have dulce de leche in the batter. I used half white, half whole wheat flour, and it worked really well.
The recipe calls for store bought dulce de leche, but I decided to make it. I used sweetened condensed milk and added salt and cinnamon. I put it in a double boiler and heated and stirred and heated and stirred. After about 30 minutes it still hadn't boiled. So I dumped it in a pan, and as soon as it hit the bottom, it started burning, bad. I grabbed the milk and baking soda and dumped it in, remembering a caramel recipe for New Orlenas pralines. I transferred it back to the double boiler and continued. It turned a pretty brown, and it was done. I tasted...burnt. Again, very burnt.

Dulce de leche 1, me 0.

Pop another can of milk. This time I kept it in the double boiler for over an hour. Sweet perfection!

These were actually worth all the trouble. I'm definitely making again, though I might wait for a special occasion.
Thanks to Jodie of Beansy Love Cakes for this week's pick!

Homemade Clif Bars

There are so many ways to make these. I'm ready to try all kinds of combinations after my first batch. The basic recipe is:

1 1/4 cups cereal (puffed, like rice krispies, I used Kashi's 7 Grain Puffed Cereal)
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 Tbsp ground flax seed (I used wheat germ instead)
1/4 cup dried fruit (I used raisins)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used 62% cacao chunks)
1/3 cup syrup (I used agave)
1/2 cup peanut butter ( I used natural chunky)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (I also used 1/2 tsp almond extract)
A few pinches of salt1: Mix cereal, oats, wheat germ, dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate in a bowl and set aside.
2: Heat agave/syrup over medium-low heat. Add nut butter, cinnamon, salt, and extract. Melt, stirring occassionally to prevent burning.
3: Add the melted mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Let it sit and cool off about 10 minutes, until it begins to stiffen.
4: Pour into a pan and press even. I used a 9x9 pan and got 12 bars approximately 1.5x3x.5 inches.
5: Let the mixture cool completely. Cut into bars. I wrapped mine individually in aluminum foil and put them in a air-tight container for storage and easy picking.
These were very good, though crumbly. That's part of the reason I put them into little foil packets. The other is so that I can grab and go easily, and take them to work to replace the Hershey kisses I've been into. Everyday at around 3pm I know I don't want to be at work anymore, I have too much to do get out by 5, and pop a little chocolate to make those last few hours a little more bearable. And I actually like my job, most of the time.

Country Fried Tofu and Gravy with Veggies

I love getting tofu dishes at restaurants, but I haven't been too successful at home. I had country-fried tofu at a yummy veggie place in Atlanta (Veggieland). It was amazing! I decided to experiment and my version came out different, but very tasty.

First I drained the tofu and placed it between paper towels with a bowl on both sides, one on top to gently press down and one on the bottom to catch the drainage. I mixed up flour, salt, and pepper like my Grany does for real county-fried steak. Half of the tofu went into the dry mix and then in hot oil for a quick fry. For the second half, I added a lttle water and made a batter. I liked the first, dry batch.

I also fried some sans oil, in a nonstick pan. Oil was definitely better.

With those done, I made a simple white, milk gravy. Gravy I learned by watching. Flour, salt, and pepper in a pan. Stirring add oil. Stirring add milk and stir, stir, stir to avoid lumps. While the frying and gravy made this a rather heavy dish, it was delish!

Homemade Deodorant

I have has issues with deodorant since I started wearing it. All during middle school, I would switch brands every time I bought it to prevent it causing me any problems. Usually, I would break out in a red rash under my arm, the lymph node there swolling, getting hot and painful. Definitely the pits.

In high school I avoided all invisible solids, all frangrances and found one that worked! Dove solid, the one with added lotion. Too bad they discontinued it.

I'm not the only one in my family with this problem. My sister also has trouble, though she has reactions to different kinds. She once brought me deoderant home from ireland that was a frangrance-free, roll-on Godsend! Too bad nivea doesn't make the same kinds in the US as Europe. I've been using natural, store bought stuff for at least a year and its okay. But the homemade works so much better for me! No reapplying during the day!

With all the aluminum and suspect ingredients in regular deodorant has caused people to start testing their own this one works for me:

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
Coconut oil to mix

I'm still mastering the art of applying it. I still sweat, but even on a beautiful, sunny today, its doing its thing and allowing my perfume to be a solo performer. Yay!