Green Smoothie

I've been drinking a chocolate, peanut butter, banana smoothie for lunch; a smoothie my middle sister makes. It is actually somewhat healthy and sugar free! So, I was craving it today, but also wanting to use my spinach to get some greens in my system. The result? Absolutely AMAZING! I should have doubled this recipe just for me!

Green Smoothie:

1 banana
1-2 cups milk (just happened to have some, since we've been making sugar-free ice cream like crazy)
1 big spoonful of almond butter
1 spoonful of honey
fill the blender up with spinach
about two handfuls of ice cubes

This is my oldest sister's version of her green smoothie, if nothing else, just to check out her blog because she is one cool chic!  http://californiapixie.com/2012/05/09/tales-of-a-good-green-smoothie/

Chocolate, Peanut butter, Banana Smoothie:

1 banana
1-2 cups milk
1 spoonful honey
2 big spoonfuls peanut butter
2 big spoonfuls cocoa powder
6 or more ice cubes

Its like the peanut butter choc ice cream at Baskin Robbins (or Basket Robbins...thanks to my littlest ray of sunshine)!

ENJOY!!

Back to Bread

I visited my friend last week who had her 5th baby boy 3 months ago and is already pregnant with her 6th (hoping for baby girl). All these littles are under the age of 9. One little guy needed a snack, so she grabbed for the home made loaf of bread. I couldn't believe she was still finding time for bread making. She is the one who inspired me to make bread long ago. I asked her how she was able to do it still. Her reply was that she only does the basics and what matters. Yes, our e-mailing and phone conversations have gone from almost daily to about once every 3 months. So, what did I do this week?

Made bread.

I've never posted this recipe. It is the one she gave me awhile ago.  It is such a tasty loaf and so easy to make.

Here's to what really matters in life...

6 cups wheat flour
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 T. + 1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup gluten
2 1/4 tsp salt

Combine flour and hot water in mixing bowl. Cover with towel and rest for 30-60 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Add more water or flour until dough is right texture (sticking to bottom but not sides). Knead for 10 minutes. Let rise until double. Shape and place in greased bread pans. Rise and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Random Posting

From one extreme to the other: As I leave a store today, a helpful customer is standing by the door opening it for anyone coming or going.  This eager customer resembles my Aunt Jan. It made me grin big.  I miss that cute Jan.  Then I get in the car and start cutting through the parking lot, I'm aware of a car that has the "right of way" through the parking lot, so I stop. Well, the teen driving the car gives me the biggest bird I have ever seen, or should I say the first I have ever received?! I found myself just smiling big. I followed him out of the parking lot hoping that he could see my big smile through his rear view mirror. And my thought was-  I'm glad there are Aunt Jan's in this world, helping us to see life as it really is. That helpful customer made my day and anything else that happened, didn't matter.

Thai Heaven

Curry in a Hurry...use to be a place to eat in SLC. Not sure if it is still there, but this meal was whipped up in a hurry and it turned out divine. I had left over jasmine rice from a previous meal and a bunch of rice paper and these wonderful ingredients to make peanut sauce. I lost the recipe (given to me from the owner of the Asian market), so what is listed is what I threw together...and I liked it!

Thai Curry Rice
Saute 1/2 chopped onion, 1 bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic in olive oil. Add 2 cups chicken stock, 1 can coconut milk, chopped carrots, handful of chopped cilantro, handful of spinach. Season (to your liking) with chili paste (1 tsp), curry powder (2 tsp), and soy sauce. Simmer then add already cooked jasmine rice. Simmer until thickened and ready to eat. If I had these on hand, I would have thrown them in too: juice of a lime and fresh ginger.

Thai Spring Roll
Chop up veggies. This one had lettuce, carrot, cucumber, green onion. Hold rice paper under hot tap water until soft. Takes only seconds. Place veggies in the center and wrap sides in then bring bottom up and tuck, roll up to the top.

Thai Peanut Sauce
These measurements are all approximate and I used my large spoon for the Tablespoon.
1/2 cup coconut milk, 2 T. plum sauce, 1 T. Hoisin Sauce, 1/2-1 cup peanut sauce, soy sauce- just a bit. Add whatever more it needs to taste how you want it.

Bakeries outside of America

You can never go hungry in Germany. Bakeries everywhere. It was heavenly. We spent an hour walking the streets of one little town and counted 8 bakeries.

Pastries outside of America

Too busy this year for any bread baking, however; I have had some yummy pastries! Top is a danish from Denmark. Anderson's Bakery right across from Copenhagen train station. I had just enough time to get this delicious morsel and hop back on a train via Germany. All I wanted was a real danish from Denmark...and it was amazing. Almond filled. They were out of cheese.

The second picture: These pastries greeted us every morning at the breakfast bar in Sweden. We had an amazing host. Even when they were out of town, the housekeeper would make sure the breakfast bar was set, including fresh pastries!

Buttermilk Bread or Rolls

Pretty much amazing...

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 T. agave nectar

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 egg

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 buttermilk

mix all ingredients with 1 cup flour. Beat well. Then add remaining flour gradually. Dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl, but pull from the sides. Knead until dough passes the windowpane test. Rise until doubled, form into 2 loaves or rolls. Bake 350 25-30 minutes.