Just in Case You Want To Bake Up Something Sweet for Your Valentine...

If you want to bake a special little dessert for someone you love this Valentine's Day, then I have the perfect recipe for you.  No, it's not chocolate, but it's still really good.  Think layers of butter cake, cream cheese, raspberry preserves and a crumb topping.  Are you interested yet?  This Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake would be perfect on a brunch buffet, but I never serve brunch, so at our house, it's dessert.  If you added a little spoonful of freshly whipped cream and sprinkled some fresh raspberries on the plate, well, then you would have something really fancy.  We never get that fancy. I'm just saying, it would be pretty all dressed up like that. 

Here's how this cake comes together.  Start by mixing flour and sugar in a bowl.  

To the flour mixture, add softened butter.  I'm doubling the recipe here, so don't panic at the amount of butter.  I know, it looks like a lot.

I like to do this part with my hands.

Set aside a cup of the crumb mixture to be used later.  The remaining mixture will be added to a mixing bowl, along with baking powder, salt, soda, sugar, vanilla, eggs and sour cream.

This will become the cake batter that forms the first layer of the dessert.

Spread this into a buttered and floured springform pan.  I'm making several cakes today, one for the freezer, to be pulled out at a later date and a couple to give as gifts.  I like to use the small springform pans for these.   Two of these little guys equals one larger cake. 

The batter is spread over the bottom of the pan and about an inch up the sides.  

In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), I mixed up the second layer, with softened cream cheese, an egg and sugar.  Notice I used light cream cheese (but not fat free!), I almost always do, because when I bake, I can't tell a difference.  I also use light sour cream (but not fat free!).  Those two things don't make this a "light" dessert, but I cut back where I can. 

When this was smooth and creamy, I poured it over the cake layer in the pans, spreading carefully, so as to keep it on top of the cake batter, but not touching the sides of the pan.  Does that make sense?

The fruit preserves go on next.  I used raspberry jam (sadly, my last jar), but I think this would also be delicious with strawberry, blueberry or blackberry. 

I chopped up some pecans (sliced almonds would be good too)

and added those to the crumb topping that I had set aside.  This gets sprinkled on the top.  I baked the cakes at 350 for about 45 minutes.  After cooling on a wire rack for 15 minutes, you take off the side of the springform pan and cool completely.

Yum!  Can you feel the love?

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2 cups unbleached, plain flour

1 cup sugar, divided

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs, divided

1 t. vanilla

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans

raspberry preserves

In large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture; set aside.  To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, salt, soda, sour cream, 1 egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread batter over bottom of a greased and floured springform pan.  In small bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and remaining egg until smooth.  Pour over batter in pan.  Spoon preserves over filling.  In small bowl, combine reserved crumb mixture and pecans.  Sprinkle over top.  Bake at 350 for 45- 55 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.  Remove sides of pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Won't You Be My Valentine?

Two days of snow, with more in the forecast, means my calendar squares for this week have pretty much been wiped clean.  That's the thing I love most about snow days, the opportunity to stay home and do something unscheduled.  Sitting by the window watching the flakes come down, with a cup of tea and a knitting project or a good book are some of my favorite snow day activities.  But this is Valentine's week, so I've been putzing around doing other things for some special people that I love.

In the recent issue of the Martha Stewart magazine, a crafting project caught my eye.  I'm not much of a crafter, but this looked easy enough for me to handle.  Fabric envelopes in pretty patterns,  to use for tucking in a heartfelt note or maybe even a gift certificate.  This would be a perfect way to use up some scrap fabric, but since I don't sew very often, I didn't have anything that seemed suitable.  I found these fabric quarters at Michael's and the colors seemed perfect for Valentine's Day.

The first thing I did was iron the material.

Next, I carefully took apart an envelope to use as a pattern.

I painted Mod Podge on both sides of the fabric (the messy part),

and hung them up to dry.

The next day, I traced around the envelope on the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I cut out the fabric envelopes.

Using the paper envelope as a guide, I folded the fabric, creasing the edges into the center.

With a little more Mod Podge, I sealed the flaps together, placing a piece of wax paper inside the fabric envelope, until the glue dried.

I took out the wax paper and voila!  Pretty fabric envelopes.

Latest Reads

Ok, it's time to share some of my latest reads.  I tend to forget to do this and then I have a huge stack, and the thought of reviewing the books is overwhelming, so I just don 't do it.  This year however, I'm going to try to do this every couple of months, and it will be easier.  I get my list of "must read" books from the recommendations of others (you might see your name in this post), when titles are dropped in conversation, on favorite blogs and sometimes on Goodreads (when I remember to go there).  I love listening to Fresh Air on NPR, because Terry Gross often interviews an author, promoting his or her latest work.  I won't even tell you how many stacks of books are placed strategically all over my house, books that are waiting to be read.  I couldn't put them all in one place, because that would just be embarrassing, and my husband already thinks I'm a little obsessed.  However, this doesn't prevent me from adding something new to the Amazon cart if it sounds good.  I've also started pulling a previously read book off my bookshelf and adding it to the rotation. I'm trying to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go, because even I am beginning to realize there is only so much room in a house for books.  A good book won't make the cut.  It has to be a great book, that will be read again, for it to take up space on my bookshelves.  I have some classics that are the exception to that rule.  These are books that I hope I will "grow into".  A friend of mine recently reminded me, that in order to really understand a book, you have to read it more than once.  I have some that I think might take three or four readings, for me to begin to understand them.  But even if an initial reading brings only an introduction to a new thought, then it's been worth my time.  I think I'm better off than I would've been had I not read it in the first place.  Although, Lolita comes to mind and I think I would've been better off not to read that one.  Whew!  It may be a classic, but it was very disturbing. 

Even though I may have a bent towards a certain style of book ( like historical fiction), I try to throw a book in from time to time that might not be something I would ordinarily read. Gretchin Rubin's book club is good for this.  She is the author of the The Happiness Project and Happier at Home (both excellent books) and she offers an eclectic mix of suggestions each month.  I've linked all the books to Amazon, so you can learn more about them and maybe even decide you want to read one yourself.  You're welcome.

Okay, so here we go.  This is the second time I've read , Cry the Beloved Country (pulled this one from the bookshelf), and I loved it even more the second time around.  It's a fiction classic that takes place in South Africa.  Be prepared to have your heart strings tugged, or maybe ripped out, as you read about a Zulu pastor and his son Absalom, whose lives are affected by the injustices of apartheid.  There's a glossary at the back of the book that's helpful in understanding the Zulu and Afrikaner words.  The author's description of the geography of the area is so rich, I felt like I could see it for myself. My copy of this book is heavily underlined, there's so much good stuff here.  It's not light reading, but it's important reading.

I already mentioned Between the Lines back here, so I won't go into too much detail.  This was my spiritual pick for the month and I read it in the mornings, along with my scriptures.  Joseph Fielding McConkie is a gifted LDS scholar and this book has chapter after chapter of ideas on how to glean more from your time in the scriptures.  He says, "scriptures are meant to be read, consistently, in context and with the Spirit.  We cannot be blessed by principles we do not live; and we cannot live principles we do not know."  Not only does he share techniques on how to better understand the scriptures, but he pulls texts from their pages to demonstrate what he is teaching.  My favorite McConkie quote is, "The best commentary on scripture is scripture."   A great read for any student of the scriptures.

I love kid lit, and read quite a bit of it.  This month I read two great books.  Don't let the size of Wonderstruck fool you (626 pages), it's a quick read.  Over half of the book is illustrations, which draws you into the story as much as the prose. I think my sister Cindy, recommended this one a while back and I'm just now getting to it.  It may be the best book I've read about the challenges facing the  hearing impaired.  Interestingly enough the other book I read,  The Silent Boy, was about another young boy, this one, facing life with autism at the turn of the century.  Although that term isn't used in the book, today we would recognize it as such.  Unless you've had experience with either of these conditions, you might find yourself like me, appreciating the opportunity to see through a new lens. Lois Lowry, the author of The Silent Boy also wrote, The Giver, another one of my favorites.   

My nonfiction read was Boundaries.  I wish I had read this years ago.  Although the life of hard knocks has taught me a few things about learning to set boundaries, it would have been helpful to have learned the principles in this book an easier way.  And yes, I am one of those people who can learn from the mistakes of others.  I don't necessarily have to go through it myself, like some people do.   The book begins by discussing what boundaries are and why we need them.  Then the authors go into the possible conflicts that exist in families, at work, with friends and even with God and yourself, when boundaries are ignored.  The last part of the book teaches you how to set healthy boundaries.  I can think of a number of people who would benefit from reading this book and I may have to buy a few extra copies to hand out.  I know it's helped me and will be one that doesn't get pushed back on a shelf, but will remain on my desk to be used as needed.

I saved the best for last.  Thanks to Cindy, a Facebook friend, who recommended this last fall, I read and loved What Alice Forgot.   This was a "just for fun" fiction, that was just that, fun!  Once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. I had a few late nights until this one was completed.  When Alice falls and bumps her head during an exercise class, she wakes up to find she's lost the memory of the last ten years of her life.  Surprise, frustration and pain are the results of her quest to understand the person she has become and she struggles to pick up where she's left off, especially with her relationships.  I found myself asking a lot of questions as to what my life would be like if the events of the last ten years were erased from my memory.  How would that effect my relationships?  This book seemed to me to be all about relationships, about grace and forgiveness, with yourself and others.  It reminded me of the movie Regarding Henry, with Harrison Ford, which if you haven't seen it, you should put it on your Netflix list immediately.  I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised at the character he plays in this flick, which is completely unlike his other roles.

Okay, now it's your turn.  I'd love to hear what you've been reading.  Please share! 

28 Days Later - Thoughts on the Fast Metabolism Diet

Well, my first 30 Day Challenge of 2014 is behind me.  Since I was having a hard time getting my pants buttoned after the holidays, I knew I needed to shed some weight.  Going on a diet is not something I look forward to, and believe me,  I've had some experience with it over the years.  A person like me, who loves food, I mean, really, loves food, often struggles with keeping a proper balance.  And because of that struggle, there are times when you just have to do what you gotta do, mainly stop eating so much of the wrong things.  

I chose the Fast Metabolism Diet because I had watched friends successfully lose weight by following it, and because I liked the methods the author uses to help reset a sluggish metabolism, which I was quite sure I had.  All natural, whole foods make up the diet.  No weird overly processed diet foods, liquid shakes or bars.   No drops under the tongue or pills.  No counting calories or points.  Just lots of eating good, healthy food.

I bought the book and read it cover to cover, studying and preparing for a new way of eating.  There are a number of recipes in the book, but you know me, I wanted the additional cookbook, with more recipes.  People who love food, also love cookbooks.  Between the two books, I had more than enough new dishes to try and ended up enjoying every one of them.

The first week was the hardest.  I felt as though I was reading or thinking about food, shopping for food, prepping food, cooking food or eating food, nonstop, every waking moment.  By the end of the week, it was making even me, the food lover that I am, a little crazy.  To say the first week is intense might be an understatement.

I was never hungry, because you have to eat every three to four hours.  I loved that about the diet, but after a while I was tired of eating.  Imagine that.  I found it was imperative to be very organized and plan all of my meals and snacks in advance.  At the beginning of the week, I would take out all the vegetables, prep them and put them in bags.  This was a convenience that was worth the effort.  

On this diet, you focus on eating fruit and whole grain carbs (like oatmeal and brown rice), along with lean protein on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday and Thursday is heavy on lean protein and low glycemic vegetables (no carbs or fruit), and was the most challenging phase of the diet for me.  But it only lasted two days each week.  On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I could eat some foods from Phase 1 and 2 (Monday- Thursday), but also add in healthy fats, like olive oil, hummus, salmon, avocados.  I lived for the weekends. Then it started all over again with Phase 1 on Monday.  Twenty eight days of following this eating plan and your body begins to reset how it metabolizes food for fuel.   According to the author, it begins to believe you will feed it regularly and well, therefore, it doesn't need to hold onto the food your giving it, for fear it might not get any again for a while.  The extra weight starts to come off.  It amazes me that you can eat this much food, and still lose weight.

After the first week, I got into a little groove with my meal plans and things became easier.  I could remember the foods that were allowed each day and didn't have to rely on the book so much.  I made hummus for the weekends, boiled eggs to have for snacks, kept veggies and fruits prepped and ready to go, cooked a big pot of steel cut oats and divided them into single servings, oven roasted sweet potatoes and used them in all kinds of ways.  I bought the family size container of spinach and fresh salsa from Sam's. I also discovered that I liked sprouted grain bread and tortillas, brown rice pasta, quinoa, chicken sausage, cashew butter and kale chips.  I quickly found out that I did not like turkey bacon, at all.  I used lots of peppers in every shade, along with onions.  Oh, and mushrooms.  I ate a lot of mushrooms.  My husband wasn't a fan of some of the things I was eating, but he loves baked potatoes and would happily eat one for dinner every night.  No, I didn't feed him a baked potato for dinner every night, but no matter what I prepared for him, he never complained.  He's as low maintenance when it comes to food, as I am high maintenance. 

 I tried to focus on all the delicious foods I could have, rather than the things I could not, like sugar, wheat, corn, white potatoes, rice and pasta and dairy.  No diet foods or sodas were allowed either.   Strangely, I missed my milk, yogurt and cheeses the most and that was the first thing I went to the store to buy when my twenty eight days were up.  As hard as it is to fast from those foods, I know that my body needed to give them up completely in order to break its dependance on them.  The entire first week I had a headache and I totally believe I was going through withdrawal from sugar and carbs.  After the first week, I felt fine.  In fact, I felt better than fine, I felt great!   That great feeling is what kept me motivated to stay committed to my goal. 

Having a few friends who were also on the diet helped.  I think I needed that support system.  When I was wanting chocolate, all I had to do was let them know and they gave me ideas to help with that craving.  We shared recipes and cooking tips with each other.  It made the project more enjoyable to have others along on the journey with me.  

When I started the diet, I told myself that I didn't care so much about the numbers on the scale, that I just wanted to cleanse my body from the indulgences of the holidays, lower my blood sugar and feel in control of my eating choices.  Those were my goals.  Now if a woman tells you she doesn't care about the numbers on a scale, she's probably not being honest with you.  I weighed myself every day.  And the number jumped up and down.  I have to admit it was frustrating to lose one day and gain the next.  But in the course of the month, I lost nine pounds,  my clothes are now looser and my blood sugar is in a good space.  My doctor is going to be happy when I go in for my next blood tests.  What I love the most, is that I am in control of my food and not the other way around.  Sugar and carbs are addicting, and it takes time to get those out of your system.  But I know if you stick with it long enough, you really do lose the cravings for those things.  I was at a church dinner this week and everyone at the table had dessert.  I didn't even want any.  And I didn't feel like I was being deprived in any way. I honestly didn't want it.  And if you know me well, you know that is a miracle.  

I've found that when you give your body healthy, unprocessed foods, your taste buds become reacquainted with the way food should taste.  An apple or orange can be incredibly sweet.  Brown rice has a nutty sweetness to it that's very satisfying.  A green salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing tastes clean and fresh.  Nut butters on sprouted grain toast is delightful.  Eating real food becomes exciting and nourishes the body the way it is intended to nourish.  This new way of eating has been a great learning experience for me.

Interestingly enough, the first day I was "off the diet", I got up and found myself thinking, "I can eat whatever I want now."  And I chose the same foods I had eaten on the diet.  Turns out, I like this food and want to keep eating it.   I also plan to continue to:

* Eat three meals a day and two snacks. 

* Plan ahead and keep prepping foods, so I'll always have the healthy stuff on hand.

* Drink lots of water.

* Eat bread and pasta sparingly. And only when it's really good.  I don't have to eat bread just because it's on the table.  But if it's really good bread, I'm going to have some and enjoy every bite. 

* Stay away from any food that is fake.  Eat whole, natural foods.

* Think before eating.  Is this something that I really want?  Is it a special occasion or celebration and worthy of indulgence?  I will definitely be baking again and making wonderful treats, just not nearly as often.  

* Eat seasonal foods that taste delicious.

* Continue making the recipes from the plan that I loved, like the spicy chipotle chicken sausage bowl, meaty spaghetti sauce and stuffed mushrooms.  Make big pots of chili and soup and keep some in the freezer for days when I'm too busy to cook.  Brown rice, quinoa and cooked beans freeze beautifully.  

* Stay active.

So, I'm a big fan of the Fast Metabolism Diet.  I think it's a healthy way to lose weight and I would recommend it, not only as a way to take off some pounds, but as a sustainable lifestyle.  I'm going to try very hard to maintain the new habits I've formed, and if in the future, I find myself in an unhealthy relationship with food, I know I need to get right back on this plan for another 28 days and get straightened out.  

Seeking Contentment

First Monday counting....

                                 when I share entries from my Gratitude Journal

1- the first day of a new year

2- a juicy red grapefruit, sectioned and ready to eat

3- remembering Micah on his birthday

4- celebrating eternal families

5- red berries

6- playing with the dogs

7- black eye peas and collard greens

8- one less vehicle in the driveway

9- restoring order

10- waking up to the surprise of a white world

11- John 16:33

12- new projects

13- a wood stove, cranking out the heat

14- Friday roses

15- chicken picatta

16- popcorn and orange juice

17- teamwork, while taking down the Christmas tree

18-dinner date at Hobnobs

19- First Sunday Sunbeams

20- hearing these words, " your pizza is so much better than restaurant pizza"

21- waking up in a warm house

22- a pot of soup loaded with vegetables

23- a good night's rest

24- hummus and veggies, a healthy snack

25- lavender scented bath

26- watching the sunrise in the rearview mirror

27- feeling the warmth of a little patch of sunlight

28- liberal amounts of avocado

29- singing along with a fun commercial

30- a new residence for Kenzie, that makes her really happy

31- childlike faith

32- curling up on the love seat to watch a favorite tv show

33- shrinking numbers on the scale

34- a lovely mom-to-be

35- waking up in time to see a beautiful pink sky outside my bedroom windows

36- clean laundry

37- pulling a meal from the freezer, so I don't have to cook!

38- hugs from my sons

39- watching a red headed woodpecker fly between trees

40- crisp white sheets on the bed

41- being pleasantly surprised when something isn't nearly as bad as you expected

42- dinner prepared by headlamp

43- old pictures and the stories that go with them

44- visiting with dad and Yvonne

45- being disciplined when it's easier not to

46- cruise control

47- a goodnight text

48- "happy to see you" doggie greetings

49- birds at feeders

50- a flood of memories

51- cows, grazing on pasture

52- safe travels

53- kale chips

54- seeing friends you haven't seen in a while

55- date night

56- the release of a good and faithful bishop

57- a full tank of propane

58- elevating the heartbeat

59- feeling accomplished

60- order in my closet

61- rose scented drawer liners

62- warm water

63- listening to the wind howl from under warm blankets

64- a thoughtful card from Mark

65- being at the right place at the right time

66- a grandmother's smile

67- freedom to choose a different way

68- singing Stevie Nick's songs with the next generation

69- yarn in lovely hues

70- watching the sun sink below the horizon

71- tree branches, heavy with snow

72- spaghetti, twirled on my fork

73- snow beards

74- boots crunching on a snowy path

75- pausing for a cup of afternoon tea

"A quiet heart is content with what God gives.  It is enough.  All is grace."

Elisabeth Elliot