Night Sparks

Night Spark

Tonight we were out as a family enjoying the beautiful view from our porch. Off in the distance, to the north, we could see a big storm brewing. The sky was darkening and the rain was blending the earth and sky together. It was magnificent. My husband went straight for the camera and this is what he caught. Here's how.... aperture was set to F10 and the shutter speed was 15 seconds. The camera was also on a tri-pod - very important. He kept clicking the button until he got the shot. The kids LOVED it. This was time well spent as a family. Go grab your camera on the next storm and see what you get.

What do you see in this picture? A heart? A profile of a man? A chicken? Amazing power!

Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake with Coconut Icing and A Really Great Book

The whole inspiration behind trying this cake was a book. This is not just any book. This is a book that touches all emotions, that makes you look inward, that makes you want to fight with every fiber of your being for that which is right and good. This is a book about an inspiring lady who had the faith, perseverance and tenacity to do just that. The title... "Life and Death in Shanghai" A personal account from the author, Nien Cheng ,of her survival during the Cultural Revolution. My mom chose this book for her book-club. Thanks, Mom, for sharing this wonderful book. It has inspired me. I give it 5 STARS!
Well, since this book is about the Chinese culture, my mom carried the theme into the rest of her bookclub. It was delightful. She even had the ladies, upon arrival, take off their shoes and put little booties on. The conversations were wonderful, the food was fabulous and the memories are cherished! Here is a snippet of our afternoon.

This was the Steamed Sponge Cake I made. Look below for the recipe.

Cake being steamed in my dutch oven.

This is how it looked when it was done steaming.

My beautiful Mom. The author of a wonderful afternoon.

These are homemade Pot Stickers that my Sister-In-Law made. I just had to take a picture. Aren't they beautiful? They were SO GOOD! I think I could have eaten a dozen by myself. Something I will be making very soon....


Here's the spread... Chinese Chicken Salad, Pot Stickers, Spring Rolls, Rice, Sesame Seed Rolls, Fortune Cookies, Chinese Sponge Cake, Herbal Tea, and lots of little Chinese goodies from the Chinese market. Oh and don't forget your chop stix! What fun.

This was a really easy recipe to make. I know there are more elaborate versions of this cake, but this worked out really well and was really good.

Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake with Coconut Icing

Sponge Cake

1 cup cake or pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 cup coconut milk

Coconut Icing:

2 TB plus 1 tsp pineapple juice

1 TB plus 2 tsp cornstarch

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

To Make the Cake: Line the bottom of a cake pan with parchment paper. Prepare a wok for steaming.Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking powder and salt and set aside.In a separate bowl, add the sugar to the eggs and beat until they are frothy (about 3 minutes). Stir in the almond extract.Gradually add the flour mix to the egg mixture, stirring. Add the coconut milk. Stir until you have a smooth batter that is thoroughly mixed, but do not beat.Pour the batter into the pan (ideally it should only come 2/3 to 3/4 up the side of the pan). Steam for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan, turning the cake over. Cut the cake into squares or diamond shapes.

To Make the Coconut Icing: In a small bowl, mix the pineapple juice and cornstarch and set aside.In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture, stirring. Cook for a few minutes on medium-low heat to thicken. Cook for another minute, then remove and use to ice the cake. Chill the cake until the icing stiffens. Refrigerated in a sealed container, the icing will keep for a few days. It can be used again to ice another sponge cake, or as a simple (but sweet!) dessert for one to two people.

*** A few notes. I did not have a wok and so I used my dutch oven. It worked great. I also toasted some coconut to put on top of the icing. I think it was a delicious addition!

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Okay, this is one you must give a whirl. It is a dish that can be dressed up or kept simple ... the results will be delicious no matter what! My husband (who is not a huge pasta fan) LOVED it and said I could quote him saying that this was his favorite pasta. Yeah.... Happy wife! I got the base for this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. She is AWESOME! Then I added a few of my favorite ingredients that brought a smile to my face. This fed my whole family (kids loved it as well) and then had plenty of left-overs for lunch the next day. I was one happy girl when I remembered this was in my fridge! Selfishly, I hurried and ate some for lunch before anybody else realized it was still there.... Well, so I don't get mother-of-the-year award. It was worth it!


Creamy Lemon Pasta

1 lb. of penne rigate
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups sour cream
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup - 1 cup of shredded fresh parmesan (the more the merrier in my book)
7.5 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts
2-3 chicken breast, shredded
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Cook noodles, drain and set aside. (I like to drizzle a little olive oil on the noodles so they don't stick to each other) Melt butter and olive oil together on medium heat. Once melted together, add mushrooms and garlic, saute until mushrooms are golden. Stir in 2 cups of sour cream until smooth. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Stir together. Add artichoke hearts, chicken, paremsan cheese and fresh parsley. After the ingredients are all blended , pour over the cooked noodles and toss well. When you serve, you could add a little more lemon juice on top with a fresh sprinkle of parmasan cheese and parlsey. Really, really good!

** If you want to keep this more simple and kid friendly, follow the Pioneer Woman's recipe and leave out the following: mushrooms, chicken and artichoke hearts. It is so refreshing and delicious. A perfect dish for Spring. Enjoy!

Kid Friendly Chicken Enchilada's

So, I didn't intend on adding this because it is one of those recipes that you throw together last minute. However, my children gobbled these enchilada's up, so I thought maybe it was worth adding to this blog. Yesterday, I roasted probably 20 chicken breast (long story), so I had chicken ready to shred and use. This was a perfect use for it. Enjoy!




























Kid Friendly Chicken Enchilada's

4-5 cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 10 oz. can of mild enchilada sauce
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups of mexican blend cheese
olives
cilantro
8 flour tortillas

With a hand blender (affectionatly called the "boat motor" in my family), blend the enchilada sauce, roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic powder. Coat each tortilla with the sauce, add chicken, cheese and another spoonful of sauce down the center. Roll up and place seam side down in a 9x13. Top with left over sauce, cheese and olives. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
After you take it out, add your fresh cilantro and Enjoy!

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Mayonnaise

These grilled artichokes will have you licking your fingers! I made these for lunch today and my kids and I gobbled them up in a matter of minutes - even my 5 year old little girl. We savored each leaf until we made our way to the delectable heart. DELICIOUS! They do take a little time to make, but I promise they are worth the wait!

To prepare your artichoke, cut off the top inch to remove the spikes. Then cut the tips off of the rest of the leaves. Spread the leaves and rinse well under water. Rub with lemon all over.

Place the artichokes in a pot with an inch and a half of water and cover. Cook on medium high heat and steam until tender - about 30 to 40 minutes. You can tell when they are done by gently pulling on a leaf to see if it comes out. If it does, they're ready. Drain water off of each artichoke and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut in half length wise and remove choke.


Make marinade and put in a zip lock bag. I like to do this while the artichokes are cooking. Place the cooked artichoke halves into the bag and coat well. Put in the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour to let flavors blend. After they have chilled, put halves open side down on a hot grill. They only need to grill on each side for a few minutes.

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Mayonnaise

2 large artichokes

Marinade

Blend well together:
3/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. course salt
freshly ground pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon

Lemon Mayonnaise

1/2 a cup of real mayonnaise
juice of 1/4 lemon
Mix together


ARTICHOKE FACTS

*High in fiber, potassium, calcium and iron

* Positively helps poor liver function

* Has been known to improve skin luminosity