Glazed Over by Duck Momma

Chicken is such a versatile thing. A meaty blank canvas. . . That can quickly become routine and boring if you aren't careful. It is one of my favorite things to experiment with and I believe I stumbled upon a tasty version. Now given that my experimenting isn't exactly scientifically exact, what I share with you is approximate, always go with your taste and intuition!

I love glazed carrots so I took my inspiration from there. In a sauce pan I combined:

• about half a stick of butter
• 1 cup of light brown sugar (dark brown would be great too)
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic smashed but left whole
• Salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• yellow curry powder

I simmered everything together and then poured it all over a lovely whole chicken, being  very sure to get the inside cavity as well. (It really makes a huge difference if you season the inside chicken cavity.) I put the cloves of garlic in as well so they could keep giving. I baked the chicken covered at 400 degrees (basting about halfway through) and uncovered for about 20. (Just until juices run clear) It was so tasty and very moist! It went very well with savory salty sides.
This particular version lent itself very well to leftover chicken salad the next day. So pop that baby in the fridge over night and pick off all the meaty leftovers. The slightly sweet meat went well with a tangy mix of:

• mayo
• sour cream
• spicy brown mustard (just a touch)
• very thinly sliced celery
• shredded carrots

The quantities depend on how much is leftover and your taste. I served mine on honey whole wheat bread (see the blog post Stuck on Honey for my recipe!) Two delicious meals out of one bird, sounds good to me!

Kitchen Adventures: Serving up Carrots. . . by Duck Momma

I had some wonderful luck at the Farmers Market yesterday. These beautiful carrots were just begging to come home with me. I thought they would be perfect for Goose. They were bright and beautiful and full of all sorts of good things for growing babies. . . Turns out however I had some important lessons to learn.


First, pace yourself. I got so excited with my find I decided to cook a bunch all at once. I cannot tell you why, it seemed reasonable then. Second, have a plan if you make to much and baby doesn't go for it. Evidently this making your own baby food thing is slightly more difficult than I thought. I think its the texture I need to work on. Maybe then she won't look at me with that offended look and actually consume some. They certainly were very pretty but the flavors just weren't quite right. I added a touch of orange juice to brighten the heavier taste and smooth it out a bit, but that wasn't quite enough.

Lovely Heirloom Carrots from the Farmers Market



A less than impressed Goose. . .

Another lesson learned! Since we have a few servings I think I will try adding some new flavors and try for a silkier texture. Maybe a mix with apples or pears,  I have some fresh sweet potatoes that might be nice too. We are both trying new things, albeit one way more wiling and excited than the other. . . on to the next adventure!

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Our Farmers Market by Duck Momma

Duck Momma's favorite stop at the market, Sweet Street Spices

Goose taking the trip seriously. . . to be fair, she just woke up

Tomato Momma and Pickle stopping for cheese! Mmm

Yesterday was Farmers Market day. We love our Farmers Market, it is really great to support local business, farmers, and artisans. Plus its just a lot of fun. This time of year is sort of the limbo point, its not really any season so the produce is a little more sparse but spring is coming and everything will start popping up!
I love finding fresh local produce, it almost always tastes better and can sometimes save you a bit.

We had some lovely finds though. I visited one of my favorite places on earth, Sweet Street Spices. They have such variety and make it so affordable, which is good thing because I have trouble controlling myself there. This time garlic, majoram, onion powder, cayanne pepper, corriander, and caraway seeds came home with me. I also found some beautiful heriloom carrots (which turned into goodies for Goose and glazed carrots for Momma and Daddy) and leeks!
Tomato Momma found crisp apples and tasty cheeses. Yum!

Even though it was a little empty this time, the sights and smells were delicious and we can't wait for next time!

One of my purchases, Heirloom Carrots. . . More on these to come.  . .

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Dinner Plans by Duck Momma

Its cold out, and it's so easy to get beat down by the winter blues. Its easy to get beat down by mid week" I don't know what to do for dinner" syndrome too, but hope is in sight!

Assuming you have some of the basics around, this meal comes in at around$8- $10 total (closer to$15 for a family of 3 or 4. ) Tonight we are having thick cut pork chops with a big hearty apple and onion saute, glazed carrots, and spinach with a little bacon!
First the pork chops: finding them in sale is the first key and it does happen so keep your eye out. Second is getting those chops in a brine. I made mine with kosher salt (key ingredient), black pepper, smoked paprika, onions, celery, apples, garlic, and carrots. This is all done the day before, so just chop, dump, fridge, and you're done!

Next lets work on carrots. I just wanted to use up the carrots I had, and they were a little small so my pieces aren't all identical, but the sizes are as similar as I could get.  This would be awesome if you had baby carrots. First chop up your carrots and pop them into water to blanch. You don't even need to peel them, which is really helpful if they are skinny carrots. Season your water with salt and we are just going to blanch. Cook til your desired tenderness, and into a salty ice bath to shock! After they have been schocked you can just rub the outside skin off with a dish towel. So easy and so fast! The carrots can hang out until close to dinner time. When you are ready melt and combile a couple tablespoons of buttter, garlic, about 1/4 or so cup of brown sugar and salt.  A splash of water will help things melt faster and you can cook it out. Toss in carrots and simmer to coat!

Now for those pork chops! They go right from the brine to a nice hot skillet with a touch of butter. Cook around 6 minutes on each side. Don't mess with them while they cook! After the 12 minutes let them rest on a plate while you work on your saucy saute!

Add long cut onins and thin apple slices to the same skillet you cooked your prok chops in. A pat of butter and about 1 cup white wine to deglaze. Let everything cook together and get saucy and wonderful. I added some salt, garlic, and smoked paprika (same seasoning I used on my chops!)
After everything is where you want it add the chops back in to heat through and smother with apples and onions. Yum!
Bacon and spinach are easy. Crisp your bacon and add spinach. I use frozen sppinach I thawed while cooking everything else.
Thats it! You are done! Its time to scoot up to the table and be super proud of yourself! Enjoy!

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Stuck on Honey by Duck Momma

Honey is just one of those things. You know what I'm talking about, that one thing you want to splurge on. You keep coming back to it. Not only is it absolutely delicious but it is totally fascinating. Its unbelievably versatile in its uses. It can range in taste, color, and texture.

I love the sweet simple clover honey. It makes an amazing honey mustard dressing. Just add :
•5 tablespoons of honey ( use your favorite variety)
•3 tablespoons dijon or spicy brown mustard ( I like spicy whole grain)
•2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ( rice wine vinegar works too)
• whisk until completely combined and enjoy!
So easy! I was so proud! Its naturally fat free, no pesky gum thickeners, and really there is something about making your own dressing that makes salad night feel like such an accomplishment.

Not enough to satisfy your honey fix? Me neither! I discovered the world food section at the store the other day and stumbled on a amazingly dark German forest honey. I promise I'm not exaggerating when I say its perfect. It's intense and very deep flavored. It made me think of all the bees buzzing through a shady cool forest, seriously. I mentioned I'm a told foodie right? Anyway suffice to say it is rich and amazing and totally begs to be used. So I made honey wheat bread. I believe at my limit for using the word amazing but... it was. And again pretty easy. I can't say I will never buy bread again, but I will whip this up again soon. Got a pen? Here are your ingredients :

•2 1/2 cups warm water

•1 packet active yeast

•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1/4 cup honey (I really recommend a nice dark rich honey for this)
• 1 softened stick of butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
•1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups bread or all purpose flour

Got everything? Okay, here's what you do :

Combine all ingredients and knead til dough is smooth, about 7 minutes. Set aside and let it rise to double its size. ( for me this took an hour or so) Punch it down and form into loaves and place in 2 standard bread pans. Preheat your oven to 375° and let it rise to double again. You can do a light egg wash and sprinkle with more oats if you like but its not necessary. Bake until bread is crusty and brown. Every oven is different but it took about 40 minutes for me. Let them cool and enjoy! It is so great with eggs and bacon... or by itself with a pat of butter...

I hope I've created a buzz about honey for you (more puns!) I will have more recipes soon. Until then bee sweet and enjoy!

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Cupcakes and the Best Frosting Ever by Duck Momma

Cupcakes are everywhere these days, totally in food fashion. I have always been a fan, even before they were in style and everywhere. Who doesn't love a little hand held cake?

But alas this story actually begins with the frosting. Its like which came first the chicken or the egg? Well in this case it was the frosting.

You see, my husband hates buttercream. I know, I know. Go ahead and gasp. I personally love it but I'm not baking for just me so buttercream is out, as is the convenient frosting in tub. So what is a girl to do? Well I will skip the long boring part and skip to where we find something amazing.

It starts like whip cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 to 1 cup confectioners sugar depending on your desired taste
1 teaspoon (approximately ) vanilla
Whip like crazy. Now here is the brilliant twist. Add 1 packet instant pudding. We started with vanilla and its the current favorite but there are so many options. And therein lies the danger. So many tasty options. Not only does the pudding add great flavor but it acts as a stabilizer. It will stay fluffy and wonderful. And I'm sure you assumed but to be safe I will say, it does need to stay cold.

With frosting like that it just begs for creative touches. So using my favorite cake mix( bread I can bake, but made from scratch cake is way intimidating. I promise I'll try someday. Just not today) I bake a batch of cupcakes. Hollow a crater inside, not all the way through mind you, and fill with homemade strawberry jam. I topped it all with a white chocolate frosting. Yum!

But what about the leftover frosting you ask? Well I toasted and tossed some crushed pecans with butter and mixed it together with that frosting to make little butter pecan parfaits. Yum again!

And so I travel down the sugar fueled pathway of cupcake madness, riding the bandwagon while dreaming up flavor combinations. Butter pecan. Lemon. Caramel filled with chocolate. Lavender (yes lavender ). Bananas foster...

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Confessions of Self Professed Foodie by Duck Momma

I am a self professed foodie. I love to cook. I love to explore different foods, both eating and preparing. Food and cuisine speak volumes about a culture or location and sometimes about a person. I learned so much from my mom, my grandmothers, aunts, and friends. I also never stop perusing FOOD NETWORK or the web. I am always so pleased and proud when a new dish comes together... but not every attempt does.

Failure is rarely funny in the moment but a few days later: low and behold a lesson is learned. For example, I cannot do Indian/ Middle Eastern food. Cinnamon and allspice in meatballs didn't go over so well. (Neither did my interpretation of a curry coconut sauce... ) Lesson: leave that culture alone, they are better at it than me.

Recent lesson number two, Alton Brown (food nerd crush:-) ) is a pro for a reason. Try not to alter recipes if it's brand new territory. Case in point: pork wellington (a healthier more affordable version of beef wellington ) Cresant rolls cannot be substituted for puff pastry. Adding way more filling also does not work. I fully intended to share pictures with you, but I will spare you. Think half cooked loin with gooey dough under a golden crust * pause for dramatic sigh* and we were so hungry too. Lessons learned.

So after a few nights of not so mouth watering eats, its time to lean on some old favorites and sure bets. Tonight, oven roasted rosemary chicken with bacon green beans and polenta. So tasty and the whole meal is less than $10.

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Upcycle project 2: Mmm Strawberries by Duck Momma

I am so excited about this project.  I love strawberries. Not only are they one of my favorite foods, but they always inspire a feeling of summer and family. My mom and I pick strawberries every year and spend a day making the most amazing freezer jam. (I will be coming back to this closer to strawberry time, it will be little Goose's first year!) It has always been special to me.

These adorable little berries are made from a pair of pajamas that had a worn hole in the toe. I couldn't fix the hole but I saw a whole (yay puns!) new opportunity. Not only do I love the berries as I mentioned, I love simple toys. I want Goose to learn about her world and use her imagination. I also love cooking and I want to share that with her. Finally we love The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I am working on tangible "food" to count and observe as he eats!

• So with all that inspiration I started out by cutting out all the whole strawberries. and trimming them up.
• Next I stitched them back to back using a blanket stitch, (thanks Tomato Momma!) and began stuffing.
• It was then just a matter of repeating until I was finished! And 9 berries later, I have a very happy baby.

They are squishy and easy to hold. She was so excited about them, talk about success! Her selection of felt and cloth food is growing and hopefully so is her mind! We have already had so much playing with these fun little bites, I can't wait for the next wave of inspiration.

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