homemade buttermints

i feel like it's been a whole lifetime since i have blogged last! so much has happened! i finished the bar exam (for the second time). i'm still waiting for results, but i'm feeling pretty good about this go round. AND i turned 27! AND on my 27th birthday, my sister, sara, went into labor with her second child, who was born the day after my birthday (barely missed sharing a birthday!). we actually had planned a baby shower the saturday after he was born, but the little stinker threw a kink in our plans by coming two and a half weeks early. so, we had to postpone the baby shower, but it will be this saturday. i like to think that abel just couldn't stand the thought of us partying without him, so he had to make sure to be a guest at his own shower. :)

my sister is a very picky eater, so we had fun making a shower menu that is all about sara. i can't wait to surprise her with everything this weekend! but one thing that is no longer a surprise are these mints that i made for the shower. i made them a couple of days early, because about two days after they are made is when, i think, they have the best flavor. i actually got this recipe from my sister-in-law, carrie. she made these and gave them as little gifts at christmas, and i was addicted! if you want a favor for a party, these would be super cute in little baggies or in cupcake liners. these are also great on a platter or in a bowl. you can use food coloring to make them any colors you wish, but since i am preparing to serve these at a baby shower for a boy, these are blue and white. this recipe makes about 10 dozen mints. (that's 120!) the biggest challenge is not to eat these while they sit and set after you make them. but since it makes so many, eating a few won't hurt too badly. ;-)

disclaimer: do NOT use a standmixer for this recipe. just use a big bowl and your hands. putting this much powdered sugar in a standmixer is a bad, bad, bad idea!

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into slices
2 pounds powdered sugar
5 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
EITHER: 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil OR 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
food coloring in a color or colors of your choice

directions:
1. put sugar in a LARGE bowl (and i mean LARGE...)

2. cut butter into sugar with fingers. (this is when it starts getting messy...)

3. add salt, oil (or extract), and a tablespoon of water at a time. you can toss ingredients with a fork, but i found it easier just to use my hands to combine ingredients and combine then. (the mixture will be a little crumbly, but it will smooth out when you start kneading.)

4. form mixture into 3 or 4 balls. do this by grabbing a handful of the mixture at a time and start kneading it, stretching it, smashing it like a pancake... you'll understand when the mixture gets in your hands. you just need to stretch it out and knead it until it's smooth. if the mixture appears to crumbly, you can add water, a bit at a time, to make it easier to knead. (be sure to add it a little at a time, because if you get it too watery, you'll have a major mess and waste on your hands. literally.) once you start kneading, you will see the dough balls begin to have a smooth and satiny finish. it will take a couple minutes for each ball to get it to the desired texture. there's no real reason for precisely 3-4 balls, but that seems to be enough for a good size handful that is easy to knead. (there's no picture of this, because it got really messy at this point, but look at step 5's picture to get an idea of what the balls of dough will look like.)

5. once all the dough has been kneaded, you can put all the dough together. THEN separate the dough into as many balls as you have colors you want to try. example. if you want to make 2 colors, separate into 2 balls. if you want to make 3 colors, separate into 3. etc. i made blue and white, so i had two balls of dough.

6. choose which color you want to work with first. take the other balls and cover them with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while you work with the other dough balls.

7. color the dough! add a decent amount of food color and keep kneading until the color is thoroughly and evenly distributed throughout. i got a little festive with this. (my nephew's name is "Abel", so i had fun with my color!)

8. pinch off the dough, about a quarter sized pinch at a time, and roll the dough between your hands like you're making a snake out of play dough. it feels about the same. you want the snake-like tubes to be about a half inch in diameter. when you've gotten them to the desired thickness, lay them out on a cookie sheet or cutting board, any surface you can cut on with a butter knife.

9. once all your "snakes" are on your cutting surface, cut them into about 1/2 inch slices... pics below show the process in both white and blue.

10. let them sit on the cutting surface for about 2-3 hours to dry.

these are still on my kitchen counter drying, but i may or may not have taste tested a few. hey! i'm my own quality control department!

once these finish drying, i will put them in some airtight containers (rubbermaid, pyrex, anchor, etc.) and store them in the fridge until it's time for the party! then i'll mix them together in a pretty bowl with a serving spoon and let our family and friends enjoy! you can easily buy buttermints at a store, but i promise you that these are so much better and worth the effort!

for those of you that are coming to the party on saturday, let me know how you like them! i can't wait to share them!

fin.

spinach cheese swirls

i made these for thanksgiving with the in-laws along with my feta cheese foldovers i previously posted about. these were DELICIOUS! when i first found this recipe, i thought i had uncovered a hidden gem... but when i got my puff pastries to make them, i realized... THIS IS THE RECIPE ON THE PACKAGE! oh well, i made them anyways, but then realized why they're on the package... they're a great appetizer! not too heavy but full of great flavor. definitely package recipe worthy. and i think i may have stumbled onto a thanksgiving appetizer staple at casa de evatt...

i apologize in advance for not having as many pics on this blog post, but things got a little messy before thanksgiving!

ingredients:

2 sheets Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry

2 egg

2 tablespoon water

1 cup shredded muenster cheese or monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

(on a side note, an apartment kitchen is not very conducive to holiday cooking, but i think i managed ok.)

directions:

1. thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for about 40 minutes.

2. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. mix egg and water. set aside.

4. mix muenster cheese, parmesan cheese, onion, and garlic powder.

5. unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. brush with egg mixture. top with cheese mixture and spinach.

6. starting at short side, roll up pastry sheet like a jelly roll.

7. cut into 20 (1/2 inch) slices.

8. place on a baking sheet.

9. brush with egg mixture.

10. bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

11. serve warm or at room temperature.

this recipe makes about 20 half inch slices. if, however, you are like me and have trouble cutting these into 1/2 inch slices, it may make a few less than 20. like the feta cheese foldovers, i do prefer these warm rather than room temp, but these could really be served either way. and, my oh my, they sure are pretty on a plate!

fin.

quick and easy stir-fried vegetables

ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups cut-up assorted vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli florets, shredded carrots)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup stir-fry sauce

directions:
1. heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat.
2. add butter, vegetables, and garlic; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. add stir-fry sauce. cook and stir about 2 minutes or until hot.

4. serve.

that's it? that's it!!! this is the finishing piece of the meal of teriyaki chicken and easy fried rice that i've also blogged about. this is so versatile. you can add other vegetables like onions, water chestnuts, tomatoes, etc. you can also use thawed frozen vegetables for this too! that's what i usually do. cuts down on time and effort, and they're all pre-cut! what's easier than that?! nothing... absolutely nothing...

fin.

easy chinese fried rice

i've been on the hunt for the perfect fried rice recipe. i'm still working on my perfect japanese fried rice recipe, but i think this is a GREAT chinese version but much less greasy that what you'll get in a restaurant. i cheat a little by making a pre-made sauce packet, but who cares?! if it's good, it's good... and if the sauce packet is pre-made, that's less effort for you.

ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
about 2 cups cooked white rice (or 3... i can't really remember... fix whatever you need. whenever you cook your rice, add a pad of butter and salt to the boiling water before your rice is added in.)
2 eggs, beaten
any veggies you wish to add (the seasoning packet calls for green onion. i say that addition is optional)
soy sauce
sesame seeds
kikkoman fried rice seasoning packet (pictured here)

directions:
1. prepare seasoning packet as directions specify. (easy. all you do is add water and stir.) add water gradually and stir until well blended.)

2. crack eggs open and beat with a fork until well blended.

3. melt butter in skillet over medium heat until melted.

4. add eggs (and veggies if you are using any). cook completely until slightly brown.

5. add rice. combine until egg is blended throughout and rice is warm.

6. add seasoning mix. stir until rice is well coated with mix.

7. add soy sauce. i didn't measure, but add enough until the rice has a good brown color but not too much. you don't want the soy to overwhelm the other flavors.

8. pack rice down and turn heat to low-medium. stir occasionally. this is an easy dish to make first while attending to other things. packing the rice down tends to draw out just enough of the moisture in the rice to give the rice a good bite - not too chewy, not too dry.

9. right before serving, add sesame seeds. just for fun. :)

pairs great with teriyaki chicken and stir fry veggies!

this is a staple for asian inspired dinners at our house. as i mentioned before, this definitely tastes more chinese that japanese... and yes, there is a difference. stay tuned for the japanese version. hopefully coming soon!

fin.

teriyaki marinated chicken

i get frustrated cooking meats sometime, because they take so long... but not this recipe! thanks to an easy to make marinade and the use of the oven as a broiler. and teriyaki... need i say more? oh yeah! i do need to say more. like the recipe. here ya go:

ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) can pineapple juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

directions:
1. in a medium bowl, mix pineapple juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and pepper.

2. place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the mixture.

3. cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

4. preheat the oven broiler.

5. place chicken on a baking sheet.

6. broil 5 minutes on each side in the preheated oven, or until no longer pink in center and the juices run clear.

7. discard remaining marinade.

easy. dinner. done. hope you enjoy it!

pairs great with easy fried rice and easy stir fry vegetables!

fin.

feta cheese foldovers

my husband's mom asked me to bring some appetizers to their family gathering at thanksgiving. it's always nice to have some good food for everyone to munch on while the finishing touches are being put on the turkey. my specialties, however, are bakes/casseroles and desserts, so i had to do some hunting for some good appetizer recipes suitable for thanksgiving. i found this one, and i found it to be quite perfect.

one recommendation i make for this appetizer is to pop them into the oven right before they are served. if you let them sit too long, they lose their charm. but these take minimal effort and are actually quite fun to make. i love cooking with puff pastry, because it's like magic happens in the oven! and anyone who knows me knows my motto about feta... "feta makes it betta" - feta is the cheese that can do no wrong.

ingredients:

16 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

6 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

2 eggs, beaten

2 (17.5 ounce) packages frozen puff pastry, thawed

egg yolk mixture for brushing on foldovers: 2 egg yolks, beaten with 2 teaspoons water

directions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. in a small bowl, blend feta, green onions, and beaten eggs.

 3. cut pastry into 12 (3 inch) squares.

4. place a mounded tablespoon of feta mixture in the center of each square. moisten edges with water. fold pastry over filling to form a triangle. press edges together firmly to seal.

5. lightly brush pastries with the egg yolk mixture.

6. bake for 20 minutes in the oven, or until golden brown.

7. serve warm.

the original recipe said that these can be served at room temperature, but i think they are MUCH better warm.

what i love about these appetizers is that they can easily be made ahead. just do steps 1-5, refrigerate, and when ready, lightly brush with egg yolk mixture and bake! when they come out of the oven, they are ooey, gooey, flaky, and basically just perfect. if the party runs awhile, hold them warm in the oven and take them out to refill your party platters when you see they are getting low.

happy eating!

fin.

vintage book wrapped ornaments

i was inspired to do this by a project i saw by one of my favorite blogs, mod podge rocks. i am ADDICTED to mod podge. i try to think of new ways to use it all the time. it just reminds me of kindergarten craft time, and i can't get enough! so anyways... i saw these, and i thought that they would translate well to Christmas ornaments! so off i went to make them...

but before i get into the blogging for this project, let me start off by saying... tyler and i have been incredibly blessed this year. i was so worried that we wouldn't be able to decorate our apartment for Christmas, but God has made a way! we have spent a grand total of 35 cents (plus tax) and some mod podge i already had to make our perfect Christmas tree for our first "marry" Christmas. we had a dear friend graciously give us a pre-lit tree, ornaments, indoor/outdoor lights, and a wreath! in addition, our parents have also passed down decorations, which means a lot to us as well, because many of those decorations have a lot of emotional attachment for both of us. it has been so fun seeing how God really provided us with Christmas decorations. i know that there are so many more important things than decorations, but it has really helped tyler and i both get in the Christmas spirit on our first Christmas away from our parents' homes. just another example of how God truly does provide for the desires of our hearts. our tree isn't some big, grand tree. it's a lot smaller than the trees at our parents' houses and even in some of our friends' houses, but this tree is ours. and we absolutely adore it more than if we had the tree from rockefeller centre in our living room.

so, after that mini-sermon, on to the blog...

what i used:
mod podge
a 35 cent copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens that i found at a local used bookstore
sponge paintbrush
ornaments that were given to us by a dear friend

what i did:
1. i laid out that crate and barrel magazine to provide protection for my table. of course, i had already looked through it... gleaning much inspiration for other projects. but i digress.

2. i tore out pictures of the book and cut each page into strips, generally 2-3 lines long. i tore many of those in half as well to make them fit onto the ornaments, because some were smaller than others.

3. i spread mod podge over the entire ornament.

4. i attached the pieces of paper one-by-one to the ornament. i started at the top and went towards the bottom. i layered them side by side. i took the tops of the paper and tucked many of them underneath the top of the ornament to secure them without exposing the ends of the papers.

5. continue to spread mod podge over the tops of the papers gently. this helps when you are attaching other paper on top of strips and also to provide a glossy finish over the entire ornament.

6. once all the strips were attached to the ornament with none of the ornament underneath showing, glaze the paper with a light coat of mod podge.

7. hang ornaments to dry... be sure to look for any globs of mod podge. it can group together as it is hung, but you want to make sure you smooth those areas out, or those clumps will dry in clumps (i.e., not pretty)

(these pics were from the first ornament i made... as i made more, i found it easier to line the papers up side by side, as pictured below.)

8. once dry, hang!

i love these ornaments. i really wanted a vintage inspired black, white, and red tree, and that's exactly what i got! i paired these ornaments with white sparkly mini christmas ornaments and red shiny christmas ornaments. it's a perfect combo!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

fin.