Moving… (kind of)

After a little over two years, it’s time to say goodbye to CKC. Since the birth of our baby, I’m finding I only have time (during naps and at night) to successfully manage one blog at a time.  I’m now mommy blogging over at Oh Baby O.  Oh Baby O also features tasty recipes (including 90% of the recipes found here), but you will find baby and family related talk as well, including product reviews and give-aways.  I’ll soon be adding iced pumpkin cake and flourless chocolate cake.  So please update your readers!

This blog will be discontinued in one week (November 16th).  It’s been fun.  Thanks!

Carrie

Daring Bakers September 2009

The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.  I’ve been out of the Daring Bakers for some time now and what a wonderful way to jump back in!  I mean, who doesn’t love puff pastry!?!

It took both B and I all day to make our Vols-au-Vent.  (We have a three month old baby. )  We halved the recipe and got seven Vols-au-Vent, probably 3″ or so in diameter.  I chose to make an apple filling with some lovely apples our neighbor brought us after a recent apple-picking trip with her kiddos.  (Quick recipe at bottom of post.)  I’d have to say we were pretty successful for our first foray into puff pastry making!  It was flaky and tender and just plain yummy!

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough
Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
• 1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
• 1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
• 1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that’s about 1″ thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10″ square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with “ears,” or flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don’t just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8″ square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24″ (don’t worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24″, everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24″ and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you’ve completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe above will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent

In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:

• well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe above)
• egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
• your filling of choice

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d’oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to “glue”). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.

*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.

*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

Apple Filling

• 6 apples peeled, cored, chopped into chunks
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 6 tbs butter
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• pinch salt

Mix everything on the stove top and let cook until apples are tender and sauce is thick.

Be sure to stop by the Daring Bakers blogroll to check out all the other puff pastries!  A big thanks to Steph for providing this month’s recipe!

Previous Daring Bakers Challenges:

• Bostini Cream Pie
• French Bread
• Lemon Meringue Pie

CKC Interview on Examiner

Just a little note to let everyone know about my recent interview with Donna Diegel on Examiner.com.

You can find the interview here.

Thanks Donna!

Guest Blogger: Carrie of OJO Bakes Old-Fashioned Organic Brownies

Carrie of Organic Journey Online and I have been corresponding via internet for quite some time now.  I don’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon her blog (I think I was researching rain barrels?), but I’m glad I did!  Her blog is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to live an organic lifestyle or even just go a little more green.  She has wonderful recipes too!
Today, Carrie brings us some Old-Fashioned Organic Brownies just in time for your labor day picnic!

Old Fashioned Organic Brownies

By Carrie Boyko

It’s almost Labor Day, and many a cook is planning a picnic or cookout at this time of year. When dealing with kitchen work and a grill, you’ll need to prepare by having a make-ahead dessert that will suit everyone’s tastes. My solution is the hands-down favorite:  Brownies!

You may be saying to yourself, I can make packaged brownies or get a recipe for brownies just about anywhere. And you’re right. But can you say, for certain, those brownies are organic and award-winning? Gotcha!

This recipe won me the coveted Third Place Award at the Florida State Girl Scouts—whoa—what was that called? Hmmm? Well, anyway, it was some sort of contest, for lack of a better word, where girl scouts entered an item they made from scratch. This particular year, my entry was this Brownie recipe. The judges loved it. I hope you do too. Most importantly, though, your guests are sure to enjoy them, so make a double batch.

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup Organic Butter, softened
• 1 Organic Egg
• 1 Cup Organic Chocolate Syrup (yes, it can be found, but when all else fails, try for a brand that is not processed with alkali)
• 1 Cup Organic Flour
• ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
• ½ Cup Organic Sugar
• ½ Cup chopped Nuts, if desired

Instructions:

1. Spray an 8 or 9-inch pan with Organic Cooking Spray.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix the egg, chocolate syrup and butter in a bowl.
4. Mix well for at least 2 minutes.
5. In another bowl, sift flour, sugar and salt.
6. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and add nuts, if desired.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Test with a toothpick for dryness at the center, but be careful not to overcook. I like to take them out when the edges separate from the pan and start to curl inward, or a crack appears in the center.

10.Cool completely before cutting.

These brownies have an impeccable texture when cooled completely. Hint: They tend to go in threes, so set one aside for yourself or you may not get one at the party. Happy Labor Day!

For more information and recipes for organic cooking, visit Organic Journey Online, where Carrie Boyko seeks to empower her readers to eat more healthy and live greener every day.

A big thanks to Carrie for her guest-post.  Go visit Organic Journey Online today!

Other Brownie Recipes to Enjoy:

• Tribute to KH Brownies
• French Chocolate Brownies
• Best Brownie

I’m Having An Affair…

Now that I have your attention, it’s true!  I’m having a blog-affair.  Don’t worry, CKC isn’t going anywhere, I’m just branching out.  I’m now also mommy-blogging at Oh Baby O!

My new blog is meant to be a natural family-centered resource featuring snap-shots into daily life with a new baby, advice, humor, and product reviews/give-aways.
Right now I have two give-aways in progress:  Happy Heinys cloth diapers and Plan Toys.  Go check ‘em out!

Guest Blogger: Mary Ward

Our next guest blogger is not bringing us a recipe, but she is giving us options!  Writer Mary Ward offers some alternatives to the everyday maybe not so good for us stuff that we eat!

Alternatives for the Bad Foods You Eat

It seems that everybody is on a quest to eat healthier these days, and with good reason. The rate of obesity is on the rise, as are common health conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So many people are looking to alternatives for the bad foods that they eat. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to find substitutes for your poor food choices—and the nutritional benefits and calories that you save yourself are well worth it. Here we look at some very simple alternatives for some of the “no no foods”.

Go with Whole Grain

One very simple modification you can make in your diet is based on a switch. Rather than eating white breads, pasta, and rice that offer refined sugar and no nutritional benefit, make the switch to the whole grain versions. Eating brown rice, whole wheat pasta, bread, and cereals can provide more fiber, less calories, and pack a greater nutritional punch.  This is an easy switch!

Learn to Make Baked Versions of Favorite Fried Foods

If you are a lover of all things fried—chicken, fries, or onion rings, you need to quickly learn how to make a healthier version of these favorites at home. Fried foods not only take away the nutritional benefits of these foods but pack on some unbelievable amounts of fat, calories, and cholesterol. You can still bread some of these foods such as chicken or onion rings, but lightly coat them in a bread crumb mixture. Use olive oil to coat a pan to offer some nutritional benefits through the cooking. Then you can oven bake these favorites for the same type of taste with a fraction of the calories and fat. This makes for some delicious alternatives to your favorites that won’t clog your arteries!

Give In To That Sweet Tooth

Just because you’re watching what you eat, doesn’t mean you have to give up all things sweet! You can enjoy some great desserts if you are smart about putting them together. Rather than having an ice cream sundae loaded with hot fudge, look to a refreshing and much healthier alternative. Use low fat frozen yogurt or even sherbet and top with fresh berries and even granola for an extra crunch.

If you are a candy lover, then learn to chew gum for a sweet lift without all of the sugar and empty calories. Finally if you must have baked goods such as cookies, learn to substitute applesauce for oil for a much healthier alternative. Then add in a bit of flaxseed or oatmeal for an extra touch of fiber. Learn to exhibit some portion control for an extra serving of healthy and you can have your cake and still eat it too! 

Mary Ward writes about various health care career topics, including how to obtain a masters in health care degree.

Thanks Mary!

Guest Blogger: Erin Makes Peach Ice Cream

You’ll surely be running straight to the farmers’ market after viewing the wonderful seasonal treat Erin of Dinner and Dessert has for us, Peach Ice Cream!

It seems like whenever the subject of homemade ice cream comes up, people almost always talk about peach ice cream first.  It’s such a classic flavor, and perfect for summer.  I love peaches, and would probably say they are my favorite fruit.  I have never made peach ice cream, but since I have gotten into making homemade ice cream this year, I wanted to find a good version.  I have had this version bookmarked since last summer, and couldn’t wait until peaches were in their prime so I could try it.  I recently made Honey Peach Ice Cream, and it was okay, but definitely not the classic peach ice cream I was looking for.

©Dinner and Dessert

This ice cream sure delivered!  It was perfect.  Just perfect!  What stood out to me in this recipe was that it included brown sugar.  This added a perfect amount of sweetness to the ice cream and brought out the flavor.  I also liked letting the peaches sit in turbinado sugar because I think it mixed with the peaches better than regular sugar.   One thing I did differently was that I blended all the peaches for the ice cream instead of just half.  I didn’t like the big chunks of frozen peaches in the Honey Peach Ice Cream, so I wanted this to be different.  I blended it so that it wasn’t a puree, but still had smaller bits of peaches.  This was perfect because you get tiny bits of peaches in every bite, but they blend into the ice cream.  This recipe makes quite a bit of ice cream.  I have one of those ice cream makers that doesn’t require pre-freezing, so I was able to freeze it all in one night, but you might want to consider halving the recipe if you don’t want to freeze this in two batches.  This was the absolute best peach ice cream.  I’m so glad I found it!
Peach Ice Cream
Source: adapted slightly from Sass & Veracity

• 6 large peaches which have been forgotten for days, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped in 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 c. turbinado
• 3/4 c. cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• juice of 1/2 fresh orange
• 1-1/2 c. whole milk
• 3  eggs, beaten
• 1-1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Put chopped peaches into a large bowl and add 1/2 cup turbinado and orange juice to macerate.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge.
   In a medium saucepan combine the milk, eggs, and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Pour into a bowl (metal,if possible) through a fine meshed strainer. Chill by either setting in an ice bath, or the fridge, stirring occasionally. Chill completely.
3. When chilled, place the peaches and their juice in a blender and puree.  Pour puree into the chilled custard.
   Pour 1/2 of the peach mixture into a 1-1/2 qt. bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Return the remaining peach mixture to the fridge.  When the first batch is done, scrape it into a 3 qt. covered freezer container and place in the freezer until the second batch is finished.  Combine batches.

I’m having my wisdom teeth pulled today (uuuugh). Maybe I can convince B to whip up some of this fabulous sounding ice cream to ease my dental woes! 
Thanks Erin for your lovely post!  Go visit Erin and show her some blog-love at Dinner and Dessert now!

Other Ice Cream Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
• Vanilla, Chocolate, & Coffee Ice Cream (3 recipe variations)
• Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream

2nd Blogiversary: Baby Bakes Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies!

How to bake with your baby:
1.  Be sure baby is fed, changed, and happy.
2.  Place baby in baby carrier such as Moby wrap.
3.  If your baby is like mine, baby will snuggle up to mama and pass out.
4.  Bake as usual but be sure to take baby out of carrier before using hot oven or any other potentially dangerous tools/appliances/situations/etc…  Also be sure that although your hands are free, you are constantly aware that you do still have precious cargo strapped to your chest.  Always be conscious of baby as you move about the kitchen!

It’s my 2nd blogiversary here at CKC and to celebrate Baby O and I proudly present Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies!  This cookies are to die for!  So incredibly undeniably delicious your eyeballs will roll into the back of your head.  For real.

For the cookie we used Baby O’s Chocolate Truffle Cookies (amazing all on their own) and for the peanut butter “filling” (aka frosting) we used Ina Garten’s recipe (doubled) with just one tweak.

Baby O’s Chocolate Truffle Cookies

• 1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3/4 C light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 C organic f-t cocoa
• 2 1/2 C chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (about 16 oz)
  *don’t be shy with the chocolate and go for something dark!

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat.
2. Cream butter and sugars together.
3. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add vanilla.
4. Stir cocoa, flour, salt, and baking soda together using a whisk to get any clumps out.  You could probably also sift the flour and cocoa together if you felt so inclined.  I’ll probably always stick with the whisk.
5. Add dry mixture to butter mixture.  I do this about 1/2 C at a time incorporating as I go.
6. Stir in chopped chocolate or chips.
7. Drop by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet and bake for about 14 minutes.  Let cool a minute or two on pan, otherwise they might smoosh up when you try to move them.  Then finish cooling on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz cream cheese

1. Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held mixer). Mix on medium-low speed until creamy.  Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.
2. Add the cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and smooth.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

1. Place desired amount of filling between two cooled cookies.
2. Get giant class of milk or lovely cup of coffee.
3. Enjoy!!!

Guest Blogger: Brown Eyed Baker Makes Italian Wedding Soup

Our next guest blogger has a blog name I love so much I wish I’d thought of it myself!  I’ve been following the Brown Eyed Baker AKA Michelle since she began blogging in early 2007 and couldn’t be more please to have her guest blogging with Italian Wedding Soup. 
Thanks Michelle!

When Carrie reached out to fellow bloggers asking if anyone would be interested in doing guest posts while she adjusts to life as a new mom, I was excited at the opportunity to help out a fellow blogger. I was thinking through what I wanted to feature for my post and decided to revisit my very first blog post of Italian Wedding Soup, which was originally posted in February 2007. Looking back on that post makes me smile in a way that I’m sure many parents do when they look at pictures of their children taking their first steps. I started my blog without a real idea of where I was going, just the notion that I wanted to start moving. I wanted to do more, learn more, and challenge myself more in the kitchen and after having seen exactly one food blog, I thought it would be a great creative outlet since I enjoyed writing and that it would keep me motivated to try new things. I look at that first post and smile when I see the small picture, taken from a distance, with one line of intro prior to the recipe. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and am excited to see where my blog will go in the future.

 

 ©Brown Eyed Baker

As an Italian, Wedding Soup is something that I grew up eating, mostly around holidays. When I was young, my grandma used to always make it on the night before Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve. Many people in my family make it a variety of ways, and my version is basically a combination of my favorite aspects of each. With wonderfully tasty meatballs and the addition of shredded chicken, this is an incredibly hearty meal that is perfect for any day of the week – no need to wait for a holiday to make this!

©Brown Eyed Baker

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, grated
4 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
2 T. bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried basil
1.5 tsp. dried parsley
2 egg whites
Combine all ingredients and shape into small (1/2″) meatballs. I refrigerate mine while I prepare the rest of the soup, which helps them hold their shape.

Shredded chicken:
1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded. (You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or boil the chicken yourself.)

Soup:
2 T. butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 c. sliced carrots (approximately 2 carrots)
1/2 c. sliced celery (approximately 2 stalks)
1 clove minced garlic
12 c. chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 c. acini di pepi or other small pasta
8 oz. fresh spinach, chopped.

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, and cook until veggies are tender, but not too soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
Drop in meatballs and cook 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in shredded chicken. Cover again and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. You can eat as soon as the chicken is re-heated, but allowing it to simmer for a little longer allows all the new flavors to meld together.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Stop by Brown Eyed Baker and check out Michelle’s wonderful recipes!  You won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in guest blogging at CKC, please contact me!   Non food bloggers are welcome as well!

More Soup Recipes:

•  Summer Veggie Soup
• Potato Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup

Guest Blogger: HoneyB Bakes Blueberry Banana Bread

Our second guest blogger has a great way to use up those blueberries I know you are all running out and picking right now!  Shelby AKA HoneyB of The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s HoneyBunch has made Blueberry Banana Bread for us! 

Last week when Carrie asked if anyone would be interested in guest blogging for her while she continued to adjust to life with her new baby I immediately knew I would be willing to help her out!  I have been busy myself at home which has kept me out of the kitchen quite a bit but I knew I could whip something up that I could blog about and share with Carrie!

I had some bananas that were going bad quickly and I had a recipe in my head that I had seen on 3 different blogs that I was really wanting to try.  This recipe first showed up on Leslie’s blog, The Hungry Housewife.  Leslie called this her “Ultimate Banana Bread.”  Then Cathy of the The Noble Pig made this recipe because Leslie “said it was the best.”  Cathy concurred.  Next, Pam of For the Love of Cooking followed suit and made this recipe for herself and called it “excellent!”  After three of my favorite bloggers made this recipe I decided I was next.  After all, I had those bananas talking to me and I had some blueberries in my freezer that have been begging me to use them. 

Pam changed the recipe a little bit to suit what ingredients she had on hand so I followed hers the closest.  I used the non-fat vanilla yogurt in place of buttermilk like she did.  The only thing I did different from Pam was I used coconut extract instead of vanilla….well, because I had some and because I love coconut! 

The bread turned out awesome.  I loved the flavor and it was very filling.  I would have liked to have copied Cathy and slathered my slice with lots of butter, but I am still being a “good girl” and keeping my food as low fat as possible.  So I forwent the butter.  Maybe next time

I am happy to have the opportunity to be a guest on Carrie’s Blog and I want to thank her for letting me do so and if Carrie lived closer I would have been more than happy to have shared this bread with her!  Not to mention, I wouldn’t mind snuggling a new baby either….

Shelby aka HoneyB
The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch

Doesn’t that look amazing!?!  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before but blueberries just happen to be my favorite summer fruit!  B and I have plans to take Baby O blueberry picking very soon.  I’ll definitely be making some of this bread to try!  Be sure to head over to Shelby’s blog and check out her other yummy recipes!  Thanks Shelby!

If you’re interested in guest blogging at CKC, please contact me!   Non food bloggers are welcome as well!

Some other ways to enjoy bananas and blueberries include:

• Banana Cranberry Bread
• Blueberry Pie 
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Blueberry MiniLoaves
• Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes