Smells of Fall

Yesterday was our first "cold" day this fall. When the forecast foretold temperatures in the low 70s after a week of 90s, I made a plan. Right after breakfast, the kiddos and I set out on our bikes for the grocery store. We needed just a few items to supplement our pantry and make it the perfect fall baking and making day. Halfway to the store, I realized Dave moved the bike lock from my basket over the weekend. This almost thwarted our plans, but the amiable security guard at the store let us park our bikes just inside the front door. With list in hand, we quickly made our way through the mass of aisles. Laden down with goods (and with small bellies full of donuts), we soon sped back home.

Once home, I opened the windows to let in the breeze and cooler air before setting to work in the kitchen. First up was potato leek soup. This staple in our household was Eamon's long-time favorite until recently. After much chopping and dicing, a slow simmer on the stove released delicious smells throughout the house. While the soup cooked, I began two separate recipes for banana muffins. For some reason, we have been slow on our banana eating and have a lot of muffin-worthy bananas. As those breakfast treats baked, I made some bacon on the cast iron griddle. Initially I thought I would just add those slices to our lunch salads, but then I remembered I had brussel sprouts from the farmers' market. I immediately chopped the brussel sprouts for lunch. Slow roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper, they were perfect tossed with the bacon and a little balsamic vinegar. Last up was a batch of sugar cut-out cookies. We were going to make ghost and pumpkin cookies until I discovered our lack of cookie cutters. Apparently I donated them in one of my cleaning and purging sessions early in the summer. Set in the refrigerator to chill, the dough will be perfect for cookie making as soon as I borrow some cutters.

Throughout the day the kiddos meandered in and out of the kitchen satisfying their hunger and curiosity. The plumber visited to repair one of our showers and quickly commented on the delicious smells in our home. One friend came over, and two kiddos left to play at other homes. We made side meals together and shared our food with others. There were requests for poppy seed muffins and cakes as well as plans for more hearty, cold weather meals. There was bike riding, game playing, painting and crafting too. Truly it was a perfect fall day.

(I leave the cupboard doors open while I cook and bake. It drives Dave crazy. I am worse in this house because the cupboards are sometimes hard to open. Apparently my grandmother did the same thing when she was in the kitchen. I take that as a good sign.)

A day in the kitchen

Some days begin and end in the kitchen. I like to cook. I enjoy food blogs. I can read about food at almost any time of day. I especially like 101 Cookbooks, Moderate Oven, Smitten Kitchen, Remedial Eating and my friend's new food blog My Sweet Life. There are others that I read, but not as often as these. I also love cookbooks. I have a few and enjoy checking them out from the library. I am always on the lookout for delicious food. I love variety in my diet and am always trying new things.

Of all the forms of cooking, I really like to bake. If given the choice, I would much prefer making chocolate chip cookies to making dinner. Sweets are a bit of my downfall. Most of the goodies I make are somewhat healthy. I substitute flax seed or chia seeds for eggs, use applesauce in lieu of oil and almost exclusively use whole wheat flour. I still use sugar, although I occasionally substitute maple syrup or honey. In a nutshell I try to make my obsession with baked goods not a detriment to my family's overall health.

I am most predictable in my baking. I prefer chocolate chip cookies to pretty much anything. I have six recipes for different types in my recipe box. I love them all with their subtle differences and nuances. I recently found out that my children do not like chocolate chip cookies above all else. They actually have other favorites. One like snickerdoodles and the other sugar cookie. Can you imagine such a thing??

In an effort to appease the masses, I recently spent a few hours in the kitchen making a few of everyone's favorites. I made banana bread, baked oatmeal cake and of course chocolate chip cookies. The banana bread is fantastic and gets rave reviews whenever I take it anywhere. I often add mini chocolate chips to one loaf, which is always a big hit. I found out about the baked oatmeal from a friend. It is delicious for breakfast or added to a bowl of yogurt and berries. And finally I made the cookies following my current favorite recipe. Everyone was quite pleased with the yummy baked goods. Below is the recipe for my banana bread. It never fails to impress.

Banana Bread - original source unknown


4 ripe bananas (1.5-2 lbs, but I often use more)
1 c pkd light brwn sugar
1/2 c oil
1 lg egg
1 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking pwdr 
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream (I usually use homemade yogurt)
1 T vanilla
I added choc chips on a whim

Preheat oven to 350
Beat bananas until mashed.  Add brown sugar, oil and egg.  Beat until smooth
Reduce speed to low.  Add flours thru salt.  Bet until smooth 
Add sour cream and vanilla.  Beat until combined.
Fill muffins 3/4 full
Bake 25-30 mins rotating pan halfwy thru