Tools of the Trade Tuesday: Its a jungle out there...

A few years ago I ran across the cutest animal cookware in an Anthropologie catalog. It was right about the time I was moving into a new apartment, so I decided to make my new kitchen animal themed. My sister bought me several Boston Warehouse utensils to help get me started, but my favorite finds were giraffe measuring spoons and the gaggle of geese measuring cups.



I have to admit that I have never actually used these kitchen tools, but they look super cute on my counter and I always get compliments on them. They are definitely more decorative tools instead of useful tools. But every girl needs some of these anyway!



Anthropologie actually has quite a bit of kitchenware. Their items are kitchen and vintage, and definitely fit in my kitchen. They also make cute aprons, too...in case you are looking!

Happy cooking! (And decorating!)

Tools of the Trade Tuesday: Wooden Pastry Board & Bread Cookbook

Tuesday is going to quickly become my favorite blogging day. Why??? Because I love kitchen gadgets!!! I have lots of useless ones, such as an apple corer...I mean, who needs that? Though, I also have a corer and divider, and I LOVE THIS! Then there's the herb roller/cutter...It really doesn't work very well. But still, I have them because, like I said, I love kitchen gadgets.


Well, after reading about a new cookbook that my friend Jenn has, I decided I had to have it. So, I got on Amazon.com and bought it. And since I was going to turn myself into a homemade bread maker, I also decided I needed to be grown up and have a wooden pastry board like my mom. So....today's kitchen gadgets are....

My new Catskill Craftsmen Wood Pastry Board with Baking Graphics

And...the cookbook Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Why I wanted a wooden pasty board...

At heart, I am a pie maker. One of the first things I ever remember making, and mastering, was a Dutch apple pie. My mom taught me how to make this when I was young, and I recall us winning an apple pie baking contest at a church picnic one summer. Plus, part of the art of an apple pie is the end product and how pretty the top turns out. I still take pictures of all of my masterpieces. The tops of your pies can be custom designed, and in the past I have done an apple cut out, fall leaves, and even an MSU themed pie with paw prints! Really all you need is a rolling pin, some cookie cutters or a small knife, and a little imagination. I also love the movie Waitress, which always inspires me to bake pies.

Any pie baker knows that to make your homemade crust, or cookies, or pizza dough or anything else that requires rolling, that you need a nice, clean surface to roll. For the last several years I have used a plastic cookie sheet that rolls up. Those things drive me nuts though! You always have to find heavy objects to weigh down the corners, which gets in the way of the rolling process. Then, over Christmas, when Will and I were baking cookies, my mom let me use her wooden pastry board. It has pie shapes and measurements already on there! *gasp* I knew I needed one of these! However, time passed by until I decided to become a bread maker and needed a pastry board of my own.

So what did I do? I got on Amazon.com. Well, first I called my mom and asked her what she calls that wooden thing uses to roll out dough...then I got on Amazon.com and searched for a wooden pastry board. I found one for only $25, and since I'm a Prime member, I get free shipping. HOORAY!!! I got it in the mail last week, and it is fantastic! It's large, and not terribly heavy, and just perfect for my pie and bread making adventures. I totally recommend this board for not only its usability, but also the great price!

Now to the cookbook....

I'm so astounded by this book, which I knew I would be when I first read about it. I ordered it with the pastry board on Amazon and read it over the weekend. (Yes, I sat down and read a cookbook. I do this often, actually. You learn a lot that way.)

Anyway, it really is as easy as it sounds! I made a half batch of the master recipe yesterday and baked a half pound loaf for dinner for my brother. And he said he loved it! He was really impressed! The bread was golden and crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. It made the perfect loaf of bread, and it was pretty on top of that! (SEE MY PIC!!!)

Tonight I'm taking the recipe and making a sweet and spicy bbq chicken pizza for dinner. (You guys know I don't buy pizzas, right? I always make my own. I should start a pizza label on here. I love making them for quick and easy dinners. Though, I have only make a homemade crust once, and I typically use the Mama Mary's pre-made crust.) However, now that I have learned a fast and easy way to produce pizza dough, I will probably never buy a store-bought crust again!

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Oh...kitchen gadgets, how I love thee! And if I keep buying more and more, I'm going to need a bigger kitchen and a bigger house! Not to mention a bigger bank account to fund all of the other bigness! Hmmmm...maybe "Tools of the Trade Tuesday" should stick to gadgets I already have now! : ) I already have a running list of what I want to blog about anyway.

So...what are YOUR favorite kitchen gadgets? Share the love! And, as always....

Happy cooking!

A bit of a girl-crush...

Thanks to a tip from my friend Carol, several months ago I stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman. She's amazing. She's good at everything. Photography, writing, ranching, and most of all, cooking. Her blog, is fantastic. And when I say fantastic, I really, really mean fantastic! And she's funny and seems nice, and I just like her...even if I have never met her.

So, for a pre-Christmas gift from work, I received a giftcard to Barnes and Noble. I used part of it to buy some supplies for my co-wokers. (Everyone needs a new AP Stylebook.) And with part of the remaining money, I bought the Pioneer Woman's cooking book. AMAZING! Great, simple recipes, beautiful pictures, and step-by-step instructions.

The first recipe I tried was the flat apple pie. I tested it on my family, and, of course, they loved it! Its basically the same ingredients as a regular apple pie, but instead of baking it in a pie dish with a top and bottom layer, you bake it on a cookie sheet with an oversized bottom crust that folds over the top. Its a rather rustic looking and pretty pie. And like I said, the family loved it!!!

I recommend checking out the cookbook sometime. Its a great addition to any cook's library, and I plan on making quite good use of it! And if you want to follow the Pioneer Woman, you can find her at

http://thepioneerwoman.com/
http://twitter.com/thepioneerwoman

Cranberry Raisin Bread

Decided to start the Thanksgiving baking a little early this year. I needed something to do while my dad watched bloody, murder shows on TV. (I could go watch TV in the other room by myself, but this is family time...)

So, I was reading a Taste of Home magazine that my mom picked up and stumbled across this bread recipe. I decided it would be a great Thanksgiving morning treat since we usually have to leave early for our Thanksgiving trip to Laurel, and because my parents usually are busy prepping food before we leave.

One new thing I got to experience while making the bread was using a pastry blender (pictured above). I have never used one before, but my mother skilled me in the art of using a pastry blender to cut butter into your batter. It is a very useful tool, and I'll be very happy to accept the gift of my mom's extra pastry blender that she offered.

Anyway, the bread is in the oven right now, and smells fantastic. I'll have to update you later on how it turns out. I sure hope its as yummy as it smells!

Step 1: Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup cold butter (1 stick)

1 egg

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tsp. grated orange peel (Which we didn't have, so we didn't use.)

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (Fresh is best!)

1/2 cup golden raisins (We used regular.)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice and peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Transfer to a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Step 2: Streusel

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cold butter

Directions: Combine brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tsp. orange juice

Directions: For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

Must have kitchen gadget!!!

While browsing through The Pioneer Woman's blog today, I came across another "must have" for my kitchen - a personalized cake pan! O. M. G. How have I lived this long and NOT had one? The design I think I am going to order is the Bake-A-Cake that says "From the kitchen of SP." And probably in red. Or maybe blue since I already have a lot of red in my kitchen. Either way, I MUST have one of these cake pans!

So, aside from this, I was thinking last night. Maybe instead of my dream of opening a bakery, I should just open a restaurant. I mean, I cook more than I bake, so I'm getting a lot more experience in that area. I could always sell baked goods at my restaurant, but open a little diner as the main part of my business.

Since I'm in a college town, I'm thinking of an affordable place that offers good, ole home cooking, but from a healthy perspective. I'm always trying to find ways of turning my favorite Southern dishes into something that's low-fat and not completely terrible for you! And if it was cheap enough for college students to afford, I think I would have a pretty good market in this town.

Alas, for now, these are just dreams of mine! I would have to save up a lot of money before I could even BEGIN to think about quitting my job and starting my own business. I'm thinking the 10 year plan I had for myself is turning more into 20! I mean, its going to take at least 15 to pay off my mortgage, and there is NO way I can save that much money before my house is paid for. That is...unless I win Monopoly money at McDonald's (ha ha! Twitter followers know what that means.) So for now, they are all still just dreams of mine...dreams that will hopefully one day turn into reality.

But back to the subject of this post...I need a personalized cake pan.