State Fair 2018: Scottish Empire Biscuits and Candied Cherries

Several years ago I submitted a Scottish Dundee cake to the Minnesota State Fair in the Ethnic Baking: Cake category.  I was a bit miffed that the winners were all these towers of cookies that people in Norway call cakes.  (They aren't. Norwegians: you need to get real cake.)  This year I decided to submit in the Ethnic Baking: Cookie category, again with a Scottish treat: empire biscuits.

Empire biscuits are a type of shortbread-like cookie, usually cut as a fluted round and sandwiched with raspberry jam.  They have a water glaze on top and are decorated with (traditionally) half of a candied cherry or (more recently) a gummy fruit candy or another type of colorful decoration.  I spent a lot of time on candied cherries, only to realize that they tend to bleed into the glaze on the top.  Sometimes it takes a day, but it makes them look less than perfect.  This wouldn't be a problem for regular cookie-making, but for the Fair I wanted them to look amazing.  Also, the fair has a rule about nothing being topped with fruit.  Candied fruit isn't like regular fruit, but I didn't want to be disqualified.  Thus, I swapped the cherry for a half of a Dot gummy candy.  Not traditional, but tasty and it looked pretty nice!   

I made...let's say A LOT...of these leading up to the Fair.  I really think they are a good cookie.  Not too sweet, so it is good for a dessert or snacktime.  It is also a bit bulky so that one can be satisfying.  Finally, it is a "simple" cookie that is also "fancy."  Let's be honest: the sandwiching, glazing, and topping is a fussy process.  But worth it!  

Ultimately I won a 4th premium--essentially 4th place.  This level of prize in Creative Activities comes with a check!  For $2.  A virtual fortune! 

Also, I was interested in my direct competition.  They never put the names or descriptions of the cookies with them, so I have to guess what the others are (see photo below).  1st place looked like a nut or spice filled cookie.  2nd place was definitely a cherry mini-biscotti of some kind and 3rd was a krumkakke or another type of cookie made with an iron and then rolled.  5th place was a nut-filled roll-up cookie (maybe nut kolaches?).        

Perhaps the best part of the story--well, besides the pretty pink ribbon and its accompanying prize--is that this was the year that the judges didn't pick a stupid cookie tower to win in the cake category.  There was nary a cookie-tower in sight!  But there was a crazy cookie-basket in the cookie category (shown in the background of the photo below). Which...huh...that's a bit weird, right?  How do you even eat this thing?  And also, doesn't it look strangely like an upside-down cookie tower with a handle? Yeah.  I'm with you: the Minnesotan fans of Norwegian baked goods definitely need to dial it back a bit with the cookie-towers/baskets.  Just...let it go, guys.    

Ingredients: 

Cookies:

• 225 grams butter (Yep, you kinda need to use a food scale.  Annoying, right?  But this is 2 sticks of butter, more or less)
• 130 grams superfine granulated sugar (I know, using a food scale *and* specialty ingredients.  I suck.  But it really does make a difference.  And I found this at Byerly's/Lunds, so you don't have to go to a special baking store, just a rich-people grocery store)  
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I used double-strength, because I love me some vanilla)
• 450 grams all-purpose flour

Glaze: 

• 110 grams powdered sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons water

Filling:

• Raspberry jam, seedless (Did you expect me to make my own jam? Ha! No time!) I used a black raspberry all fruit-style jam. 

Decoration:

• Candied cherries (see ingredients and instructions below) or other decoration
  
  Note: Traditionally empire biscuits are topped with half of a candied cherry, but more modern versions are often topped with a jelly candy (often Jelly Tots) or some other decoration.  Since the MN State Fair rules do not allow fruit on entries, these are topped with Dots jelly candies.  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F 
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light & fluffy
4. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined
5. Add flour and mix to form a dough.
6. Roll the dough on a floured surface to around 1cm thick. 
7. Cut cookies with a round cutter and transfer to cookie sheet 
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the biscuit are just golden.
9. When cool, spread underside of one biscuit with jam and sandwich with another.
10. Make water-icing by mixing powdered sugar and water.  
11. Spoon icing onto the top of each sandwich and spread to cover (but do not let it drip down the sides)
12. Before icing dries, place decoration on top.  

I looked at a bunch of different recipes and tried several versions until I settled on/came up with this one.  The recipe makes 17 sandwiched biscuits with the cutter I used, but it could make more or less, depending on the cutter shape/size. 

For Candied Cherries:

• 12-ounce jar maraschino cherries
• 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar

Directions:   Drain the cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice.  Combine juice and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan, and cook over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the cherries to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering.  Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, checking on the cherries and stirring them gently every 10 minutes or so. When they are firm when you touch them with a spoon (the syrup should be about 235°F), remove the cherries from the pot with a slotted spoon or strainer to a parchment-lined plate. Allow to cool completely before using. 

This is from a practice batch.  Note that I used different flavors of Dots here, but for the final version I used only the dark red ones (cherry, I think?)

Notice that the top halves of Dots look much nicer than the bottom halves as decorations.

I'm such a proud cookie-Momma!  Look at my little awesome cookies, winning an award and everything!

People definitely thought I was weird with the interest I was showing this particular case.  But I'm so proud of them!

Overhead shot, through the glass of the display case

Healthy Cashew Chicken in the Oven

I haven't written any entries for my projects or recipes since springtime, and with so many recipes and projects completed, that's a real shame!  So today I'm sitting down to write up a few of my recent successes.  

This recipe is based on one from Hungry Girl.  Mine actually made a bigger recipe and because it uses frozen, steam-in-bag sugar snap peas (instead of fresh snow peas) it can be made any time of year, as well as for a bit less money.  

I liked this recipe: healthy, made enough for leftovers, made my house smell awesome, and relatively fast to make (aside from all the chopping).  However, I do think the leftovers were improved with a bit of extra soy sauce and a few extra cashews on top.  You could probably also swap out peanuts, if cashews were unavailable or too pricey at the moment.        

Ingredients:

• 1 package of fresh mushrooms, quartered (Note: my mushrooms were huge, so I cut them in 1/8ths, instead.  Thanks, Sam's Club!) 
• 1 chopped onion (Yellow or white)
• 1 package of raw boneless, skinless breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used a 14 oz. package of chicken tenders, because that is literally all that was in the store.  I had a choice of 3 packages, but all the other chicken in the entire store had sold.  Moral of this story: don't grocery shop at 5:45 on a Sunday afternoon!)
• 1 package frozen sugar snap snow peas
• 2 tbsp. reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce, divided
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper
• 1 oz. (about 1/4 cup) unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water.  I forgot to get the broth from the store and water honestly worked OK)
• 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Place a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and fold up the edges of the foil.  Spray with nonstick spray.
3. Place mushrooms, onion, and chicken in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp. soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. 
4. Put mixture on prepped baking sheet and spread out evenly.
   
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Flip/rearrange chicken, onion, and mushrooms and sprinkle with cashews and scallions. 
7. Bake until chicken is cooked through and veggies have softened and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 more minutes.
   
8. Meanwhile...Make the sauce: 
1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine remaining 1 Tbsp. soy sauce with broth/water, vinegar, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger. 
2. Mix well. 
3. Microwave sauce for 1 minute. 
4. Stir, and microwave for 45 seconds, or until mixture is hot and has thickened.
   
9. And...Heat the frozen veggies in the microwave according to the package directions. 
10. Mix all the chicken and veggies together
11. Serve with sauce, over rice.  

 Makes 3 servings of chicken and veggies with sauce

Peppermint-filled Chocolate Bundt Cake

Since it is blizzard-ing outside, I'm catching up on a few winter recipes.  This one is for a really nice winter cake.  I mean, I suppose you could make it anytime you wanted, but the chocolate-peppermint combo is pretty classically winter-y.    

Every year at the holidays there is a pot-luck party at work, held by the Collections Department on level A.  But they invite us in Reference and people who have retired, too, and it is usually a lovely time.  They even have a white elephant gift exchange.  Side note on the white elephant exchange: One year I got a cherry-pitter called a "cherry chomper."  It looks like a little cartoony guy with an open mouth.  You put a cherry in his mouth and push down on his head and it pits the cherry.  This  small and hilarious item pretty much changed my life during cherry season.  Fresh cherries in greek yogurt are amazing!

Anyway, for the lunch party in December 2017 (a few months ago) I made a chocolate-peppermint bundt cake.  It was based off this one, but I subbed out the white peppermint bark ganache.  It was super yummy.  My advice would be to do the glaze and topping right before serving.  I did it the night before and it wasn't as cute as for the party as I hoped.    

Ingredients--Cake:

1 regular chocolate cake mix

1 regular package chocolate pudding (just the dry mix)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

Optional: If desired add 1-2 tsp of pure peppermint extract (be sure it is peppermint, not just mint.)

Ingredients--Peppermint Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg (at room temperature)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp pure peppermint extract

2 tbsp crushed candy canes

For Topping:

chocolate frosting in a can 

crushed candy canes 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine all cake ingredients until combined.  
3. Spray bundt cake pan well with non-stick spray.  (If you have problems with cake sticking in your pan, "flour" the pan using cocoa powder.)
4. Combine filling ingredients (except candy) and mix until creamy.
5. Stir in candy canes.  
6. Spoon 1/3 of batter into pan
7. Carefully spoon filling in a ring, try not to let the filling touch the pan on inside or outside. 
8. Spread the rest of cake batter over filling
9. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean
10. Allow to cool and top as desired  Suggested topping: Heat up frosting in the microwave until it is a glaze-like consistency (it only takes a few seconds, and be careful not to burn it).  Drizzle over the cooled cake and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  
11. Keep refrigerated

  

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

In my on-going quest to make meals that produce good lunch-/dinner-time leftovers, I tried this chicken cordon bleu casserole.  I made it healthier with some swaps--2% milk for the half and half, lower fat cream cheese, etc.--and it was a winner.  It was a little pricey to make when considering it as a single dinner, but if you consider that I got so many meals out of it, it really wasn't too bad. 

Also, I'm happy to say that this was my first opportunity to use my new, matching food containers.  Nothing like buying a full set of containers from Sam's Club and then actually using them...neatly stacking leftovers in my fridge.  

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce package of no-yolk egg noodles
• 3 cups 2% milk (recipe called for half & half, but 2% milk worked really well)
• 1 can (10.75 oz.) Cream of Chicken and Herb soup
• 4 oz. reduced fat, spreadable cream cheese (softened)
• 4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp. dried roasted garlic
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2+ tsp. dijon mustard 
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 to 3 chicken breasts--or equivalent, cooked and roughly chopped (I cooked up some frozen chicken breasts, but rotisserie chicken would also be tasty)
• 1 lb. cooked/smoked ham, roughly chopped
• 3 cups shredded cheese, be sure it is all or mostly swiss (I used one 8 oz. block of swiss that I shredded and a handful of pre-shredded mixed colby/cheddar)
• Bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray (I also lined mine with foil first, to make cleanup easier)
3. Cook noodles until al dente.  Drain well
4. Mix milk, soup, cream cheese, 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mustard, and nutmeg. 
5. Save back aboug 1 cup of noodles.
6. In dish, layer 1/2 of noodles, 1/2 chicken, 1/2 ham.
7. Drizzle 1/3 of sauce, top with 1/3 of shredded cheese.
8. Repeat.
9. Top with remaining 1 cup of noodles, remaining 1/3 of sauce, 1/3 of shredded cheese.
10. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs
11. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbly
12. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.  

Dragon Cake: Dessert for the dragoniest Dungeons and Dragons meeting

My gaming group's April meeting was a dragon-and-spring-themed potluck.  So I made a cake shaped like a dragon!  I looked online at a variety of different ideas, but then settled on using this one as a basic pattern/idea.   (Note: this is an Instructables page, which should be OK. But it seems to want to create warnings with my anti-virus software.)

1. Bake two 9-inch round cakes. (Mine were triple-chocolate-fudge, from a mix. Feel free to judge me, but it tasted awesome.)
2. Cut one in half for the body
3. Cut the other into pieces vaguely like this:
   
   
   
4. Assemble the cake using buttercream frosting, cutting to shape as needed. (I used almond-vanilla buttercream, using the Wilton frosting recipe)
   
   
5. Crumb-coat entire dragon with buttercream.  Refrigerate/freeze to solidify before decorating.
   
   

   
   
6. Use frosting to create textured skin (I used two colors of orange-y/yellow-y frosting to try to add some depth).
   

   
   
7. Decorate!  

I used:

• Chocolate-covered grahams (cut) for spines
• Pull-and-Peel Twizlers for flames
• Fruit Roll-ups for wings (on straws)
• Black licorice for nostrils and eyebrows 
• Mini oreos (opened and with pieces of tops) for eyes

I think he turned out pretty cute. The eyebrows make him look a little sheepish, but I really thought they were needed to make the dragon less mean-looking.  

After our game night there was a lot of leftover cake, so I brought it to work to share.  People hacked it up, but they left the face.   He looked so sad and sat there for so long...

I took off the face-decorations and the cake was finished in less than 10 minutes!  

Basically Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs: Another Skill Unlocked!

I made a whole bunch of things on Easter last weekend.  One of those things was half a dozen hard boiled eggs.  And they turned out so close to perfect that I wanted to record how I did it for next time.  (The one thing that was less than 100% was the shape.  I didn't pay attention to how they were sitting and so they aren't the same.)

1. I filled my smallest soup pot 2/3 of the way full of cold water, added a teaspoon or so of salt and a quick glug of white vinegar--I didn't measure. 
2. Then I placed my eggs in the water, put it on the stove and heated until it came to a good rolling boil.
3. I covered the pot and turned it down to low for 1 minute, then turned it off and let it sit for 12 minutes.  
4. I removed the eggs with a slotted spoon and carefully put them in a bowl filled with ice water
5. I left them in there for a while, then removed, dried, and refrigerated the eggs. 
6. They peeled really nicely, and were well-cooked but without any green ring around it.  

I ate the first one (pictured above) with carrot sticks and cucumber slices!

Nutella Cheesecake Crescent Ring Recipe: For Coffee Station Grand Opening Day

We used to have an EXTREMELY sad break area by my office suite at work.  It is the lobby of the museum's freight elevator, has industrial grey floor and white walls with strangely-dim recessed lighting, and was home to a table and a few relatively uncomfortable chairs.  The one good thing was that we had a water filter/dispenser that would provide good, clean water in both the cold and hot varieties.  Perfect for a nice cuppa tea or for refreshing hydration.  It is notable that I work on the 2nd floor and this is the only work floor in the building that didn't have a full-on "Coffee Station."  That's right: B, A, 1, and 4 all have coffee stations, but 2 didn't. (I know what you are thinking: but what about the poor people on level 3?  Well, 3 doesn't have one because it isn't a real office floor. That is the floor the museum exhibits are on and only a couple of people have their offices there.)  

For a while now the powers that control the facilities aspects of the building have been saying that they might upgrade this space.  Ok, I'm gonna be honest with you: For literally *years* they have been going back and forth about this.  Late last year they finally committed to it and they removed our water cooler/heater to prep for it...even though the water cooler/heater was on the other side of the area from the construction...and then they did nothing for several months.  It was amazing when they started working on it for real, though not surprising that it took several extra weeks to get the water-bottle filler (the replacement for the water cooler), coffee-maker, and mug-washer to work.  

What's a mug washer, you ask?  That is a great question and thank you for asking!  Since the coffee station has a sink with hot water and a dish-soap dispenser, it might seem like a completely useless piece of equipment that just takes up valuable countertop real estate and is a waste of money. I wouldn't really disagree with any of that.  *But*, since we are only the second area to get one (the first being the 4th floor were all the high muckety-mucks work), I'm pretty OK with it.  Also, it is basically a car wash for mugs, and since I like to go through car washes--usually with my music blaring--I don't begrudge my mug the same experience.   

Since the coffee station is now fully operational, I thought we needed to celebrate it.  (And yes, the phrase "fully operational" in reference to any kind of station should make you think of the Emperor saying, "Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!"  What can I say? Star Wars nerd over here.)  I unilaterally decided Monday, April 2nd would be the Grand Opening of the station.  On Sunday I was alone for Easter and so I had plenty of time to make a batch of cookies and a Nutella-cheesecake crescent ring.  Then I gathered up the snack food that didn't get consumed at work on Saturday, the giant container of cocoa I bought for D&D brunch, and some half-and-half.  And it made the morning much better for a number of people!

The danish/crescent ring was REALLY GOOD!  Also very sweet, but it is called Nutella-Cheesecake so people should have expected that, right?

My recipe is based off of this one, but--as usual--I made some changes.  Also, this danish doesn't need any sort of glaze.  It might look nice, but the thing is 100% sweet enough without it.  I'm telling you: don't do it! 

Ingredients:

• 2 tubes Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 (plus or minus) cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
3. Unroll crescent rolls and separate them into individual triangles. Arrange the triangles in an overlapping circle on the the pizza pan with the points out. (I originally used only 1 1/2 tubes of crescent dough, but this ended up with bigger spaces and some of the filling oozed out.  This wasn't bad, but use all of both and it should be better.)
   
4. Gently press the dough together where it overlaps.
5. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth (you might want to use a mixer, but I did fine with just a sturdy spatula) 
   
6. Spoon a generous dollop of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the base of each triangle. (Only use about half of it...Don't use it all!)
   
7. Mix the chocolate hazelnut spread into the remaining cream cheese filling.
8. Drop the chocolate filling between cream cheese filling.
   
9. Drag a spoon around the top of the dollops in one circle, evening them out on top
   
10. Fold the points over the filling and tuck them into the center of the ring, pressing gently.
    
    
11. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool before serving.  Store covered in refrigerator. 

Somali Banana Fritters

The Minnesota Historical Society Press is publishing a cookbook of Somali foods this summer.  They invited employees to try the recipes and bring them in to be photographed for the book.  I decided to try something that would let me learn a new skill: the banana fritters.

I had all the ingredients for the recipe, but I have not deep-fried anything since college. (Back then we made Moldovan mushroom- and cheese-stuffed mamalyga balls for my Russian food/culture/history class in the shared kitchen in the basement of Fitch.  Mmmm.  Those were good.  I should make them again some time!)

The recipe as given was not really very descriptive at all. Among other things, it said that the batter could be made in a blender.  That is just not true!  It is much too thick with 2 1/2 cups of flour in it.  I also had to look up directions about the actual frying--how hot to make the oil, in particular.

Because these were for a photo shoot, I was really worried about making them perfectly round.  It wasn't really possible, since they are fritters and not shaped donuts.  Ultimately, they turned out pretty good and I can't wait to see the photo in the book!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  
• vegetable oil for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients except for the oil and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix into a thick batter with mixer.  Alternatively, place ingredients into food processor and process into batter.  Note: Batter will be probably be too thick for a blender.   
2. Batter should be thick and sticky.  Add more flour if it is runny.
3. Let batter sit while heating oil.
4. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy pan or pot, to a depth of at least 1 inch
5. Heat on medium until oil is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you do not have an oil safe thermometer, you can use one of the following methods to check the temperature:
• Dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles very very vigorously, then the oil is too hot. If very few bubbles pop up, then it’s not hot enough.
• Drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches between 350 and 360 degrees.
6. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the heated oil. Large dough spoonfuls may not cook through very well.  
• Hint: Do not put too many dough dollops in the oil at a time (2 to 4 is plenty).  Putting too much dough in the oil at once will lower the temperature. 
7. Let dough cook until light brown, flipping once if they do not flip themselves. 
8. Remove fritters from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate or cooling rack lined with double-thickness of paper towels.  
9. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar for serving.  

Good as a substitute for donuts (or donut holes!) for breakfast, but they are more traditionally served with coffee or tea as a snack.  They are only crispy the day they are made, but still good the next day.     

Classic Lasagna: A McElroy Christmas Eve Tradition

In my family, we often have pasta on Christmas Eve.  I'm not sure when we started this tradition--maybe sometime in my early teen years? Or a bit earlier, when we moved to North Carolina?--but it was quite sometime ago.  My parents usually make lasagna, though when Christmas Eve has been at my house, I have made other pasta bakes.  One year it was a fancy macaroni and cheese.  Another year it was a tomato-sauce, penne-type thing with veggies.  Pasta is very practical meal for around the holidays: hearty, serves a crowd, it can be customized to be meat-free, and it goes well with salad, etc.  It is also really nice to have leftovers that aren't traditional Christmas-meal food.  I like ham and scalloped potatoes as much as the next girl, but not for every meal. 

This year, I was in southern Missouri for the holidays and we renewed the lasagna tradition at my Grandma's house.  The one we made was based on the "Best Lasagna Recipe" from Taste of Home magazine online.  A few changes made for an easier one (no mincing of garlic, no need to chop fresh parsley, no adding fennel).  It was quite yummy, and possibly even better the second day when we warmed it up in the oven.  This'll definitely be my go-to classic lasagna recipe!   

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles 
• 1 1/4 pounds Italian sausage (or enough for a total of 2 pounds, when added to beef)
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used pre-minced, jarred garlic, so 3 to 4 1/2 tsp.)
• 43 oz. canned crushed tomatoes (1 28-ounce can and 1 15-ounce can)
• 12 ounces tomato paste (2 6-ounce cans)
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar 
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 3/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 15-ounce ricotta cheese
• 4 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to directions on package
2. Cook sausage, beef, and onion in a pot over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes (or until no longer pink), breaking up meat into crumbles
3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  
4. Drain
5. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, parsley, and remaining salt
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
9. Spray a 9x13 deep dish with nonstick spray (even with a deep lasagna dish, this will be quite full)
10. Spread 2 cups of sauce mixture on the bottom, layer 3 noodles on top and then spread 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture. 
11. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese
12. Repeat layers twice
13. Top with remaining sauce and cheeses.
14. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes
15. Uncover and bake 25 minutes, or until bubbly
16. Let stand 15 minutes before serving

Serve with bread and salad, and enjoy!

Reading Challenge 2017

This year I started the PopSugar Reading Challenge right in January and worked pretty well on it for a while.  I didn't finish, but I did get 25 categories of the 50 covered.  I only allowed myself to count a book in one category, even if it would fit in more than one.  I also didn't count anything that I didn't finish...ooops!  And things like articles didn't count.  

Total for the year: I finished 43 books (low for me) with over 16500 pages read (low for me), but I feel pretty good about it.  The oldest book I read was published in 1939 (And Then There Were None) and the newest were published this year. The longest book was 662 pages (The Name of the Wind).  

REGULAR (24 of 40 finished!)

1. A book recommended by a Librarian
2. A book that's been on your To Be Read list for way to long
   City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (452 pages, read in hard copy in April 2017, published in 2014, fiction--fantasy) How it fits the category? Three years isn't ALL that long, but I got this book for free when it was featured by its publisher at the ALA conference in 2014.  There was actually a really cool display/advertisement on a staircase...*so* clever!  It is a pretty neat book, with a setting that is kind of an alternate, fantastical future in India, Russia, and Asia.  
3. A book of letters
4. An audiobook
   Born a Crime:Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (304 pages--8 hours and 50 minutes, published in 2016, narrated by the author, non-fiction--memoir) How it fits the category?  It is an audio book and I would recommend listening to this one instead of reading it.  It is like the author really is telling you stories.  Plus, the language, voices, and accents make it worth it.  
5. A book by a person of color
6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title
   Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman (444 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1984, fiction--fantasy)  How it fits the category?  "Well," says Captain Obvious, "It has the word 'autumn' in the title, there."
7. A book that is a story within a story
   The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (662 pages, read in hard copy, published in 2007, in April 2017, fiction--fantasy) How it fits the category? The whole book is a story being told over two days/nights in the main character's pub in an out-of-the-way town.  Sometimes it is actually a story within a story within a story! 
8. A book with multiple authors
   Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (260 pages, read on kindle and phone, published in 2007, read in December 2017, fiction--urban fantasy) How it fits the category? Written by a husband-wife team Ilona and Andrew Gordon.  
9. An espionage thriller
10. A book with a cat on the cover
    In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (264 pages, read in hardcopy, published in 1984, read in August 2017, fiction--fantasy, YA/middle grade) How it fits the category?  It has Faithful, Alana's magical cat on the cover, complete with violet eyes.  This is a re-read and an old favorite, but I had a hard time finding books featuring illustrations of cats...
    
11. A book by an author that uses a pseudonym
    Melusine by Sarah Monette (477 pages, read in hard copy in June 2017, published in 2006, fiction--high fantasy) How it fits the category? So....this book was written under the author's real name, but she also has written under the pseudonym Katherine Addison.  
12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read
13. A book by or about someone with a disability
14. A book involving travel
    The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (273 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1955, read in June/July 2017, fiction-mystery/literature)  How it fits the category? The titular Tom Ripley travels to Italy on Mr. Greenleaf's dime, to get Greenleaf's wayward son Dickie to come home.  Tom travels to the small village in Italy, then around Italy with Dickie, then kills Dickie, then travels around pretending to BE Dickie, and finally leaves Italy for Greece under his own identity.  
15. A book with a subtitle
16. A book published in 2017
    Etched in Bone (#5 in The Others series) by Anne Bishop (397 pages, read in hard copy, published in 2017, read in March 2017, fiction-urban fantasy) How it fits the category? Erm...it was published in 2017.
17. A book involving a mythical creature
    Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (314 pages, read in hard copy in February 2017, published in 2016, fiction-fantasy) How it fits the category? This is a fantasy novel--that has guns in it--set in a a desert.  There are mythical beasts roaming around, including djinn (genies!).
18. A book that you've read before that never fails to make you smile
    One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (320 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1994, read in July 2017, fiction--mystery) How it fits the category?  I first read this book the first time I worked at the bookstore--between 2003 and 2005.  The series was quite popular and I wondered what all the fuss was about.  I think these are pretty funny books, though this one had more violence than I remember from before.  I sort of love that cars keep blowing up, that she has a pet hamster, and that the hot private security guy keeps saving her.    
19. A book about food
20. A book with career advice
21. A book from a nonhuman perspective
    Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (371 pages, read in hard copy and read in April 2017, published in 2017, fiction--urban fantasy) How it fits the category? The main character is a non-human, a coyote shapeshifter.   
22. A steampunk novel
    Mission Impossible (London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy #1) by Bec McMaster (380 pages, read on phone in November 2017, published 2016, fiction--steampunk urban fantasy?)How it fits the category? This is a bit of a silly book that is very cross-genre.  Sort of a procedural, steampunk, werewolf/vampire, romance book. 
23. A book with a red spine
    A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (416 pages, read in hard copy, published in 2015, read in February 2017, fiction--YA, fantasy)  How it fits the category?  Well, the spine of the book is red, like the cover :)
    
24. A book set in the wilderness
25. A book you loved as a child 
    The Woman Who Rides Like a Man - Song of the Lionness Quartet #3 by Tamora Pierce (253 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1986, read in July 2017, fiction--young adult, fantasy) How it fits the category?  I read this series when I was a kid and loved the girl-disguises-herself-as-a-boy story.  This and the Robin McKinley books (Blue Sword and Hero & the Crown) were favorites in childhood. The women were women that embraced all aspects of themselves, their strength, smarts, abilities, and ultimately their femininity, as well.  
26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited 
    The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood (308 pages , read on phone, published 2015, read January 2017, fiction--sci-fi, literature)  How it fits the category? Margaret Atwood is Canadian...and it sometimes shows through in this book.  Occasionally someone will say something that is much more Canadian than American, even though the book is set in the U.S.
27. A book with a title that's a character's name
    Alanna: The First Adventure - Song of the Lionness Quartet #1 by Tamora Pierce (274 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1983, read in July 2017, fiction--young adult, fantasy) How it fits the category?  Duh.
28. A novel set during wartime
29. A book with an unreliable narrator 
30. A book with pictures
     The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 1 by Alan Moore (192 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1999, read in July 2017, graphic novel)  How it fits the category?  It's a graphic novel.  I'm still not a graphic novel fan, but I keep trying to find one that I enjoy.  This, at least, only took an hour to read.  It was a Amazing Book Club of Doom selection for the movie/book meeting month (where we traditionally eat pie!).  
31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than youSmilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (469 pages, read in hard copy, published in 1995, read in February 2017, fiction--mystery) How it fits the category? The main character, Smilla Jasperson, is half Danish and half indigenous-Greenlander.  Raised in Greenland by her mother--mostly in a traditional, in-nature sense--she is a unique character...torn between the two very different parts of her.  The mystery involves the death of her neighbor, a little boy who is also part-Greenlander.  
32. A book about an interesting woman
    Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman (339 pages, read in hard copy, published 2009, read September 2017, fiction--urban fantasy) How it fits the category?  The main character, Trixa, is interesting in a number of ways: she owns a dive bar that she lives above, has a pet crow, has a semi-reformed-from-really-bad best friend, took in two "stray" teens who have psychic abilities and are now in their 20s, has an ongoing battle-flirtation with a vampire, etc.  And then there's the ending, which I won't spoil here.  
33. A book set in two different time periods:
    Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs (272 pages, read in hard copy, published 2016, read January 2017, fiction--YA). How it fits the category? A group of teenagers are recruited to travel to the future in a type of corporate espionage.  They were supposed to be sent 10 years forward, but end up 30 years in the future and they discover that someone is going to kill them upon their return to the present. 
34. A book with a month or a day of the week in the title
35. A book set in a hotel
    And then there were None by Agatha Christie (264 pages, published in 1939, Read in December 2017 in hard copy, fiction--mystery)  How it fits the category?  I mean, technically the plot follows 10 guests at a private island house...but it is like a hotel, complete with staff. Read the book and saw the play for December bookclub and they varied quite a bit, including the ending.  
36. A book written by someone you admire
37. A book that's becoming a movie in 2017
    The Circle by Dave Eggers (493 pages, read on my phone, published 2013, Read in July 2017, fiction--maybe sci-fi?)  How it fits the category?  It was made into an Emma Watson/Tom Hanks movie this year.  Haven't watched it yet, but I will.  This story is pretty scary because it was written over 4 years ago and the way social media works has followed the path in this book.  :(
38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas
39. The first book in a series you haven't read before: 
    Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (465 pages, read in hard copy, published 2015, read January-February 2017, fiction--YA, fantasy) How it fits the category?  This is the first of a duology that is actually set in the same world as a previous trilogy.  (But this is a separate book that can be read individually.) I've been meaning to read it since it came out.  In fact, I got it the week it came out because I stumbled upon it on Amazon.com and thought, "Awesome!"  It is a combo of fantasy and a heist story.  And certainly more of a book for teens than for younger readers--all characters are flawed, there is a certain amount of violence, and adult themes like abuse and prostitution that are handled in not-graphic, but effective ways.  I was lucky to get the sequel from a vendor for only $5 at ALA Midwinter this year.  
40. A book you bought on a trip
    

ADVANCED (1 of 12 finished)

1. A book recommended by an author you love
2. A bestseller from 2016
3. A book with a family-member name in the title
4. A book that takes place over a character's life span
5. A book about an immigrant or a refugee
6. A book from a genre/subgenre that you've never heard of
7. A book with an eccentric character
8. A book that's more than 800 pages
9. A book you got from a used book sale
    Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones (488 pages, read in hard copy, published in 2004, read Feb. to March 2017, fiction--fantasy, mystery) How it fits the category? I purchased this from a used book sale in Chapel Hill back when I was in grad school.  Turns out it is a cool blend of mystery, fantasy, and historical novel.   
10. A book that's been mentioned in another book
11. A book about a difficult topic
12. A book based on mythology

Hungarian Mushroom Soup: First New Recipe of 2018

When I was in my sophomore year in college, a friend made the Hungarian Mushroom Soup recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.  I remember it fondly and--with the new year here and the idea that I should cook more--I decided to give it a try. 

I'll be honest: I was too lazy to go find my copy of the book, so I found a version online that may or may not be just like the one in the book. And then I changed it just a bit.  It was a really good, hearty meal-soup, extra mushroom-y.  Also tasted good warmed up the next day.  Yay for a successful first new recipe of 2018!!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp margarine (or, I suppose, one could use butter)
• 2 small to medium onions, chopped (I used sweet yellow ones)
• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. mushrooms, sliced (I used one pound of baby 'bellas and half a pound of white button)
• 2 to 3 tsp. dried dill (I used 2 slightly heaping tsp, but I think that less would be better)
• 1 Tbsp mild paprika
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk (I used skim milk and it worked fine)
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used non-fat, plain, Fage-brand Greek yogurt)
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt margarine in a soup pot
2. Add onions and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes
3. Add mushrooms, salt, dill, and paprika
4. Stir well and cover, the let cook for about 15 more minutes
5. Stir in lemon juice
6. Gradually sprinkle in flour and stir in, one Tbsp at a time
7. Cook for 5 more minutes over medium-low heat, stirring regularly
8. Stir in water
9. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often
10. Stir in milk and black pepper to taste
11. Turn down heat, whisk in yogurt and heat gently (don't boil at/after this point)
12. Serve hot