Road Trippin'-Almond & Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Sometimes drifting off the beaten path will lead you to this...

Every summer my family would load our car, hitch up the pop-up and hit the road. It was a very long haul from our southeast Texas home to the mountainous destination of Colorado. We would leave our home in the wee hours of the morning and drive all day (usually having to turn back, it seemed something was always forgotten.)

Road Trip 2007 Coulter Bay, Wyoming

Our first stop was a campground just on the edge of the panhandle (that's right, we'd still be in Texas after a days worth of driving.) My sister and I would play Barbies, Eye-Spy, sing songs, and sleep (alot). We'd signal truck drivers to honk their horn and my sister would usually be the comedian and make faces at passersby or stick fishing worms up her nose to see if anyone would notice. Needless to say, we knew how to make the most of a cramped backseat.

My mom always packed snacks for us to eat, which was special because we were NEVER allowed to eat in he car. Looking back it seemed that she chose very carefully what was given to us, being that none would stain the upholstery of the seats. At most she'd have to vacuum out crumbs.

Making friends while fly fishing

The next day, we flatlanders were awestruck by how the majestic Rockies would greet us. It was such an exciting moment for my sister and I. We would set up camp along the Taylor River, near Almont, Colorado, and camp, hike, fish, drive the back roads, have "fire parties" (campfires), and roam the campgrounds like we owned the joint.

Our road trips made for a great summer and wonderful memories. I am anxious to start the tradition with my husband and son.

What is your favorite road trip memory?

Chewy Almond-Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Chewy Almond-Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Makes 12 bars

½ c. old-fashioned oats
½ c. dried cranberries
½ c. sliced almonds
¼ c. all natural peanut butter
¼ c. all natural almond butter
½ c. brown sugar
½ t. cinnamon
3 T. vegetable or canola oil
1 T. water
¼ t. salt
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, line an 8 x 8 baking pan with two strips of parchment paper, allowing a 2 inch over hang for all sides.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, cranberries and almonds
3. Over low heat, combine almond and peanut butters, brown sugar, oil, salt, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
4. Whisk egg white into the cooled peanut butter mixture until combined.
5. Fold peanut butter mixture into oats mixture and combine until moistened.
6. Pour into prepared pan, spreading and smoothing mixture evenly
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool completely. Cut into 12 bars
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Sweet Tart Lemonade: 3 Variations, by the pitcher, by the glass

Happy Independence Day!
  Steaks: Marinating
Potato Salad: Made
Lemonade: Yes, please!

Sweet Tart Lemonade
Yield: 7 cups
2 cups Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1 ¾ to 2 cups fresh lemon juice
3 cups cold water

• Combine all ingredients, stirring well. Serve over ice.

Lemonade by the Glass: Combine 3 tablespoons Simple Syrup, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, and ¾ cup cold water, stir well.

Simple Syrup
Yield: 2 cups
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice

• Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Simple Syrup Variations: (I used the mint syrup to make Mint-Lemonade; it was delicious, refreshing and cool.)

Mint Syrup: Add 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves to saucepan; cook as directed. Cool. Remove and discard mint.
Ginger Syrup: Add ¼ cup chopped fresh ginger to saucepan, and cook as directed. Cool. Remove and discard ginger; use syrup immediately. Do not store.
Berry Syrup: Substitute ½ cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam for ½ cup sugar; cook as directed. Cool.

Simple. Fresh. Dessert.

Are you ready for a fast, fresh, simple and delicious dessert? Well, here is my go-to dessert for the summertime. Fresh fruit, drenched in sweetened wine and specked with mint is as colorful as it is refreshing. Add your favorite summertime fruit, or whatever fruit you have on hand in the refrigerator. It's the perfect alfresco dessert.

Cantaloupe, Strawberries, and Grapes with White Wine and Mint
source: Everyday Italian; Giada DeLaurentiis servings: 4

1 ¼ cups dry white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. chopped fresh mint
½ ripe cantaloupe, halved, seeded, and cut into ¾ in. cubes (about 3 cups)
1 (8oz.) basket of strawberries, quartered
1 cup seedless grapes, halved lengthwise

1. In a small saucepan, bring wine and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mint.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until cold, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
3. Transfer the fruit mixture to serving bowls and serve chilled.

Strawberry Gelato

Enjoy and celebrate the season

What is gelato? It looks like ice cream…so why don’t we call it ice cream? Is it really that special? The answer is yes.

Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, with three major differences to his American cousin.

Butterfat
Gelato has significantly less butterfat, around 10%, than ice cream’s typical 18-26%. This is because gelato is not made entirely with cream, but rather milk. However, less fat does not mean less taste. With lower butterfat content, gelato does not need to be frozen as cold as regular ice cream, meaning that it melts in your mouth faster, therefore you experience it’s full, pure flavor.

Density
Gelato is much more denser than ice cream. Good old-fashioned-everyday ice cream has quite a bit of air added to it, which masks its favorite and alters texture. Air is not added to gelato, resulting in a richer, creamier taste the pack a punch in every little bite.

Temperature
Gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream. Typically served 10-15 degrees warmer than ice cream. With a softer consistency, the flavor finishes nicely across the tongue and is much stronger and vibrant. Not to mention, that softer consistency makes scooping a lot easier!

Strawberry Gelato

Strawberry Gelato

adapted from Bon Appetit May 2009

¾ c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 c. whole milk
¾ c. whipping cream
2 ¼ c. hulled & sliced strawberries
2 T. lemon juice

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in medium sauce pan, rub them together with fingertips to incorporate. Whisk in milk and cream. Whisk over medium heat until base thickens and begins to bubble, 5 minutes. Pour into bowl & chill. This is the base.
2. Puree strawberries in processor. Pour into gelato base. Mix in lemon juice. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.
3. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions. Transfer to a container. Cover; freeze until firm. Store in freezer 3 hours and up to 2 days.

It's been that kind of morning...(Chocolate Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake)

Have you ever had one of those mornings. You know, the kind of morning that just doesn't start off right, an honest to goodness bad morning. And I'm not talking about the 'woke up on the wrong side of bed' bad morning. I'm talking about the kind of morning where you need a chocolate pick-me-up by 8am. Need. Chocolate. Stat.

A while back I asked my friends to share some bad (though funny) morning experiences. Here are some of my favorites:

• As you get ready to leave for work you pack a beer in your lunch instead of what you thought was a Diet Coke.

• You get your son and yourself ready to go shopping and realize you still have your snowman pajama bottoms on when you drive into the parking lot of the grocery store.

• You put an energy fizz tab into the baby bottle instead of the water bottle-but luckily realize it before feeding the baby purple milk.

• You begin to put Barbie panties on your 1 year old son while your six year old daughter holds a diaper and says, "Seriously, mom?"

So I'm thinking mornings like these must need chocolate! For all of those who incur a bad morning every once in a while, you might need to nosh on a little Chocolate Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake-it is irresistible, decadent and delicious. And geez, with a name like that, doesn't it already brighten your day a little?Chocolate Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Chocolatier May 2002 yields: 10 servings

Chocolate streusel filling and topping:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup pecans
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Sour cream coffee cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups. sugar
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Make filling and topping: In food processor, pulse together sugar, pecans and cinnamon until nuts are coarsely chopped. Transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to a small bowl and stir in chocolate morsels (this is the filling). To remaining mixture in food processor add flour, cocoa powder and butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly. (this is the topping)
2. Make cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of 9" springform pan. Dust pan with flour, tapping out excess.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl; whisk to combine and set aside.
4. In bowl of electric mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed for 1 minute, until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat at high speed until well blended and light, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and alternately add dry ingredients in 3 additions and sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry mixture and mixing until combined.
5. Scrape half of batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with filling. Scrape remaining batter over filling and smooth top. Sprinkle with topping and bake for 65-75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out cleaned and cake pulls away from edges of pan. Let cake cool in pan set on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan and cool completely.
6. Dust cake lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.
   

Lemon-Lime Curd

Lemon-Lime Curd and Blackberries drench over Buttermilk Poundcake

Happy Mother's Day! I love lemon (which I believe I stated before.) But this Lemon-Lime Curd is addictive. Not only is it easy to make, but it is extremely bright, summery, tart, sweet and delectable.

I have spooned it over gingerbread, drenched it over poundcake and created sunny citrus tarts using this shortbread pastry dough. Lemon-Lime Curd makes a great dip for berries as well. Or, you could just eat it straight from the jar out of the refrigerator, which I am very much guilty of!

Lemon-Lime Curd puddling down onto the plate.

Lemon-Lime Curd
• 2 lemons
• 2 limes
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
1. Zest the two lemons and one lime, being careful to avoid the white pith. Combine zest with sugar, rubbing with hands to incorporate.
2. Cream the butter and beat in the citrus sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lemon and lime juice and salt. Mix until combined (will look curdled).
3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, at about 170˚F, or just below a simmer. Remove from heat and cool or refrigerate.

GO TEXAN Grapefruit, Honey and Lavender Cupcakes

My 19 month old son is crazy about grapefruit, Rio Star Grapefruit to be exact. Rio Star Grapefruit is a beautifully blushed grapefruit with a brilliant red interior. This South Texas grown fruit is sweet and juicy-and who can blame him, how could he not love it!

I wanted to make something special from the juice I've accumulated in the past week (I've been a segmenting fool around here!). So, I thought I'd make a GO TEXAN cupcake.

The GO TEXAN program promotes products, cultures and communities of Texas. You can easily recognize a GO TEXAN brand mark, and it is exactly what I said-a brand mark-in the shape of Texas. The program persuades the millions of Texans to buy, dine, travel and support the state's farmers, artisans and small business owners. If you've ever met a Texan, you'll know that their loyalty to the state is the reason why GO TEXAN has been so successful.

Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit & Lavender Cupcakes showcase some of Texas' best. Sweet Ruby Star Grapefruit perfumed with flecks of hill country lavender and sweetened with Lone Star Honey is absolutely delectable. The cake is somewhat dense and not too sweet, which compliments the icing's light, airy texture and sweet, subtle grapefruit flavor.
Grapefruit, Honey & Lavender Cupcakes
courtesy of the National Honey Board
yield: 12-14 regular size cupcakes

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and honey until fluffy. Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the back of a spoon, crush lavender flowers and combine with flour mixture, mix well and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine grapefruit juice and buttermilk; set aside.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
3. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix on low until combined. Slowly add the grapefruit mixture, mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost with Pink Grapefruit
Buttercream Frosting

Pink Grapefruit Buttercream Frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 -2 drops of red food coloring, optional
1. In a mixing bow, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add grapefruit juice and honey; mix well. Add confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add dye if a darker pink is desired.

Buttermilk Poundcake

Buttermilk Poundcake with Strawberry Gelato & Whipped Cream

Well, well, I'm back! BftB had to take a little break because of technological difficulties. My keyboard died-so I could visit everyone's blog through clicking the mouse into my computer's history, but I could not comment, log in or update my blog for that matter! So yeah, new keyboard is up a running (obviously).

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday. I hosted Easter Brunch at my house this year. It was the first time for me to host it and it went very well. Take a look at what was on our menu:

-Coca Cola Glazed Ham
-Slow Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Parmesan
-Roasted Asparagus
-Creme Brulee French Toast
-Ham & Gruyere in Puff Pastry
-Buttermilk Biscuits
-Buttermilk Poundcake with accompaniments*
*Accompaniments: Homemade Strawberry Gelato, Lemon-Lime Curd, Fresh Whipped Cream
-Bellinis, OJ & Coffee

Spring is definitely here in the Hill Country. The Texas wildflowers are peaking out of the grounds and fields are deep blue with waves of bluebonnets blowing in the breeze. Bluebonnets are the State Flower of Texas (if you live elsewhere, you probably call them Lupine.) They are the epitome of springtime in Texas and a time honored tradition. Very southern and full of tradition much like this southern classic-Buttermilk Poundcake.
This poundcake is flavorful and moist and a new household favorite. Poundcake is extremely versatile. Top it with ice cream, lemon curd, whipped cream or a drizzling of chocolate sauce-you can definitely find a way for it to please any palate. Oh! I forgot...or just eat a slice plain jane and enjoy the simplicity of it flavor.

Buttermilk Poundcake
yield: 16-20 servings

• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups of flour
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/8 t. salt
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• Confectioners Sugar, for dusting

1. In a bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat well.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake at 325° F for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar if desired.