Treats from China!

I've revved up my workouts these last couple weeks and now am barely coherent from the pain... yet strangely addicted to doing interval training and with a new appreciation for both my treadmill and my (newly toned!) biceps. Thought I'd make note of that since I am now hanging on to my sanity by a thread as I write this post...

Dad arrived home safely today after almost two weeks in China for a business trip, and brought many goodies with him! Though he only went to Shanghai and Hangzhou, Mom told him to make sure to bring back some Beijing pastries, and I'm consuming them without an ounce of guilt, though probably worth more than an ounce on the scale.

A whole huge bag of famous beijing pastries! You can't get these anywhere but in Beijing, so my dad had a friend bring him some. He also got a bunch of candy from Shanghai, which is famous for it's treats as well as for it's delicious White Bunny milk candies. He visited many specialty candy stores in search of yummy satisfaction for our family.

More delightful soveneirs...

Cute bracelets made from the same kind of wood they make buddhist prayer beads out of.

And... More Pumpkin! Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

With Thanksgiving so near, I'm feeling bombarded by all these pumpkin recipes. And with pounds of frozen pureed pumpkin in the freezer, what can I do but cave to the peer pressure?
These little muffins are not only delicious but made a great snack for me to bring to my after school activities. Sub applesauce for the vegetable oil and half a cup of flour for a few tablespoons of wheat germ, and it's practically healthy. (Not usually the direction I go with my baking, but it's always nice to cut calories if you're not sacrificing taste.)

RECIPE: (From food.com)

*4 eggs

*2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup)

*1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (yes, 1 1/4 cups)

*3 cups flour

*2 teaspoons baking soda

*2 teaspoons baking powder

*2 teaspoons cinnamon

*1 teaspoon salt

*12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

PREPERATION:
1.) In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.

2.) Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

3.) Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full

4.) Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

Photo of the day #8: Hot soup on a Chilly day

"The weather outside is frightful, but inside, it's so delightful..."

It snowed today! Just a few virgin flakes of melting, icy blankness, but I really am happy about this since it gives me an excuse to pull out all the cold-weather comfort foods that are such familiar old friends.

I came home shivering today to this delicious soup, actually just a really chunky vegetable broth, which satisfied both my immediate need for warmth and my craving for soup.

Even though I'm generally sick of winter after the first two weeks and the pretty frosted ground has turned into two feet of gray, slogging, frozen snow, there are definitely times I appreciate having a warm beverage and relaxing with my family in the warm kitchen while a blizzard is raging outside.
I also feel like I'm getting a bit ahead of myself right now, seeing that it's only November and there's not even any legitament snow on the ground yet, but the holiday season is really starting to get to me.
I predict plenty of pumpkin and Thanksgiving recipes to come!

Pizza!

The beloved food of many, this simple and wonderful dish never fails to please even the pickiest of eaters. Only one person I've ever met has disliked pizza, but she hates tomatoes and hates cheese, so what to do?
(Of course, the most traditional of pizzas, which calls for only herbs and bread, would probably make her a lifelong devotee.) The powers of pizza are many, and is always a great way to get your whole family sitting together at the dinner table.

(before baking)

I used a yeast-free dough recipe, which is great if you don't have time to wait for the dough to rise, and a super simple marinara sauce made from scratch. The crust turned out super crunchy and delicious, and this being the first time EVER I've made marinara sauce (for pizza) from scratch, I was quite proud of myself with the result.
Sadly, I had to omit a key ingredient- basil - because we were out.
There's always next time, I guess!

YEAST FREE PIZZA DOUGH
RECIPE: from cooks.com
*2 cups all purpose flour
*2 tsp. baking powder
*1/2 tsp. salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
*2/3 cup milk
*6 tbsp. olive oil

PREPERATION:
1.) Preheat oven to 425°F.

2.) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well until the dough begins to form a ball and pull away from sides of bowl.

3.) Knead dough by hand, while still in bowl, until smooth; then form a ball.

4.) Press dough into an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan using your fingertips, leaving a thicker edge to hold fillings in.

5.) Sprinkle with favorite toppings (sauce flavored with garlic, basil and oregano, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, anchovies, black olives, onions, peppers, etc.).

6.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges are golden brown.

MARINARA SAUCE RECIPE: from food.com

*1 -2 tablespoon olive oil 

*1 -2 crushed garlic clove 

*16 ounces Italian stewed tomatoes, -pureed if desired (unless you like your sauce chunky, I would r

recommend pureeing it)

*1 tablespoon sugar

*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

*1/2 teaspoon dried basil

PREPERATION:

1.) Add olive oil to hot sauce pan
2.) Add garlic, being careful not to let it burn
3.) Add tomatoes, sugar, oregano, and basil
4.) If desired, add meatballs
5.) Bring sauce to a boil.
6.) Cover and let sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes or until desired thickness. If you added meatballs for pasta, simmer for almost an hour