Martha Stewart's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

I recently bought Martha Stewart's Cookies Cookbook and I am very glad that I did.


I love cookies, especially as a treat for lunch boxes. I especially love sugar cookies-- you know, the ones that you roll and cut and decorate with frosting. But they take a lot of work, and I save that for the holidays.

There are many recipes in the cookbook that I plan to make, but this is the first one. I liked the idea of adding lemon zest and juice, and the recipe looked very simple, so I got started making these. A note about my philosophy on baking:

I would rather eat a smaller portion of baked goods made with real butter, than trying to save a few calories using margarine and/or Splenda. I don't like the results of using either of these ingredients. If I'm going to eat a dessert, I want the real deal! I simply make a choice not to eat too much at one time. As far as baking for diabetics-- my son has Type I diabetes so I have invested a lot of time taking nutrition classes. Using "fake" sugar, in my opinion (as learned by diabetes experts I know) isn't the answer. Truly, diabetics need to watch their carbs. My son can eat sweets (in moderation, of course) as long as he counts his carbs, exercises and takes the right amount of insulin to compensate for it. I only wanted to share this information, because I read countless people asking how to adjust baked goods for a diabetic. It is "old school" to try and eliminate sugar. It's about carbs! Most importantly-- find a nutritionist who is very familiar with diabetes and follow their advice.

Sorry-- end of soap box.

Back to the cookie recipe... and on the subject of sugar... I was especially glad that I have a bag of sparkling white sugar, that the recipe calls for.

I bought mine at King Arthur Flour, along with a few other fun kitchen goodies that I will be playing with in the next few weeks. If you don't have this product, you can use granulated sugar.

The dry ingredients are simple-- flour, baking soda, and kosher salt are sifted. In a mixing bowl, white and brown sugar and lemon zest.

Before I bake, I always bring the butter (and I prefer to use unsalted butter) and eggs to room temperature. TIP: you can also submerge the eggs in very warm water, as a short cut. Using my faithful Kitchen Aid Stand mixer, I mixed the sugars and the fresh lemon zest and then I creamed the butter until fluffy.
Next, the eggs are added one at a time, the lemon juice and then the dry ingredients are added a little at a time.

This is my newest Kitchen Aid gadget-- a beater blade, recommended by Dorie Greenspan a few months ago, on her blogsite. What I like about this beater blade design is that it really scrapes the batter off the sides of the bowl a lot more efficiently. I bought mine through Amazon.com.

The recipe says that it yields 18 large cookies. I used an ice cream scoop for the first batch..

Wow! Godzilla Cookies!

However, I decided I wanted smaller cookies or I'd have to buy a bigger lunch box! I switched over to my smaller scoop size.
TIP: I used a silicone spatula and wet it with water, so that the dough wouldn't stick. That also made flattening the cookies easier, and then I sprinkled the sugar on top. Otherwise, the recipe says to brush each cookie with water to make additional sugar stick.

After 15 minutes of cooling, I gave one a taste. Oh! A little crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle-- the sparkling sugar adds an extra crunch. The cookies aren't super sweet, with a very subtle taste of lemon-- but the lemon isn't overpowering at all. Yep, these are delicious!

I think it would be a fun twist to make this recipe with almond extract (another personal favorite of mine) and even some ground almonds.

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. These lasted two days, so we wouldn't know!

As always, the recipe is at the bottom of this page. If you are receiving my blog, via Feed Burner, you will need to visit my blog to see and print the recipe.

I'm so glad that it's the weekend and I can catch up on what the rest of you have been making!

Tomato Bounty, a little garden work and a visitor. Eeeeeeeeeek!

Late this morning, I decided to spend a little time attending the bounty of ripe tomatoes, and the herbs in our backyard. I have to give my husband a lot of kudos, because he is the one with the green thumb who planted all of this in spring. He's the one who tended to the tomatoes by feeding them, and managing the tomato cages-- and pinching the suckers off. Thanks, Sweetie!

Here are the tomato plants in late March...

Here they are in late summer!

Craig and I mutually agree that we need to stick to container gardening. We have too many ground squirrels and gophers, who (the first year we lived here) massacred the garden Craig created on top of our hill-- including a drip irrigation system.

The earth is too clay-ish and would take a lot of work and money to try growing vegetables on top of the hill again. At one time, Craig managed to have 200 heirloom tomatoes, that were growing beautifully. Those darn rodents chewed up and destroyed most of our tomato crop. We were so frustrated, and we tried everything we could think of-- to no avail.

These two little scaredy cats (littermates Camo and Tiger Lilly) are in their prime years (12 years old) and have quit being useful hunters of rodents. They just watch me from the safety of the back door, and are pampered and spoiled rotten by us.


I picked a lot of tomatoes, and I made something that I'll blog about later in the week.

Craig has lovingly fed and nurtured our two container lemon trees-- one is a Eureka and the other is a Meyer Lemon Tree. That !#$#$ Meyer lemon tree has not coughed up one ripe lemon in three years!


Ha! there are a LOT of blossoms and small green Meyer lemons. Could this be the year of bounty? Please? I love Meyer lemons!

It won't be long until these orange bell peppers are ready for something tasty!


Do you see my lovely chives? These have done so well for me this year (and I take credit for watering these, faithfully). I had to pull out a lot of dried chives I fell behind in trimming. I use chives in so many recipes...

I love baked potatoes with butter, sour cream (in moderation, of course) and fresh chives. Yummy!

See my garden cart (actually this used to be my horse's manure cart when my horse lived nearby and I had stall cleaning duty) full of dried curly parsley, dead cilantro and old chives? It kind of felt like giving the chive plants a haircut-- and it does look a whole lot better!

Well, folks... later this afternoon, my husband grabbed my camera and I saw him photographing the garden cart full of what I had trimmed away.

I just uploaded my photos to edit and look what he photographed!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! A black widow spider!

There's that unmistakable hour glass. While deaths from black widows are very rare, I hear they can cause a very nasty bite. Either way, I don't want to test either theory!

Look again, at the photo I took of my garden cart! See it in the left corner? How did I miss that?!

I'm not afraid of mice and most spiders. But I would have definitely squealed in fear and run away fast!

I think I feel safer with a chef's knife and a hot stove than I do digging around where these critters dwell.

My husband-- my hero.

It's back to work tomorrow, so I'll blog when I can. I didn't bake this weekend. Let's just say that my tomato project turned out to be a lot more labor intensive than I banked on.

Wishing all of you a great week,

Little Miss Muffet, who is not sitting on her tuffet
aka:

Quick Fix Dinner - Squash Gratin, plus Julie & Julia

Last week, I posted a meal I made for dinner guests: Parmesan Chicken with Provencal Tomatoes, by Ina Garten. I had several pieces of uncooked chicken breast and extra seasoned breadcrumbs that I didn't want to go to waste. Our fridge also has several pieces of various cheeses, so I decided to use the breadcrumbs to make a simple zucchini and yellow squash gratin.

In a bowl, I sliced the two smallish zucchinis and one yellow squash. I found half a red onion, so I sliced that and tossed it in. I make my own Italian style seasoning, from dried herbs-- basil, oregano, thyme, and a little marjoram so I added about a tablespoon of that-- a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

I found a little bit of the leftover Mascarpone substitute that I made the week before. I debated adding it, and then I decided to go for it. I think I added about 1/4 cup. I had a leftover piece of Gruyere cheese, so I grated that on top of the vegetables before adding the seasoned panko crumbs.

Remembering that the original breadcrumb recipe turned out to be too dry, I drizzled a little bit of olive oil to bind the panko crumbs a bit more. Into a buttered gratin dish, I layered the squash and then covered the vegetables with the leftover breadcrumbs. Perfect! I sprinkled the last of the Gruyere cheese on top and set the timer for 20 minutes.

While the vegetables were baking at 350F , I quickly dredged the leftover chicken breasts in seasoned flour and seared them in a little olive oil and unsalted butter for a few minutes. After removing them, and covering in foil, I set them aside. Next, I cooked cremini mushrooms in the same pan I had cooked the chicken in-- then I added some minced garlic, white wine and some chicken stock. I returned the chicken, and the juices, to the pan and let that simmer lightly.

I made my "no fail" garlic mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, which takes about 20 minutes as well. I had started the potatoes cooking before I started assembling the gratin. The gratin smelled heavenly while it was in the oven. It looked pretty nice when it was finished, if I do say so myself!

From start to finish-- 30 minutes. Not a bad way to use up leftovers at all. I will definitely make this gratin again. I don't think I need to print a recipe-- it's pretty simple, don't you think?

I adore and appreciate my husband! Not only is he willing to have lunch with me at a tea room-- he willingly came to see the movie, Julie & Julia with me, this afternoon. Meryl Streep is Julia Child! She is brilliant, funny and we totally enjoyed the movie. I think Craig could relate to Julie Powell and her world of food blogging. I was surprised at how long the movie was, but we both enjoyed it a lot.

I did visit "The Julie/Julia Project" blog, when I returned home. Yikes! She definitely uses her share of profanity! Still, I found her style of writing interesting. I admire her for cooking that many recipe in one year. I don't think I could be that dedicated!

The movie makes me want to revisit Julia Child's TV shows. If you haven't seen the movie, I think it's worth the price of admission. But, don't go hungry. I walked out craving her Boeuf Bourguignon. Has anyone made it? To see movie previews, and an interview with Meryl Streep, click here:

The Next Food Network Star? And... Potato & Bacon Fritatta

Before I share this inexpensive and easy work night dinner I made, I wanted to share with all of you something really sweet that recently happened to me.

Yesterday, during my lunch hour, I drove to my favorite clothing store. They were having a sale I couldn't resist and I always find something that I like. I was chatting with a sales woman, and I kept noticing a woman with a very friendly smile who kept looking at me. At first, I thought it was my fresh hair cut (short and sassy), but then... she finally walked up to me and asked if I have a food blog!

Paula Deen, Ina Garten, Rachel Ray-- eat your heart out! I was tickled pink that a total stranger recognized my photo on my humble little food blog!

It didn't take long for me to narrow down that a mutual friend of ours sent my blog link to this lovely woman. I jokingly asked if she wanted my autograph-- I think, for a moment, she thought I was serious. Monterey, California is a small town, indeed. Still, our interaction made me smile for a long while... and, darn it, I forgot her name! Psssssssssst, if you're reading this, would you email me privately and remind me?

Speaking of Food Network celebs-- and this is my segway for mentioning Food Network's newest star, Melissa d'Arabian.
I admit that I did "Tivo" this season's competition and that I watched most of the episodes in fast forward. I had a feeling that Melissa would win, because she is so "relatable" to home cooks (that would be me) who want to learn how to make meals that are budget conscious but have a touch of "gourmet" to them. Melissa shares useful tips so that viewers shouldn't feel intimidated about making her recipes. I thought Melissa had promising talent and she sure seemed to impress the judges with her pastry skills. I do question Food Network's wisdom in naming her show "Ten Dollar Dinners". I'm curious to see how she can pull off meals for under $10.00 that are nutritious and healthy...and don't come in a can or package mix like that other show...you know, the Semi-Homemade one with the gaudy tablescapes...

Her pilot show featured a recipe for a Potato-Bacon Torte. This recipe certainly isn't low in calories, but might be worth a try on a cold and rainy day.While Melissa seemed very nervous (and I winced at her digs about her mother-in-law), I think she did a pretty good job in showing how to make a butter based pie crust. I made a mental note to try this recipe, or at least just the crust... someday...

Lo and behold, I had another busy day at the office right after watching this show. I had not prepared a meal plan (which I usually try to do) and I didn't have time to shop. So, I thought of Melissa's recipe and I improvised a fast meal loosely based on her recipe.

Forgive me, but I didn't take a lot of photos and I really don't have a recipe to share. (Truthfully, I wanted to post something, because I miss having free time to post more often.) Anyway, here I go...

(Pretend I have photographed my mis en place. Thank you.)

I had russet potatoes, onion, bacon and eggs in the fridge. It was already 6:30pm and I was starved (having just finished 30 minutes of after work swimming).

Using a technique from Cook's Illustrated, I peeled 1 large russet potato and sliced it fairly thin with a mandoline. I microwaved the potatoes for about 5 minutes and then set them aside.

(Visualize a glass bowl with potatoes and plastic wrap on top. You're doing great...)

In the meantime, I chopped and cooked the bacon in a cast iron skillet and then minced one small yellow onion. I pushed the bacon aside, in the skillet, and proceeded to caramelized the onion until lightly brown (about 5 minutes or so). Using a slotted spoon I removed the bacon and onion and left just a small amount of bacon fat in the skillet.

The potatoes were layered, seasoned with kosher salt and pepper and then I spread the bacon and onion. I almost added sun-dried tomatoes, but my son doesn't like them.

I found a leftover wedge of Cotswold Cheddar cheese with chives and grated that on top. Gruyere would work really well, too.

NOTE: I wish I had thought to pick a bell pepper from my backyard. I think it would have kicked up the flavors.

I whisked 6 eggs with a little milk and poured this on top and let this cook on a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes...

Then, under the broiler until lightly golden brown and until the eggs seemed set. Set that aside for a few minutes. I decided to put a dollops of low-fat sour cream on top (what the heck...)

It was quick and filling, and very inexpensive. My boys hungrily polished it off. My son raved about it being one of the best things I ever made. Men! Give them bacon and the smell of caramelized onions and they're happy...

Hmmmm... could I be the next Food Network Star?

Not in your life! I could never make it past the first challenge. It's brutal! I admire any contestant who is willing to have their food criticized by Chef Royalty on national television. As long as my family is happy with what I serve them, I feel like a Home Cook Star. That's all that matters to me.

What do you think of Melissa d'Arabian? Who's your favorite celebrity chef?

PS: I'm going to do some serious cooking and baking this weekend. I have way too many tomatoes to eat, so I see tomato basil soup on my food plan! I promise to have my camera ready and I hope I post some new recipes that you will enjoy. It's such fun being a food blogger!

Tomato and Basil Pesto Pasta

Finally! I'm readjusting from my summer vacation, and I'm rediscovering a balance between work and cooking most every night. I'm thinking more of fast and easy work night dinners, and waiting until weekends to experiment with new recipes. If you've been following my blog for a while (and I thank you for that), you've probably figured out that my idea of fast food involves fresh ingredients, no processed food nor canned soups nor fast food chain dinners. Pasta will always been my "go to" when I want to make something fast and fresh.

Our backyard is brimming with juicy, ripe, red tomatoes. Lots of them! One of my personal favorites are the Sweet 100's that have reached their peak of ripeness. They are so sweet, that I enjoy popping them in my mouth like candy.

No kidding! I am already sad, thinking that these will be completely gone within a couple of weeks.

My basil plants are also slowing down in growing new leaves, and I think that's another tell-tale sign that fall is coming. The basil plants are in containers (we have a bad gopher problem), so I decided to trim the plants to make pesto. I wish I had photographed these steps, but making the pesto was a total whim. You see, I had planned to pick a few basil leaves to make Margherita Pasta-- based on my absolute favorite pizza, which is Margherita Pizza-- a beautiful crust, olive oil or pesto, sliced Roma tomatoes, mozarella and fresh basil. Oh, yeah!

I wanted a super fast dinner, so I cooked a package of penne pasta. In a skillet, I heated olive oil and slowly heated these beautiful freshly picked tomatoes:

My original plan was to add fresh chopped garlic, the penne and some fresh mozarella. But then... I decided to quickly made my own pesto. Pesto is so easy to make, if you have a food processor. I made a classic pesto with fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, salt & pepper, freshly ground parmesan and fresh garlic cloves (the recipe is at the bottom). I like to freeze my pesto in an ice cube tray, then store it in a ziploc bag in the freezer. That way, I have it ready to go for a quick pasta sauce-- so that's exactly what I did...

This dinner took 15 minutes to make--

... and it was so delicious!

Do you see the melted mozzarella? I even found a quarter loaf of Pioneer Woman's Cheesy Garlic Bread that I warmed up in the oven. I ate only one piece, and my tall and lithe son happily polished off the rest of the bread. That really is a great recipe from Ree (The Pioneer Woman Cooks).

Ahhhhhh, fast food! My way!

This weekend, I'm baking. It's been too long since I've posted a recipe for something from my oven. Coming soon!