Apricot Hippy Cake

Another Hippy recipe from Aunt Faye's personal collection.

Here's what you'll need:

1 - 8" - 9" Springform Pan brushed with my Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.
I wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan with a double layer of heavy duty foil.


6 TBS of softened Butter.
1/2 C Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
1 1/4 C packed plain Bread Crumbs
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
3/4 C Whole Milk
4 Egg Whites
1 can (8 3/4oz.) un peeled Apricot Halves, well drained.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream Butter and Sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in Egg Yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one.

Combine Bread Crumbs and Ginger.
Add Crumbs and Milk alternately to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Pour half of the batter in the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and arrange the Apricot halves evenly over the baked cake.
Spread remaining batter over the Apricots.
Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Hippy Crispy Peanut Butter Chews

Another appropriate Hippy recipe from Aunt Faye's personal recipe collection.
These cookies are simple to make.

Blend 1 C of Peanut Butter with 1 C of Sugar, 1/2 C Evaporated Milk and 4 tsp of Corn Starch, together in a Mixing Bowl.
Use a 1 1/2" cookie scoop and drop 2" apart onto a sheet pan lined with Parchment Paper.
Flatten each cookie with a fork dipped in flour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and cool on a rack for ten minutes.
Transfer the cookies to the rack until completely cooled.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Hippy Apricot Walnut Bread

This is a vintage recipe from the late 50's early 60's in my Aunt Faye's personal collection of recipes.
This is a perfect recipe for The Hippy in the Kitchen Blog.
I used to make this in the early 70's.

Hippy Apricot Walnut Bread:

"One of the best nut breads ever, and very easy to make. The Apricots contribute a bright flavor and interesting texture."

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 9"X 5"X 3" Loaf Pan
Brush well with my Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour) I start with a cup of each and keep it refrigerated for all of my baking needs.

If you don't have access to Bisquick, I've included a recipe for homemade Bisquick.

2 C Bisquick Mix
1 C Quick - Cooking Rolled Oats
3/4 C Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 C diced, dried Apricots
1 C coarsely chopped Walnuts
1 Egg, beaten
1 1/4 C Whole Milk

In a mixing bowl:
Bisquick
Oats
Sugar
Baking Powder
Salt
Mi well.

In a small bowl:
Egg
Milk
Whisk well.
Add to dry ingredients and beat well for at least 30 seconds.

Pour into Loaf Pan and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick tested in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Remove cake by inverting it onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.


Homemade Bisquick Mix:

6 C All Purpose Flour
3 TBS Baking Powder
1 TBS Salt
1 C Crisco (Vegetable Shortening)

Sift Flour, Baking Powder and Salt 3 times into a large mixing bowl.

Cut in the Crisco with a pastry blender until it forms fine crumbs.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Eating Clean

The Hippy in the Kitchen shares some tips to Eating Clean!
Recently I've been on a health kick to change the way I eat and get healthier as I get older. I have a lot left to accomplish in my life. My bucket list goals have not been reached. I was derailed by stress and bad eating habits. That has changed drastically in the past few months. My stress has diminished and I've lost a great deal of weight and am not done losing weight. I've learned so much while on this new journey. Some very important rules that I'm practicing are: Never eat Fats and Carbohydrates in the same meal, Eat  your Carbohydrates for Breakfast and Lunch and Protein for Dinner, Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water every day, Don't eat after 8pm, Eat at least 4 times each day which includes a Protein snack at either 4pm or 7pm. Here are some  additional guidelines that can help to live a clean and healthier life:

Start with water 

You’ve probably heard a lot of people recommending that you start each day with warm water and freshly squeezed lemon juice, but consuming just water is good too. Waking up with water is a great way to start the day, as it wakes your system up in a way and gets things moving around. Lemons contain vitamin C and natural enzymes and they've been associated with boosting tissue regeneration and cleansing the liver.

Choose fruit instead of refined sugar or artificial sweetener

Instead of consuming processed foods with added sugars or artificial sweeteners to satisfy your sweet tooth, you should eat fruit instead. If some of your recipes call for sugars, then you should see if you can substitute fruit juice or puree for the sugar. Removing sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet helps to expand your palate, reduce  headaches or migraines over time, and may even help you drop a few pounds.

 Stay hydrated

Having water by your side throughout the day is an important habit you can develop to accelerate your health and jumpstart your clean eating lifestyle. The human body is composed of 50 - 75 per cent water, so it's paramount to replenish your body with fluids, for proper functioning. Proper hydration also helps the heart circulate blood throughout your body; plus, muscles depend on water to effectively remove waste. Make it a habit to refill a water bottle throughout the day to ensure that you get the recommended 2.2 to 3 liters of water everyday.

Lightly steam your starchy/cruciferous vegetables

The ancient ancestor of modern humans, were anatomically designed specifically to masticate plant matter and hard foods. With its sagittal crest and massive jaw, this species of hominin were able to practically juice all that they consumed, extracting the most nutrition.

However, anatomically modern man has evolved without these features, and we cannot effectively masticate plant foods. So, we either need to chew for hours on end or utilize a technology that made humans what we are today: fire. Steaming (a technique that retains most vitamins and minerals in foods) breaks down their inherent plant fibers and minimizes the amount of time you need to chew your food, thus minimizing your chances for getting intestinal blockage or digestive upset from excess fiber. In turn, you gain optimum nutrient uptake from the food that you consume, especially starchy, cruciferous vegetables.

 Include protein in your diet

Many clean eaters, Vegans and Vegetarians forgo animal products, so it’s important to consider protein intake. You might want to consider introducing raw protein powder into your diet. You will notice an increase in your energy. Plus, You will no longer have insane cravings for carbohydrates. This is completely anecdotal, but many other fellow Vegans and Vegetarians , including Dietitians, all agree that protein is a necessary dietary nutrient. Sprouted grains, beans, nuts, or seed proteins are all prime sources of protein.

Eat the rainbow!

Antioxidants are abundant in highly or diversely pigmented fruits and vegetables. Each day, pick a wide variety of produce to consume, but take into account the colors that are present or absent on your daily produce picks. If you want to get all the antioxidants your body needs to function, eat foods from every color of the rainbow — yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, and more. For yellow, eat lemons or bananas; orange, eat mandarins or bell peppers; green, spinach or peas; blue, blackberries or blue corn; purple, blackberries or beets; and red, apples or pomegranates. Not only will this way of eating diversify your palate, it will also augment the amount of antioxidants and vitamins in your body.

Clean eating doesn’t have to be an ethereal, unreachable ideal that can never be attained or followed. If you follow these guidelines, you can easily ease your way into a clean eating lifestyle to change your taste preferences and detoxify your body.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Healthy vs. Yummy ?

I have the ability to track what everyone is looking at on the blog. I started posting some healthy recipes because I'm on a weight loss program and I know that most bloggers post sweet and carb loaded recipes. They tend to be the most popular. I find it interesting that my readers choose these over the healthy recipes too.
I will continue to post what I refer to as Yummy recipes along with the sensible, healthy ones.
No matter what recipes you decide to make, just remember to Enjoy!, Peace in the Kitchen!

Asparagus Gratin

We grow Asparagus and it's been a good crop this year. We love it prepared so many different ways.
Here's a recipe from my Aunt Faye's collection!

Asparagus Gratin!

Here's what you'll need:
1 - shallow gratin dish sprayed with a vegetable cooking spray.

3 pounds of fresh Asparagus
2 TBS Butter
1 TBS Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 C Heavy Cream
1/2 C grated Swiss Cheese
Toasted Bread Crumbs

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the Asparagus
Cook in boiling water, about 10 minutes.
Drain

In a Saucepan:
Melt Butter.
Stir in Flour.
Cook over low heat until golden.
Remove from heat.
Stir in Salt and Cream.
Return to medium heat
Cook, whisking constantly until it bubbles.
Cook for an additional minute longer.
Add Cheese, stirring until the Cheese melts.

Arrange Asparagus the gratin dish.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the Asparagus.
Bake 15 minutes or until the sauce is golden brown.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs during the last 5 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Buvette's New Cookbook!

I'm a fan of Jodi Williams, the creator and owner of Buvette in New York City. She recently added a Buvette Restaurant in the Pigalle district of Paris. I look forward to visiting it next summer. She just published her first cookbook and I got a copy today. I was first made aware of Jodi when she created steamed eggs using the steamer attachment on an Espresso Machine. It's a brilliant way to make scrambled eggs with no additional fat. They come out creamy and fluffy, just the way I like them. I don't really like over buttered or over cooked Eggs.
I plan on writing about her and posting some of the recipes on the blog.
I like new innovative Chefs that are paving the way into the Food Scene around the world.
Another one of my favorite chefs is Christina Tosi , author of Milk, another creative cookbook. Christina is the Chef / Owner and Founder of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City. If you're not familiar with either of these women, take time to research and find out who they are in the culinary world!


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!