Category Archives: Entertaining

Bourbon Pear Cider

Posted on December 15, 2013 | 2 comments

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Last night we put our tree up and Papa Bird offered me a cocktail. I was wanting something warm and cozy. This hot cocktail with spiced pear cider and Bourbon was the perfect boozy treat for decorating a Christmas tree (or for just sitting there admiring one.)

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Bourbon Pear Cider Recipe
(Makes one drink)

1 cup of spiced pear cider
1 shot of Bourbon (or to taste)

Heat cider and Bourbon until hot. Enjoy!

Variations: Add a little vanilla extract, or serve with a cinnamon stick. You can try apple cider with rum or Applejack, but I think nothing is quite so cozy as Bourbon.

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Posted in Entertaining, Food, Seasonal Recipes

Real Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

Posted on November 24, 2013 | 9 comments

Ditch the cans this year! Try this real pumpkin pie made with a sugar pie pumpkin, honey, cream and milk, eggs, fresh ginger, spices and love! I use the word “real” to mean fresh, whole, and unprocessed foods, and without refined sugar. I made this last year for Thanksgiving. It was gone in a few minutes, leaving the store-bought pumpkin pie next to it largely intact. I’ve since made it three or four more times and my family is in love.

Real Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

So, can a pie by a healthy treat? Maybe this one! Pumpkin is low in calories, and high in fiber and disease-fighting vitamins. It is one of the best source of bioavailable carotenoids and is considered by some to be a super food.  I always knew I was onto something when I ate pie for breakfast! My dad used to do it, too.

To can or not to can?

I recently read an article detailing why canned pumpkin makes better pie. I was dubious, which was confirmed when I saw the “news” was sponsored by one of the largest manufacturers of canned pumpkin. Hmmmm…. And I bet anyone who has made pumpkin pie has tried either evaporated or condensed milk. But think about it… Cans are a great way to preserve food for when fresh isn’t available. Do you have access to fresh dairy? I’m guessing yes. I dare you to try this recipe and tell me fresh isn’t more flavorful. Roasting the pumpkin whole and peeling it when cool makes it super easy, as well. I use a blender to make the batter, leaving my mixer free for whipping cream!

Real Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

Real Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Adapted from allrecipes.com. Makes one 9″ pie.

  • 1 medium sugar pie pumpkin (2 cups of cooked pumpkin puree)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup honey, slightly warmed up
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 uncooked single pie crust, kept refrigerated in pan until ready to use

Preheat oven to 375° F. Place pumpkin directly on a center rack. Roast about one hour until the flesh is soft to the touch with an oven mitt. Turn off the oven and allow the pumpkin to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Peel the skin off the pumpkin and separate the flesh from the strings and seeds. Place the flesh in a good blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Next, since pumpkins vary in size, put the puree into a bowl and then measure 2 cups of pumpkin puree and return it to the blender. (No need to wash or rinse the blender in between!) Reserve any extra puree for Pumpkin French Toast Bread Pudding.

Add the spices, eggs, honey, milk and cream to the blender and mix until everything is uniform and smooth. Pour into the pie crust shell. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the center is set. Serve warm or room temperature.

Options for serving:

Use leftover crust to make “cookies” in the shape of leaves. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake them for 10 minutes or until golden. Kids love to help with this!

Decorate with a spicy pepita (pumpkin seed) brittle. See the next post for the brittle recipe.

Serve with maple whipped cream, recipe follows.

For gluten-free friends, pour some of the pumpkin batter into single serving oven-safe custard bowls or ramekins. Bake about 25 minutes until set. Decorate with spicy pepita brittle for some crunch and texture.

Real Pumpkin Pie - gluten free option

Maple Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup

In the clean bowl of a mixer, beat the cream and maple syrup on high until soft peaks form. Keep refrigerated.

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Posted in Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Recipes to Make with the Kids, Seasonal Recipes

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Caramel Torte with Cajeta, Chocolate and Pecans

Posted on August 21, 2013 | 7 comments

As I add photos to this post, I have to get up and grab another slice of the Caramel Torte. It is deceptively simple to make with just four ingredients: cajeta (or another form of caramel), wafers, melted dark chocolate and salted, toasted pecans.

Caramel Torte Recipe with Chocolate and Pecans

I have been making cajeta out of our extra goat’s milk for some time in the form of a syrup. Click here to read more about cajeta and see a recipe with step by step photos and directions. But I have been wanting to experiment with making it thicker, more like candy, and when I stumbled upon torte-sized wafers in a local ethnic store, I thought they would be a perfect vehicle for cajeta. I reduced the cajeta down further than I usually do (from 2 quarts of milk to 2 cups of caramel instead of 3-4 cups of syrup) and added a pinch of salt. It was pretty delicious layered between the wafers, but I had to take the caramel torte to the next level by pouring dark chocolate and sprinkling on toasted, salted pecans on top.

Caramel Wafer Torte Recipe

Caramel Torte Recipe

  • 2 cups of caramel, dulce de leche or cajeta
  • 1 package of torte-sized wafers
  • 3 oz. of dark chocolate
  • 2 handfuls of salted pecans

Step 1:

(If making cajeta. Otherwise, store bought is fine.) Use the recipe and instructions for cajeta. Cook further until dark and thick, or reduced to approximately 2 cups, and stir in a pinch of salt.

Step 2:

Chop the chocolate and melt in a double boiler. Allow to cool. Toast the pecans in a dry pan and allow to cool. (I keep my nuts in the freezer. If yours are room temperature and roasted, you can skip toasting.)

Step 3:

Assembling. Spread the caramel or cajeta on top of a wafer. Continue to alternate layers of caramel and wafers until one or both are used up. Finish with a wafer. Spread the melted chocolate on top. Finally, sprinkle the pecans over the top. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour before cutting and serving.

Caramel Torte Recipe with Chocolate and Pecans

Click on any of the thumbnails in the gallery below to see enlarged, step by step pictures.

I hope you enjoy it and share!

Caramel Torte with Cajeta, Chocolate and Pecans

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Posted in Backyard Goats, Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Home Dairy, Urban Homesteading

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Burrata, Pluot and Mint Appetizer

Posted on July 17, 2013 | 1 comment

We have been celebrating the beginning of tomato season with plenty of caprese salads made with fresh mozzarella and basil. On a whim, I upgraded to an awesome burrata cheese last weekend. Burrata is similar to fresh mozzarella, but extra soft with a creamy center. The cheesemonger recommended pairing it with a firmer fleshed heirloom tomato to have more contrast in texture. Our mint is growing crazy, so I wanted to try something a little new and combined the burrata with mint and some of the amazing summer fruit that is so good right now. I used pluots, but any stone fruit would be good. We all loved this refreshing and creamy treat, and may not go back to traditional capreses! (This would probably be good with grilled peaches or apricots, too.)

burrata appetizer with pluots and mint

Burrata, Pluot and Mint Appetizer Recipe

  • 1 fresh Burrata or (fresh mozzarella)
  • 2 ripe but firm pluots or other stone fruit
  • 1/2 handful of fresh mint
  • good olive oil
  • good balsamic vinegar (I used a pomegranate infused balsamic)
  • salt and pepper

For easier cutting, keep burrata in the refrigerator until the last minute and use a sharp knife. Slice the pluots into thick slices and layer on a serving dish with the burrata. Sprinkle the fresh mint and salt and pepper over the cheese and fruit. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and serve with good bread.


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Posted in Entertaining, Food, Healthy Recipes, Recipes from the Garden, Seasonal Recipes

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Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Pesto

Posted on May 5, 2013 | 1 comment

This red pepper pesto recipe is one that my family requests over and over again. The pesto, once made, can be stored in the fridge (although ours rarely lasts long) and is great for snacking, entertaining, or can pull together a quick dinner.

red pepper pesto recipe

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Recipe

Adapted from the Vitamix Create Recipe Book 

  • 2-3 red bell peppers
  • 1 head of garlic, divided use
  • 3/4 cup (75 g) walnuts
  • 1/2 cup (27 g) sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes
  • 2/3 cup (20 g) fresh basil or 1 oz prepared pesto (previously frozen fine)
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar

red pepper pesto recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Halve and trim red peppers, place skin side down on baking sheet, lined with a silicone mat, or directly on oven rack. (Energy saving tip: try fitting in a toaster oven.) Slice the uppermost portion of the head of garlic off, so that the tops of several cloves are visible. Reserve the top for later use. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper and a few drops of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and add to the oven. After 20 minutes or so, check on peppers. Cook until the skin starts to blister and darken. Immediately place in a covered bowl or sealed bag so the steam helps loosen the skin. (See this post on Spanish Tuna Stuffed Peppers for a photo of this technique.) Cook garlic for 45 minutes or until soft. Once the peppers are cool, peel of the skin, reserving any liquid.

2. Measure out 6 ounces (270 g) of roasted bell peppers.

red pepper pesto recipe

3. Place in a good blender along with a little bit of their liquid, the roasted garlic, the reserved bits of raw garlic, and the rest of the ingredients.

red pepper pesto recipe

4. Blend. For reference, on a variable speed Vitamix, start on variable “1”, slowly increase speed to “3”, and blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency.

red pepper pesto recipe

Serving Suggestions:

This is just amazing on bread and makes a great appetizer for entertaining. For a quick dinner, toss over pasta and shrimp. Add any extra roasted peppers, too! (I might add peas next time for a bit of fresh green.)

red pepper pesto recipe with shrimp

“Semi-Homemade” Time Saving Tips:

I have also made this using roasted, peeled bell peppers in the jar from Trader Joe’s. Instead of roasting the garlic, you can just use 2 cloves of raw garlic. I use frozen, peeled, uncooked red Australian shrimp from Trader Joe’s. I usually have a bag in my freezer.

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Posted in Entertaining, Food, Recipes for the Whole Family, Recipes from the Garden, Step by Step with Pictures

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