Another attempt at cool kitchen

Well here is Will with our latest attempt to eat our cake and keep cool.  This chocolate cake was made from scatch and baked in the microwave.  Will wanted icing so I defrosted and used the last of the blue icing I had left over from his birthday cake.  It rose almost a good 2 " .  We were delighted.  Since it was close to dinner, we decided to be good and wait to have it for dessert.

After dinner, I got plates , forks and cake server out and brought on the cake.  I gave the knife to Will to cut this first piece since he had helped me bake it.  He placed the knife carefully in the center and proceeded to slice.... and got nowhere except to a surprised look on his face.

We were rolling on the floor then laughing.  In the hour that cake had sat, it did what a lot of people claim from microwaved baked goods - it got almost as hard as a hockey puck!  Well, I was able to cut us both a slice after we got through wipiing the tears away.  Will got the bright idea to dunk it in his milk.  I just went for it.  "Grandma", it tastes good even though it's hard," Will said.  I just agreed. As he ate the crumbs, he tried to make me feel better.  ""Grandma - I didn't know we were making those hard things Auntie likes.

He meant biscotti - and you know he is right.  It did taste like biscotti, so I cut some up and wrapped in plastic and will go back to square one on the baking cake in a microwave.  PS:  I think I just cooked it too long so we will try again soon - LOL.

Design Wall Monday 8/2

I have to stop this, stop this now.  Here is another block on my design table that will have to be ufo #14.  My ufo 13 needs a big back still, my dresden plate coverlet needs bias and my mod quilt needs finishing the quilt top.  LOL when will I learn to stop starting before the finishing.

Well, anyway this is a smallish wall hanging from connecting threads.  It is 18" square. I have the top done.  I just need to add the applique in the border and quilt it. Hope to get this done this week so I can get back to the others.

Grocery shopping

Well, my husband went to the grocery store again, and saw a huge pile of cauliflower on display again, and you guessed it, he bought another head and a carton of sour cream.  He wants creamy cauliflower again!

Is this an obssession or what?
Well it's so easy I'll indulge him, but he may be eating this batch by hisself - I'll munch on our grape romas myself.

A summer version

My husband likes creamed cauliflower, however the way his Mama made it was in the oven and it's way too hot to turn on the oven to make this side dish.  But he bought a head of cauliflower(he's the grocery shopper now) and some sour cream and brought them home hoping I'd indulge him - I like it too, but not enough to turn on the oven!

So off I go to my cookbook shelf to see if I can find a recipe for cauliflower in the microwave. Eureka!  I found one. Reading it through I realized I could assemble it just as I do for the oven but cook it in the micro for only 6 minutes and I essentially had the same dish.  And here it is:

I didn't tell him it was from the microwave.  And he liked it!  If you'd like to try it, here's the recipe:

Creamed Cauliflower
 1 head of caulflower (medium size) cut up into florets
 1 cup of sour cream ( I used Smart Balance)
 1 egg
 1 Tbs of flour
1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of dill weed
 Bread crumbs

Grease a 9" ceramic/glass pan (something that can go in the microwave) with butter or PAM.  Set aside.

In a 4 quart pan, bring water to boil and toss in the florets, bring the water back to a boil and lower to medium heat and cook the florets for 3 minutes. They will be cooked but still a little crunchy.  Once they have cooked, drain in a colander and set aside.

While the cauliflower is cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.  Add the drained cauliflower to the sauce and fold the florets into the sauce until they are well coated (this was the only change from the oven version - on that one I pour the sour cream mixture on top only).  Actually, I like this new way better.  Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.  Sprinkle some bread crumbs on the top. Set in the microwave and cook at 100% power for 6 minutes  If you don't have a micro that turns, at 3 minutes turn the pan around so it will cook evenly.

Enjoy your cool kitchen!

PS If you're making it in the oven during a cool time outside, preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or when lightly brown.