As I opened the window to write this, I realized that we truly are entering the dark days of winter. It’s nearly 7 a.m. and the sun has yet to light up the night sky, let alone peak above the treeline. I was spoiled (or perhaps not so) by the summer when the sun was bright in the sky before 6 a.m. … of course, Will and I slept less then too.

I joined the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge maybe two weeks ago, but got around to cooking my first two meals this weekend. Playing catch-up, you know? It wasn’t so bad actually, and I found that if I keep it simple, it’s easier.

For my first meal, prepare yourself … it was a little odd. I started out by making a steak, tomato and cheddar quesadilla. The tortilla was made by a local store that is committed to local ingredients (they even have their own dairy) – Stew Leonards. The tomato was from my mother’s garden. The cheddar came from Cabot — a co-op of cheese producing farms in Vermont. The meat was not local. I had some extra slices of tomato, so I whipped out some fresh mozzarella (made by Stew Leonards. It’s very cool to watch them make it.) and layered the two with some Massachusetts basil. I drizzled that with my non-local imported olive oil and sea salt. Yes, I know that quesadillas and tomato caprese salads generally do not go together, but it all tasted good!

For my second meal, I did a quick breakfast before we headed off to my stepson’s football game on Sunday (don’t get my started on why I am not that fond of 8 year olds playing football with that level of competition …). I whipped up some scrambled eggs for Will and Shawn (Connecticut eggs, I might add) and an over-easy egg for me. That was paired with some Massachusetts Chicken and Apple sausage from Al Fresco (yummy) and some Vermont bread toast with non-local butter. Not bad for a breakfast on the fly … and I managed to do a decent job of cooking it all, despite my challenges with breakfast.

You might have noticed the little button in my sidebar for the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge. The challenge, which I joined earlier last week, is to cook one meal a week using 90 percent local ingredients. Local is defined by a 200 mile radius.

I’ve had my eye on the chocolate chip coffee cake that Madeline wrote about a few weeks back. It sounded so good. And although I HATE sour cream with a passion, I decided to give it a try on Sunday. The few recipes that have caught my eye on Everything Rachael Ray have been really good, so I figured this would be a cinch for a yummy hot Sunday breakfast.

The morning started out as okay as can be — I got up, let the dogs out, got Will up and set out to make breakfast. Everything was going fine. I softened the butter, creamed it with the sugar and set about to mix in the eggs.

Note to Self #1: DO NOT TRY TO CARRY TWO EGGS IN ONE HAND WHILE PREGNANT.

Clumsy me (and yes, I am BLAMING it on being pregnant) dropped one of the eggs, spilling some juices into the fridge and the rest onto my kitchen floor. AWESOME. But it cleaned up quickly and I went about cooking.

Note to Self #2: DO NOT TRY TO ADD AN EGG TO THE MIXER WHILE IT’S ON, WHILE PREGNANT.

It must have been clumsy me adding the first egg to the mixer because I slipped and dropped the shell in while it was whirling — crunch, crunch, crunch.

Back to the old drawing board. I considered giving up at this point, but I was completely unwilling to let some coffee cake outwit me. So I forged on, started over, learned from my mistakes and got the darn thing in the oven.

This better be good.

About five minutes into cooking, I realized that I forgot an ingredient — baking soda. Fortunately it also has baking powder so I just hoped for the best. The cooking time was 30-35 minutes, at 32 minutes I checked it — not done. I set the timer for another 4 minutes. Still not done. I set it for another 12 minutes, since it was REALLY not cooked yet.

Why won’t this darned thing cook?

All I could remind myself was that at least it smells good (and if I can ever EAT it, I bet it will taste good too). When the timer went off, I had high hopes . . . and it was much further along. Just not done yet. Another four minutes.

This thing better be done now.

Finally, the knife (cake tester) came out clean. I didn’t even wait more than a minute before slicing it up and calling everyone to eat. Tasty? Yes. Worth making it again? Yes. I just wish I knew why this took me close to an hour to cook . . .

You can check out the recipe here. If you try it, let me know how long it takes you to cook it.

The few notes I have are:

• try substituting the 1/4 cup of sugar for 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the topping (and maybe adding a tbsp or two of flour).
• try using dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet
• don’t expect the timer to tell you when the coffee cake is done

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Chocolate is high in antioxidants, making this a great post for Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-a-Day Tuesdays.

There are some moments in life that hit us by surprise. Sometimes those moments are as much a surprise to be a surprise too. Things will be going along all normal and then BOOM! everything changes.

Okay, I am being a bit melodramatic. But this is serious.

For as long as my husband and I dated and for as long as we have been married, there has been one constant in our lives: our gigantic roll of professional cling wrap. It has wrapped itself around all-protein dinners during our Atkins phase and covered leftovers from dinner parties and holidays. It has traveled with us as we took cakes, cookies and other goodies to others. And, it even moved with my husband from his old condo to our marital house. It’s been sturdy and durable and super sticky. It’s like a part of the family . . . if that part of the family was an inanimate object that’s sole purpose was to keep things covered.

Well, last night, that trusty roll of wrap unrolled for the last time. After more than six years, we have run out of wrap. It’s like a chapter of our lives has just been closed.

Okay, stop laughing.

Seriously though, I don’t know a thing about the plastic wraps on the market. My Costco membership has lapsed, so I can’t run right out and buy another roll of this. So what now? What kind of plastic wrap is good? Help! I haven’t a clue what to buy.

Silly? Yes. Serious? Yes. HELP!

Happy birthday, Weekend Herb Blogging! Weekend Herb Blogging is celebrating its second birthday this weekend. Creator Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen has challenged bloggers to incorporate an herb and a veggie into a dish for this weekend’s roundup. I have to admit, mine doesn’t quite fit the bill though, since tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable. Nonetheless, this was yummy enough to send anyway.

Growing season here in the Northeast is on its final legs. Pretty soon, we’ll be fending off frost warnings and storm watches. Eeek. But I am an enjoy it while you can sort of girl, so I am. My parents still have a few deliciously ripe tomatoes on their vines, so I am using them as fast as I can get them. I wouldn’t want to let those bright orbs of sweet goodness go to waste!

(Coincidentally, tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is known to help ward off cancer. Cooked tomatoes are the best source of lycopene.)

This pasta is a quick but hearty meal. I suggest using Barilla pasta, because its my favorite, but you can substitute another brand if you prefer. You’ll need 4 servings of cooked pasta when all is said and done. If you wanted to make this appropriate for a low-carb lifestyle, omit the sugar and stir in a bay leaf with the oregano. Remove before serving.

In checking out some sites across the blogosphere today, I was inspired. Yes, INSPIRED.

Traveler’s Lunchbox had a great pictorial this week on creating homemade vanilla extract and suggested it would make a good holiday gift. Did I run right out to Williams-Sonoma and pay an arm and a leg for some vanilla beans? NO! I ordered them from eBay.

Now, I just need to find a jar to brew the stuff in and I am all set … until bottling time in December, that is.

Considering that one of the most frequent hits to this blog early on was “Bella Cucina,” I know there is a company by that name out there. But I had never run across their store or wares … until now. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what they sold.

But then a close friend gave me the most thoughtful of birthday gifts recently(no, my birthday wasn’t recent, but we don’t get to see each other as much as we like): specialty salts from Bella Cucina.

She gave me three varieties: Wild Oregano and Sage, Citrus and Fennel, and Rosemary and Lavender. My husband and I almost immediately broke open the Wild Oregano and Sage and rubbed it on a steak we were making. Mmmm, was it good. I cannot wait to sample the other flavors (and have been playing with ways to incorporate these Bella Cucina Aromatic Savory Salts into recipes). There is also a new Tuscan Rose and Pink Peppercorn variety on the Bella Cucina site that looks yummy.

I think this Cucina Bella blogger may have been instantly turned into a Bella Cucina junkie – lol.

So anyway, if you are here looking for Bella Cucina, you have come to the wrong place. But do stick around and check out my recipes, writing and food facts. Click one of the salt links above to go to the Bella Cucina website.

Oh, and I just had to show off these adorable little bowls she gave me. I have all sorts of ideas for how to use them (mixing herbs and rubs, dipping bowls, mini ice cream bowls, etc).

Thanks, Rhian! I love this stuff!!!

Apples, apples, apples. My apple supply from my recent picking binge is finally dwindling. PHEW! I am hoping to get a bit more out of it this week and then all the apple cooking in my house will be over for the winter.

Ever wonder what apples are good for specific purposes? Here’s a primer:

Sauces (like applesauce):

• Braeburn
• Cortland
• Empire
• Granny Smith
• Gravenstein
• Greening
• Ida Red
• Jersey Rose
• Jonagold
• Jonathan
• Rome Beauty
• Staymen

Pie:

• Cortland
• Gravenstein
• Greening
• Ida Red
• Jonagold
• Macoun
• Melrose
• Matsu
• Paula Red
• Rome Beauty
• Staymen

Other Baking:

• Cortland
• Granny Smith
• Greening
• Ida Red
• Jonagold
• Niagara
• Rome Beauty
• Wine Sap

Juice/Cider:

• Granny Smith
• Gala
• Gravenstein
• Jonathan

As I have mentioned before, apples are also very good for you. They have good amounts of vitamin C and calcium . . . so it certainly doesn’t hurt to munch on one unadulterated onces in a while.

These apples are good for eating:

• Braeburn
• Burgundy
• Cortland
• Empire
• Gala
• Ida Red
• Jonagold
• Macoun
• Macintosh
• Matsu
• Niagara
• Paula Red
• Red Delicious

There are many more varieties than this, of course, so these aren’t all-inclusive lists.

For this pie, I used a mix of Ida Red, Jonagold, and Staymen (with perhaps an Empire or two thrown in). I like to mix up the flavors when I am baking and tend to prefer a higher sweet to tart ratio. But that’s just me.

I have to admit, although this is my recipe, I was a bit surprised that I called for eight cups of sliced apples for one pie. It certainly sounds like a lot. But, fortunately, when I doubled the recipe and made two pies, it was the perfect amount. Just FYI – be sure to use a deep dish pie crust like Oronoque Orchards.

1 good quality pie crust (I like Oronoque Orchards)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
8 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 tbsp vanilla

Crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup firm butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in apples.

Pour apple combination into the pie crust, making them slightly higher in the center than on the sides. Sprinkle vanilla over the top of the pie.

Place pie in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar for the crumb topping. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly.

Remove pie from the oven and sprinkle crumb topping over the apples. Place pie back in the oven and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm…with vanilla bean ice cream.
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This in-season post is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. WHB is turning 2! this month and Kalyn is celebrating. This week’s WHB is being hosted by Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Check Haalo’s site tomorrow for a roundup of great recipes.

Okay, I am not one to promote products on here. Really, it’s not my thing. But sometimes when enough good things fall into your lap, you have to talk about it.

I’ve been fortunately lately to be invited to join three BzzAgent campaigns — Listerine White Strips (try ‘em, they work), TV Guide (wow, that’s different from how I remember it as a kid, and Barilla Pasta. I’ve been a BzzAgent for about a year and a half now and these are my favorite campaigns yet. Why? Because I need whiter teeth, love the features in the new TV Guide and totally adore Barilla pasta.

Well, anyway, my Barilla BzzKit (aka free stuff) came today — two packages of Barilla Tortellini, five coupons for free tortellini, a pot holder, and some other stuff. It couldn’t have come at a better moment.

See, I worked from home today on a few projects and ran to pick up Will at 5 p.m., thinking we’d meet my husband for dinner. Unfortunately, he had no one to cover for him at work.

Plan #2 was to do the absolute worst thing in the world and drive thru Taco Bell (craving Mexican, but I am lacking the energy to get the real stuff). Unfortunately, traffic had other ideas. So, we headed home, thinking we would drop by my cousin’s farm and grab some fresh veggies to make. No such luck. By the time we drove the relatively short distance (in standstill traffic), the farm was closed.

Thank goodness for my Barilla Tortellini. I quickly cooked up a package and then mixed it with a little Parmesan (fresh grated) and Trader Giotto’s Bruschetta from Trader Joe’s. Oh, and I steamed some broccoli too. Instant dinner. What a relief.

And coincidentally, one of the things I love about Barilla is that there aren’t any unrecognizable ingredients in it. I can read, pronounce and pretty much know what everything is. Not bad for a shelf stable tortellini, eh?

1 small package Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini
1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Bruschetta (or bruschetta of your choice)
3 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated

Bring a pot of water to boiling and stir in the tortellini. Cook for 10 minutes and drain. Stir together with bruschetta and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Couldn’t be easier.

I made two apple cakes last night and totally forgot to take a picture, with the exception of this one. These are the cake remnants (didn’t grease the pan well enough … oops) and ice cream. Mmmm. So good. And the scent that it fills the house with? Pure heaven.

Fall has descended on us here in the northeast. One minute we were lamenting our summer-like days and the next we were digging through closets for sweaters. It’s such a relief to not have the hum of air conditioners be the soundtrack for my life anymore. In fact, with any luck, the air conditioners will have been removed and stored for the winter by the time I get home from work today (thank you Shawn!).

Meanwhile, I think I bought WAY more apples than I thought I did. I have made a batch of applesauce that’s canned and stored until we want it. Another batch, that has just a touch of honey and cinnamon was made last night for enjoying this week. I’ve also made two apple cakes — one is already in the freezer, awaiting its trip to the FoodSaver. And my countertop still overflows with apples. Tonight I will whip up two apple pies – one to eat and one to store. And I think Shawn might transform some of the apples into fresh apple juice today. Mmmm. But I am not sure that will even put a dent in the pounds and pounds and pounds of apples that I lugged back from the orchard this weekend.

So what else should I do with these apples? Suggestions please!

Did you know that the old adage “An apple a day will keep the doctor away,” isn’t just a saying? Apples are low in calories but contain good amounts of calcium and vitamin C – be sure to eat the skin though, as that’s were most of the nutrition lies.

Anyway, apple cake. This recipe is a cinch to double (just use two cake pans and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until cake tester — you know, a toothpick or a knife — comes out clean). A note on the batter: it’s going to be thick so you’ll probably have to spoon it into the pan(s). And be sure to grease well.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups sliced and peeled apples

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8″ round cake pan.

Stir together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add egg and continue to beat. Slowly mix in dry ingrediant mix, followed by vanilla. Finally, stir in apple slices.

Pour into greased cake pan and level gently. Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cake from pan and cool on a rack

TO SERVE: drizzle with caramel or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.