Mexican Rice

2 cups white rice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

8 chicken bouillon cubes

4 cups liquid – (2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup Chardonnay or equivalent white wine, 1 1/2 cup water)

1/2-1 Cup finely chopped onion

1   tbl  garlic powder

5      Tablespoons thyme and oregano

1      Tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 – 3 tsp of chile power (optional)

In a 2-3 quart pan with a well-fitting lid, brown the onion and rice in the olive oil for about 4 minutes or until it becomes transparent.    Meanwhile, prepare the chicken broth, dissolving 8 bouillon cubes into 2 cups of water. Add the chicken broth to the rice. Add the water and Chardonnay.

You can adjust the proportions of broth, wine, and water to suit your taste as long as the total amount of liquid is 4 cups. Slowly add the liquid to the rice.  For a spicier rice, add the chile power. Add tomato sauce, herbs, pepper, and lemon juice and gently mix.  Cover the rice and cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.  This takes about 20 minutes.

I love frosting. It’s easy to make. There’s very little measuring involved. (Too thin? Add another cup of powdered sugar. Too thick? Add a drip of milk.) Simple cupcakes can look classy and sophisticated with minimal effort.

Two days ago, Mom whipped up (literally) a frosting to put on some cupcakes of her own. The frosting was creamy. It was thick. The cinnamon and and vanilla and almond all blended together to create a rich, soft flavor. It was scrumptious.Take some time this week to celebrate spring with these lovely cupcakes.

Cupcakes

1 box of carrot-cake mix

1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter (1 cube)

4 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine milk, melted butter, and cake mix. Add eggs one a time, beating after each addition. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Beat again. Separate into 18-20 cupcakes, rather than making 24 for large, fluffy cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 16-21 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Frosting

8 cups powdered sugar

1 cup softened butter (2 cubes)

4-6 tbl milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp almond flavoring

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Whip powdered sugar and butter. Add flavoring. Continue whipping. Add enough mik for frosting to reach spreading or piping consistency. Mom used a stiffer frosting in order to pipe it using a Wilton 1 millimeter star tip (large).  Delicately sprinkle with India Tree sparkling sugar.

Even if your schedule is packed, take some time to slow down this weekend. And while you’re at it, enjoy this fabulous ganache recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and is the perfect topping for cheesecake or the first dish of summer ice cream.

Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

2 tbl butter

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Combine whipping cream and butter in a heavy saucepan. Heat until mixture just begins to bubble around the edges. Do not boil the mixture! Pour over chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Stir until chocolate chips are melted and ganache is smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake or ice-cream. Ganache may be stored in the fridge and reheated for up to two days.

On a recent Saturday night, we had dinner with some dear friends at our Michigan home. Mom’s new recipe for Burgundy Mushroom Sauce was a delicious garnish for the steak that we enjoyed. The mushrooms were tender and richly flavored. I’ve never really appreciated mushrooms, but I loved this dish!

Burgundy Mushroom Sauce

2 lbs fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 large minced garlic cloves

1 cup butter

1/4 cup Worchestershire

1 cup Burgundy (or equivalent red wine)

1 cube beef bouillon

1 cube chicken bouillon

1/4 cup cold water

4 tblsp corn starch

In a skillet or saucepan, saute mushrooms and garlic cloves in butter over low heat until tender, at least 1 hour. Mushrooms should be tender. Transfer mixture to 4-quart saucepan. Add burgundy and Worchestershire. Simmer for 4 hours, covered. Check often, adding wine as needed. Simmer 2 hours, uncovered.

Mix 1/4 cup cold water and 4 tblsp corn starch. Combine thoroughly. Add to mushroom sauce to thicken. Sauce is delicious served warm over beef tenderloin.

Do we love great food? Oh yes. But we’re not that weird. Five nights out of seven, most of us would just as soon eat a grilled cheese sandwich as the gourmet meals that Mom prepares. Complete with the fake Kraft cheese. And non-organic ketchup. However, we do fully appreciate Mom’s efforts in the kitchen.

However, sometimes even the best cooks try recipes that really do go awry. One perfect example is presented by what we fondly refer to as “The Chocolate Nightmare Cake”. Her intentions were noble. It was the middle of summer, the sun was beating down, the thermometer was soaring, and bored family members aimlessly wandered the path between the garage and the living room. So Mom decided to make a sumptuous chocolate cake. This wasn’t just a plain sheet cake, either. It was the real deal.

She enhanced two white boxed cakes and created four layers of vanilla richness. Then she created a sinfully delicious milk-chocolate frosting. Emphasis on the milk. It was nothing short of fabulous. The only hitch was that, by the time she was done thickening the frosting with powdered sugar, there was about 3 gallons of the stuff. (Or should I measure that in pounds?) There was a lot. Way too much.

Ignoring that issue for the moment, Mom turned to the task at hand: applying the frosting to the cake. Have I mentioned that the kitchen was hot? The first layer went on as expected. Mom set the second cake layer on and began to frost the top. And then things started to slide downhill. Literally. The second layer started to slide off towards its impending doom.

The gravity of the situation began to dawn upon us. The frosting was melting before our eyes. Mom shoved the bowl into the fridge to chill. A few minutes later, the frosting looked stable. So Mom pulled it out and began to frost the sides. This time she moved fast. And the frosting moved faster. Drip. Drip.

And suddenly, her magnificent tower of chocolate began to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Finally, every inch of the cake was covered in (rapidly liquifying) chocolate frosting. Mom pushed the cake into the fridge, slammed the door shut and reassessed the situation. What were we going to do with the massive amount of extra (melting) chocolate?

What are neighbors for? Mom whipped up another cake mix and slathered excess frosting on it. Then we bore it down the street and delivered with a stern warning: “This is  . . . um . . .  melting. You should probably put it in the fridge. Soon.”

Don’t get me wrong – the cake tasted great. And I’d love to provide you with a recipe so that you could recreate The Chocolate Nightmare for your home. Unfortunately, in the rush of rescuing the cake, Mom neglected to write the recipe down. Sadly, that recipe has disappeared from history forever.

The End.

~Emily

Emily Adams is the oldest daughter of Kathy Adams and a 2007 graduate of  Belhaven College. She is a freelance writer and firmly belives that reality is funnier than fiction.

• Catch up on reading
• Play board games with my children
• Organize my pantry
• Keep up with the wash
• Sew 

In all honesty, I probably could have accomplished the above and blogged. However, I really couldn’t think of anything worthy of penning. So, I thought maybe it was appropriate to use the “time crunch” excuse to  say good-bye to Bona Vita.

But, then I would miss my blogging friends.  And I know Emily would miss our mother-daughter “bonding” moments over photo editing in the wee hours of the morning. . .

So, I began to think about all that I could  share here today.

I would love to tell you about my daughter’s and son’s road trip to Florida this weekend.  I could spend several paragraphs explaining the car trouble they encountered in Nashville.  The bottom-line is God sent them an angel in a not-so-angelic package. This rough and tumble good Samaritan went above and beyond the call of duty to help them alleviate their auto problems (all on New Year’s Day). They were back on the road in record time. This was accomplished with out him expecting anything in return. Maybe I will elaborate on this story in another post.

I might spend some time writing about the Basic Instructor Workshop for Cued Speech that my kids are attending in Tampa (thus the road trip) this weekend. But, I think I will save that for another time, as well.

I could just wax eloquently about Cued Speech.  I might define it for you and discuss it’s history and uses. I could tell you what a huge blessing it’s been to our son as he works on language acquisition.  But then I would be led to talk about cochlear implants . . . I would get quite excited as I think about the possibility of our son receiving his second implant allowing him to have binaural hearing.  I am not ready to go into this yet.

I could visit the subject of ice fishing. I don’t know much about this topic. I have become more aware of this sport lately.  Our view of the pond on the 18th fairway has been transformed into a view of sportsmen precariously engaged in, what I consider, another “extreme” sport.   The whole thing makes me nervous. . . Will they fall through the ice?  How can we help them?  Will they want our help? Should we throw them a rope? For now, I watch as they haul in another fish. How many 4 inch fish would one need to provide dinner for a family of 11? I think I have exhausted this topic.

So, instead, I will share a terrific recipe for a coffee cake that I have been serving my family for years.  The recipe originated in the Better Home and Garden Cookbook. Of course I didn’t leave it alone. I have been tweaking it routinely.

Coffee Cake

3 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 tblsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 oil

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 9 x 13  baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir the milk, eggs and oil together and add to the flour mixture. Mix well. At this point, you can add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips or nuts if you desire. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the mixture. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tblsp. butter

Combine utilizing a pastry cutter until uniform and crumbly.

After you remove the cake from the oven drizzle sparingly with a thin powdered sugar icing.

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 Cup sifted powdered sugar

2 – 4 tblsp milk

1/2 tsp. flavoring ( vanilla, almond or orange)

Combine powdered sugar, flavoring and enough milk to form the desired consistency.

 Serve warm. This warm, fragrant cake always makes hearts happy.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100: 4-5

For instance, I love using a recipe that I call Roasted Seasoned Potatoes. I have served this side dish to small and large crowds alike for years. It is a favorite with both children and adults. Aside from chopping millions of potatoes into bite-size pieces, it is quite easy to make.  I stumbled upon this recipe on the back of a Lipton’s Onion Recipe Soup and Dip Mix years ago.

Another box-top favorite of mine is One-Bowl Brownies.  I discovered this recipe on the back of Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares. I have customized it with various toppings over the years, but the integrity of the original recipe remains the same. This is an easy dessert to prepare and receives rave reviews.

Baker’s One Bowl Brownies (with my twists)

4 squares Baker’s unsweetened baking chocolate

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2  cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with foil and butter the foil. Make certain that the ends of the foil extend over the sides of the dish.

Place the chocolate and the butter into a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the butter is melted.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the sugar. Blend in the eggs, milk and vanilla.  Mix in the flour. Spread the brownies into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. A toothpick inserted into the middle should have fudgy crumbs on it.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the brownies from the pan utilizing the foil “handles”.  Cut into squares.

Toppings: 

• Immediately after removing the brownies from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot brownies and spread them with a spatula as the chips melt.
• Sift powdered sugar over the hot brownies
• Serve topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate drizzles, and strawberries

 ”A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labor of other [people], living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to the simple life and am often oppressed by the feeling that I am engrossing an unnecessary amount of the labor of my fellow [people].”   – Albert Einstein

Our Christmas motif doesn’t have a theme, it certainly doesn’t carry a professional look, but it’s cozy and warm, filled with my children’s special touches. In the spirit of Christmas, we spent Sunday baking. Here is our favorite sugar cookie recipe. The almond extract adds a nice touch.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter ( 2 cubes), softened

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp lemon juice

5 cups flour

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Combine sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar mixture to the butter and mix until combined. Add the sour cream, almond extract, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Beat in the eggs.  Now add the flour, one cup at a time and beat until blended into the mixture. You may have to mix the last cup or  2 of flour in by hand utilizing  a wooden spoon as the mixture will become very stiff. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Cover and chill for at  least 2 hours.

Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough on a well floured surface to 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in a 375° oven for 7 – 9 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies should just start to turn golden on the edges.

Decorate with your favorite frosting and embellishments.

“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.” -Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers

Here’s how to participate:

 1. Photograph an object, room, or person in keeping with the posted topic.

2. Post one picture on your blog.

3. Include a link to Bona Vita’s Photographic Friday in your post.

4. Through Bona Vita’s Mr. Linky, link to your Photographic Friday blog post (not to your main site). Remember, I reserve the right to delete inappropriate links!

5. Be sure to leave a comment!

Christmas celebrations are all about delicious desserts.  Last weekend I served these simple but festive lemon-raspberry cupcakes. They proved to be sophisticated enough for adults when sitting side by side a caramel cheesecake. Yet, children delighted in them as well. I was initially inspired by these petite cakes as they graced the cover of  Bon Appetit’s April 2008 cover. Here is my customized version.

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

1 white cake mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

8 tblsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Lemon Icing

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

4 – 6 tblsp lemon juice

Whisk the sugar and lemon juice together. You should start with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and add additional juice as you need it. The icing should be fairly viscous.

Place the cake mix, water, lemon juice, butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on medium speed until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the cake batter mixing after each addition.  Once all of the eggs have been added,  continue mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Pour the batter into prepared cupcake pans. You can either grease and flour your pans or utilize cupcake liners. Silver liners always look festive. Bake in a 350° oven for 17 – 20 minutes. Do not over bake the cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack. Spread lemon icing evenly over the cupcakes and top with a plump raspberry.

You can utilize raspberry jam or preserves as a filling in these cupcakes. Simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cake batter to the cupcake pan, then add 1 tablespoon of jam and cover with additional cake batter. 

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds, / While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads . . . ” – Clement Clarke Moore, The Night Before Christmas 

Come to think of it, most of my kids enjoy the foodie magazines around here more than they probably should. Is it normal for a five-year-old to go to bed with the latest copy of Bon Appetit? Some how, I don’t think so. My seventeen-year-old daughter spends her free moments making bizarre grocery lists  of ingredients she cannot even pronounce from recipes she’s poured over in these periodicals.

I am certain most teenagers do not fixate over the percentage of cacao in a bar of common bittersweet chocolate or (try this one) how the local fungus growing in our forest would taste, seasoned and sauteed. Don’t worry, I stopped her in her tracks on that one. (Case in point: It’s 7:00 in the morning and she should be working Physics problems. Instead, she is flipping through a 2007 issue of Gourmet commenting “I think I should learn to make a souffle”). By now, you get my point. We are a household of foodie wannabees.

Here’s the rub: I learned long ago that I do not have the time to replicate the recipes and divine dishes that are touted in my favorite cooking magazines. Every now and then, I will set aside the needed 6 or 7 hours to pull off one of these menus. I have found that even their “quick” recipes are quite time-consuming. So, I have learned to improvise.

I take complicated recipes that  describe gastronomical wonders and I bring them back to earth. I exchange ingredients that “can only be found in this Blah -Blah specialty store” with ingredients that I have on hand. I exchange  techniques generally taught in elite culinary institutes for methods friendlier to my lowly kitchen and my limited schedule.  My hope is that I can pass on these customized and friendlier recipes to my family and friends.

This past weekend I personalized a recipe for Tuscan Turkey Breast. I was originally inspired by a recipe in Martha Stewart Living.  I served my customized version to 20 people. Adjust the recipe accordingly to fit your needs and crowd.

Turkey Breast with Herbs and Spicy Orange Glaze

3 Butterball boneless turkey breasts (discard gravy mix)

4 tbl dried oregano

4 tbl dried sage

4 tbl dried thyme

1 tbl freshly ground pepper

4 tbl finely grated orange zest

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp anise

3 dried ancho chiles, crumbled (discard seeds and stem)

1/2 cup olive oil

6 – 8 slices of bacon

Trim the skin and any remaining fat from the turkey breasts and place them in a non-reactive baking dish. I prefer glass. Combine the herbs, pepper, garlic, orange zest and chiles into a rub.  Add the olive oil to the rub and combine. Rub the herb mixture into the turkey breast. Be sure to generously cover the turkey with the rub. Add additional oil if needed. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 360°. Roll the turkey breasts up and wrap the bacon around the breast. Secure with kitchen twine. Roast, uncovered, for about 1 1/2. the internal temperature should reach 160° but do not over cook the breasts.

Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve with the Spicy Orange Glaze.

Spicy Orange Glaze

4 cups orange juice

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

10 drops red pepper sauce

Combine the above ingredients in a heavy sauce pan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.

“One can say everything best over a meal.” – George Eliot

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