Gingerbread House . . . a family affair!

I think this might become a new family tradition: building a gingerbread house for Christmas. It was Ethan's idea. He is our aspiring chef, and he decided he'd like to make one like he did in school. If I had been paying attention, I would have realized he was talking 'gingerbread' houses out of graham cracker, but my mind went immediately to the grand houses I've seen on TV.

I found a great recipe for the gingerbread dough that worked absolutely beautifully for making the pieces parts of the house. I decided to create my own template for the house, and this recipe made just enough dough for our house, with a little left for a santa and sleigh and reindeer and even a couple of Christmas trees. If you aren't into creating your own design, here is a great site for printable gingerbread house templates.

Here is Chef Ethan with our first dough roll out. This dough is VERY stiff. You have to chill it (at least two hours), but when you take it out of the fridge, you'll want to let it set at room temperature for 10 minutes before trying to roll it. Great work out :)

This dough does not puff or rise (there is only a teaspoon of levening in it). So you can crowd the pieces. However, you do want to bake the larger pieces seperate from the smaller pieces, as the cooking time varies.





The larger pieces take about 15 minutes to bake. You'll want a big spatula to handle them. You need to get them off the pan while hot and still flexible. Once the cool, they are VERY rigid. I recommend cutting out windows, etc. before baking, but you can do it while the cookies are still hot, out of the oven.

Here Ethan is working on the royal icing (the recipe is included here). This is the mortar that holds your house together, and it is still stuff. If you have a pipetting bag, you can use it, if not, we just put it in a gallon freezer bag and cut off a tiny corner to pipette out of. When we weren't using the icing, we wrapped the cut corner in a damp paper towel to keep the icing from setting up.

Here is Chef Ethan with the base of our house. Even with two hands, we found the canned food helpful for holding up the sides while the icing set. Once it sets, it's amazing how sturdy the house is!





Chef Ethan wanted to put a Christmas tree inside the house. Here is a cut out (of spare gingerbread dough) that I iced with royal icing and dipped in green sanding sugar. For the star, I added a little royal icing, and dipped in cold draeggers. Turnged out pretty cool. Next year, we'll going to try making stained glass windows and lighting the house from the inside (for Dad to figure out ;).



Here, we have the main structure built, and started adding embellishments. For the porch pillars we used stacked marshmallows, and the bushes are coconut macarooms. What you decorate with is entirely up to you. The kids and I had a great time checking out several sites online that had pics of other people's gingerbread houses. Some great and ingenious ideas out there to try!

Here, Chef Ethan adds M&M lights to the roof line, while brother Bennett hams it up for the camera. We also afixed a star, decorated with gold draeggers, to the front of the house, added pink non-perilles to the porch roof, along with coconut snow. Over each window we afixed a star anise for decoration.

Here, all four boys watch as Mom (me) tries to get Santa's sleigh and reindeer to stick to the roof. It turned out cute, but it was kind of a pain to get them to stay. We even have a Santa going down the chimney!

We created a stepping stone walk of sugar-coated cookies, and Zana lines it with gumdrop lights. In the foreground, Ethan is placing the shutters as he gets them decorated. We then afixed these to the house.

Here's a wide shot of the house, with Zana working on creating a sledding figure. The kids had more fun decorating the yard then anything else. Caleb created a melting snowman out of puffed marshmallows, as well as a snow fort out of candy-coated almonds. Quin created a couple of little creatures, and a tiny flower garden for along the walk.

One thing I would recommend when working with kids on this project, is have them help a couple at a time. When all five kids were crowded around the project wanting to do things, it got a little hectic, and things tended to get knocked over and broken. one or two helpers is manageable, more than that is chaos!

Here is a view of the back of the house. We afixed a decorated wreath to the house. I would still call this a work-in-progress. I had to stop for the evening and really, the decorations in place needed some time to solidify. We'll have to do another batch of royal icing to finish . . . tomorrow.

Here's a close up of Santa's sleigh and reindeer, with Santa himself poking his head out of the chimney. We used butterscotch candies to shingle the roof. I think we will likely do another batch or two of royal icing to add snow to the roofs, and maybe even some icicles . . . it's so much fun to decorate the house!

Here's a shot from above the house looking down in the yard. You can see a couple of Quin's creatures and his flower garden, as well as Caleb's snow fort, and our 3-D Christmas tree. The kids are having a wonderful time coming up with ideas for the yard!

Like I said, it's a work-in-progress, but it has been so much fun creating this with the kids. I strongly recommend this project. Even my 14-year-old son, Bennett, the aspiring architect has gotten into the fun, and informs me that next year, he gets to do the design.

This is definitely a new family tradition!

Do you have any family projects that you do during the holidays? Please share!

A Holiday Tradition - Nissua

Mmmm, been promising my Gram's nissua recipe. It's really pretty easy. You might recall I shared a recipe for home made rolls a little while ago. When you are adding the sugar (I add a bit extra sugar . . . maybe an extra quarter to half cup), add a couple teaspoons of cardamom.

Now smell the mix. You should be able to smell the cardamom. If you can't add another teaspoon. Part of the reason for this is that cardamom tends to lose its 'oomph' as it ages, so if it has been hanging around your spice cabinet for awhile, it may take a bit more to get the flavor to really come through in the dough, and you want the cardamom flavor to be noticeable.

Mix the remaining ingredients in as directed in the home made rolls recipe. Allow the dough to rise, and then punch it down. Split the dough into two to three parts (you want about a 4-5 inch ball of dough to work with). Roll the dough out. Spread the filling of your choice down the center of the dough.

There are several different prepared fillings that you can use. My favorite is apricot, but I'm also partial to poppyseed. Mom love almost filling. Whatever your preference. Fold the the side of the dough over the filling and lay, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise some (I'm impatient, this rising usually doesn't last long)..

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.

While it is cooking, make a simple butter frosting to put over the top. Cream butter and powdered sugar together, add a teaspoon of vanilla, and then milk to get the texture you like . . . I prefer it to be almost like a frosting, nice and thick, but if you like something more like a glaze, you can thin the frosting with more milk. Here's an easy buttercream frosting recipe that you can play with.

If you can wait, allow the bread to cool some before frosting. I usually can't, and the frosting ends up melting on top of the bread . . . not a bad thing, but it can get kind of messy!

What's your favorite holiday recipe?

A Cup of Comfort for a Snow Day

Snow day - Yeah!!! My boys couldn't wait to get outside and play in the snow today. Not only our first 'real' snowfall in northeastern Ohio, but a true Lake effect blizzard. The joy of a school boy's (or boys') winter.

But when they came in from the 17 degree day (feels like zero!) they were more than ready be warmed up. They shed their snowy outerwear, perched in front of the fire, and waited for me to make some good, old-fashioned hot cocoa.

Homemade hot cocoa is really easy, and this recipe is a snap . . . and way better then Swiss Miss!

1/3 C cocoa

3/4 C sugar

Mix together in a sauce pan. Add 1/3 C boiling water and 4-5 large marshmallows. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously (watch it doesn't scorch).

Add 4 C milk. Bring to an almost-boil (should be steamy and foamy). Pour into cups, add marshmallows, if wanted, and serve. This is the best hot cocoa you will ever taste!

If you want it richer, you can add some cream at the end. Whipped cream is a great garnish if you don't have marshmallows. For the adults, add a shot of peppermint schnapps for an over-the-top Peppermint Patty dessert drink.

So next time you are tempted to buy that hot cocoa mix, stear yourself toward the cocoa, first. You won't be sorry . . . I know my boys weren't!

What's your favorite comfort treat on a cold day? Please, share!

Holiday Spirit

Like many people, I love this time of year! Whatever their religious beliefs, nearly everyone seems . . . nicer during the holidays. Even the occasional Scrooge can't get me down for long ;)

The kids picked out our Christmas trees the weekend after Thanksgiving and we decorated. I just love our live trees - the smell when you come in from the nippy outdoors truly harkens the season. The colorful lights and decorations, the heavenly smell of pine and spices, the comforting song of carols, and the warm, soft snuggle of an excited child - this is my total sensory immersion in the holiday season. What could be better?

And then there is the food . . . my mouth water just thinking about our huge family breakfast on Christmas morning. Carmelized bacon, stuffed french toast, fluffy scrambled eggs, Gram's nissua - it's comfort food at its best. I thought I'd share a couple of the recipes with you as we approach the holidays. Maybe you'll find something that will help you build those wonderful family traditions that make this time of year so special.

First, carmelized bacon. Now this is a recipe you'll definitely want to use for the holidays, only. It's very simple. First, preheat the oven to 350F. Then get out just two ingredients:

Bacon, thawed (best if it is thin sliced)

Brown sugar

Put a cup or so of brown sugar into a shallow dish. One at a time, coat the strips of bacon in the brown sugar, and lay on a cookie sheet in a single layer (if you have a broiler pan, you can use it to get the bacon up out of the grease, but it isn't necessary). Place in the oven and bake until the sugar is bubbly and the bacon is done, 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because the sugar will burn if you are not careful.

Prepare a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. When you take the bacon out of the oven, immediately remove it from the pan and place on the cooling rack, and allow it to cool and drain for a few minutes. The carmelized bacon is best once it's cooled some, so the sugar has a chance to set on the outside. Enjoy!!

Do you have a favorite family holiday tradition or recipe you'd like to share? Please, do!

Thanks - Giving

The start to the holiday season is here! I just finished making pies. Tomorrow we'll be making mashed potatoes. Food coma, here I come!

I was watching Michael Chirello on Food Network, and he made pesto mashed potatoes, and I think I may take at least a few of the 10lbs of mashed potatoes we're making and add some Market pesto - it sounds delicious!

I can't wait for the traditional turkey spread my family puts on up at Amboy Hall. Yes, we rent Amboy Hall and have our Thanksgiving meal there. Last year we had around 60 people, and it seems to grow every year. It is a great family gathering!

The other thing I look forward to this weekend is Christmas Trees!! The kids will be anxious to pick one (or two) out and start trimming. It's hard to believe it's already that time of year. We also have pine roping in up at the Market. All the evergreen you need to trim your house for the season!

In the spirit of the holiday, allow me to thank you so much for continuing to support our family with your continued patronage at the Market. From us to you ... have a blessed Thanksgiving!

How to Stretch Your Food Dollar

Well, they keep saying the economy is improving. I'm optimistic that we'll see a rebound here soon, but for most of us, things are still pretty darn tight, financially. Which begs the question, how can you stretch your food budget?

So here is another food stretching idea for you, and it should get you a couple of healthy meals. First, buy some chicken breast (you'll want a bit more than you think your family will eat, perhaps enough to have one breast left over). Of course, I recommend the chicken breast from the Market. It is nicely trimmed, and you can pound it out in the package. Preheat your oven to 350F.

I like the chicken for this to be about half an inch thick, so it doesn't take much pounding. Smear the chicken lightly all over with olive oil, and season it simply - maybe some tarragon, thyme, then salt and pepper to taste. place in a casserole with sides (you'll see why later) and bake until cooked through - 15-30 minutes, perhaps longer, depending on the size and thickness of the breast.

Here's another site for great tips on cooking chicken breast by various methods. I offer this because chicken is touchy to bake. For the meal I'm describing, I want a dry cooking method, but I don't want the meat to dry out. That is part of the reason that I recommend pounding out the chicken. It is important NOT TO OVER COOK the meat. Chicken needs to be cooked through (no pink in the center) but JUST cooked through. Over-cooking will dry out the meat.

When the chicken is done, it's ready to eat with whatever side dishes your family prefers. My family is a potato kind of family, but I like to throw in green veggies every once and awhile if only to hear the inevitable groans. Since you have the oven on for roasting the chicken, why not try roasting some veggies, like green beans. And rather than putting butter and salt on the green beans, try crumbling some feta cheese over them instead - yum! Leftover beans or other veggies are also great in the next dish!

Place the 'extra' chicken (and veggies, if you have them) in a container and refrigerate for the next day. Deglaze the pan that you cooked the chicken in using water, wine, or lemon juice. Lemon juice? Yes, lemon juice - it lends a wonderful lightness to the chicken soup we're going to make with the left overs. It's a traditional Greek addition to chicken soup. My friend, Marian, converted me when she made me try it. You can adjust the amount of lemon to your taste, but I've found that I like quite a bit. And you can also add the zest of the lemon to the resulting broth for some extra zing. Refrigerate the broth for use the next day.

I call this my left-over soup. I use this 'recipe' as an opportunity to use up all the odds and ends left from meals for the last few days. Have some left over fresh salsa - throw it in. Left over bulgur, couscous or pasta - great addition. Left over veggies - why not? Now there are a couple things you are going to want: an onion, diced; some red pepper diced (green pepper works, too, I just prefer red), a few stocks of celery chopped, and some carrots, chopped.

Place a stock pan over medium heat, and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. sautee the onion, pepper, celery, and carrots until just softened. Add the broth you made the previous day, along with some additional chicken stock to make up the liquid to what you will need to feed your family (this is truly a 'stretchable' meal - need more soup, just add more stock). Again, I recommend the chicken base from the Market, which has no MSG and no added salt (unlike many of the cheap chicken bases you can find other places that are mostly salt).

Shred the chicken breast and add to the soup. Add any other left-overs you found in your fridge. Bring the mix to a simmer, and cook until all ingredients are heated through. If you didn't have left overs like the bulgur or couscous, you can add it, uncooked and cook it in the soup. Bulgur, or barley, or quinoa, or millet are GREAT and healthy whole grain additions to this soup.

Once everything is done, and the soup has had a chance to simmer all put together for awhile, taste it, and season as you like. This is the time when I might add some extra lemon zest or juice, maybe some fresh thyme or cilantro. It really depends on what you added and how it was originally seasoned, so you really do want to allow the soup some time to simmer, so all the existing flavors come together, then you can adjust appropriately. I would recommend leaving the salt and pepper to individual tastes.

There you go - a food dollar stretching exercise. But if you are feeling lazy, or just rushed, remember that we have home made soups at the Market, and we are starting to make MTO sandwiches. Stop by and let us know what you think!

Please, share what you do to stretch your food dollar!

Versatile Comfort Food

It's been one of those weeks, and last night, we decided we were going to make comfort food for supper. For us, food can be a fun family activity, which in itself is comforting. One of my favorite comfort foods (aside from chocolate, of course ;) are home made rolls.

The recipe is my Aunt Dorothy Bennett's for buns, and the dough is just so wonderful and versatile. My Grandma Ericksen uses this dough to make sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, nissua and dinner rolls, and my kids love them as pepperoni rolls.

3 2/3 cup milk, scalded (reserve part of the milk cold to cool the mixture so it won't be too hot for your yeast)
1/4 cup butter or shortening (I always use butter, so don't know what shortening does to the dough - I melt the butter while I'm scalding the milk)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp dry yeast or one cake of yeast

I scald the milk and melt the butter, then add in the reserved milk. If the mix is still to warm, add an ice cube (what can I say, I'm impatient:). Add the yeast and allow to bloom. Add the sugar, salt and egg and mix well.

Now for the flour. The recipe never says how much flour to add, just to add until you achieve a soft, elastic dough. It takes probably 5-8 cups (this is a big batch of rolls). Use the dough hook on your mixer, and keep adding until its 'right.'

My Gram tests the 'rightness' by poking her finger into the dough - if too much sticks, you need to add more flour (a little sticking is ok, this dough does tend to be a little sticky). I know the dough is done in my mixer when it starts to climb over the top of the dough hook, and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl too much. When you are done, the dough should be light and very elastic.

Remove the dough from the mixer, cover with a towel, and place somewhere warm to double in size. Punch down. You'll want to grease your hands (butter or shortening work well for this - if the dough starts to stick to your hands, rub on a little more grease). Now form your rolls (1"-1.5" balls make a nice size roll, larger if you want buns); or you can roll out, add sweet roll fixings, and roll and cut; or you can roll out, fill with apricot filling and bake for nissua (with powdered sugar frosting). Like I said, it's a very versatile dough. For pepperoni rolls, I cube cheese (mozz is the kids' favorite), and slice the pepperoni - one of each wrapped in the center of each roll.

Place your formed goody on a pan, cover and set in a warm spot to rise for a bit (again, I'm impatient, so this rising usually doesn't last too long). When risen, bake at 400F until done -- time depends greatly on the form. Rolls take 10-15 minutes in the oven at 400F. If they are getting dark too quickly, turn the temperature down slightly. When you take them hot from the oven, brush the tops with butter. Honestly, they don't need anything after that!

Home made rolls - definitely my comfort food! What's yours?