Celebrate Israel's independence with cookies

Tomorrow is Israel's 64th birthday. Way to go, Israel! I think that calls for some cookies!

I was out of icing sugar, so for some inexplicable reason decided to decorate the cookies from within. It may have taken forever, but is pretty cool to cut into a cookie log and find a Magen David peeking out at you! Here's how:

 

 

Chocolate fudge cookies

I have actually done a ton of baking over the Passover holiday (pesach to you Hebrew speakers).

But somehow with the older kid home for the past three (!) weeks, a live in house guest, work, etc, I haven't been able to share any of this unleavened awesomeness with you.

These cookies will make ample reparations, trust me.

They are a cross between a brownie, baked truffles, and chocolate heaven.

What is your favorite Passover dessert?

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1 egg

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips, or 150 g bar chocolate

1/4 cup potato starch

3 T cocoa powder

Pinch salt

Beat egg and sugar until pale and fluffy. In separate bowl, melt butter and chocolate. Add to egg mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Chill in freezer half an hour or more. Heat oven to 175C. Bake about 10-12 minutes on parchment paper until puffy and no longer shiny on top. Let cool several minutes before you even think about taking them off the sheet.

Happy pesach!

 

Road safety m&m thing

Has anyone heard of this company that turns drawings into toys?

Because I think that I may have a future in weird plush toy making.

Today my son's kindergarten teacher asked me if I would make a toy version of the weird green stoplight m&m creature that teaches them about road safety. Does anyone know what this character is actually supposed to be? Anyone?

Purim baskets

Have you noticed how some bloggers post endless how-to recipes for a particular holiday weeks in advance?? And of course this is in addition to a sparkling clean house, 6 kids, 2 dogs and a soccer-traveling minivan.

I am not that mom.

Today is Purim, the Jewish holiday celebrating the thrashing we gave to our enemies in Iran years ago. It's traditional to give gift baskets of food to friends. I wanted to do a how to weeks ago and get you all prepared. But at the end of the day I am lucky to have made them in time.

 

This year's theme was "v'nahafochu" which means, shake things up! Ok not literally. But it means things are all turned around.

Like these cupcakes. I totally did not come up with this idea. But I am certainly glad that bakerella did, so we can all enjoy the silly cuteness!

 

Orange cupcakes with brownie "burgers" and icing ketchup/mustard/lettuce.

My kitchen is a complete and utter mess right now and may never recover, but it sure was fun!

So here is the lineup of non mix items:

Cupcakes from Martha Stewart - if you want it nondairy, replace milk with orange juice and add orange zest.

Brownies from yours truly

Sugar cookies from sugarbelle

Frosting: 1 cup (200g) margarine, 4 cups (500g) powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup orange juice (or less, as needed)

 

 

 

 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies

I, like most olim, am guilty of thinking that all my precious American products do not exist here in the holy land. For the most part, I just don't know where to find them. So you can imagine the utter joy I had in finding soft caramels at the local "super bonus". To be honest, they have a bit of an artificial vanilla aftertaste, but I'm willing to overlook that and be giddy with thoughts of caramel apples, caramel brownies... you name it.

Strawberry Season

I haven't been around here much lately.  Yeah, see, I've been busy feeling sorry for myself in the "oh, my husband works so many hours and hogs the computer, and I can't blog from my work computer, and anyways I'm busy doing laundry all the time" sort of way.

But then that pesky husband of mine did something incredibly sneaky. He bought me a tablet computer. And now I don't have anything to complain about, which is a pity since we all know that is my favorite pasttime.

So I had to haul myself into the kitchen and occupy myself otherwise.

This is why I don't like meat

Last week, my husband asked me to buy meat at the store for shabbat.

I got to the store, and found myself staring at mounds of red, packaged things. They all looked the same to me. I tried calling for backup, but alas, there was no answer.

So, for what can only be described as I-must-have-been-out-of-my-bleeping-mind, I bought the one thing that wasn't like the others.

Yes. Tongue. Beef tongue, to be exact. The food that tastes you back.

Having already bought the darn thing, and not being willing to turn around and go stare at more cuts of meat, I figured I better cook it:

Country Living

So, you want to know what it's actually like where I live?

There are about 200 people who live in our town. Most of them live on 10 acre plots, a lot of which are used for farming. There are a lot of tractors wandering around here- in fact there is a guy who picks his daughter up from the kindergarten every day in a tractor.

Today when I went out to take some pictures of the area, I got stuck behind a tractor trying to pass a horse. Umm.... I'm not even sure what to say about that.

Yesterday we went and picked kumquats, lemons, palmellos, and oranges from our neighbor's yard. Today he's invited us to go strawberry picking in the neighboring arab village. Life here is weird, but it sure is filled with tasty things!

Slipper Overload

I need to stop! I am ignoring my kids, my work, my house.... because I am obsessed with the fact that my sewing machine works and keeps churning out cute stuff. Help! 

At least these were a huge pain to make. Maybe that will keep me from making more....

Orange Pecan Bread

Today's blog post is an exercise in multitasking. I have a baby on my lap, and in a few minutes I need to get my son from gan (kindergarten). And I absolutely must pick some clementines somewhere in this mess. The citrus trees here are overflowing with the sweet, juicy fruit.

The other day, while waiting for the car to be returned and having no baking supplies, the kids and I went out in the yard and picked some fruit. It was great fun letting the kids chase each other in the trees. Short Stuff went toddling through the lemon orchard squealing with joy every time he saw a fallen lemon. 

Country Mouse Sews a Giveaway!

And the winner is....

(thanks to random.org)

Congratulations, Adina! 

I'll be in touch by email to sort out size and fabric choice. :)

Boston Cream Donut Holes

I want to share with you this genius creation of a confection, with fried dough, pudding filling, and chocolate glaze.*

Except I can't figure out how to spell it.

Boston Cream Doughnuts

Boston Creme Donuts

Boston Kreme Donuts

Any ideas?? Help me out, people!!

I made them a few weeks ago for a party and just couldn't get stop thinking about the fried goodness. 

Mini Quiche

I am a firm believer in finger food. 

For the record, I am also a big believer of bite sized things that look and taste awesome but are super easy to make, and also the tooth fairy.

And when this coincides with a use for my newly acquired, carted-across-the-atlantic mini cupcake pan, more the merrier am I.

Chanukah Goodies

I wish I had time right now to share with you all the recipes for the treats I made for our chanukah party. And I really should be cleaning up from all the mess of twenty gazillion kids in my house, but there is just too much else to do.

So for now I'm just going to be mean and keep you in suspense a few more days. In the mean time, here are some tasty pictures to tide you over......

Crazy Tiramisu

Warning: If you are opposed to seeing copious amounts of chocolate, eggs, cream, and alcohol, stop reading now.

For those of you who have been craving a four-thousand-calorie-a-serving snack, this is the recipe for you.

Ok, so it takes forever. Melting chocolate, making custard, whipping egg whites and cream and dirtying absolutely every single bowl you own.

Beer Butt Chicken

I know, I know. Chicken. What is it doing on this blog? Not nearly as tasty as chocolate, as my four-year-old likes to say (which, by the way, applies to everything). I have a confession to make. I'm usually not very adventurous when it comes to meat products. I was a vegetarian in my formative cooking years, and I squirm when I have to cook anything but boneless skinless chicken breast.

Candy Cane Crinkles

 We've been back for a few weeks, and already my supplies are dwindling. Not sleeping = coffee ALL the time = my bag of dunkin dark roast is looking pretty near empty.

I have one bag of candy melts to make cake pops, and I'm hoarding them jealously. And the two boxes of candy canes that miraculously got here in-tact despite being carried to the tower of london and back? Well, after today's cooking venture I might not even have enough to make a peppermint version of the magic ice cream.

Homemade Ravioli

This is a good time of year to work on self-improvement. Oh, I don't know about you, but I can certainly vouch for myself. Being in the holiday-frenzied country of the grand old U. S. of A, it's easy to get caught up in things. And you know what things I mean- shopping, shopping, and shopping!

Twisty Candlemaking

My family is strange. Sorry, family, but you are. You see, it's perfectly normal for them to decide on a whim  to make rather complicated stuff that most people just buy. Like... a sauna, play doh, a porch, or felted wool balls. I have vague childhood memories of making soap on the back porch and trying to keep the cats from committing suicide in the lye bucket. 

Yes, yes, this could explain a lot. Let's not even go there.

Instead, round up some clothespins, because today my mom and sister are going to show you how to make a twisted havdalah candle. 

3 Lessons

Oh boy, here we go. I spent a month in the consumer wonderland of America, and would you forgive me if I said I didn't get any cake decorating supplies? I know, I know, pathetic. Lesson # 1: Go to Michael's before you fill up your luggage with a sewing machine, a chess set, and clothes for your kids.

I was a bit caught up in seeing family, old friends, and dealing with the emotional shock of being in places that once seemed like home and now just fill me with a sad familiarity. America, I don't even know you anymore.

Like, did you know that leaves change color in the fall? That's one of those things I didn't even remember that I missed.