Butternut Squash Au Gratin

Butternut Squash Au Gratin

2 lbs. butternut squash
1 med. onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
1 glove garlic, minced
bread crumbs (two pieces of toast)

Method
Peel outer skin of squash with peeler or knife.
Discard skin.
Halve squash lengthwise and cut into thin slices.
Place slices in bowl with onion, salt, pepper and melted butter.
Toss well.
Spoon mixture into buttered 9-inch baking dish.
Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, milk, garlic and cheese.
Remove cover from baking dish and pour cheese mixture evenly over squash.
Sprinkle top with bread crumbs.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Delicious Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicious Carrot Cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot (about 4 medium/large carrots)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, sift together first six ingredients.
Stir in oil then stir in eggs, one a time.
Add carrots and stir until well blended then add nuts.
Divide batter between two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans and bake in preheated oven, 30-35 minutes for the 8-inch pans or 35-45 minutes for the 9-inch pans.
Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove cakes from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Method
Make the frosting (while cakes are cooling):
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated.
Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Invert one cake layer onto a plate.
Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting.
Top with the second cake layer, right side up.
Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour.
Slice and serve.

Serissa’s 1st Birthday Party 돌잔치 ~Doljanchi~

Here are a few shots from Serissa’s first Birthday Party:

Serissa and Mommy

Serissa's Dol Table with the Hanmade Dol Go-Ims

Serissa and Daddy

Choosing the Musical Instrument at her Doljabi

For all the photos from Serissa’s Birthday please visit our Flickr Photo Page.

Some info on traditional Korean Parties:
Blog Link
Wikipedia Info on Doljanchi with References

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins

These sweetly spiced treats taste just like freshly made doughnuts.

Muffins:
1/2 cup milk, whole or reduced fat
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest, optional
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For rolling:
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat each cup with cooking spray.
In a small bowl whisk together milk, egg, butter, vanilla and orange zest until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Gently stir in egg mixture, mixing just to combine.
Batter will be lumpy and thick.
Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each 1/2 full.
Bake for 20 minutes until tops spring back and muffins are golden brown.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/3 cup butter in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl combine cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.
When muffins are done, remove them from the pan and allow to cool until they are easy to handle, about 5 minutes.
Dip each muffin in butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Serve while warm.

Spud!

With the local farmers markets closing up for the season, we recently started using Spud! (Small Potatoes Urban Delivery) delivery service for all our organic produce.

SPUD has two ways you can purchase organic produce:

You can select individual items from the organic produce category for each delivery, or you can create your own Fresh Harvest Box.

Our Spud! Delivery - Fresh Harvest Box

SPUD’s Fresh Harvest Box is a variety of delicious organic fruits and vegetables that are tailored by you to your unique preferences. You can still make as many substitutions, additions or deletions to your Fresh Harvest Box as you like before the deadline. The price is adjusted accordingly. (Note: it is just fine if you do not wish to have produce in your order, as you are not required to. You can enter an order for any number of items of whatever type you wish.)

Spud! Produce

SPUD makes healthy eating easy with a complete selection of natural foods, including milk, bread, pasta and ready-made meals.

Serissa playing with the Spud! Box

If you are interested in starting Spud! Delivery here’s a $25 off discount code towards your first deliveries: CRSEA-GAMDAL

How-To-Make: Round Balloon Flowers

Round balloon flowers
The round balloon flower is made with small round balloons tied together around a center balloon of a different color. Tricks to know: don’t inflate the balloons all the way so you have longer ends after the knot to work with for tying them together.

Make the center balloon smaller than the balloons for the petals.
Tie the inflated balloons for the petals together in one group of two and another of three.
Tie the five balloons together.
For the center of the flower, make a pair of smaller balloons in a different color from the petals. Tie the pair together.
Insert the pair into the center of the bunch so that the other five balloons surround the pair of center balloons on either side. That way, from any side, it still looks like a flower.
Tie the balloon flower with clear fishing line, first running it between the petals in turn to help hold them all together.

How to Tie an Otkorum (Korean Hanbok)

Spanish Style Swiss Chard

Spanish Style Swiss Chard

This is Swiss chard with a delightful Spanish accent: the plump sweetness of raisins and pleasing crunchiness of hazelnuts raises chard to new and sumptuous levels in this super-quick and easy recipe.
It can even make a meal, when served with brown rice or quinoa.
Leafy greens are filled with valuable nutrients, and this is one intriguing way to serve them, a heavenly meld of textures and tastes.

3 tablespoons raisins

1 pound Swiss chard, washed well

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Method
Place the raisins in a small pan with water to cover.
When the water begins to boil, take the pan off the heat, and let the raisins sit for at least 5 minutes.
While the raisins are soaking, cut each Swiss chard leaf away from the stem and central rib.
Cut the leaves into 1/4-inch crosswise slices.
Dice the stems and the central ribs.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the Swiss chard and the garlic, and saute, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the chard is tender.
Drain the raisins, and toss them and the hazelnuts into the Swiss chard. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Swiss Chard and Bean Soup

Swiss Chard and Bean Soup

A delicious soup for a cold night. Enjoy with some crusty bread or rolls. Throw it all in the crock pot and dinner is ready after a long day.

4-5 cups swiss chard
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small squash, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
14 ounces chicken broth
15 ounces beans, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Method
Combine all ingredients in crock pot and slow cook for 6-8 hours.

Pear Dumplings

Fresh Pear Dumplings with Strawberry Sauce

3 pears, firm, ripe, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 pie crusts, at room temperature
1 Tbsp milk
4 Tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon molasses

Method
Heat oven to 425°F.
In medium bowl, combine pears, raisins and brown sugar; mix well.
Cut each pie crust into quarters.
Place about 1/3 cup pear mixture on each crust quarter.
Brush crust edges lightly with milk.
Bring sides of each crust up to top of pears; press edges to seal, making a dumpling with three seams.
Carefully place dumplings seam side up in ungreased cookie sheet.
Brush with milk.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes; until golden.
Cool.
Place strawberries saucepan.
Add 3 tablespoons sugar, water, molasses and cornstarch.
Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to boil, stirring constantly.
To serve, spoon strawberry sauce evenly onto individual dessert plates.
Top each with dumpling.