More apples and bread...

My family and I just recently came home from a short vacation. Along the way our eyes were peeled for bakeries. I often heard someone say (usually Dad - he's always on the lookout for ways to advance my baking business), "A bakery, Elsa!" Though we didn't stop at every one by any means, a couple bakeries did get our business. It wasn't that we needed more food for our trip. Our home baked bread supply was more than enough to make us through our five day trip. It's just that sampling other people's bread is something I love to do.

As a result of those bakery visits, we came home with many partially eaten loaves of bread. Already we have enjoyed good breakfasts of toast, last night's supper of French toast, and tonight's bread pudding made up of these left-over breads.

Bread pudding - yum! Last year I wrote about the ultimate bread pudding I made out of Chocolate Pecan Bread. Tonight's wasn't quite so over-the-top amazing, but it made for a very comforting dessert after a cool, grey day. To put the icing on the cake, it used an ingredient that is plentiful at this time of year - apples. Here is the recipe. Why not give it a try sometime this fall? It is sure to make your tummy smile. :]

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. egg substitute (or the real thing, if you prefer)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
5-6 c. day-old bread, cubed (Change the amount depending on how much bread you want to use up!)
1 c. apples, peeled and chopped

Combine all but the bread and apples in a large bowl. Stir in the bread cubes and apples.

Pour into an 8x8" pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (I found the knife doesn't come out perfectly clean. The main thing is to get a "set" pudding. It will be wet, but you don't want a totally soggy mush.)

Serve warm...
...with whipped cream or ice cream.
...drizzled with caramel ice cream topping.
...floating in milk.

To my Father

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved, yet you give to prove Your love for me.
The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude;
All that I am and ever hope to be,
I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory;
To God be the glory,
To God be the glory
For the things He has done.
With His blood He has saved me,
With His pow'r He has raised me,
To God be the glory
For the things He has done.

Just let me live my life,
Let it be pleasing Lord, to Thee;
And should I gain any praise,
Let it go to Calvary.
With His blood He has saved me,
With His pow'r He has raised me,
To God be the glory
For the things He has done.

-"My Tribute" by Andrae Crouch

Apple on bread?

Though my family has never said so, I have this feeling that they think I am a strange cook. I must admit, they have every right to be sceptical of my culinary skills when it comes to meal preparation. Usually my meals are made from a recipe that I have severely altered or an idea sparked by a picture in some food magazine or web page. My experiments have had mixed results. Often there has been a voice somewhere around the table that says, "What's this?" or "What's that different flavor?" Yet I keep pursuing my odd dishes. Hey, they haven't fired me yet!

One noon Mom was gone, and my sisters were busy with preparations for teaching, so the job of making a meal fell to me. I never like spending much time on noon meals, so my main stays are either left-overs or grilled sandwiches. There must not have been any left-overs worthy of mentioning this day, because I opted for the grilled sandwich route. We weren't going to have any plain old grilled cheese. We were going to have apple and onion grilled cheese! It was fall, and we had boxes of lovely apples. Why not?

To start I fried the slivered apples in maple syrup until they were coated with a thin, sticky layer. At the same time onions sizzled their way to delicious translucency in our George Foreman grill. Once these two ingredients were ready, I spread Dijon mustard on sliced bread and piled with the apples, onions, and a bit of farmer's cheese. (Note: Something a little stronger like provolone or yogurt cheese would have made for an even nicer sandwich, but these were not in our cheese drawer.) A slice of bread was placed on top, and they were ready to be grilled. To cut fat (actually cholesterol is our enemy) we have started making all our grilled sandwiches on the George Forman grill. When done this way the sandwiches need no buttering and in the end have beautiful grill lines. It also makes them a bit like panini, though not quite as squished. So on the George Forman they went. A few minutes later we had beautiful sandwiches. Now it was time for the taste test.

The maple syrup didn't seem to come through, but maybe if it were brushed onto the bread... Something besides mustard could make the flavors better balanced, but it worked. Mild apple flavor, good onion and cheese flavors, the nuttiness of 100% Whole Wheat Bread, the zip of a little mustard. Yum. Even Dad gave it a thumbs up saying in a positive tone, "This is different, but it's good!"

I have now dubbed this sandwich "Apple Panini." Sure, there is room for improvement, but I think it may just have made it onto the list of successes.

To market, to market...

August 22, 2009

We're ready to go! It is 8:00 AM, and the van is loaded with bread, granola, and all the sweets. There is no way all this baking could fit in here without the racks Dad made!

An inside view of the packed van. Maren's oraganization is key.

Me at the wheel, ready for the hour drive to Detroit Lakes.

This is customer appreciation day. To make it special, I have "brownie bite" samples.

Backing up a little...

... and close up.

A veiw from behind the tables. They are looking a bit empty.

My family joins in on the festive day with a little picnic. Sure it is nice to sell out, but nothing could be better than a little time with the whole family!

For Maren

Have I told you about my helper? Well, actually I have several. It isn't uncommon to see Dad helping load my bread into the van. It is also a common sight to see Mom and both of my sisters tackling the large stack of dirty dishes I have left on the counter. Yet, there is one person who has made this summer's baking possible more than anyone else. Meet Maren, my oldest sister. She has been my personal slave. When too many timers were going at once, it was Maren who was ordered to run and check the baking bread. As the bread cooled it was Maren who kept an eye on it and bagged it when ready. It was Maren who swept up my flour messes on the floor. When the kitchen needed to be cleaned up, it was Maren who tackled the mess. I could go on a long time with all the jobs my sister did for me as I baked. Without her help I could not have kept so many people supplied with bread. So to Maren goes my thanks - and so should yours.

There were times this summer when our roles swapped. She became the head baker and I the assistant. Maren measured, stirred, and patiently baked over 300 pounds of granola this summer. (Picture 300 boxes of cereal!) As a result of her work, many customers have been happy and healthy because of this nutritious food. Once again, if you were one of these people (the happy/healthy ones), it is to Maren your thanks should go.

Most likely when she sees this post, she will say, "You didn't have to do that. You could have spent that time baking or resting instead". But no, Maren, you are worth much more than these words and a few minutes of typing. Thank you!

Love,

Elsa

A few of the 300+ pounds of Maren's granola.

My body is telling me it has been a long day. It was brownie and scone day. By chocolate frosting batch #6, I was ready for a break! Today is also preparation day - the day I get ready for Friday's bread baking marathon. Mainly the only prep I leave for this day is organizing and restocking ingredients. The flour pail has to be refilled. New bags of craisins and brown sugar have to be dug out of storage. Brown rice occasionally needs to be boiled. This list only scratches the surface. Tonight I have to set up the kitchen for baking. It's a good thing I like to organize!

Cucumber Season!

My sister who has an aversion toward this fresh vegetable, would never think of writing this post. But for me, a cucumber fanatic as of these last years (I ate three whole small ones for dinner today), this is a vegetable worthy of notice.

What could be better than eating cucumbers plain? Putting it on bread, of course! A bunch of cucumber, onion, some cream cheese, a bit of mayo. Dinner becomes a success... even for those in your family who try to keep this vegetable as far away from their mouths as possible.

Cucumber Sandwich Filling

Mix:

1c. diced cucumber (My sister [the other one ;) ] notes on her recipe to use more. Try up to 2c.)

1/2 tsp. salt

Let stand 2 hours; drain well.

Blend:

5 oz. cream cheese

6 T. mayonnaise

Add:

drained cucumbers

1/2 T. minced onion

2 tsp. parsley (optional)

Store in the refrigerator. Keeps well for a few days.

Serving suggestions:

-Pair with French Batard, Multigrain Bread, Dill-Onion Bread, Country White Loaves...

-Spread on open face sandwiches, and garnish with a small sprig of parsley.

-Spread between two slices of bread and cut diagonally. Cut off crusts if you want a fancy, tea sandwich.