Tag

butter

Browsing

5 gifts the ‘crunchy mama’ would totally love

Crunchy. Granola. Earth Mama. These labels aren’t usually insults, rather, they evoke an image of someone who does things a little less conventionally for the health of his or her family. Sometimes people who get labeled as “crunchy” don’t even think of themselves that way! They’re just living their best life. Whether it’s an obsession with organic groceries (and hand creams, and clothes, and diapers, etc.) or a chicken coop in their backyard, they’re down to live life the most wholesome way they know how—and that’s by DIY with many of their own foods right at home. Shopping for someone in the crunchy camp can be difficult if you don’t know their personal rulebook. But you can bet they’ll actually use—and actually appreciate—any one of these great 5 DIY in the kitchen gadgets below. 1. Buttercup Homemade Butter Maker ($12.99) Just add fresh cream to the Buttercup Butter Maker by Chef’n,…

Spreadable Christmas tree-shaped butter sculptures are here for the holidays

The presents are wrapped, the tree is lit, and the cookies are decorated. With all that work behind you, there’s just one thing left to go—the table setting. And what better way to add holiday cheer than with a dish of Christmas tree-shaped butter. Produced by Keller’s Creamery (the makers of the popular turkey-shaped butter), the 4-ounce Christmas tree butter sculpture stands all on its own, with four spreadable evergreen tree branch layers cascading over a sturdy base. The beautiful butter is bound to get your guests’ attention. With the equivalent of about eight tablespoons of butter, there’s plenty for everyone at your holiday bash to spread on their rolls, melt atop their green beans, or add to their cornbread casserole. Looking for a little butter tree of your own? Keller’s Creamery has a store locator with a complete list of locations selling the Christmas butter tree. The website doesn’t…

The best blueberry pie recipe

Fall has apple pie. The holidays have pumpkin pie. Spring screams for strawberry rhubarb, and summer? It’s all about the blueberries. Nothing says summer like a fresh and flaky homemade blueberry pie. Don’t let September set in before you get around to making this sweet summer staple. The blueberry filling is relatively easy to make. Blueberries are great because they don’t require any chopping and barely any prep work. Just take a few moments to weed out any bad blueberries, remove any stray stems, and give them a quick rinse and a good shake. You don’t even have to dry them! Toss them in sugar and flour, and you’re pretty much good-to-go. It’s true that the pie crust takes a certain level of practice, but follow these tips and you’ll master the craft in no time: 1. Keep your ingredients super cold.  Don’t remove anything from the fridge until you are…

An easy trick to bring butter and eggs to room temperature for baking

Baking happens. Sometimes it’s planned days ahead, and sometimes you get the urge for something sweet out of nowhere. But, if you find yourself up for a little impromptu baking session, you might run into a few problems. Recipes regularly call for room temperature eggs, butter, and even milk — that means setting them out ahead of time to warm up. So what’s an impulsive baker to do? While a perfect planner would have had these ingredients resting on the countertop for an hour ahead of time, you just pulled them from your fridge and need them ready now. The microwave looks tempting, but you know that’s seriously hit or miss — and usually makes a mess. Don’t fear. Here a few hacks so you can bake your cookies without waiting until 10 p.m. to start. How to bring butter to room temperature If you’ve ever tried to microwave butter…

This turkey-shaped butter will be the talk of the table

If you’ve ever gazed at your Thanksgiving table and thought the butter dish looked a little boring, apparently you’re not alone. One company is churning out turkey-shaped butter sculptures, and they’re flying off the shelves. The Philadelphia-based Keller’s Creamery is making seasonally-shaped half pound butter sculptures for $3.99-$7.99 each. The architectural achievement is the perfect depiction of a plump, Thanksgiving turkey, with textured feathers, wattle, and tail all made from creamy salted butter. Most big box stores and supermarkets are be stocking the designer dairy item. Gristedes in NYC, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Wegmans are all confirmed carriers. As an East Coast brand, the birds are more commonly found in nearby states. If you can’t find one where you live, you could always buy a mold on Amazon and make your own. It’s recommended that you keep the butter cold until serving, so all your guests can enjoy your delightful…

Broccoli Bisque: One pot, one blender, one bowl

I guess I never knew how tasty and easy soups were to make in the blender. Just simmer some ingredients in a pot; add to blender; serve in bowl and voilá! Here’s a puréed soup recipe I made with an unlikely ingredient: broccoli. It packs a ton of veggies into each serving, and the fresh, green color gives all kinds of healthy feel goods. This broccoli bisque recipe is a variation on my carrot ginger soup. The steps are largely the same. Just swap out the veggies. Broccoli Bisque Serves about 6 Ingredients 3 big handfuls of spinach, washed 1/2 stick of butter 1 large onion, chopped 4 tbsp. flour 2 cans vegetable broth (chicken broth is fine for omnivores) 7 cups broccoli florets (about 1 large head) 1/2 cup cream pepper salt 1 cup plain yogurt 1 lemon Directions In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, or…

Zucchini Panini with corn and goat cheese

Ever since I got my panini maker I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of sandwich combinations. I’m convinced that pretty much everything tastes better inside a sandwich. But summer gives you an extra advantage — delicious, fresh produce. Not only is this zucchini panini fun to say out loud, but it’s loaded with fresh veggies and it’s so good for you. Stuff it full of whatever you have left from last week’s farmers market haul, and it will be that much more delicious. Add sliced tomatoes for the ultimate summer sandwich. Zucchini Panini with corn and goat cheese Ingredients 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tbsp minced garlic 1 small zucchini, halved and sliced lengthwise 1 ear corn, kernels removed salt pepper 6-8 slices of bakery bread (depending how much filling you like in your sandwiches) 2 tbsp garlic butter (or just butter is fine), softened 1/2 cup goat cheese…

Slow cooker mashed potatoes made easy

Jump to the fast track on Thanksgiving side dishes and make the most effortless slow cooker mashed potatoes ever. Just set the slow cooker to high, load it with redskin potatoes, add a little water, butter and garlic, and in about four hours you’ll have perfectly rich and flavorful potatoes — no skin peeling and no boiling. Best of all, they’re fairly hands-off, so you’ll be able to use that extra time elsewhere. Slow Cooker Redskin Mashed Potatoes Makes about 10-12 servings Ingredients 3 pounds redskin potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on) 1/4 cup butter 4 cloves crushed garlic, peeled 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese About 1/4 cup milk (more as needed) 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 1/4 cup water Directions  Place potatoes in slow cooker along with butter, garlic and water. Set to high for a cook time of 4 hours, then secure the lid. After 4…

Celebrity chefs give tips for making the perfect gravy

Thanksgiving dinner is nothing without a boat of steaming gravy to smother it in, but somehow the sauce is the hardest thing to make. It can be too lumpy or runny or flavorless — but not this year. Look no further than your favorite celebrity chefs for foolproof tips and recipes on how to master their techniques and make a perfect gravy every time. And if there is one thing they all agree on, it’s that you have to make plenty of gravy — it’s the best part! Alton Brown Alton Brown’s adds a little something special to his Best Gravy Ever — wine. And not even white, but rather, a red wine that adds a rich flavor to his hearty gravy recipe. In a large roasting pan he deglazes the bottom with 24 oz. of low sodium chicken broth and 8 oz. of red wine. As it boils and reduces, scrape the bottom to…

Pumpkin recipes perfect for fall

Autumn is the best time to get back in the kitchen. The fall flavors are delicious, the aromas are blissful, and our appetites are basically craving anything pumpkin. It’s hard to go wrong when a fall recipe calls for a can of pumpkin and the usual suspect companion spices — cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination invokes pleasant memories of back-to-school, football games, Halloween and hayrides. Try these four cool weather pumpkin recipes and enjoy the season. Hearty Pumpkin Oatmeal Yields: 2 servings Hearty pumpkin oatmeal is a seasonal take on a classic cool-weather breakfast. The chopped dates and walnuts along with the crunchy apples will make this a household favorite. Ingredients 2/3 cups pumpkin 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup water 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves pinch of salt 1 cup milk of your choice 1/4 cup dates (6-7), chopped 1 apple, chopped 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped Directions…