Welcome to the Veve's Handmade Blog

Nov

2011

Happy (late) Thanksgiving and Smoothies!

Posted by amanda | Comments (2)

Tags: cooking, food, fun, holiday, recipes, smoothies

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! Ours was small. My mom and sister were in Tennessee visiting family and Genevieve was in Michigan with her dad, so it was just me, my boyfriend and his mom. So it was different from most years, but a nice break from the usual routine. I was really happy that I got turkey and ham bones to make stock out of! The freezer is stocked for awhile now. I skipped Black Friday shopping. I don’t do well with crowds and long lines, and I prefer to use discount sites and coupon codes and do most of my holiday shopping online.

About a month ago Genevieve noticed the blender and asked me what it was for. I told her it was for making smoothies, because I couldn’t think of anything else right then even though I have never made them before. Since then she’s asked a few times if we can make them, and yesterday we finally did.

After consulting foodgawker and becoming hopelessly overwhelmed by all the smoothie recipes, and then wondering why I can’t manage to make such a simple drink I texted my friend Alaina, who loves cooking as much as I do. She broke it down in simple terms: fruit and a bit of liquid or ice, throw in blender, blend. So easy!

I used canned fruit, because none of the fresh at the grocery store looked delicious at all. I can of peaches, half a can of pineapple and a bit of orange juice. They were delicious, and now I have dreams of making a variety of fruit smoothies to go with breakfast each morning…

Genevieve making smoothies

in the blender

make smoothies today!

Oct

2011

Chicken Pot Pie

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, recipes

Tags: chicken, cooking, food, fresh cooking, recipes

There’s been a big change in me & Ve’s life: we moved in with my boyfriend! It’s been just over a month now, and we are all settled in at Brian’s house (our house!). It’s been an adventure, all of us adjusting, and it’s been really great.

All of us have been a bit sick the past few days. Me and Brian have colds, and Ve has yet another ear infection. It also finally cooled down, today was a perfectly crisp fall day in Chicago. Because of all that I was in the mood for some rich comfort food.

I used this Martha Stewart recipe and it was perfect. Fairly easy and all the flavors were just right. I used a mix of olive oil and butter (I tend to burn just butter), I left out the potatoes and peas, because we don’t have any, and added a few cloves of garlic. I also only had the little puff pastry shells, so I baked those separately and spooned the pot pie over them, so it was actually more like a stew, and would have been just as good with biscuits instead of puff pastry. I strongly recommend making your own chicken stock. It’s easy to do, far more flavorful than store-bought, and I feel good about using all of the animal.

Brian liked it so much he asked me to make a similar gravy next time we have mashed potatoes (I’m sure this is because the home made stock is so much tastier), but unfortunately Ve didn’t eat any. She’s recently decided to become a picky eater and it’s driving me crazy. I made her baby food, and as soon as she was on solids made sure that she ate a variety of foods, plenty of fruits and veggies and food from different cultures. I thought it was a fool-proof plan to raise a good eater and I was wrong. Most days she’ll announce that she now doesn’t like some new item that she’s always eaten without a problem. Yesterday it was bananas and today it was chicken. I never force her to eat anything, but the rule is that if she doesn’t eat dinner then she doesn’t get a snack later, and she always breaks down and ends up eating (although I’m sure that later she will ask for some cake and try to convince me that that is a proper meal!).

delicious!

Jul

2011

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Ground Beef and Spinach

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, recipes

Tags: breadcrumbs, food, fresh cooking, recipes

For as long as I can remember I’ve hated macaroni and cheese. The powder packet, the color of it, the way it smells all disgust me. My mom used to make it when I was a kid and I’d refuse to eat it. She would occasionally buy the white cheddar variety, and I could manage a few bites of it. I know I’m in the minority here because everyone seems to love the stuff, but I just don’t get it. My daughter even loves it, especially Easy Mac, and I do keep some on hand for quick meals for her.

ewww! ditch the box!!!

About a year ago I decided to learn how to make my own. I’ll eat any kind of pasta, I like cheese, so I wanted to be able to enjoy macaroni and cheese. My first time making it everything was perfect, I finally understood the appeal! Unfortunately, I lost that recipe and subsequent attempts were only so-so, until today.

I viewed several recipes and combined parts of them to come up with this one. It’s rich and creamy without being too much, it was perfect for me. If you’ve never made roux before don’t be intimidated, it requires attention but is not difficult and is necessary to achieve creaminess and evenly distribute the flavor. I’m really happy I used some chicken stock instead of all milk this time, I think that’s what kept this from being too thick. This recipe is very versatile, you can leave out the meat or use bacon or chicken, switch the spinach to broccoli and use whatever kind of cheeses you like. It probably took me close to an hour to prepare, so this is not a dish for a quick work-night meal.

i forgot to take photos until it was on my plate, ready to be eaten!

1 package rotini (I tried tri-color veggie ones and will use them again)
ground beef (as much as you like, use 1/4 lb for just a bit of meat and go up from there)
salt & pepper
garlic powder
oregano
frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and with the water squeezed out, use fresh if you’d like)
3 Tablespoon butter (I prefer unsalted)
1 shallot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
8 oz package of fresh mozzarella
1 cup cheddar
1/4 cup parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375

Boil water for the rotini, cook till al dente, drain

Brown the ground beef, I added salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano (a pinch or so of each) for additional flavor

To make the roux:

Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the flour, cook and whisk
Add the shallot and garlic, cook for a few minutes until softened
Add the chicken stock and milk, whisking often
Turn up the heat, let boil or almost boil until it thickens
Add the mozzarella and cheddar and keep whisking until they melt

Mix the beef, spinach, rotini and sauce together, pour into a casserole dish (I’m lazy and did this in the casserole dish), top with the parmesan and breadcrumbs

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Nov

2010

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Posted by amanda | Comments (2)

Category : cooking, diy

Tags: bread, breadcrumbs, fresh cooking, recipes

Making your own bread crumbs is so easy! You can season them as you like, or leave them plain and they taste far better than store-bought. Plus, they are free, since you already paid for the bread.

Preheat oven to 350

Crumble bread ends (either store-bought or homemade) into a bowl

Toss the crumbs in about a tablespoon of olive oil, add a bit of salt, pepper and fresh or dried herbs if you’d like (I used a bit of dried parsley in this batch)

Place the crumb mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 5 minutes, toss the crumbs and bake for another 5 minutes or until browned

Remove from oven and let cool

That’s it! These should be okay stored in an air-tight container, but I always freeze mine because I want to ensure that they don’t go bad.

about to go in the oven

finished!

Oct

2010

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Parsley Brown Butter

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, recipes

Tags: fall, gnocchi, recipes, squash

This months issue of Everyday Food featured an article on homemade gnocchi. I’ve wanted to try my hand at it for some time, and after reading the article I immediately decided that I needed to make it, soon! I wanted to use some butternut squash, it’s so sweet and versatile and I thought it would be delicious with some bacon and dried rosemary. I spent a whole Sunday morning making a double batch (half to freeze of course!). I really enjoyed making these and they turned out fantastic! The gnocchi was light and airy, all the flavors melded perfectly.

1 large roasted squash (how to roast is here
6 slices bacon
1-2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
Salt & pepper to taste
Flour

Fry bacon
Put the squash, bacon, rosemary and salt & pepper in a food processor and pulse until creamy and smooth
Add in enough flour until the dough is not wet and sticky, probably a few cups, mix by hand until combined
Powder your counter with flour, divide dough into 8 sections
Roll each section into a 1/2″ thick rope, and cut into 1/2″ pieces
Dip a fork in flour and press into 1 side of each piece
Repeat until you are out of dough
Boil a large pot of water and boil the gnocchi about 2 minutes, they are ready when they float to the top

For the Sauce:

1/2 stick butter
2 Tablespoons fresh or dried parsley

Put butter in a pan and add parley, cook until browned
Pour on top of the fresh gnocchi and enjoy!

in the food processor

the dough

press it with a fork

boil it

finished!

Just looking at this picture makes me want to make it again!

Oct

2010

How to Roast Pumpkin and Winter Squash

Posted by amanda | Comments (3)

Category : cooking, diy, recipes

Tags: cooking, pumpkin, squash

I hate canned pumpkin. For years I thought that I didn’t like pumpkin at all, until I finally roasted my own and realized that it is actually delicious! Now I get really excited when pie pumpkins hit the market and I can buy a bunch to roast and make sweet or savory meals with it, and freeze whatever is left over. It is hard to cut through the thick shells, I usually end up kinda sawing through it. I had butternut squash to roast too, so I went ahead and did them at the same time. Usually I cut the squash into cubes and roast with olive oil, garlic and herbs, but I was using it to make gnocchi so I wanted it plain this time.I don’t know exactly how long they last in the fridge, but I think it’s around a week. I freeze the leftovers in 1 cup portions in plastic freezer bags.

How to do it:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (or put it directly on if you want more of a mess).

Wash the produce. Get out a cutting board and large, sharp knife.

Cut the top off the pumpkin, then cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and the stringy bits. I reserve the seeds to roast.

Cut the top off the squash, cut it again just before the bell, then cut those pieces in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, and these seeds can be roasted too!

Place all the pieces face-down on your prepared baking sheets. Some people add a bit of water, but I don’t and don’t see the point of adding an extra step in when it’s unnecessary.

Start checking them after about 45 minutes, but it usually takes about an hour. They are ready when they are soft.

When cool enough to touch, scoop out the meat and discard the skins. Enjoy!

Oct

2010

Chocolate Chip and Nutella Cookies

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, recipes

Tags: baking, cookies, recipes

Make these cookies immediately. They are soooo good! I can’t even imagine a more perfect cookie, just the right amount of richness, all the flavors work amazingly…I like them so much that I ate so many yesterday I couldn’t eat lunch.

The only changes I made to the recipe were: I used salted butter and omitted the salt, because I didn’t have unsalted on hand, and I used 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla, because I accidentally grabbed the almond out of the cabinet!

Ve's cooking

my little helper

about to go in the oven

i already want to make these again!

Oct

2010

My Food Philosophy

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, recipes

Tags: food

I’ve been posting more about food that I had intended to when I started this blog. It’s just that I love food. I love shopping for it, cooking it, reading about it and especially eating it. Oh, and apparently I love writing about it to! I wanted to write this post about the general rules that I try to always follow in the kitchen to ensure that we eat well.

Some days I do spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen, because I enjoy it, but it is possible to prepare healthy and delicious meals in reasonable amounts of time. It is something that everyone can do. I worry all the time about the alarming diabetes and obesity rates in America and I don’t want to be part of that, and I don’t want my daughter to be a part of that. I hope every day that raising her around home-cooked meals is something that sticks with her for life and something that she will do for her children. I’m hoping to live a long life and I’m only going to have this body so it’s incredibly important to take care of it as best I can to prevent breakdowns. One of the easiest ways to do that is to be careful of what I put in it.

These are some tips for a healthy and yummy kitchen:

♥ Use fresh, whole ingredients whenever possible.

♥ Eat free-range meat and eggs when available.

♥ Shop at farmer’s markets for fresh, local produce, or join a CSA.

♥ Don’t eat bagged meals, those frozen ones that you throw in a pot and heat up. It’s easy and tastier to make your own versions. Same goes with soups.

♥ Chop your own garlic instead of using the powdered stuff, grow and dry your own herbs if possible and use high-quality spices to season your food ( I like The Spice House). Oh, and throw out the table salt. Kosher and sea salt are far more flavorful, so you use less.

♥ Eat fruits and vegetables. Pretty much all of them are delicious if prepared correctly.

♥ Full fat dairy tastes better and is more nutritious.

♥ Learn portion sizes. There is no way I’m ever giving up rich foods or ice cream, but I eat them in reasonable portions. Stop when you feel full.

♥ Don’t stock your cabinets with unhealthy snacks. You won’t sit and eat a whole bag of chips if you don’t have any.

♥ Bake your own goodies for treats. They still aren’t exactly healthful, but at least you know what is in them. Use unbleached flour, whole wheat flour or any of the other kinds out there. Oh, and buy a french rolling pin. I love mine.

♥ Freeze what you aren’t going to use. When I make too much food for me and Ve to eat that night plus lunch tomorrow I freeze the rest to make dinner easy another day. Sometimes I purposely make big batches to do this, especially with soups.

I highly recommend The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters and Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey for recipes and advice.

Sep

2010

How to Can Tomatoes

Posted by amanda | Comments (0)

Category : cooking, diy

Tags: canning, tomatoes

Home canned tomatoes are the only thing that can even begin to compare to fresh summer tomatoes. There is nothing like opening up a can in January and enjoying a little taste of summer. It is a considerable amount of work, and it is worth it. I spent about 5 hours on this batch and ended up with 25 pint jars, which will hopefully get us through the winter. I bought a half-bushel of tomatoes (only $12!), and it weighed 25 lbs! I had never done that big of a batch before but I’m glad I did. Last year was my first year canning and I only had 10 cans, which only got us through about half of the cold months.The benefits of canning your own are that you can use local tomatoes, organic and/or of any variety, and they won’t be loaded with sodium and preservatives. Also, the flavor is far superior to factory canned or using off-season fresh tomatoes.

My method for canning crushed tomatoes is adapted from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I insist you read this book or another reputable one before you can at home. If not done properly it is possible for bacteria to grow in your cans which can cause food poisoning. That said, don’t be scared. After canning just a few times it starts to feel easy and learning new skills is always a good thing.

1. Examine jars and closures for nicks and chips, discard any that are not in perfect condition. Wash jars.

2. Place jars in a large pot of boiling water. A canning rack should be used, but I don’t have one and it’s been fine. Place lids in a separate pot of warm (NOT boiling) water.

3. In another large pot, boil water. Place clean tomatoes in the boiling water for a minute or so until the skins loosen and can easily be peeled off. I use tongs to remove the tomatoes. Immediately place them in a bowl of icy water to slip skins off. Remove core and any bruised portions.

4. Quarter about 2 cups of tomatoes and heat them in yet another large pot (this should be stainless steel). Mash the tomatoes as they come to a boil. Keep quartering tomatoes and adding them to the pot, you probably won’t need to keep mashing them, as they soften in the heat. After all tomatoes are added boil 5 minutes.

quartered tomatoes

tomatoes in the pot

almost ready to jar!

5. Remove a jar from its bath using canning tongs. For pint jars, add 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice (the acid is necessary for safe canning). Using a wide-mouth funnel pour in enough tomatoes to leave 1/2 inch headspace. I use a soup ladle to get the tomatoes from the pot to the jar with minimal mess. Wipe rim. Place lid on jar, close with screw band. Repeat until all jars are filled.

carefully removing the jar, the water in there is hot!

a filled jar

6. Place jars in canner. Make sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Cover. Start the processing time when the water is at a rapid boil (and it must stay at a rapid boil the entire time). Process for 35 minutes, wait 5 minutes, remove jars with canning tongs and let cool. Store and use as needed.

finished!

Aug

2010

Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by amanda | Comment (1)

Category : cooking

Tags: baking, cookies

The other day Ve woke up asking for cookies. After a couple hours I finally decided we could make some. The girl really loves her sweets.

I went through my bookmarked recipes, thinking about trying something new, one of the recipes that I saved ages ago but haven’t got around to making yet. Instead I went with these cookies. Last year I was obsessed with them and probably made them a dozen times. Plus, I froze so much pumpkin last year I still had 2 bags left that I needed to use since fresh pumpkin will be available soon.

These cookies are delicious. I use chocolate chips in place of the pecans and skip the glaze altogether (there’s nothing wrong with them that way, I just prefer them my way). They are thick, kind of like little cakes. I actually call them cakies.