Invasive Garlic Mustard

For several years now, I've been involved in pulling invasive garlic mustard in our county....it has become a real problem.  So finally, it dawned on me that maybe there was a good use for this invasive plant!  This garlic mustard pesto is delicious.  Please remember to dispose of any leftover garlic mustard plants/leaves in your garbage.

Garlic Mustard Pesto

8 cups packed garlic mustard leaves

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

2/3 cups pine nuts, walnuts nuts, almonds or pecans

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pick the garlic leaves off the stems and wash if needed, pat dry with paper towels.  Pack 8 cups  of garlic mustard leaves into a blender.  Pour ½ cup olive oil in the blender and pulse continuously, scraping down the leaves.  When leaves start to break down, add remaining olive oil, chopped garlic, nuts and parmesan cheese, continue to pulse in the blender until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide pesto and place in two 4 oz freezer containers.  Drizzle additional oil olive over top of pesto to help retain the beautiful green color.  Pesto can be stored in the freezer, or use within a couple weeks.

Bike Man's Favorite Recipe

I promised my hubby that I would post his favorite cornbread recipe.  So, please checkout my Turtle Recipes for the actual recipe.  Since we had a rainy and cloudy day today, Bike man felt inspired to bake cornbread and regular homemade bread.  The house smells heavenly....really!  Can't decide if I want to toast a slice of the cornbread for breakfast tomorrow or the homemade bread.  Geez, maybe I'll do both!!!

Do You Remember Maida Heatter?

Maybe I'm dating myself here, but do my readers remember Maida Heatter?  Cookbook author?  I've had this recipe for 30 years and it's my husband's favorite.  I use to use raisins years ago, but now my hubby requests craisins!!!  To find the recipe, please look in my Turtle Recipe menu.

I've been on a baking binge lately, baking for friends, family and non-profit agency meetings.  I like to keep myself busy, so baking is my refuge.....it keeps me feeling happy and satisfied.  Somehow, my life is mimicking my mother's.  My mom used to bake for the love of giving to others.  I'll be traveling to my parents home soon and taking lots of home-baked goods to them, just like they used to bring to me in my younger years.  The life cycle continues.......

Swedish Cardamom Rolls (Swedish Bullar)

A friend of mine introduced me to Cardamom Rolls, or otherwise known as Swedish Bullar.  Bullar dough is similar to cinnamon roll dough, but not as sweet.  Bullar dough calls for lots of melted butter and an egg to make it rich and flavorful.  You will find this recipe in my Turtle recipe menu.

After letting the dough proof for one hour, I rolled the dough out on a floured surface to a 20 x 15 inch rectangle.  Softened butter is spread on the rectangle and then sprinkle with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and cardamom....I used more cardamom than the recipe called for.

Now, just fold the dough over in half!  With the short side of the rectangle, cut 1 inch strips.  I then took my rolling pin and rolled out the strip to flatten and lengthen it. 

Take the flattened strip and coil it tightly around three fingers, tucking in the tail.  You can also use a twist motion if preferred.  I just did a basic coil around the fingers.

After tucking in the tail, I took the coiled up roll and dabbed the top in the cinnamon/cardamom sugar that was left over on the matt.  No need to waste good sugar!!!

I put the cardamom rolls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and proofed another 30-45 minutes in a warm place.  When the rolls are ready to bake, brush each roll with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little more coarse sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Trigger Foods

Brickle Chip Blondies

Have you ever cooked or baked something that suddenly triggers family memories?  I had one of those moments tonight when I reached for a family favorite cookie/bar recipe book.  I haven't used this cookie book for like fifteen years!  I was contemplating tonight what favorite bar recipe could I make for my neighbors to try and cheer them up.  Laurie and Therese experienced the worse nightmare last night when a skunk sprayed underneath the crawl space of their house.  The stench is so horrible that the gals had to quickly grab some belongings (and their cat) and move to the local hotel.  All day I've been trying to think about how I could help the gals, but there really isn't anything my husband and I could do for them......except, make a sweet treat for them. 

So getting back to my question, do you have a trigger food or recipe?  As soon as I made these bars tonight, memories started flooding back to me of when Becca and Chris were young children.  I sure miss those days.  So, this particular recipe was one of their favorites and I bought the cookie book back in the mid 90's.  I made these bars all the time because they were fast and easy to make.  The pan of bars NEVER lasted long in our house.  And now?  Bike man and I rarely bake cookies, cakes or pies.  Nowadays, all you hear or read about is that sugar is bad for you.  Kind of makes a person depressed ya know!  I enjoyed making the pan of bars and will make them again when I have my next sugar craving.

If you are interested in the recipe, please look in my Turtle Recipes menu.