APPLES PILED HIGH

After realizing that I only spent 3 minutes, 10 times a day on FB, I decided to try and see how many “real” hours a day I was spending on the computer.  It turns out I average around 5 hours.  By stopping FB, I had only managed to cut out 3.5 hours per week.  Hmmm.

I thought it would be interesting to find out how I compared with my friends, and found out that working and retired people alike spend about the same amount of time, an average of 8.5 hours a day…reading books, watching YouTube, texting, answering emails, being in chat rooms, playing games, working…whatever.  Some were on for around 16 hours per day, while others were just on it an hour.

I am not trying to turn back the hands of time here.  I do realize this is the norm now, this being on the computer for hours and hours and hours.  I just realized that being on the computer has replaced and surpassed the amount of time spent watching TV.  I went to get my eyes examined the other day, and my eye Dr. told me that I should get a pair of glasses that I use just for the computer, to avoid eye strain, which I do have.

So since I can’t cut down much more, I can take breaks: baking, gardening, painting.

Apple Charlotka

Here’s a recipe from the Smitten site (one of the few food blogs that I like) that I have modified to make gluten-free.  I’ve also cut back the sugar a bit, and sprinkle some of it on top to get a bit of caramelized glaze on top.  You’ll see.  It’s easy, not too sweet, and very yummy. The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, by the way, which of course you can use.

Sadhvi’s Apple Charlotka

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing the pan

• 6 large tart Apples, like a Granny Smith
• 3 large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• …and another 1/4 cup Sugar to sprinkle on top towards the end of the baking time in the oven
• 1 t. Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 cup of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix (this replaces the flour, it is gluten-free, and, it tastes good!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

Peel, halve and core apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks.

Put the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, and beat eggs with sugar until thick.

Beat in vanilla, then add the cinnamon.

Now stir in Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix with a spoon until just combined. (The batter will be very thick.)

Pour batter over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. (i.e. spread the batter and press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.)

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or so.

Then sprinkle that reserved 1/4 cup of sugar on top.

Bake another 5 minutes or so.

Now move the pan up a rack, and put on Broil.  (At this point, watch the cake to make sure it does not burn!)

When done, cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter.

Eat plain, warm or at room temperature, with some whipped cream or sour cream on top to get fancy, if desired.

Enjoy!

It's Good!

Annice

I was inspired to cook a hardy meal for a friend who spent six weeks in the hospital after suffering from a perforated colon.  She left the hospital weighing 90 lbs having lost 20, and when I asked her what she’d like to eat, she said, “meat – red meat.”

I immediately thought of one of my Dad’s favorite dishes, Hungarian Goulash.  Being Hungarian, it was a dish he often made in the winter and one that that I love but rarely make.  Of course goulash doesn’t have the same mystique of Proust’s madelaines, but it still conjures up childhood memories.  And while I wasn’t able to deliver my goulash with fresh crusty rye bread, it was every bit as delicious and authentic as my Dad’s.

As you might have guessed, my Dad never used a recipe, so neither do I.  I’ve tried my best to construct one for you.  The key, I might add, is to use good quality paprika.  After all, you want to be sure to get the vitamin C found in paprika.  And, did you know, it was Hungarian Nobel Laureate Albert Szent-Györgyi who is credited with discovering vitamin C in paprika?

Serves 6-8 people

DAD's GOULASH

Ingredients

• Oil
• 3 ½ – 4 lbs beef chuck cut into cubes (my Dad liked beef shank or shoulder)
• 3 large yellow onions, chopped (my dad always picked the largest onions)
• 4 large potatoes, cubed
• 4-6 carrots, cut in circles
• Garlic, crushed   (not too much)
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Water

1. Sauté the chopped onions in oil until they are a nice golden brown.

2.  Sprinkle the onions with the paprika, stirring to prevent the paprika from burning.

3.  Add the beef and sauté until they are a bit brownish in color

4.  Let the beef simmer in its juice and add the crushed garlic, some salt and pepper, pour water enough to cover the content of the pan and let it simmer on low heat for a while, stirring occasionally.

5.  When the meat is half-cooked (approx. 1.5 hrs) add the carrots and potatoes, and more salt if necessary.  You might have to add some more (2-3 cups) water too.  ENJOY.

Annice

This is one of my favorite recipe’s from my dear friend Va at Sheville.org.  I tried to make this Tequila Christmas Cake recipe for Chanukah again this year, but it didn’t work out so well.  So, I’m trying again for New Year’s Day.  Here goes:

 Ingredients 

.

.

Sample the tequila to check quality.  Take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be  sure it is of the highest quality.  Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer.

Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Beat again.  At this point, it is best to make sure the tequila is still OK.  Try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.  Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck iin the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor.  Mix on the turner.  If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity.  Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something.  Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon ice strain your nuts.  Add one table.  Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.  Turn the cake tin 360s and try not to fall over.  Don’t forget to beat off the turner.  Finally, throw the bowl through the window.  Finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat.

Too Much Tequila

Pahhpy New Gears!

Sakshi the Swiss Chestnut Roaster

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Really.  Because it’s that time of the year that is the most hectic, with all the shopper’s and all their frustrations, and all the family gathering’s that have to be planned and all the gifts that must be bought and wrapped and then it gets dark so early and it’s cold and maybe it’s gonna be bad weather and! and! and!

Since I bake and send my gifts to my family, I don’t shop, I don’t do any family gatherings, and, we don’t have kids.  We don’t even celebrate Christmas.  Actually, I kind of like it that the more crazy it gets “out there”, the more I slow down and go inside.

Plus, it’s that special time of the year where I can get my fill of one of my most favorite foods: Fresh Roasted Chestnuts!

I get to help out at the Chestnut Stand, which I LOVE to do.  It is such a pleasure to smell the chestnuts roasting.  To watch people.  Look at their shoes.  Sing my favorite Christmas Song with customers: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song).

To notice how many people are not aware of walking because they are texting or reading a text.  Or an email.  Or on FaceBook.  It’s kinda weird.  But that makes the ones that look me in the eye and smile from their heart really special.  It fills me up.  Oh, there are lots more babies this year.  And lots of them are laughing.

And more people are into chestnuts this year.  Maybe because chestnuts are so good tasting and so good for you?  A complete protein (you can live on them…cooked or raw), they are low in fat.  And alkaline.

This year, when someone asks for a sample, I say that it will cost them a quarter or a good joke (i.e. “chicken crossing the road jokes” do not count!).  It’s been fun.  It also been interesting to see how many people do not know a good joke – unbelievable!

The other day a small boy, maybe 6, who has been coming to the stand since he was a baby, doesn’t want a sample, he wants a large bag of chestnuts, but he wants to tell me his favorite joke.  Which is funny.

Then he says, “So who gets the money?”  It’s me.  Because I am the only one there.  My husband is someplace else.  He gives me the money, I give him the chestnuts, and then he says, “You know, I can’t tell you how shocked I was to find out you are the Chestnut Man’s wife!”.  We all cracked up and laughed and laughed.  I can’t tell you why that was so funny, but it felt so good.

And that is what makes this season special…there is so much of everything, including love and laughter.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

xxx

Sadhvi

SADHVI

I’ve started to get into the Holiday spirit.

It started with the first snowflakes last week, the Christmas songs I’ve been playing while baking the things that I love to send to my family, and the tangible joy I feel when I roast chestnuts as a street vendor with my husband.

This year there are more and more people who are trying chestnuts for the first time.  And loving them.

Knowing that they aren’t nuts, that they are a complete protein (you can live on them), that they’re alkaline, and they contain very little fat might be the reason.  Or could it be that they’ve been growing all summer in Italy, so that you are, in fact, eating “Italian Sunshine”?

HOT ROASTED CHESTNUTS!

Without chestnuts, I don’t know if I could handle winter.  I’ve made a simple Chestnut soup for dinner tonight.  I like easy, simple, and satisfying.

For my family who are far from me every year, I used the recipe that I have for making my Swiss Linzer Torte.  But instead of rolling out the dough for the torte, I just pinch off some pieces and roll it in a ball, press down in the middle with my thumb, and fill with raspberry jam, if I have it.  And some other kind if I don’t.  I bake them for about 15 minutes, and then sprinkle with some of the ground almonds.  Everyone loves them.  You will too!

“Swiss Linzer Thumbprint Cookies”.

SWISS LINZER COOKIES & ST. NICK

THE LIGHT OF AUTUMN

We belong to the local “Swiss Club”, where we get together every so often to eat good, traditional Swiss food, chat, watch a movie, and generally have a good time.

One of our friends is a cook in one of the resorts here, and we started to talk about “Rot Kraut”, a favorite fall dish.

Then the whole table took turns telling how they make their version.

Every person had a different way to make it, and everyone was excited and thrilled to hear how.  I love those kind of conversations…so much better than trying to top each other on the latest bizarre news of the moment!

I don’t remember eating “Red Cabbage” while growing up in Cleveland.  I did eat it in Switzerland though, where people went crazy over it, as a side dish to other fall specialties, like homemade “spaetzli”  served with wild boar sausages.

MITSOUKO by Guerlain

So if you like “Red Cabbage”, I think you will love this “recipe” I got from a French house guest we had staying with us.  She also was the one who introduced me to the Guerlain perfume house, and my favorite perfume, Mitsouko.  I can’t remember her name, it was over 20 years ago, but I will always remember her.

She got this recipe from her great-great grandmother that is absolutely delicious.  Funny, but when I told the friend who’s a cook about how I make it, he said he had never heard of doing it like this before with garlic.

By the way, he uses apple sauce…something I will be sure to try in the months to come.

Sadhvi’s Red Cabbage Recipe

1.   Take a head of red cabbage and wash, remove any outer leaves that don’t look good, core it, and cut it up into the desired size.

2.   If you use a pressure cooker for everything like I do,  then you know how to do the timing, etc.  If not, throw the cabbage into a big pot with a tight fitting lid.

3.   Take a whole head of garlic (or so), peel, and put one or two whole cloves into each piece.  This makes taking them out very easy after cooking, because you don’t want the cloves after it’s done.   Place them amongst the cabbage in the pot.

4.   Now sprinkle some good balsamic vinegar over the cabbage.  It’s maybe a cup, maybe a bit more?  It doesn’t matter!  We have a store around here that has really cheap prices on really good condiments.  So I understand if you don’t want to use your really expensive Italian Balsamic Vinegar.  Use whatever you have on hand.  No need to go out and buy anything special for this recipe.

5.   Now sprinkle some salt over the cabbage.  And now some nice olive oil. 

6.   Cook.  Voila!  Enjoy…now wasn’t that easy?  It’s even better the next day, by the way.

"ROT KRAUT"

FATIMAH'

I enjoy sharing women that are interesting and Fatimah’ is one of those women.  I recently met her to ask some questions in order for you to get to know her better.  She is so into music and has her own website where she is the DJ.  Finding out that we both listened to Matt the Cat and Kid Leo on WMMS, the home of the Buzzard, back in the glory days of rock in the 70′s was actually not a surprise…

What was the name of the first record you ever bought?

I remember it well…it was “Think”, by James Brown and The Famous Flames.  This song made me dance, and I love dancing.

Who was your favorite female singer while growing up?

It was “Esther Phillips”. Esther’s voice is sultry & unique.  Take a listen…

What is the one thing you have to put on that makes you feel good about leaving the house?

I have to say, it’s an essential oil called “Ylang Ylang” and I only use the one from the company, Young Living.  It makes me feel empowered, seductive, creative, and magnetic.

What is your favorite comfort food?

It’s either Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Daz’s Butter Pecan ice cream, or, this Greek Honey Vanilla yogurt that I get at the health food store.

What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being over 50?

If there was anything that is my least favorite thing about being over 50, I guess it would be that I don’t have the physical strength and tenacity that I used to have: I don’t last like I used to!  But my favorite things are I feel more conscious, more aware, and feel like I have wisdom.

What is your most favorite thing to do that is “creative”?

Dancing, singing, drumming, storytelling: I love them all!

Do you feel optimistic about the future?  And, what keeps you going?

Oh yes.  I do feel optimistic about the future!  And what keeps me going are the possibilities.  The unknown.  The trusting.  And the knowing.

What is part of your daily routine that makes you feel good?

I have a internet TV Station, “One Outrageous place on the Internet” ‘Shabazz 7777‘  WRNU Internet TV.

Check it out by clicking here: http://www.viewerone.com/channels/wrnu

I get such a good feeling and so much enjoyment while selecting the music or Informative Documentaries for each show, knowing that those good vibes are being passed along and shared; that is something that I love to do!  Tune in from 7pm – 7am every day to feel it!

SADHVI

I had a lot of Basil plants that I’ve been using in salads all summer long…if you keep pinching back the plant, and never let it start to flower, it becomes very bushy and full.  Which means, more Basil!  Notice how I capitalize the word: Basil.  It’s like a good friend, and I cannot imagine my life without it.

The other day I heard someone say it’s going to get cold, so I harvested all of my plants to make my version of “pesto”, knowing that with just one cold night, all that lovely taste inside those leaves would be gone, and therefore wasted.  I never really FEEL like doing these kinds of things, I just somehow start to move in that direction, and IT happens on it’s own.  I must have it in me from my Slovenia grandma or something. Or maybe from my other grandma, Mabel Carter?  Both women had gardens, sewed their family’s clothes, and both put food up for the winter months.

ONE OF SADHVI'S PAINTINGS

So I got out my Cuisinart food processor, started to pluck Basil leaves (never stems), added olive oil and a little salt, and then blended until I got the consistency that makes it pourable into clean glass jars, labeled them, and voila!  A base for pesto that will last a long, long time if it’s kept covered with olive oil, and in the back of the fridge.  Just let it sit for an hour or so, to make sure the olive oil comes to the top to “seal” it, which preserves it.

SADHVI'S BASIL HARVEST

I had grown hundreds of pots of different types of Basil my first year that I started to garden, way back in the spring of ’94.  I had never gardened before that.  I was too busy with my “life”.

Then we got into a terrible car accident, and I slowed down.

And started to paint and to garden.

I didn’t know how to do either before the accident.

That first year I grew Thai Basil, I grew Purple Basil, I grew maybe 10 different types of Basil.  And you know what?  I only grow 2 types nowadays.  The Genovese Basil and the Greek Basil.  The other ones are interesting, but really, I don’t waste my energy on them, because the taste is only in those 2 I grow!

After harvesting all those different types of Basil that first year, I mixed them with garlic and pine nuts and olive oil and salt and put the mixture in sterilized glasses.  Much to my horror, after a month in the fridge, they were all moldy and had to be composted – my heart almost broke in two!  All that work for nothing.  Well, being the type of person that has to make a big mistake the first time I do something, I’ve since been told how to do it the right way.

BASIL, OLIVE OIL, SALT!

So here’s a very simple way of preserving Basil from Martina, my Swiss-Italian girlfriend.

Martina told me to never add the garlic and the nuts.  Only do that when I am making the meal, she said.  This is the way her Italian grandmother taught her and I’ve been doing it this way every single year since, which makes this year my 15th year.

1.  Take a big pot and fill with water and bring to boil and then add the pasta.

2.  While that’s cooking, take a big mixing bowl and spoon out some of the “Basil, Olive Oil and Salt” into it.  Let it sit on the counter for a while, and then, take a paper towel and wipe the sides of the inside of the jar, removing any of the mix, and make sure it’s covered with some olive oil; not a lot.

3.  Add some fresh-pressed garlic cloves and some chopped walnuts or pine nuts (or whatever nuts you have), and mix.

4.  Once the pasta is “al dente”, ladle out some of the water from the pot and mix in with “Basil, Oil, & Salt”/garlic/nut mix until it’s the way you like your sauce.

5.  Drain the pasta, rinse, and add to the mix and toss.

Grate lots of the best Italian Parmesan cheese you can afford, get a good bottle of red wine, put some Frank Sinatra music on, and maybe a candle or two, and savor the taste of summer, preserved!
p.s. if you want to see how other people make and preserve their pesto, Culinate, which is one of the food blogs that I subscribe to, shares their tips.  Just Click This!

SADHVI

It’s been really hot on the eastern side of the US.  Or maybe it’s just a long hot flash?  Either way, I haven’t felt like doing much cooking in the evening lately.  So I try to take it easy and make simple things for dinner, like cold beet salad (I LOVE BEETS!) with fresh goat cheese and something from the garden, like dill.  I have a feeling that everyone has their own recipe with their own memories from their grandma or mother making it, so I won’t post mine.  You do know that I really don’t follow any recipes anyways, right?  And that it’s too hot for me to prepare dinner AND write down what I’m doing?

Oh, and by the way, if you happen to be living on the western coast of the States, where it’s been cold, well, you can still make fresh steamed or juiced beets – beets are so good for you.  Didn’t Dr. Oz talk about them recently?

But here is a recipe from Clara, who is almost taking the place of Oprah.  I find this woman fascinating!  She’s lived through the depression, and she looks terrific!  She has her own website, and her own book.  Maybe everyone but me knows about Clara, but if you are not familiar with her, take a few moments to watch her in action.  I think you’ll agree, she’s a treasure.

P.S. Thanks Garima for sharing!

Stay Cool,

Sadhvi

SADHVI

Well, I almost stopped doing this blog since some of my friends seemed to be concerned about me after my last posts.  For those friends who don’t know it, I have a very quirky sense of humor.  I think it was developed from all those winters that I spent growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.  At any rate, I didn’t realize that ending a post with Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” would give anyone cause for concern until I mentioned the weird reactions I was getting to a long-time friend who happens to be from Cleveland too.  She said she read my post, and as usual, simply enjoyed hearing from me.  However, she did say that having that Pink Floyd song might give someone the impression that I was drifting off into a suicidal binge – OMG!

I’ve been doing a post a week for the last couple of years, so if it sounds like I am going off into the deep end, in reality, I am not:  I am simply sharing something.  Consider these posts a little window into my reality, and simply enjoy.

There are just so many things that are in bloom right now.  I love my flowers, and I love how they photograph.

Here are a few that lit up my world this past week:

CORNFLOWER

AN ORIENTAL POPPY

CALIFORNIA POPPIES

PEONY

I also like to bake, and so here’s what I made this past week for my husband, who absolutely loves rhubarb.  This tart is made from the first batch of rhubarb from my garden.  And as usual, it was delicious!  I don’t even like rhubarb but I squealed when I my first taste of this.

SADHVI'S SWISS RHUBARB TART

I shared this secret and easy recipe for this before, so I have not re-posted it.  Just enter it in the search box at the top to get it from the archives.  It is timeless and always good.

What else?  I like to take our dog, Bello, for an evening walk on the trails nearby our house.  It is so quiet, and we usually don’t run into anyone, so it is especially nice.  I wanted to share a picture of the evening light that makes those walks magic for me.

THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST

So whatever your reality is, I invite you to share yours with me, or simply enjoy mine!

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Since Oops50 is a site about and for women over 50, I have to tell you that I am usually not aware of how old I am.  That’s why I don’t write about menopause, aches and pains, hot flashes, sharing the best face cream to take years off my face, etc.  OK, once in a while I notice something new, like jowls, and I have to write about it, but really, I  don’t think there is anything to be done about it except to be aware of my mind freaking out at times, and just accepting what is.

When I first started to develop breasts and have a period, I didn’t think I could change it; I just accepted it and didn’t really dwell on it.  It was also a change, and it was kind of weird, just like menopause.

I could also share what I heard the latest date on Rapture is (I think it’s the end of May now), how I feel about the radiation levels all over the planet, or how the Oxford English Dictionary added a lot of new words and phrases, including OMG and LOL (which I thought meant “lots of love” and now know it means, “laughing out loud”!).

Instead, I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes that is easy and very delicious.  When you read it, it’s going to sound complicated, but believe me, it’s not!  And not only will you be glad you tried this recipe, but you will feel like a genius and your loved ones who eat these will also look at you in a better way.

SADHVI'S SWISS MANDELGIPFELI !

Now you could just go buy some frozen puff pastry dough from the supermarket, but when you make this just once, why would you waste gas, and money, to get something that is filled with junk that is poison for your body?

Sadhvi’s Swiss Almond “Gipfeli”* (croissant)

The recipe for the pastry dough:

2 cps. Flour (I use King Arthur’s All Purpose Organic White Flour)

3/4 t. Salt…put all this is a bowl and whisk to mix.

Take 1 stick + 1 T. cold Organic Butter (and not Land ‘o Lakes), cut in pieces, and by hand, blend it and squeeze it and think good thoughts while doing so.  Think of your loving grandma, think all good wishes, think that you are making this for all the hungry people in the world, and imagine that everyone that eats it will be filled with love and happiness, and that will spread all over the planet.

Add…1/2 cup = 1 T. Sour Cream, or Yogurt, or Quark, and mix quickly into a ball…don’t knead!

Flatten in a ball in a bowl and put it in the fridge for a half hour.

Take out of fridge and roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle, about a half inch thick.  Bring the 2 shortest sides to the middle, and brush off any flour with brush or hands.  Cover with a t-towel and let it rest in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.

Now roll out the dough so that the short ends are now the long sides, and take fold the ends so that the top short end is folded under and the bottom short end  is folded under the bottom in the opposite direction than the top.  It sounds complicated, but really, just follow the instuctions.

Put it in the fridge again, covered, for another 30 minutes.

Now you want to make the filling:

2 cups ground Almonds

4 T. Apricot Jam

4 T. Milk…mix all these in a bowl, and add the grated rind of…

1 Organic Lemon

Line a baking pan with some parchment paper.

Preheat over on middle rack to 425F.

Take the dough out and divide in half, and make 2 balls.  Roll out one on a floured surface into a circle. Take a knife and cut into 8 triangular pieces…like you are cutting a pizza.

Spoon about 1 T. of the Almond filling along the outer rim, and brush some Milk or beaten egg mixture along the edges.

Roll each triangle from the wide end to the tip, making sure to lay on baking sheet this tip side down.

Brush with Egg or Milk mixture before putting in over.

Bake for around 18 minutes.

While waiting, mix 3 T. Powdered Sugar and 1/2 t. Lemon Juice in a little coffee cup.

When the Swiss Almond “Gipfeli” or croissants come out of the oven, brush this  mixture on top.

Let cool, and…enjoy!

SADHVI

p.s. “Gipfeli” is a Swiss word for the top of a mountain!

SADHVI'S SWISS LINZER TORTE

A lot has happened since I had that dream of Arianna Huffinton wanting me to be her friend on FaceBook.  The earthquake in Japan.  The Tsunami in Japan.  The Nuclear Nightmare in Japan.  Coming to terms with my heart opening and crying for what seemed like a long, long time.  People all around not really feeling it.  As if, since it didn’t happen here, and there is nothing to be done about it, well, Japan will recover.  Something feels broken to me and something feels more insane in the world.  I feel both scared and relaxed a lot of the time.  I  turned 53 last week, and I woke up to having jowls, just like all the women on my mother’s side of the family.

THE FIRST SPRING CROCUS

Spring has come.  And here where I live it feels already like summer.

I also made one of my favorite things to eat, something that I have not made for maybe 20 years:  A Swiss Linzer Torte.  The recipe I want to share is exactly the same kind you would find in any Bakery in Switzerland, and boy, it is good.  Which made me happy, and made me feel like there is hope.

This recipe is easy and is truly divine.  Oh, I know that the metric is a drag, but only if you don’t have that manual metric scale that is very affordable and ever so easy to use like I have.  Don’t go to Amazon, Google it and shop someplace local, so that you can get it in person, Ok?  Because if you order it from Amazon, and it is broken, you will not be able to return it to Amazon, etc.  I am trying to spare you from having the nightmares that I have had with them on more than one occasion.  I try not to get anything on Amazon.  No customer service.  No, I mean, horrible customer service.  In fact, before I forget to tell you, if you like to buy books, go to Better World Books online.  They are a great company with great prices on new and used books, and they contribute money to promote literacy and help fund libraries.  Oh, and they have free shipping.  Thank you Tosh for sharing that site.  Ok, here is the recipe:  Here is to things getting better everywhere.

Sadhvi’s Swiss Linzer Torte

(preheat oven 400 F about half way through this recipe)

200 g. soft Butter (7 oz)

200 g. Sugar (7 oz)

2 Eggs

1 pinch Salt

1 t. Cinnamon

1 “tip-of-the-knife” bit of ground Cloves

1 T. Chocolate Powder, or the same of grated Dark Chocolate

200 g. ground Almonds (7 oz.)

250 g. Flour (a little less than 9 oz)

Butter for the 11 inch springform pan, or a tart pan

400 g. Raspberry Jam (14 oz.)

(I used a couple of spoons of some Red Currant Jam that I had too)

1 egg, beaten with a fork, to paint over the top of the crust

a.) Mix the Butter and the Sugar in a bowl.  Add the Eggs, Salt, Spices, Chocolate Powder and ground Almonds

b.) Sift the Flour into the mix and quickly make into a dough ball.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

c.) Divide the dough ball into 4 parts.  Take 2 and roll them out and put in the bottom of your pan.  With the 3rd part, roll it out, length-wise about finger thick, and place around the edge of the pan.

d.) Spread the jam on the bottom

e.) Roll out the last portion of the dough out onto some parchment paper, oh about 1/16th of an inch, and put in the fridge until it’s firm

f.) Cut the dough into finger-wide strips (or hearts!) and put them on top, making sure they are firmly put on the edges.

g.) With the mixed egg, take a brush and  “paint” over the top of the dough

h.)  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes

It gets better as it gets older, but I seriously doubt that it will last more than a couple of hours, er, I mean days!

Enjoy!

Annice

I hope this is the last post I write about taking care of my husband and all my tsores (yiddish for troubles).  As expected, Len turned the corner from being in pain all the time and taking lots of drugs to moving about more, going up and down the stairs, and reducing his pain meds.

Better Days

Like him, Gus  also turned the corner so we are all doing better.   I’m even back at work part-time.  Being home-bound with Len has been a true learning experience, and, as a woman over 50, I feel liberated enough to say, I didn’t like it.  It made me feel isolated and anxious, and considering I am a 7 (Enthusiast) on the Enneagram that was tough.  By the way,  if you’re not familiar with the Enneagram personality profiles, check it out!  Seven’s are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous.  At their best, they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.  At their worst, well, let’s just say that nursing would not be good for a 7, as being patient often feels like being stuck.  Needless to say, I have work to do on that one.

.

Being home-bound has made me realize how much I like my work.  I’m not a workaholic, but I like my work and love the interaction with people.  Friends and family asked me what I did all day during the downtime.   Well, what kept me from going over the edge emotionally was getting on the yoga mat, reading wonderful novels, facebook, and re-visiting cookbooks.  I’ve been preparing 3 square meals daily for almost 6 weeks, and I’ve never done that before.  I’m pretty much cooked out!  Last night I made an “Indian Samosa Casserole” and a Green Bean Salad with Miso dressing, compliments of the  January issue of the Vegetarian Times. You can be sure with me back at to work part-time, the food fest is over.  Let the diet begin!

Last night's dinner

Ingredient List

Serves 6

Crust

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Filling

• 1 Tbs. black or yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
• 5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (1 1/4 lb.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, diced (1/2 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tsp. agave nectar or sugar
• 2 Tbs. soy milk

To make Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Whisk together flours and salt in bowl.  Stir in oil until clumps form.  Add 6 to 10 Tbs. cold water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until dough holds together.  Shape into ball, cover with damp towel, and set aside.

To make Filling:

2. Stir together mustard seeds, curry, ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes (if using) in bowl; set aside.

3. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 15 minutes, or until tender.  Drain, return to pot, and mash, leaving small chunks.

4. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, or until carrot is tender.  Move onion mixture to side of pan, and add mustard seed mixture in center.  Toast 30 seconds.  Stir in peas and broth.  Fold onion mixture into potato mixture; stir in agave nectar.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread Filling in 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

5. Roll out Crust dough to 11-inch circle on floured work surface.  Cover Filling with dough, pressing down to make sure no air pockets remain.  Trim away excess dough, and crimp edges with fingers.  Cut X in center to vent steam; brush with soy milk just before baking.  Place pie on baking sheet, and bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

6. Frozen cooking instructions:  Preheat oven to 375°F. Place casserole on baking sheet, and bake 75 to 90 minutes, or until Filling bubbles and Crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Per slice: Calories: 299, Protein: 7g, Total fat: 7g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 54g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 469mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugars: 7g

Photograph by Michael & Patricia Fogden/Corbis

I was going to write to all of our women over 50 bloggers about the changes I want to make in 2011, and believe me, there are more than enough to fill a week’s worth of posts.  However, as I look back at 2010, what strikes me most (besides the most obvious news stories) is that 2010 was the year of the vampire. It was everywhere.  Why are people so fascinated with vampires?  Not me, I’m all about getting rid of all the life sucking forces around me, and not only in 2011 but  “Ad infinitum et ultra!”

In 2010 I felt bombarded with vampire stuff everywhere around me.  Bookstores, movies, television, recipes, and even phone apps.  Even our beloved Jane Eyre has been reduced to a spin-off:  Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin.  

This volume takes Brontë’s classic and turns the Reed family into vampires, and Jane Eyre’s classmates into zombies.

Vampire Cupcake

If you were reading this vampire classic late into the night, were you sipping on your Vampire Blood Drink recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello from the food network?  Maybe you preferred to veg out in front of the T.V. this past year.  If so, did you indulge in a vampire cupcake from Baking Bites? And, while you were devouring the last of your vampire cupcake crumbs, I know you enjoyed the all-American supernatural series, The Vampire Diaries.  Or, did you prefer the big screen?  Were you one of the millions that saw, Eclipse, voted the best vampire movie of 2010?  Have you had enough of The Twilight Saga films based on the books by author Stephanie Meyer which have been translated in 38 different languages?  A footnote here, the series grossed over $1.7 billion.  

Smashed from your vampire drink, you might’ve cruised the web for Bite This!  A Vampire Books blog for everything you ever wanted to know about vampires but were afraid to ask, including Vampire Apps for your iPhone like Choice of the Vampire: a text-based game where the user can begin her two-hundred year journey as a vampire in New Orleans circa 1815 for only $1.99.        

When you’re bored with that, I invite you to the fine sounds of vampire music videos (I’ll spare you).

Needing a laugh?  Try a few vampire jokes.  You can use them on your trick-or-treater’s or save them for your grandchildren on Halloween.

Like this one:  How do vampires get around on Halloween night?  By blood vessels.

So, move over David Letterman, oops50.com presents:

Top Ten Signs You’re Ridding your Life of Vampires

1. You get a big anti-vampire tattoo on your neck
2. You breathe in fire every morning after meditation
3. You drink a Martini with extra olives every Saturday night
4. You scrape the dishes religiously every night before loading the dishwasher
5. You start reading the old testament from the last page to the first
6. You never  step in dog poop
7. You never keep empty change in your pocket
8. You brush your teeth with garlic paste, mix a little anchovy paste in there for extra precaution
9. You play Tiptoe Through the Tulips  by Tiny Tim while you’re drinking that Martini with extra olives
10. You post these on Facebook

YUM! THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS!

As a woman over 50, I cannot be bothered with too many things these days.  I attribute that to me being a chicken without any eggs in her basket (i.e. menopause), but am glad to report that I am getting used to it.  I have even begun to play with the word “crone” and kind of like it (thank you Yvette!).  And while I do love to cook and bake, I am not into following new recipes because I have so many good ones that are easy and taste wonderful.  I used to enjoy getting cooking magazines, but I no longer subscribe to anything because I don’t have time to read them.  I’ve had stacks and stacks of old Saveur magazines piled up for years, waiting for me to find the time to go through and cut out ”only the good recipes” to try later.  The truth is that I have all the good recipes that I will probably ever need.  Happily, I feel the urge for “more” or “better” slipping away.  I do subscribe to several  food blogs now, and getting them in my inbox has taken the place of relaxing with a magazine that came in the mailbox at the end of my driveway.   I do so mainly because of the photos of the food that are really quite wonderful!  If you’ve read my posts before, you know that David Lebovitz is my favorite. 

ADDING SWISS CHARD FOR COLOR IS ESSENTIAL

The recipe below is just for the tart shell, and the filling can be whatever you have on hand.  With this one, I sauteed 3 or 4 onions and and some bacon in a skillet, added some chopped apples and some swiss chard for color, stir-frying it all together, splashed some white wine into the pan at the end and stirring it all up.  I let it cool, and take the pie crust I had made before that was in the fridge for an hour or so,  rolled it out,  put it in my quiche dish (with the parchment paper, of course), took a fork and punched holes all over the bottom.  Then I put some chopped walnuts on the bottom, cracked 2 eggs in a bowl and whisked that with about a cup of organic half and half, added a bit of salt and pepper, spread the cooled onion, bacon, swiss chard and apple mixture in the crust, and then poured the egg and cream mixture over it.

I put it in the lower level of the preheated 425 oven for about 15 minutes.  Then I turned it around and baked it for another 15 minutes.  I add some grated Swiss gruyere cheese on top (I think it gives the best taste) , and put it back in the oven, on the top rack, watching it really closely until it melted and turned a nice brown color.  I make a simple salad with some good wine, and voila!  Dinner for 2 that leaves nothing to be desired, and no obligation to tip for a mediocre meal.  Enjoy!

Sadhvi’s Secret Swiss Pie Crust

300 grams white flour (about a cup and a quarter)

About 1 teaspoon salt

150 grams of butter (again, about a cup and a quarter)

1 egg (not beaten!) with 4 T. half and half, organic if possible

Whisk the flour and the salt together in a bowl. Cut the butter up in pieces over it. Now mix it all together with your hands, squeezing and playing and putting good energy into it. When it starts to look golden yellow between your fingers & crumbly, you are done.

Now take a coffee cup and crack the egg into it.  Add the half and half, and mix it up with a fork. Add this to the flour and butter mixture. (At this point I take one of those bowl scrapers and combine it all to make a little roundish ball.  Do not knead!)  Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it out a bit bigger than your pie pan.  Put the dough on the paper, shaping it into a flat disk, and fold the edges of the paper over to close it.

Put in the fridge for a few hours, wrapped in a tea towel, or put it in a freezer bag and freeze.  I usually make up a bunch because they keep a long time, and I make a lot of tarts and quiches. When it’s time to make one, just take it out a few hours before you’re ready to roll it out.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees, put in your filling, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done.  You’ll know when…trust me…you’ve been a baker forever and just don’t know it!

SADHVI

Being a woman over 50, I find myself starting to reminisce about food from my childhood.  It was bound to happen, right?  Nut rolls and Poppy Seed rolls, along with Kolachi’s filled with apricot, cherry, or plum jam, were a part of the Holiday season for me growing up.  My Mom and Dad used to make them just about every year, and it was a BIG project.  I can remember that my 3 brother’s and I stayed clear of the kitchen when this was going on, because it was just so intense!  They had to be made just right; the dough had to be rolled out thin (which was not easy), and there was no scrimping on the filling.  Sticking with the basic recipe was important: no raisins in the poppy seed filling!  Once my Mom put coconut in the nut filling, and well, let me just say that Christmas was not very special that year.  

I spent months trying to get the perfect recipe; from my old boyfriend’s Mom, to hours online researching all the many and complicated recipes that are out there, watching YouTube videos of these rolls being made, studying old cookbooks on my shelves, until finally, my Mom came through and gave me a recipe that she used which was given to her by her best friend’s cousin’s Mom, who made my Mom swear not to give it to anyone until she died.  This is the recipe I want to share.  

POPPY SEED ROLLS GO GOOD WITH COFFEE!

I hesitated for many months.  I thought they would be so time-consuming and difficult.  Being the baker that I am though, I decided it was high time to try.  And besides, my Dad really wanted me to make them, and even bought me a grinder online that cost a lot of money.  It didn’t work at all, so please don’t order it!   They emailed the company, Otto’s Import Store and Deli, asking for a refund and are still waiting to hear back from them, so don’t use them!  I ended up grinding the poppy seeds with a small amount of the sugar in my inexpensive Black and Decker blender and guess what?  It turned out fine.  

SPREADING THE POPPY SEED FILLING

Oh, before I forget, I also ordered bulk poppy seeds online from a company and they were rancid.  The company is called NutsOnline and they were not very nice when I called them to ask about their return policy.  I hate returning things, and of course, I had to pay the postage.  I am happy to recommend Mountain Rose Herbs though, which is an online source of many quality herbal products, teas, and oils.  What a pleasant experience ordering from them!  I did put the poppy seeds in the freezer when I got them, which I think is a good thing, since they do tend to go bad quickly.  

MIXING THE FLOUR

So here is the recipe:  Good luck!  Have fun because they are so good and they are not really difficult!  

Sally’s Poppy Seed or Nut Roll Recipe   

(6 rolls)  

In a big bowl, whisk the following together:  

7 cups Flour    

 1 t. Salt  

 ¼ cup Sugar  

Then cut up 8 ounces Butter and with your hands, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until it is mixed in.  

Now add in 8 ounces of Sour Cream, and blend it in.                  

Then, add ½ cup lukewarm milk (a little at a time), and mix in.  

In a separate bowl, whisk:                               

 1 ½ packages of dry Fleishman yeast,  

 ½ teaspoon sugar, and  

3 ounces warm water  

Wait about 5 minutes until it foams & then add this to the flour mixture.  

And lastly, add 3 beaten eggs, a little at a time, mixing in.  Let dough stand for about an hour, covered and in a warm spot.  

THE DOUGH IS RISING

 Then cut into 6 parts and put a tea towel over the dough to cover for another 1 hr. (or double in size)  

 Roll on flour and powdered sugar surface and fill with either of the following:  

 FOR 6 rolls: use 5 lbs. ground walnuts OR 2 lbs. grounded poppy seed  

 (You can add yellow raisins to the nut filling: soak in hot water first)  

FILLING:  

In a big bowl, for every 1 pound (around 4 cups) of ground Walnuts or Poppy Seeds,  

add 1½ cups Sugar, and  

2 T. Butter, melted  

Mix  

Scald 1 cup Milk & add little at a time to the filling mix until you get a nice, spreadable consistency.   

If it thickens before used, just add more milk  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

ROLL OUT each dough ball on a little bit of flour and spread filling to edges.  Roll up like a jelly roll.  3 rolls should fit on a pan.  Cover each pan until the rolls rise a bit.  

Then poke the tops with a toothpick.  I washed the tops with an egg yolk wash.  If you don’t, then sprinkle powdered sugar on top when they come out of the oven, after cooling a bit.  

Bake for around 40-45 minutes.  Enjoy and share!

HOW I LOVE POPPY SEED ROLLS!

The Biltmore Inn

You all have been introduced to my dear friend Adele Rose, and on Nov. 24^th she turned 88.  I say that’s a cause for celebration in grandiose style.  Joined by our favorite yoga teacher and friend, Cindy Dollar from One Center Yoga, the three of us arrived promptly for tea at 4:00 p.m.

In the Library at the Inn

Seated in the Library of the Inn surrounded by magnificent views of the mountains, Amanda, our server, emerged to place white linen napkins on our lap – or a black linen napkin in my case  so I wouldn’t get white lint on my trousers – oh so civilized.  Then, our new BFF, Amanda, opened a wooden tea chest displaying samples of loose tea which we sniffed so that we could make the most important decision of the day, choosing the perfect tea.

Cindy and Adelle enjoying High Tea

Me, I was seduced by the Mayan Chocolate Truffle herbal tea, described as a place, “where chocolate chips mingle with chunks of chili and red pepper, and bits of apple and strawberry in this stimulating herbal infusion with a sweet finish.”  

This artisan tea from the Mighty Leaf Tea Company has turned me into a loyal customer, and as soon as I returned home I went online to see if I could order it.  Sure enough, I could order not only loose tea but silky tea  pouches (not bags) that are stitched with 100% unbleached cotton.  I see many boxes of Mayan Chocolate Truffle tea in my future!

Once we decided on our tea, we were served traditional English finger sandwiches, followed by petit fours consisting of  scones, lemon cranberry bread, tea pastries, and let’s not forget the lemon curd, strawberry jam,  and Devonshire cream so vital to our scones, and oh so civilized!

So, like Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford who is often credited as having invented the tradition of afternoon tea in the early 1840′s, we spent several hours sipping tea, dining on petits fours, and enjoying the magnificent view.  In honor of the Duchess who was keen on proper tea etiquette, we managed not to spill anything on the table cloth or ourselves.

Oh so civilized!

According to the Duchess,  to avoid spilling the hot liquid onto oneself, one must hold the tea cup with one’s fingers to the front and back of the handle with the pinkie held up to allow balance.  By the way, pinkie up does not mean straight up in the air, but slightly tilted.  And by all means, never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the vessel bowl with the palm of your hand.  Should you be inclined to forget you manners, let me remind you, do not stir your tea with your tea spoon in sweeping circular motions.  Place your tea spoon at the six o’clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o’clock position two or three times.  And, never never leave your tea spoon in your tea cup.  It belongs on the right side of the tea saucer.  And of course, never wave or hold your tea cup in the air!  When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer, unless you are at a buffet tea, then, be sure to hold the tea saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the tea cup in your right hand.  When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer and hold in your lap.  The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is when one is at a standing reception.  Ok, did you get all that?

Frankly, during tea, we didn’t think twice about the Duchess and her rules of proper tea etiquette, not even for a second, and to be sure, we had a hell of a good time.  I think Henry James said it best, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.  ~ The Portrait of a Lady

Annice

Sending a Shout-Out to our beautiful women over 50 who’ve been asking about writing a post on the oops50.com blog.

We invite you (all women over 50) to share your stories and experiences with our readers.  We know there are tons of subjects you care about because we know, like us, you never tire of speaking your mind!  And, don’t forget to ask your mothers, sisters, cousins, friends, colleagues, etc.  We all have intriguing and important stories to tell.   We’ll take your article (not more than 250 words) and we’ll edit it, post it, and promote it.

Some of favorite categories are: Friendship,  Aging parents, Children/Grandchildren; Cooking; Gardening; Pets;  Relationships; Health and Wellness; Spirituality; Menopause; Sleep (or the lack of); Work; Retirement (I wish); Starting Over; Books; Films; and of course, if you are inspired, you can always write about Death and Taxes.

If you’re interested, please contact me at: Annice@oops50.com and I’ll send you our guidelines.

I’m all Ears

Sadhvi

Every year, I like to pick one plant to grow in my summer garden that is different, an ”exotic”,  just so I can experience the taste of that particular fruit or vegetable right off the vine.  So growing next to the usual tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuce, basil, carrots, beets, fennel and figs, this year’s  “exotic” is a cantaloupe called Hearts of Gold.  I love that name, and found the seeds in my local health food store from a local seed seller, called Sow True Seed.  And yes, I do believe in buying local!

I plant everything based on the planting guide of Maria Thun’s BioDynamic calendar.  I cannot imagine gardening without it.  I even get my hair cut according to this calendar! If you don’t know about this, you really should try it because it really does make a difference.  

So growing vertically along the fence that surrounds my raised beds was the cutest plant with yellow flowers that became little baby rounds that soon in this record-breaking summer heat became heavy and firm cantaloupes.  I was thrilled to watch them grow, I was thrilled to bring it in when it fell from the vine into my hands, and I was thrilled to taste it…it was like eating warm sunbeams with a sweet taste and heavenly aroma.  Ahh, summer!

Sadhvi's First Cantalope

Sadhvi

I am about to go on a road trip to visit my family in Cleveland, Ohio.  I am really looking forward to it because I like driving and I get to spend some real time with my husband.   And, I find it so relaxing driving through parts of this beautiful country that are not considered tourist areas…like West Virginia!  I also like to get those tin cans or glass jars of Starbucks coffee and drink them along the way. 

They taste good, and they give me a buzz, and hey, they can’t be that bad for you since it’s just coffee and water and some sugar, right? 

Well, I guess I was wrong, because it turns out that drinking one of those Starbucks Frappaccino’s is like eating a bunch of Nabisco’s Nilla Wafers.  Now I know why I am obese!!!  Seriously, click on the link below and take a look at this article from  Men’s Health that shows what the sugar equivalent is on mine and your favorite cold drinks: I am still in shock!

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/worst-water?slideshow=184612#title

What USED to be my favorite coffee drink!

Annice

My Gazpacho is better than yours.  Okay, I said it, and it’s true.  I’ve been serving and enjoying this wonderful gazpacho for a very long time.  I wish I could say it’s my creation but in fact, it comes from the cookbook, GOOD FOOD from FAR & WIDE : Favourite family recipes from the United Nations International School 1975.  And of course there is a story there.

In 1975, I visited New York with college friends, and took a tour of the U.N. because I knew one day I would work there.  I was young, ambitious, and wanted an international career.  On my way out of the gift shop, I purchased the cookbook.  I’m not sure why I did, because I was living in a dorm and never cooked.  I’m guessing it was the cheapest thing I could find.  Well, I never did work for the U.N. (although I did work for the World Bank and had many colleagues at the U.N.) but I am grateful for their cookbook.  I must’ve used it hundreds of time over the last 35 years (OMG!  Has it really been that long?) and one of my favorite summer recipes is the Gazpacho on page 22.

I’m sharing it now because it’s been unusually hot here for the mountains (90 degrees plus!), and it’s simply the best meal on a hot summer day.  Just serve it with corn on the cob and you’re done.  Oh, a blueberry cobbler would be the perfect dessert and with all those anti-oxidants, it’s just got to be healthy.

It seems appropriate that I credit Mrs. Henry Kent (whoever she is) for submitting the recipe. While she doesn’t appear to be from Spain judging by the name, she sure knows how to make a Gazpacho, so here goes:

Serves 6

5 or 6 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 2 cups tomato puree) – I use real tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
2 cups tomato juice
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 – 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 teaspoon salt
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste (my addition)

Blend tomatoes, onion, green pepper and cucumber at high speed for 30 seconds.  (I pulse it in my blender but don’t overdo it). Pour into large bowl.  Combine tomato juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt (add hot sauce here if you like) and add to soup.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve with croutons on top, and an ultra thin slice of green pepper for color.

Prep time: roughly 15 minutes.

That’s the recipe in the book – follow it closely – you can add more garlic if you like, and if you like hot like I do, add some Tabasco.  Also, I don’t like it pureed completely (like pea soup) – I leave some pieces in it, NOT chunks, but very fine pieces of vegetables.  Lastly, if you make it early in the morning, it will be ready in the evening, but if you leave in the fridge overnight it will be perfect.

So when you’re enjoying your Gazpacho this summer, don’t think of me, but Mrs. Henry Kent (probably the wife of some diplomat) whoever and wherever she may be!

Sadhvi

These are certainly interesting times we are living in, don’t you think?  I mean, with so many ways to connect, everyone I talk to is simply overwhelmed with “life”?   If the call is not lost, or they are in the middle of doing something, or their computer is down, or there is another call coming in, or I have to run, god forbid any daytime conversation can go a little deeper than actually hearing stress.  It is very apparent that everyone, even retired people I know, are about at their limit of what they can handle!  Oh, I forgot to mention the pressure to get the latest, or to upgrade.  My husband thinks that I should soon get the iPad, because it would be so good to be able to have it with me when I have clients with me while driving – geez louise!

Therefore, I think it is more important than ever to have something that makes one very happy, that is thrilling even, and does not cost a lot of money.  For me baking something from my garden satisfies that need.  And in the moment it is rhubarb time!

Sadhvi's Swiss Rhubarb Tart

I didn’t grow up eating rhubarb, but being with my Swiss husband has made me very aware that there are some people who consider it a divine comfort food.  Actually, my mom, who grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, also swoons with the mere mention of the word too.  She told me that there was a patch of rhubarb growing in their yard, and they used to eat it raw with a bit of salt on it.  Well, it IS a vegetable she told me!  So when we moved into our home some 8 years ago, I made a point to plant some in our garden.

Sadhvi's Rhubarb Plant

They say that for the first year or so, you shouldn’t pick too much because the plant is getting established.  I went out a few days ago to pick, or rather, “twist”  the first batch, and I made a simple Swiss tart.  It was so delicious that I ate some and decided that I now love rhubarb!  My friend who is German told me that the first rhubarb, called  ”May Rhubarb”,  is the most tender and delicious, and he got weak in the knees just hearing me describe the tart!

Here is the recipe.  It’s easy.  Take a break from FaceBook, from email, from the routine of your day, and try it.  You’ll like it!

Sadhvi’s Swiss Rhubarb Tart

So many people have their own pie crust recipe that I say to go ahead and use it!  I have my own recipe that I use all the time, for savory and for sweet tarts and it is good, but so is yours.  I would say to make it yourself and not buy one pre-made though, because there is such a big difference!  And honestly, it takes just about the same amount of time  to make your own that it does to take one that is made with bad ingredients out of the freezer. I like to chop hazelnuts pretty fine and put them on the bottom.   Then take a fork and poke the crust.

At this point preheat the oven to 425 F and position the rack the second from the bottom.

Then wash and cut up the freshest rhubarb you can find, which is hopefully right out of your garden!  I spread the cut pieces over the crust.  Then sprinkle 3 T. of sugar or so over the rhubarb.  Now mix 1 cup of organic half-and-half with 2 fresh eggs, and  1 T. of pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt.  Pour it over the tart.  Slide it into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and sprinkle another couple of tablespoons of sugar over the top, and return it to the oven, but now on the second down from the top rack, and broil it for a few minutes.

Whip up some fresh organic cream, put it on top, and enjoy!

Content coming soon.

Sadhvi

It feels like ages since I’ve posted something.  I had a really bad cold, and I didn’t feel like doing anything for a couple of weeks.  I also turned 52.

I had this urge to bake a chocolate cake with white, fluffy icing just like my grandma, Mabel Carter, used to make.  I never made her “7 minute frosting” before, but I thought it was high time now that I am starting to look like her!

After looking hard and not being able to find her recipe in my collection, I decided to make one that sounded just like hers, called “Wonderful Marshmallow-Like Frosting” by Susan Branch that is in her Sweets to the Sweet book.  She has a cult following, and I am one of her groupies.  Here’s what she says, followed by the recipe:

“The classic boiled frosting, pure white, shiny and fluffy.  You’ll need a candy thermometer.

1/3 c. water                                        a pinch of salt

1 c. sugar                                           2 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar           1 tsp. vanilla

Stir the water, sugar, cream of tartar & salt together in a small, heavy-bottomed pan.  Hook a candy thermometer to the edge of the pan & boil without stirring until mixture reaches 240 F.  In the meantime, beat egg whites until stiff.  Pour the 240F syrup over the whites in a thin stream, beating constantly until thick & glossy.  Stir in the vanilla.  Now frost the cake!

I found a simple chocolate cake recipe called “Gateau Therese” in David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris.  This is a must read book, by the way.  The following is what he has to say about it…

“Every Frenchwoman I know loves chocolate so much she has a chocolate cake in her repertoire that she’s committed to memory, one she can make on a moment’s notice.  This one comes from Therese Pella, who lives across the boulevard from me; when I first tasted the cake, I swooned from the rich, dark chocolate flavor and insisted on the recipe.

Madame Pellas is fanatical about making the cake 2 days in advance and storing it in her kitchen cabinet before serving, which she says improves the chocolate flavor.  And the Brie she keeps in there as well doesn’t seem to mind the company…”

I actually use just one stick of butter, which is probably a few grams less than what is called for, and, since most of my friends are into gluten-free eating, I use ground almonds instead of flour.

9 ounces (250g) bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, chopped

8 T. (120 g) butter

1/3 cp. (65 g) sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature, separated

2 T. ground almonds

A pinch of salt

Try this recipe…it’s really really good.

And, oh, thankfully, it’s Spring!

Sadhvi

Where I live in Western North Carolina, this past winter has been unbearable in that there has not been a lot of sun, something I really need.  Some might say that the snow has been too much, but I happen to like snow.  There is a certain stillness and quiet that comes with snow that I find calming and nurturing.  I don’t really mind the cold either, because as a gardener, I know that it’s good for a lot of things, like killing off bad bugs and poison ivy.  And besides, the old farmers that I sometimes run into driving their tractors with their well-worn overalls on say so!

I also like being in a place that has winter because I can rest from the garden fever that I get during the growing season.  Every year, without fail, I have to fight the urge to start growing everything right about now.  Magically, just a few days ago, I woke up to birds singing and I knew that the green has been awakened from its winter sleep.  Everything feels different now.  I always act calm and disinterested when the seed catalogs start coming, which this year was not too hard because they started coming around Christmas!  But just a few sunny days with temperatures in the 50’s like it’s been, and I find myself drawing on a piece of scrap paper what I imagine the garden to be this year.

Sadhvi

I have never been a big fan of February.  If February was at the beginning of winter, I think I would choose to live closer to the equator and put up with scorpions and cockroaches and hurricanes.  In Cleveland where I grew up, I don’t remember having any conversations with anyone in February simply because the only thing that was on anyone’s mind was another month of winter, and to talk about it only made it worse.  One thing that makes these cold months bearable for me is cooking and baking.  I am no David Lebovitz although I feel closer and closer to him now that I have read several of his books, and get his blog regularly.  In fact, I even had a wonderful dream about him, which as I remember, made my day.  Among other things, David has made me aware that there is a difference in chocolate!  My favorite in the moment is Callebaut’s, which is available from two of the health food store in town, and not so expensive – lucky me.

So here’s the recipe for one of my favorite’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  It’s so easy and so much more delicious than the traditional ones, that if you make it once, I have a very clear psychic message from another dimension that this recipe will become one of your favorites.  It is adapted from Alicia Silverstone’s vegan recipe, and it is as follows:

Sadhvi’s Peanut Butter Cups

½  cup Earth Balance Butter, or some regular organic Butter

¾  cup of your favorite organic peanut butter

¾  cups of your favorite organic graham crackers, ground up in the Cuisinart

¼  cup organic sugar

1 cup of the best chocolate you have, like Callebaut’s

¼  cup or so of organic half and half

¼  cup of chopped smoked almonds, peanuts, whatever you like or have around!

Line a 12 muffin tin with paper liners.

Put the butter and the peanut butter in a small saucepan, and over low to medium heat, whisk and stir until it’s combined.

Add the sugar and combine.

Add the crushed graham crackers and mix.

Now pour this mixture evenly into the muffin tins.  Or spoon it.  Whatever is easier!

In another small saucepan, combine the chocolate and half and half over very low heat.  Whisk it.  Smell it.  Love it.  Just don’t cook it too much!

Pour over the peanut butter mixture in the muffin tins.  Put some chopped nuts on top.  Refrigerate overnight.

Then, before you let anyone try one of these the next day, sample one yourself.

And be transported to another time, another place…maybe another month!

I like to make cookies to give to family and friends around this time of the year.   They must be easy, delicious, and wildly appreciated as well!  So here is probably my favorite cookie recipe that comes from my husband’s hometown of Basel, Switzerland.  There are so many different recipes for the “Basler Brunsli’s,” but this one is the one I like because it is so simple to make, and everyone just loves to get it, including those people who cannot eat gluten. 

There is a bakery in Basel that sells them the whole year, and when I lived there, I would often pop into the shop during the dreary months of February and get a small bag. 

One thing that thrilled me and I found so special about the Swiss is that no matter how much or how little one buys, they will always ask if you want it gift wrapped, and they will do it so beautifully for you.   

A Christmas Market in Switzerland

The translation of “Brunsli” is “little brownie”, but really this cookie tastes nothing like your typical American brownie…it is made with ground almonds (which, if you are lucky, can be bought in bulk at your local grocery store, or online  at Bob’s Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) ), or you can just grind your own almonds.  Oh, and make sure that you put lots of good wishes and love into them when you make them…I always like to say, “Anyone who eats these will have a good life feel loved!”, or something like that.  It can’t hurt, and I do believe those wishes get transmitted through the cookies to those that eat them.  Happy Holidays!

SADHVI’S FAVORITE “BASLER BRUNSLI” RECIPE 

1 cup (225 g) finely ground almonds (with the shell)

1 cup (225 g) powdered sugar 

3.5 T. (50 g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 vanilla beans 

2 egg whites 

1 pinch salt 

2 T. Kirsch 

1. Put the ground almonds in a big bowl.

2. Get a big sieve and measure out the powdered sugar & cocoa and press it through the sieve with a spoon into the bowl w/the ground almonds, or use a sifter, if you have one!

&

mix it with a wooden spoon.

 3. Split the vanilla beans and put the seeds into the big bowl w/ everything.

(You can substitute some good quality vanilla extract or a pack of vanilla sugar as well) 

4. Put the egg whites with the pinch of salt in a little mixing bowl….whip up so it is starting to get foamy, but not stiff! 

5. Add the Kirsch to the egg white mixture, and then add it to the almond mix. Quickly make a dough, imagining that everyone who eats one of these will have a wonderful life.

 6. Put the whole bowl in the refrigerator, covered, for an hour or so.

7. Roll out dough, kind of thick (½ inch) and make into shapes and forms.

My favorite is heart-shaped, and this is the traditional way. 

8. Place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper

8. Let them sit over night at room temperature, to dry out, covered, with a dish drying towel.

9. Preheat oven to 480 F on the next day and bake for 4-5 min.

That’s it.  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!!!

 Ok, it’s Thanksgving week, and lots of people have asked my husband, the Chestnut Roaster of Asheville, for a good stuffing recipe using chestnuts.

Well, here’s one that I like.   It’s easy, as all stuffing recipes are, really, and it is very tasty.

Chestnut & Bacon Stuffing

• ¼ pound Bacon, chopped
• 3 Celery Stalks, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cup cooked & peeled Chestnuts, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups fresh Breadcrumbs
• The juice and finely grated zest of 1 Lemon
• The juice and finely grated zest of 1 Orange
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. chopped fresh Sage
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Fry the bacon until browned.  Add the celery & onion, and fry for around 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

2.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, along with the cooked bacon, celery & onion mixture, and combine thoroughly.

3.  Pack the stuffing loosely in the neck and body cavity of the bird.

(Or, alternatively, preheat oven to 325F and bake stuffing in a greased and covered casserole dish for around 30 min.)

If you do bake this stuffing on its own, serve with gravy because the flavors blend nicely and will temper the sharpness of the citrus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sadhvi’s Swiss Chestnut Soup!

What you will need: 

A pressure cooker, or pan with a tight fitting lid

A pound or so of peeled roasted chestnuts

Some oil, ghee or butter

An onion, chopped

Some water and some white wine

Some salt

What you do with these things:

 Sauté & brown the onion in the bottom of the pan or pressure cooker

(which I like to use)

Splash with white wine or water.

Add quartered chestnuts. Stir.

Cook with lid tight. Bring to boil.

(if you use a pressure cooker, you know what to do!)

Cool it down and puree with hand blender.

Add a bit of cream or half and half, without any growth hormones, of course!.

Add homemade croutons and some grated Swiss cheese.

Open a bottle of nice red wine.

Serve with good salami, salad, some nice music.

Seriously, you will feel soooo good after this simple meal…try it!

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire!

When we moved here from Switzerland, I set up our chestnut stand outside the local health food store.  Now in Switzerland, there was a very regular sort of exchange when someone came to buy chestnuts, and it was short, predictable, pleasant, singsong-ish and fun: “Greetings! What would you like?”  “I would like a medium bag, please.”  “It would be my pleasure!”  I would give out the chestnuts, the customer would pay, I would say thank you, and I would wish them a nice day.  The end.  So when my first customer came to the stand here in Asheville, her question of “How much fat is in them, and how many calories do they contain?” really threw me…I didn’t know what to say!  I mean, everyone in Switzerland knew what chestnuts were, no one cared how many grams of fat they had, and you either liked them or didn’t.  

But when you smelled them in the air, you knew that Fall was here, and Winter was on its way!  I like using chestnuts in a lot of my fall and winter cooking, from marroni crème, to soups, to stir-frying them with rice and veggies, to layering them between flourless chocolate tortes.  Or with a good bottle of red wine and some Italian salami!  So here is how to roast them in case you don’t have a local and handsome chestnut vendor roasting them just for you!

You already know that you have to buy them NOW.  Most grocers think that chestnuts are nuts, and they don’t refrigerate them.  Too bad because they are NOT nuts and they are perishable! They need to be refrigerated right away, in the lowest part of the fridge.

Actually the best way to store them is to score them (a box cutter works fine), and then freeze them in a ziplock bag.  Now if you read Italian cookbooks or even beloved Julia Childs, they will tell you to score them on the flat side.  Wrong!  Score them on the rounded side, from “ear to ear”.

Then simply follow these instructions and you will know how to make…

Roasted Chestnuts the Right Way!

• Preheat oven to the highest temperature on bake
• Put baking sheet/cast iron pan in oven for 5 min. or so to get it hot
• Take chestnuts from freezer and place them on baking sheet one layer thick
• In about 5 minutes or so, use a wooden spoon (or your hands in an oven mitt) to stir, and cut back temperature to about 475 F
• Keep moving them around every 5 minutes until done, which might be around 25 min.  They are done when the chestnut is no longer glossy, but matte, and when you take your thumb nail and press into it and it gives a little (like a done boiled potato).
• Wait a few minutes until you can pick them up without burning your fingers.  Open them like a snapdragon to get the outside shell off.  Store them in the fridge for a couple of days if you need to.  Enjoy!

Sadhvi

Ok, it’s fall, and it’s time to start letting go of the past.  That includes the memories of my summer garden and flowers.  I have aired out my woolen sweaters and will do my final garden planting next week.  I bought some “end of the season” deals at a local greenhouse…some Oriental Poppies and some Blue Veronica for $1 a pot!  I cleaned out my car and did some detailed deep cleaning; the furnace is serviced; the oil tank is full.  My Swiss husband will start roasting chestnuts next week,  and that, my dear reader, brings me to the reason I can say, without any hesitation, that I know I will make it through fall and winter: yes, freshly roasted chestnuts!  As long as I can remember, I have felt more than a wee bit melancholic about the prospect of cold, damp and cloudy days.  Growing up in Cleveland, I felt that winter was something that one simply endured.  There was not much sun; clouds were hanging low for weeks on end, and then there was the bitter cold and wind.  I felt quite some comfort in the fact that we were all in it together.  Why, even today I feel a certain compassion and kinship for anyone from the Northeast.  And living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland meant that, for us,  the winters were worse than the ones in Cleveland, with a cold dampness that seemed to go right to the bone.  I am even starting to feel uncomfortable just writing about it!  So, to help those that have the long fall and winter months to look forward to, I will start sharing in next week’s “Sadhvi Sez” what I know about chestnuts: my secret cure against the fall and winter blues.  Until then, start humming…and think spring!

Sadhvi

There I was, waiting to check out at the health food store.  Normally I take a glance at the magazines: Johnny Depp will catch my eye, so will Obama, and so will a cover shot of some yummy Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Chocolate Icing!

I was going to visit someone over the weekend, and I wanted to bring her something.  I tried this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, and so should you.  It’s easy and very good…not too sweet, with a rich, chocolaty taste.  The icing was also good and easy, and again, NOT TOO SWEET!

Maybe it’s my liver; maybe it’s menopause; maybe I’m borderline diabetic–for whatever reason, I cannot handle sugary-sweet anything these days.  These cupcakes made me happy and didn’t give me any immediate hot flashes or make me feel wired.  And I think making them even helped to make me feel more calm and centered.  This recipe is a keeper.  Thank you Cook’s Illustrated!

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

(From Cook’s Illustrated, “American Classics 2009″)

(Makes 12 cupcakes; do not double recipe!  Make two separate batches if you need more.)

Ingredients

• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) sour cream

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line standard-sized muffin pan (1/2 cup capacity) w/ baking-cup liners.

1. Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl.  Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined.  Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
3. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined; then sift in remaining flour mixture and whisk batter until it is homogenous and thick.
4. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups.  Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
5. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.  Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack.  Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting 

If you prefer to skip the vanilla bean, increase the extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Any of the buttercream frostings (see related recipes) can be made ahead and refrigerated; if refrigerated, however, they must stand at room temperature to soften before use. If using a hand-held mixer, increase mixing times significantly (at least 50 percent). This recipe can be doubled to make enough for a two-layer cake.

Ingredients

 Instructions:

• 1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.

2.  Using paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.

3.  Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Sadhvi

Welcome to Oops50 and this week’s Sadhvi Sez!  Now that you know how to make the Swiss Pie Crust from last week’s column, here is my recipe for what goes inside.

The filling is practically the same for sweet or savory tarts, and the pie crust is exactly the same.  I know there is so much going on these days, and most of us just cannot do everything that we want.  But one of these days, you might want to try this tart.  It’s one of those recipes that is just so versatile, and once you do it a couple of times, it is easy.

I just read what the Joy of Cooking has to say about pie crusts & tarts, and it made me want to close the book immediately.  Really, I won’t do something these days unless it is easy.  Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

The Filling for Sadhvi’s Swiss Tart

Get the following ingredients ready:

• whole hazelnuts or almonds or walnuts  chopped up, maybe a cup, enough to cover the bottom of the tart
• 1-1.5 cups of organic half and half poured into a pyrex glass
• 2 eggs whisked into mixture.  Add a bit of vanilla and sugar if you are making a sweet tart.  I also grind some sea salt, just a bit, into this.

Now take the tart crust out of its parchment paper and roll it out to a size fitting your pan.  You may have to work with it a bit to form it.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Poke the bottom all over with a fork.  Add the chopped nuts on the bottom,  arrange fruit (I like apples or pears the best) or vegetables (if you are making a savory tart) nicely, and pour the mixture over nuts and fruit or vegetables.  Bake in oven for about 40 min. Take a look and sprinkle some brown sugar on top (if sweet) or some grated swiss cheese (if savory).  Enjoy!

Sadhvi

This week’s sharing for Oops50 is one of my secret recipes: the perfect pie crust!And, like most of my recipes that I use, this one comes from Switzerland.

In fact, it’s the very same crust that would be found in any tart in any bakery in just about any village in Switzerland.  Yodelaydeeh-hoo!

Switzerland was an interesting chapter of my life that lasted 12 years. It all began when I fell in love with a Swiss man at The Ranch in Oregon in 1985 and moved to Basel, his home town.

Basel is quite possibly my favorite city–it is so medieval & so cool. What’s kind of funny is that I thought I was in Sweden for maybe the first 5 years…ok, maybe that is not so funny! When I found out that I was wrong, I called my Mom, Sally (there was no e-mail back then) and told her. She responded with, “Oh…what’s the difference?” I love my mom!

While it did take me years to understand and then speak the language, it did not take me long to jump into cooking and baking, with all the recipes written in German and grams!

I not only got used to a gram scale for all of my recipes, but I found it to be so much easier. The one I have is mechanical and doesn’t need any batteries.  Better yet! 

It is called the “Soehnle Culina Mechanical Kitchen Scale” and I have had it for over 20 years. Google it and get one.

I use this pie crust for both savory and sweet tarts. It’s the only one I ever use because it’s so easy. And if you try it, it will be hard for you to buy another grocery store pre-made crust with long and hydrogenated ingredients ever again!

Sadhvi’s Secret Swiss Pie Crust

300 grams white flour

¾ – 1 t. salt

150 grams of butter

1 egg (not beaten!) with 4 T. half and half

Add the flour and the salt together in a bowl.Cut the butter up in pieces over it. Now mix it all together with your hands. When it starts to look golden yellow between your fingers & crumbly, you are done.

Take a coffee cup and crack the egg into it. Now add the half and half, and mix it up with a fork. Add this to the flour and butter mixture.(At this point I take one of those bowl scrapers and combine it all to make a little roundish ball.  Do not knead!) Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it out a bit bigger than your pie pan.  Put the dough on the paper, shaping it into a flat disk.

Fold it up and either put in the fridge for a few hours or put it in a freezer bag and freeze. I usually make up a bunch because they keep a long time, and I make a lot of tarts and quiches. When it’s time to make one, just take it out a few hours before you’re ready to roll it out.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees, put in your filling, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done!

The apricot tart above was made with my pie crust recipe.  If you want the recipe for the filling, let me know and I’ll post it on oops50.com in the near future!