Kayaks, Campfires, and S'mores

We trekked out to Cape Henlopen this past weekend for our annual Girl Scouts trip. We had a great time and I think the girls might've actually learned a few things while we were gone. Imagine that!

The weather was beautiful for hanging out at the beach.  For September, that means sitting on the beach in a cozy sweatshirt - for adults. For teenage girls it means running into the cold water and acting like its not cold at all.  That's where my duty as Troop Leader kicks in to make sure no-one gets swept away in a tide or shivers to death.  We also enjoyed kayaking.  Last year, we were on a nearby river because of the high waves, this year, the guides decided to let us brave the waves.

Kayaking at Cape Henlopen

One of the girls was really nervous about kayaking, the tide and cold was not helping. After a few minutes in the boat, she demanded to be let out back on shore.  She watched her fellow troop members for about 10 minutes, and then softly suggested that she might try again. She took a deep breath and climbed in the boat with me and we paddled on down the shore a little ways.  When we were back on the sand she sighed, smiled, and said she was glad she tried it again.  To me, that's the whole point of these adventures - not to make them expert kayakers, but to build the girls' self-confidence and learn to deal with their fears and nervousness.

Back at our site, we worked on our camp-cooking skills.  Forget the hotdogs and pot of beans.  I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich.  Cheese and a flat-bread wrap, wrapped up in foil and thrown on the grill - it was delicious!  For dessert we had Campfire Apple Crisp. Last year we made banana s'mores and peach cobbler, we're expanding our camp dessert repertoire.

Campfire Apple Crisps

• Slice the apples, one apple per girl
• Place the apple slices on foil
• Sprinkle with oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon - to each individual's taste
• Wrapped up the foil, making sure to close the packets so any steam would stay inside
• Put the apple packets over the hot coals/campfire.

We let them cook long enough to enjoy lunch and a game of volleyball.  We opened them up and - tada! - enjoyed moist, sweet individual apple crisps.  I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of "let's cook with the kids for the sake of fun," but I do believe kids need to be taught to cook.  These were really easy to make and something the girls could try with their families at home, using the oven.  They can even expand their cooking by trying different fruits like  peaches and blueberries.

Do you ever outgrow S'Mores?

And as Girl Scouts, everyone's got to contribute to the event.  Our assignment was supplying the s'mores for the big campfire. Yes, chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for 150+ girls and leaders.  Accompanied by guitar playing and campfire songs.  And as it always seems at the beach - lots and lots of stars!

Find out more about the Girl Scouts at the official website - www.girlscouts.org.

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Drinking Chocolate - for Serious Chocolate-lovers Only

A few summers ago, we were on vacation in Madrid and stopped into a chocolateria that specialized in churros. These foot-long, served hot, crispy churros (yumm, I’m all the sudden hungry) came with a small cup of melted chocolate.  My kids and I debated on whether we were supposed to drink the chocolate, because it was served in a little coffee cup, or dip the churros in it, because it was thicker than any hot chocolate we’d had before. We decided on both, because it was delicious either way and we were determined not to leave a drop behind.

Spanish churros and hot chocolate

Chocolateria in Madrid

Fast forward to this summer when I came across European Drinking Chocolate from Sipping Dreams.  Loaded down with books, it was a tasty little surprise to find Tom and Clover passing out samples of this liquid chocolate in the middle of Book Expo America.

Their European Drinking Chocolate is reminiscent of the Spanish drinking chocolate from that Madrid side-street café.  In the convenience of our own home in a few minutes, we made a little cup of decadence.  The chocolate comes in a solid bar, scored into 4 sections; each section makes a 3-oz. serving.  You can make the whole bar and refrigerate any that happens to be left over; I only made one square and saved the others so that I could make another fresh cup at another time.

It was this easy:  

The chocolate comes in a solid bar, scored into 4 squares. 1 square = 1 3-oz. serving.

Heat 1 square and 1/4 cup of milk over medium heat until chocolate is melted & bubbly. Whisk constantly to make it smooth.

Serve drinking chocolate with your favorite dessert and enjoy.

You don’t need to add sugar (and I like things sweet), it’s delicious as is. This drinking chocolate is just the right consistency to either drink or dip.  I paired it with coffee for a great mocha.  My daughter tried it with marshmallows and strawberry. Both tasted good.  And then on the company’s site, I found this recipe for an Italian Cappuccino – the chocolate mixed with instant espresso and then with crème de cacoa, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, Kahlua, vanilla, and Brandy – how could you go wrong with that?

Now, let me warn you: this is not for chocolate amateurs. You have to like chocolate to like drinking chocolate.  This is not “hot cocoa” like you give your kids after a snow-y day; or perhaps you’re kids are really lucky and it is. Drinking chocolate is thick and it’s thick – no Swiss Miss here. And don’t try to cut calories by using skim milk or soy milk or water – you’d be missing the whole point. This is for serious chocolate lovers only.

The chocolates are hand-made in a family-run shop out in Oregon and are available for purchase in stores out that way or on-line for the rest of us.

Thanks to Tom & Clover for giving me a box to enjoy at home!

As an alternative - if you'd like a drink in chocolate, check out this chocolate shot glass I had on a wine tour.

Lemony Mango-Vodka Gelees

For one of those days, when you're thinking "whew, a nice, cool drink would be good right now," but you don't feel like pulling out mixers and liquor and shot glasses and ice.  The solution: these yummy little Jello shots!

Not that I've invented them, but they are new to me! And believe it or not, I found the recipe in Cooking Light (July 2013).  Not exactly the way I made them, but that was my starting point. CL has Lemony Blackberry-Vodka Gelees.  But my grocery store didn't have unflavored gelatin and I didn't feel like cooking and straining blackberries and waiting 6 hours; although I'm sure their version is delicious and looks real pretty.

I made them before dinner and they were ready as a nice little after-dinner treat.  And wouldn't they be fun as a cook-out dessert?  I made it in a baking dishes, then cut into squares; I think next time, I'm going to make them in little shot glasses or dessert bowls.  Try them out, let me know how you like them - or if you have your own version!

Enjoy this cool, fruity vodka gelee anytime!

Lemony Mango-Vodka Gelees

1 cup vodka

2 envelopes mango Jello  (you can choose your favorite flavor if you don't like mango)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup water

• Pour vodka in a bowl. Pour in flavored Jello, mix and let sit.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, water in sauce pan over medium-heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Add sugar mixture to vodka-gelatin mixture, stir.  Make sure gelatin mixture has dissolved.
• Pour into small baking dish, coated with cooking spray.
• Chill about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Mom-Me Celebration - Day 20: Enjoy a Treat Only You Like

I know moms who don't eat seafood because one of their kids has a seafood allergy. There's others who don't eat cake because they are trying to watch the sugar intake of their little people. I even know of moms who determined that they would stop drinking alcoholic beverages because it was a bad example for the kids.  (Yeah, I'm not sure how they're making it.)  So what's this all get down to?  Yep - you guessed it - more mom sacrifices.  You don't think about it, do you, how much you give up for those little folks.

Today - Enjoy a treat that only you like or that you've denied yourself because the kids don't like it/can't eat it.

Sometimes, we do this for our spouse, too. Maybe he hates Mexican food so you have given up your beloved enchiladas so you can eat every meal together. Perhaps he's all organic and vegan so you just pass by the juicy, meaty bacon cheeseburgers.  You pride yourself on respecting your loved one's diet and keeping the household pleasant.  And you should be proud of that, you're keeping your loved one healthy and happy.

Now, it's your turn. Whether it's a burger at lunch or a separate seafood platter at dinner or a late night cake and ice cream.  Take a moment, indulge yourself.

I think I'm picking up some nut-filled oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - which are totally off my diet and my kids won't eat them. Perfect!

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Follow along here on my blog or on Facebook - JustPiddlin with Frances for our 30-Day Mom-Me Celebration all the way until Mother's Day.

Mom-Me Celebration - Day 6: Eat Dessert!

Yesterday was Day 5 of the Mom-Me Celebration - Laugh, on purpose!  (I read the comics in the newspaper.)

We're on Day 6 of the Mom-Me Celebration - Eat dessert!

When this challenge first came to mind, I had planned that I would confess my love of chocolate and ice cream.  (Okay, not really a secret if you've read any random previous post or even glanced at the accompanying photo posted on Facebook.)

My idea of dessert - I'll take one of each, please.

But then I checked my mail and decided to switch up my note for the day.

One of my distant cousins (distant as in my great-grandmother and her great-grandmother were cousins, but we do know each other) sent me a note.  Enclosed was a xeroxed recipe for Mincemeat Cookies, dated February 1999; she wrote across the top "Mommy's recipe, Mommy's handwriting." Her mother passed away last month and she thought to share this bit of sweetness from her mother.  And coincidentally, it arrived in my mailbox today, on our Mom-Me Celebration "Eat dessert" day.

Now, I'll admit - though I've heard of mincemeat, I have never known what it was or why someone would want it baked in a pie, and certainly not why it would be in a cookie. As far as I'm concerned, cookies should contain chocolate or nuts, preferably both. I had to google 'mincemeat', which turns out to be a mixture of dried fruit, which may or may not have some portion of meat in it.  I'm going to assume that she would've used the non-meat version for these cookies. I don't know where to buy mincemeat, but if I figure it out, I'd like to try it, if for no other reason than pure curiosity. It looks like a good, spicy cookie - there's even rum in it! For another reason, because I love the connection to family through recipes.

As a further extension to the permission to eat dessert today, I also encourage you to enjoy a family favorite. Is it a cookie, a cake, a pie? Is it from a restaurant or grandmom's secret recipe? Isn't it fun when you show up for a family dinner and you know exactly what will be on the dessert table? For our family gatherings, we're having red velvet cake, banana pudding, and if we're really lucky, watergate salad (the kind with marshmallows and pistachio pudding), with ridiculously sweet tea to wash it all down with. And the funniest thing - not only does no one share their recipe, no one asks; we're content to let the assigned person fix their dessert forever.

Enjoy the sweetness!

Follow along here on my blog or on Facebook - JustPiddlin with Frances for our 30-Day Mom-Me Celebration all the way until Mother's Day.

A pause for chocolate

During the wine tour, we made a stop at Sonoma Plaza. Its one of those squares, the kind you would expect in an old mission town - some history, some quaint shops and restaurants. Here, while looking for lunch, I stopped for a sign that read "Free Chocolate Tasting" - how could I pass that up? At Wine Country Chocolates, I had a delicious orange ganache (the filling in one of their truffles) and chocolates, then picked up a bag of macadamia brittle for the hubby, along with a box of hand-made chocolates, including Cappuccino Tiramisu and Hazelnut.

Can't go wrong with dessert

After an early morning swim meet and a cross-country flight, I was ready for a good meal. The hotel concierge recommended a few spots, gave me directions to catch the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and to walk to Chinatown. I picked famed Chinatown. At the risk of upsetting some folks - or maybe some will enlighten me as to what I missed - I mainly found discount shops filled with Chinese imports - silk (or silk-ish) Chinese-style dresses, slippers, paper parasols and fans, jade cat figurines.

I went 0 for 2 trying to find a good bite to eat. First, the bean-filled pancake from the bakery was more glutinous than I preferred and not enough bean- filling; at least it was only a 75 cent investment. Then the tofu seafood clay pot soup at the dim sum restaurant wasn't served in a clay-pot, was too thick, not flavorful, had too much tofu (and I like tofu), and like 2 shrimp. So much for a good Chinese meal.

I ended up back at the restaurant connected to my hotel - the upscale, seafood restaurant, the Farralon - and took a seat at the bar. When all else fails - a drink and dessert. Perfect!

I had a glass of Araku, a coffee liqueur from Venezuela. This was new to me - its similar to Kahlua, but it's rum based and a little thicker, but very smooth. This accompanied my chocolate sampler - a mini s'more, peanut butter chocolate bites, a sesame covered truffle, and chocolate drizzles caramel corn. I might be putting in a standing order for the week.

Where my Peeps at?

How was your Valentine's Day?  Did you get all the chocolate and candy and diamonds you hoped for?  Aww, that's wonderful.  Now that that's over with, we move into my favorite candy season of the year - time for Peeps!

For the record, I am a chocoholic.  Chocolate cake, hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate ice cream, chocolate crepes.  And did I even mention just plain ol' chocolate and chocolate bars?  (The new Snickers with almonds is delicious.)  And I eat it all year long.  If someone would invent a zero-calorie chocolate, I'd eat it every day.

But the candy that I only eat once a year?  Peeps.  The Easter ones, the pink and blue and purple chicks and bunnies.  Just the other day in the candy aisle, I was so happily surprised to find that it was already time to push those red hearts aside for the pastel, sugary-coated spring parade.  Peep season has opened and my first catch is a box of pink chicks.

Yeah, I know there's marshmallow-y hearts and ghosts and Christmas trees, Peeps for almost every holiday.  I never get them, I can't even imagine what they taste like.  And yes, I've been to the Peeps store at the National Harbor - and in the midst of all those Peep, I bought ducks and bunnies, even a box of chocolate covered ones.  My family, on the other side of the store, tried to see who could eat the hottest Hot Tamale and sourest Mike & Ike's; none for me, thanks (on the complete opposite of the spectrum from my love of chocolate is my not-love for candy that is spicy or sour).

Part of the specialness about Peeps is that they aren't available every day, just on certain holidays.  You got to get them while you can.  Kinda like Girl Scout cookies.  And it just occurred to me, glancing at the 100's of cases of cookies in my dining room.  Wouldn't it be oh-so-sweet if Girl Scout cookie season and Peep season didn't overlap, because between the marshmallows and the Thin Mints - whew!

Baker for a day

In another life, I would've gone to cooking school and specialized in baking. I'd also probably weight about 350 lbs., so I guess it's a good thing, I'm living this life.

However, the sweet tooth is still there (I think my dentist has even identified it) and baking and eating sweets is still a favorite pastime. The eve of Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my best baking days. The big family dinners allow an excuse to offer multiple desserts to accommodate for everyone's favorite. I line the ingredients on the counter, pull out all the pans and mixing bowls, the measuring cups and spoons, make myself a drink (today its pomegranate martini) and pretend for the day that I'm in a bakery.

On this year's dessert menu:
Sweet potato pie
Chocolate pecan pie
Apple pie
Red Velvet Cake
Carrot Cake

What am I missing?