Kalamata Olive Scones - A Trip Down Memory Lane

Years ago, before the girls were born and when I was still eating gluten, DH and I went to a mom and pop Italian restaurant on a whim. We had gone 30 minutes inland from the shore where we lived to a rural part of the state with lovely one-lane winding roads. (Boy I miss those curvy tree-lined roads, so much fun to drive!) We'd make the out-of-the-way trip to a special mom and pop brewing supply store so DH could get what he needed to brew his own beer. The Italian restaurant was on the way back, so we stopped there for dinner (once, and then as often as we could justify). It was small and romantic with dynamite food, but what I liked best were the warm scones they served with small bowls of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In the bottom of the bowl of olive oil were sliced kalamata olives. The scones with the olive oil and olives were just to die for, they were so good. When I saw Gluten Free Goddess' recipe for Savory Scones with Olives and Rosemary, they reminded me of those scones at the Italian restaurant. I had to make them.

I made a few changes to the original recipe (which I encourage you to check out here), most notably omitting the eggs and the nut flour. I also really don't care for rosemary, so I used just a little ground rosemary. I also made them nice and dry on purpose - that's the way I like scones. I think these olive scones, warm right out the oven, are dynamite. They are really good. Thanks, Karina, for stirring up happy memories and for a great savory scone recipe I can work with and feel good about.

2 cups GF flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 tbsp. dairy-free, soy-free margarine (such as Earth Balance)

1/2 cup rice milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour through the pepper. Cut in the margarine with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine meal. Set aside.

Combine the rice milk and vinegar. Pour all at once into the dry mixture. Mix with a fork until the mixture sticks together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The mixture should not be too wet or too dry. If it is too dry, add 1 tbsp. water at a time until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. If it is too wet, add 1 tbsp. flour at a time until you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hands. Stir in the chopped olives.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board. Knead the dough a few times until smooth. Pat the dough into a circle 1/2 inch high. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. With a spatula, transfer each wedge to the prepared baking sheet, placing 2 inches apart.

Place the scones into the oven and bake 15 - 20 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 scones. These are good spread with margarine or dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Gluten Free & Vegan - Cream Gravy

Continuing my slide into assimilation, the other night this born and bred northeasterner made cream gravy. I've only ever had it once before when a friend made it for me last year (she's pretty determined to speed along my habituation!). I'd previously turned my nose up at the stuff but since she made it, I had to try it. It was okay - not bad, but still a little foreign.

The decision to cave and make cream gravy was not intentional but born of necessity - I didn't have any broth in the house to make regular gravy to serve over mashed potatoes, but I did have coconut milk. And I was really in the mood for gravy. So I used this recipe as a guide and added generous pinches of cayenne and chipotle powder because I was also craving something with a little bite. Actually if I had thought about it, I would have sauteed up a little bit of minced onion and jalapeno pepper to include in the gravy (maybe I'll do that next time).

I was very surprised at how much we all liked it. I made biscuits too (because why not go whole hog?) and I liked the cream gravy best over biscuits. I'm slightly horrified to confess this, but I'm a convert. Biscuits with cream gravy are yummy. It's not a food I'll eat very often but every once in awhile it really could hit the spot. And it's really not as bad for you as I always assumed it was. Even Anna liked it, though she did say with a thoughtful look "Well, Mommy, it doesn't taste like much by itself. But it makes other stuff taste good". Guess I'll turn up the heat a little more next time to see what she says about it then!

(Oh cream gravy, I hate to admit this - but you are pretty darn tasty!)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. potato starch
1 1/2 cups plain coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk)
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne and chipotle powder to taste, if desired

In a medium skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil over low to medium-low heat. Add the potato starch and stir until dissolved. Cook and stir for about a minute until bubbly. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk. Cook and stir until it thickens to your liking, then turn off the heat. Add the salt and pepper (and cayenne and/or chipotle powder if desired) to your taste. Serve immediately. This is good over biscuits, mashed potatoes, vegetables, or anything else that strikes your fancy!

Birthday Cobbler

For birthdays growing up, my mom let my brother and I pick whatever dinner and dessert we wanted and she'd make it for us. My brother and I always picked lasagna and lemon meringue pie. We didn't do birthday parties or even many gifts. The birthday dinner was the highlight of the day, more so because Mom made it from scratch. It was special because of the love she put into it (and also quite frankly, she made the best lasagna and lemon meringue pies ever).

When I got married, I refused to make my own birthday dessert (see Mom, you spoiled me). After several years, DH got brave enough to make the lemon meringue pie. He made it faithfully for years...each year the end result was more presentable than the year before. But I didn't care how it looked, what mattered was the fact that he took the time to make it and put some love into it too.

I don't think that DH has made a birthday pie for me since we all went gluten free. He talked about tackling it this year - but you can't make a lemon meringue pie without eggs. I couldn't imagine wanting anything else until recently when blueberries and blackberries went on sale...and I decided that a birthday berry cobbler would be fabulous. So that's what he made me. And it may be one of the best birthday desserts ever...because he cared enough to make it, and everybody can enjoy it. Now all I need to do is secure a birthday dinner too!

As an aside, I thought it would be traumatic to turn 37...but it's not. I'm actually feeling really good about being in my own skin, being me. The gray hairs, the laugh lines, the pregnancy battle scars (stretch marks, or as DH likes to call them, racing stripes), the ADHD...it all feels good. I feel confident in a way I have not before. I don't know what next year will bring, but I think this year will be good.

Gluten Free & Vegan - Cocoa Snowflakes

Where is winter? It's felt like spring for half the month already. The daffodils are sprouting and wasps are flying underneath the overhangs. The closest I can come to snow here lately is to make Cocoa Snowflakes. I know that's a far cry from the real cold stuff but...they're chocolate, and what's not to like about that?

To make these egg-free I used prune butter, which makes chocolate baked goods rich and decadent. You can find that recipe here. If you have leftover prune butter that you don't know what to do with, turn it into Chocolate Avocado Pudding!

1 cup GF flour blend (I like this one)
1 tbsp. flax meal
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum, if desired
1/4 tsp. salt

5 tbsp. canola oil or melted coconut oil
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup prune butter
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour through the salt, set aside. In a large bowl stir together the canola oil or coconut oil and the cocoa powder until smooth. Beat in the sugar and the vanilla extract. Stir in the prune butter until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring until well incorporated. You may need to add a touch of liquid if the mix is too dry. The dough should not be sticky and there is no need to refrigerate it before rolling.

Taking a heaping teaspoon at a time, roll the dough into balls about 1 inch big. Roll in powdered sugar to coat and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until puffed and lightly set. Let cool on the pan a minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Dried Fruit and Nut Snack Mix

This is a sweet (but not overly sweet) version of Chex Mix (for a savory version, click here). It smells fabulous in the oven and if you don't watch it, it will be gone in no time flat. I used chopped almonds and dried cranberries this time, but any nut (or no nuts if you prefer) or dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, snipped apricots, chopped figs, etc.) would be good. If you wanted to get a little decadent, throw in some shredded coconut and Enjoy Life chocolate chunks (yum!).

4 cups gluten free Chex cereal
2 cups Ener-G Wylde pretzels
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey, agave or brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large bowl toss together the cereal, pretzels nuts and dried fruit, set aside. In a small saucepan heat the coconut oil and honey over low heat until the coconut oil melts. Whisk well to combine. Pour the honey mixture over the cereal mixture and toss well to coat. Spread this mixture in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in a bowl, breaking up big clumps, and serve at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Squash with Walnut Sauce

When DH and I were first married he bought Essential Pasta and Pizza on sale at the book store for $5. It was a great investment - some of my favorite soup and pasta recipes come from this book. One of my very favorite dishes that DH used to make for special occasions was pasta with walnut sauce. It was rich and amazing with generous amounts of butter and cream. As our 15th anniversary nears, I had a sudden hankering for that old walnut sauce. Only this time there is no butter or cream and we had it over spaghetti squash. It was just as rich and amazing as I remember and it's still a special treat.

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 cloves garlic
1 cup walnuts
1 piece of bread
olive oil
parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Place the squash cut side down in a baking dish and pour in water to 1/2 inch depth. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake until a fork just pierces the skin with slight pressure, about 30 minutes. Let squash cool enough to handle and then scoop out the strands with a fork.

Place the garlic, walnuts and bread in a food processor and pulse until the mix resembles small grains. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil, or enough to make a grainy paste that falls apart loosely into clumps. Add a couple of teaspoons of parsley and salt and pepper to taste. If you want to make a creamy paste, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk. Serve spooned over the spaghetti squash.

*You can also toss the walnut sauce with regular rice pasta and garnish with parsley.

Coconut Nog French Toast

Guess what I found only a few days before Christmas? So Delicious Coconut Nog! I was so excited! It tastes just like egg nog but without egg, dairy or soy. And I can say that it is in fact delicious. A little sweet, but delicious. Today I made some French Toast following the guidelines on the carton - 1 very ripe mashed banana plus a cup of nog, dip slices of bread in this mixture and let them soak several seconds, then cook in hot coconut oil over low heat until golden brown on each side. We have not had french toast in ages and this version was very good!

(So Delicious, you keep rocking my world. When will you come up with cream cheese?)

Acorn Squash Dip

Happy Boxing Day! I must announce with some dismay that I am being assimilated. I've been trying to stave this off for years, flinging the word "wicked" around with abandon even in the face of raised eyebrows, to counter the effects of the "y'alls" I hear every day.

A friend: "How'd y'all enjoy your weekend?"
Me: "It was wicked good!"

Sadly, I have succumbed to the quirky charms of where we now live. I've given up. Belonging to a place is more official when you own a home there and are no longer transient. I resigned the other day when I heard myself say to a friend who was on vacation "Good grief, y'all have been gone forever!". I could have slapped myself in the forehead. It just slipped right out. I'm afraid the "fixing to's" and the "right quick's" are just around the corner.

It's not just the regional colloquialisms that are sneaking their way into every day living. It's the craving for food with heat. I keep throwing hot sauce, cayenne pepper and dried chilies in my food. "Gosh golly gee, this food I grew up with tastes bland!", I'll say to DH as I enliven my meals with Frank's Red Hot. DH just smirks at me.

Recently I found myself an unassuming recipient of a CSA-procured acorn squash. The last time I made acorn squash was to bake it, puree it and feed it to an infant Anna. I don't normally care for acorn squash - it's sweet, it's usually prepared on the sweet side, and I'm a definite savory girl. I like this savory interpretation on acorn squash better than any other acorn squash dish I've tried. A little cayenne pepper sprinkled on top might be nice too...but maybe that's just me!

1 small acorn squash
olive oil
salt
pepper

2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
2 - 3 tbsp. olive oil
splash of lemon juice
water or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
parsley to garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp and discard. Smear olive oil over the cut halves of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast about 45 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the, turn the squash cut side up and set aside to cool. You can store the squash (covered in plastic wrap) in the fridge for a day or two until you are ready to make the dip.

Thrown the garlic cloves and walnuts into a food processor. Pulse until minced. Scoop the squash flesh from the skin and place in the food processor. Discard the skin. Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the food processor. With the food processor running, add enough water or broth to make a thick dip. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Scrape the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with parsley if desired. This tastes best if it sits for a day in the refrigerator - serve it chilled with crackers and crudites.

What I've Been Up To

(The half-finished scarf is number 19 since October!)

I know. You are looking at the above picture thinking I've finally lost my mind. I have no time to do much of anything lately and yet, I've been crocheting my brains out making homemade gifts for Christmas. Every year I say I will stop making homemade gifts and every year I make them. You may think I'm a glutton for punishment, and you may be right. But I love to be busy like this. I can't help it. The crocheting in particular is addicting. It keeps me busy, it's challenging, it's mesmerizing, it's clarifying. I do a lot of thinking when I crochet and it's perfect, because I can keep moving. I love the fluidity of my hands as the hook and yarn weave their way into neat little rows. Hands have a memory and once you get the hang of it, you don't have to think much about it...your hands move and your mind is free to wander. I taught someone how to crochet recently and it was funny...she is addicted now too. I caught her watching me crochet and she had a faraway look on her face, like she was hypnotized. Someday I'll teach my girls how to crochet. I have a feeling Megan will like it more than Anna will.

Today DH and I took the girls out to see The Muppets in the theatre. We never go to see movies, so it was a special treat. It was a fun movie, and shortly into it DH shot me a look and started laughing at me. I was enjoying the spiffy seats...leather, big and comfy, and they rock back and forth without much effort. There I was, rocking and rocking and rocking without realizing it. When I stopped, my knee started bouncing up and down with a life of its own. Ah, whatever. I'm done feeling upset about the ADHD. As long as I'm not disruptive, it's fine. Megan did fine until we went out to dinner afterward. Then she was the one who could not sit still, constantly moving and shifting position in her seat. But she wasn't disruptive either. It's fine.

Speaking of dinner, we never go out to eat. We braved it tonight. There is an Asian place close to use that offers gluten free dishes and as long as we nix the egg and the tofu, we're good to go. The girls really wanted dessert. There was a coconut ice cream on the menu and I thought it meant coconut milk ice cream, so I asked our server if it was dairy free and egg free. She said yes. So the girls got ice cream. DH and I got spoons to share their desserts and after they had already dug in, I had a bite. I know dairy when I taste it. That was dairy ice cream with shredded coconut in it. The girls and I have not had dairy in 4 years, so I don't know what to expect. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Next time (not that they'll be a next time anytime soon), I'll know better!

What we should have done was to come home and have nut brittle for dessert. This has been a real treat this year. I have not attempted a dairy free, corn free, peanut free nut brittle until just this past week. I've made regular peanut brittle for other people, but not something that is safe for the girls. This year I decided to get brave and replace the dairy with Earth Balance, the peanuts with cashews and the corn syrup with brown rice syrup. This brittle behaved exactly like brittle should behave, but the brown rice syrup leaves a little to be desired. I will need to experiment more with nut brittle. It will be a bee in my bonnet until I get it done. And that's not a bad thing at all.

Apple Spice Muffins

It's the holidays and I have yet to make a single batch of Christmas cookies. I've been so strapped for time lately that the girls have had nothing but boxed cereal for breakfast for days upon days. In this house, that's just not popular. The girls have been begging for muffins and I could not ignore their plaintive pleas any longer. Late last night I finally made a batch. These are good and whip up in a flash which is very helpful for busy days. You could, if you wanted to, call them a holiday muffin...the cinnamon makes the house smell like Christmas. That's what I tell the girls, anyway.

Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 cup GF flour blend
1/4 cup flax meal
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking cups, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the applesauce through the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combine. Fold in the diced apple, if desired.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes or until they smell really good and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins.

The Christmas Crazies Stike Again!

We are knee-deep into the holiday break, and we are stuck in the Christmas Crazies. Somehow this surprises me every year. Silly me expects that as Anna gets older, she will miraculously transition smoothly between being at school and being at home. Normally she does really well, segueing between the school week and the weekend and back again without any major issues. But without fail since preschool, Christmas break and summer break really trip her up. Twice a year we are treated to much drama - crying, tantrums, hissy fits, meltdowns, and hyper-sensitivity to small stuff. I took her to the dentist the other day and the noises the machines were making really bothered her. She covered her ears and cowered in a way I have not seen in a long time. She's also been chewing on her fingers nearly non-stop - a clear sign she's seeking sensory input. Sure, all these things drive me crazy, but it is hard to be overly frustrated with her when it's clear that her response to these big transitions are beyond her ability to cope. We've already come so far. It might take years, but she'll one day be able to manage transitions with aplomb, I just know it.

So Happy Holidays, everyone. I am now going to attempt to do some holiday baking!

(Even the cat is crazy. She's been batting ornaments off the tree and
running helter-skelter through my lighted village like a deranged monster cat.)

Wilted Kale Salad

I have not baked anything interesting lately. This is stressing me out, since Christmas is just around the corner. I have not had the time - I've been working. Yes, that's right...I landed a part-time retail job - a year ago! I've been snapping up as many hours as possible during the holiday season while they are available. This is good for the bills, but not so good for the baking. Sigh.

I made this kale salad (based on this recipe by Sarah Kramer) for Thanksgiving and it was amazing. I've made it again since then and I'm making it for Christmas too. It's healthy, delicious and really quite pretty. I love any leftovers as a kale and (Daiya) cheese quesadilla for breakfast the next morning. But then, I'm weird with my greens like that.

1 large bunch kale, washed and spines removed
1 small raw beet, peeled and grated
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
one generous handful of chopped walnuts

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. dry white wine
2 tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the kale thinly into strips. Put into a large bowl and add the beet, carrot, onion and walnuts. Toss to combine.

Whisk together the vinegar through the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the kale mixture and toss to coat. Toss every 15 minutes or so for the first hour. Then, toss once an hour until ready to serve. It will take a couple of hours to wilt, and it tastes even better the next day. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Curried Sprouted Beans

I've been busy sprouting things in my new spiffy Victorio three level sprouter! I love it - it does not take up a lot of space in my small kitchen and I can keep the moisture level consistent so my sprouts are neither moldy nor dry.

My favorite thing to sprout so far are alfalfa seeds simply because Anna loves them so much. She'll grab great hulking handfuls of them and eat them on the run. I'm lucky if I get any alfalfa sprouts at all.

Here are some "tic-tac" sprouts (I've no idea what they are actually called) - a friend gave them to me after she got them from an Indian market. She puts these sprouts on top of salads but I like them better sauteed in coconut oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

I also like to sprout a mix of lentils, green peas and chickpeas and had some handy when Ina posted a recipe for Curry Pate that called for sprouted beans. I used her recipe as a guide to make Curried Sprouted Beans. DH and I enjoyed them plain and Anna enjoyed them with pasta for dinner. I think even Megan had some, and that makes this dish a winner in our house. Thanks, Ina, for the inspiration!

1 1/2 cups fresh sprouted legumes (chickpeas, green peas, lentils, mung beans, etc.)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
dash of lemon juice, if desired

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the onion, garlic and sprouted beans and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

Add the white wine, curry powder, ginger, salt and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Cover the skillet and cook for about another 5 minutes, or until fragrant. The liquid should be mostly absorbed. Taste and adjust the salt and cayenne if needed. Add a dash of lemon juice if desired. Serve warm.

Squash Flower Quesadillas

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I promise. I just cannot seem to get my feet underneath me. I'm feeling very busy and very scattered, but in a good way. Life is busy, but good.

In late August DH built raised garden beds and we planted squash. Crazy, I know, but we thought what the heck? It's been so hot since May, maybe the plants will produce squash in the milder temps of October. Well we did get squash...one baby butternut squash (which tonight I threw into some turkey soup) and a few very small zucchini squash. I was surprised that they were edible, and tasty to boot. But the squash plants were far more interested in producing flowers than anything else.

And then came the cold snap. And for some reason that escapes me, DH thought that it would be a good idea to rip up the squash plants to sow some garlic! Ahhh, all those pretty squash flowers, full of life and promise, just ripped up and thrown on the compost pile! I could have cried. I sent Anna out to harvest what squash flowers she could find. She was so excited to pick flowers in November that she ran out in her fleecy jammies and Hello Kitty fuzzy slippers. I don't know what the neighbors thought about that, but I thought it was funny.

I have never cooked squash flowers before. But I've heard that it can be done. Not wanting to waste anything from our garden and deeming the flowers too delicate for the compost bin, I decided to go online and find recipes for cooked squash flowers. Nothing I saw appealed to me...sauteed squash flowers (meh), fried squash flowers (too much work)...and then I ran across this recipe for squash flower quesadillas. I am so down with squash flower quesadillas! So I made some. And they were very good.

This is what I threw into my quesadillas. You may modify to suit what you have on hand.

1/2 cup diced onion
1 large clove minced garlic
several itsy-bitsy zucchini, diced (about 1/3 cup)
several coarsely chopped squash flowers, ends chopped off and stamens removed
several grape tomatoes, diced (about 1/3 cup)
a good splash of lime juice
several dashes of ancho chili powder
a few dashes of chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
two gluten free tortillas (such as Food for Life)
Daiya Mozzarella or Pepper Jack
cooked diced bacon, if desired

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet. Add the onion, cook about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, cook another minute. Add the zucchini, cook another 2 - 3 minutes. Add the squash flowers through the pepper and cook a couple of minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste, then remove from the heat.

In a separate dry skillet, heat a tortilla over medium-low heat. Sprinkle generously with your choice of cheese. Spread half of the squash flower mixture over half of the tortilla and sprinkle with diced bacon if desired. Cook until the cheese just melts and the bottom of the tortilla is lightly browned. Fold in half and remove to a cutting board. Repeat with the second tortilla. Cut each tortilla in half and serve hot.

Cinnamon Walnuts

Anna's third grade class is collecting family holiday recipes for a little recipe book they are putting together. I had the arduous task of picking a simple favorite recipe (most of my favorite holiday recipes are a little involved for third graders). I settled on this recipe - I've made it every year for many years, and every year it's gone in no time flat. It's easy, addictive and smells like Thanksgiving and Christmas and everything that is fabulous about fall and winter encapsulated in one little sugar-coated nut. Yum.

This is originally a Penzey's recipe. I cut it out of one of their catalogs a long time ago, and now it's almost impossible to find online. So I'm posting it here for safekeeping. These walnuts (or you can use pecans, if you wish) are addictive by the handful, or good on top of tossed salad with diced apples, dried cranberries and a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette.

Cinnamon Walnuts
4 cups walnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. dried minced orange peel rehydrated in 2 tbsp. orange juice, OR 2 tbsp. fresh minced orange peel
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup water

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the orange peel and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add the nuts and reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid is simmering. Stir constantly while the liquid evaporates. This may take 10 - 15 minutes, so be patient. It is important to stir the mixture constantly so the nuts don't scorch.

At first the liquid will be shiny, but as the water boils off, the sugar will form brown crystals on the walnuts. The nuts at first will be easy to stir, and once the liquid evaporates they will be harder to stir, which is your cue to take them off the heat. Don't remove them too soon, or whatever liquid remains will harden around the nuts when you dry them.

When the nuts are completely coated and all of the liquid has evaporated, remove the pot from the heat. Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet or waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks (if they last that long!).