Baking With Myles, Age 4

I love baking with kids. Their imaginations are so far beyond that of any adult I have encountered. In my classes, the younger students seem to excel. Reason being, they don't spend hours on Pinterest trying to emulate what other people are doing.

Myles wanted to make Ninja Turtle Cupcakes as soon as he found out I was in town. Knowing it was his uncle Armando's 30th birthday, I figured he could be my sous chef for that project. Cake pops are not something I've gotten into making but I understand the appeal. As far as child friendly projects go, this is one of the best. Brownies are a fun alternative that everyone loves! My mother used to make brownies for all of my elementary school bake sales that had a mint icing drizzled on the top. If I can still remember how they tasted 25 years since she last made them for me, then I know it's a good recipe.

I decided on mini cupcake pans and papers being the easiest thing to bake in. My whole plan was to have Myles, who is four, involved as much as possible. He's pretty bossy in the kitchen, and the only one who gets away with it around me. So in my step by step plan, he was in mind.

Ninja Turtle Brownie Pops with Mint Chocolate Shells
Makes 36

1 box brownie mix (9x13 size)
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 oil

36 Popsicle sticks
Green cake sparkles
1 bag light green candy melts
1/2 bag green candy melts
1/4 tsp mint extract
72 candy eye balls (available at Michael's or Walmart)
Colored frosting tubes (for masks, red, orange, blue, purple)
Petal pastry tip or straight tip

For the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 36 mini cupcake tins with papers. Cut open the bag of brownie mix and let your helper pour it into the bowl. Break the eggs into a separate bowl (Myles was great at this and I gave him a whisk to mix the eggs).

Have your helper add the eggs, oil, and water to the batter. Let them mix it with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Using a portion scoop while Myles mixed, I portioned the batter for the oven. Bake until the tops are no longer shiny. You should know by now I don't use timers and my watch is strictly jewelry.

When the brownies are baked allow them to cool. You can transfer them to the fridge or freezer for a few minutes for impatient helpers.

Unwrap the brownies and insert the Popsicle sticks 1/2-3/4 of the way thru the side. Myles was good with guidance.
Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave, the candy melts. Stirring occasionally until smooth. Then add the mint extract.

Coat the pops in the mint chocolate and set onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Myles was able to to do this. Then let your helper sprinkle them with cake glitter. Place in the fridge for five minutes or until the shell has set.

Pipe the masks. Starting at the back, pipe the make frosting 3/4 of the way to the top in a straight line, all around the pops. Then add the candy eyes, and smile if desired.

Place them into a decorated stand and enjoy! Easy and fun! Ninja Turtle Mint Chocolate Brownie Pops bring smiles!

Ritz & The House That Built Me

I know they say you can't go home again. I just had to go back one last time....
I've never been a fan of going back to visit old homes. My parents always loved to. In Atlanta you can knock on a door at any of their old friends homes and they will invite you in and offer you a drink. I know because long after we had moved away, my dad would drag me to go visit old friends. No phone call in advance. It's not something people do in California. Why? I have no idea.

Yesterday marked the 8th month since my daddy went home to dance with angels. I spent the day with a sweet childhood friend and her newborn little girl. We both grew up in a neighborhood called Nellie Gail. My mom has been urging me to see what our first Nellie Gail home has become since being torn down to the studs. I didn't really have an interest but I decided to go to my father's watch repair man today and it was nearby our old homes. I passed by the back yard of our second home in the neighborhood and saw my horse. Ritz was a gift from my father for my 13th birthday. The family that bought our home eventually bought Ritz too.

I have often thought about being able to go back and take a few pictures for my nephew William. I know he remembered the house, and especially the pool. I drove by twice before I got the nerve to park. I guess I was kind of hoping the owners would come out to check the mail or something so I didn't have to knock on the door. It took a phone call to my mom for me to get out of the car. I knocked and hesitantly introduced myself as my father's daughter. Instantly I was welcomed into the home and the first thing they said was, "We have your horse!". I was overwhelmed by the Disney decor in the house. They showed me around the inside. The kitchen has been completely redone but the rest of the house remained structurally unchanged. It's had a facelift and sixteen years of another families memories to fill it. The hallway to the office was the only thing that seemed significantly smaller than my memory.

In the back yard is the pool where I learned to dive and my nephew learned to swim. I can fondly remember blasting Steve Wariner albums over our outdoor speakers while I spent six hours a day swimming.

The horse area was pretty much the same. My father built the whole thing. The chicken coop has been turned into hay storage. Out in the paddock stood Ritz. I was overjoyed to see him so healthy. Thankfully the family is a bit crazy about the animals. I think I counted seven or eight dogs in the house, all named after Disney characters. They had another quarter horse out with my Ritzy. There were also two mini horses. Something I always wanted but never got.

I quickly drifted off into my own world as I heard stories of the mini horses and another horse the family once had. I tried to pay attention but I kept going back to Ritz and how he used to follow me around like a puppy. He responded to me when I spoke to him. There's definitely an unbreakable bond between a little girl and her favorite horse. I fed him 1000 carrots and couldn't stop smiling. I was so grateful that they allowed me to see him again. I guess you can go back, even if it doesn't feel like home anymore.

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Ravioli with Sage Maple Brown Butter Sauce

Happy Halloween! I figured since it's pumpkin season that I would start experimenting with some new recipes! My sidekick and partner in crime here in Nashville, Mandi Dixon from Taste Of Music, is a great cooking buddy and taste tester! We ventured off to the Nashville Farmer's Market today for some inspiration. We ended up with some pie pumpkins and fresh sage.

#themandies dressed up over the weekend for our friends always epic "Hallowaters" party. Thing 1 & Thing 2 seemed appropriate for us considering we are always referred to as Mandi 1 & Mandy 2.

As for my pantry and fridge, I had some local Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Pie Spices, Maple Syrup, flour, eggs and instantly I knew we were making ravioli! Pasta is really fun to make with friends. It's a big crowd pleaser, especially when you combine two favorite flavors that aren't usually paired together. Mandi is a lover of Goat Cheese. She definitely inspired this recipe and it was so much fun to have her around to learn to make fresh pasta. It's not as intimidating as it sounds. You could hypothetically use wonton wrappers to make a cheater version of this recipe, but 100% of the time, fresh pasta is better.

I love making things the way my grandmother Philomena taught me. There's something so satisfying about taking her basics and bringing modern flavor combinations to marry into a new creation. If she could be here, she would have loved it along with my other two angels, my grandpa George and daddy Gee!

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Ravioli with Sage Maple Brown Butter Sauce

Fresh Pasta

2 cups AP flour
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
Pinch good salt
1 T good olive oil

Place the flour in a mound in a bowl or on a board and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, salt, and olive oil in the well. Use a fork to break up the eggs and mix into the flour from the center out until the ingredients are incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a board and begin to knead. You may need more flour or some of the reserved egg whites depending on the humidity. Knead until the dough is shiny. About six minutes or so. Make two balls with the dough and cover in plastic wrap to rest at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. You could refrigerate the pasta dough at this point also. Just make sure you let it set at room temperature for at least an hour before you try to roll it. Using a pasta machine, roll it into sheets for ravioli.

Roasted Pumpkin Filling and Pumpkin Seeds

1-2 pie pumpkins
Canola or Vegetable Oil for brushing the pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spices
Pinch onion powder
Salt and Pepper TT

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Half the pumpkin(s) and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, then quarter the pumpkin(s). You can reserve the extra roasted pumpkin for soup, custard, pie, cupcakes etc.. You will have plenty even from little pumpkins to make some other fantastic recipes (you can freeze it after it's roasted and puréed). Place the pumpkin quarters flesh side up on lined baking sheets and brush with a light coating of oil. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the flesh is soft and cooked thru. Remove from oven and allow to cool before scooping out the flesh.
In the meantime, rinse the pumpkin seeds and dry them on a kitchen towel. Place them in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of oil (olive is fine). Spread them evenly over a baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt. Roast them for 20 minutes or until light golden in color.
Scoop out the cooled pumpkin flesh from the skins and place in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth texture is achieved. Reserve one cup of pumpkin purée and freeze the rest or use it for something else. Add the pumpkin pie spices and onion powder along with salt and pepper to taste. You can taste it for seasoning (the pumpkin is cooked). Put the pumpkin purée into a piping bag for easy ravioli assembly.

Assembling the Ravioli

Fresh Pasta
1 cup seasoned pumpkin purée
4 oz goat cheese at room temperature
1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt

Roll the pasta into sheets. Pipe small rounds of pumpkin filling onto half of the pasta sheets. Approximately 1 1/2 tsp for each ravioli. Top with a small amount of goat cheese (1/4-1/2tsp). Brush around the filling with egg wash and top with another sheet of pasta. Cut into desired shapes. Cook in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until they float nicely. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to sauce. Recipe follows.

Sage Maple Brown Butter Sauce

4 T unsalted butter
Bunch fresh sage leaves
4 T maple syrup (the real kind)
Fresh ginger TT (grated using a micro blade)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spices
Salt and Pepper TT

In a small saucepan over medium heat, place the butter and sage and heat until the sage starts to curl up. Remove the sage and allow to drain on a paper towel. Add the maple syrup, grated ginger and spices. Cook until the sauce bubbles.
Remove from heat and toss with ravioli. Serve topped with the crispy sage and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Fall Colors and Bonfires

Seasons! Just the word is exciting for this California girl. Last year was the first time I was able to see the leaves change. Seems like a simple thing. I've seen a lot of gorgeous places but I think October of last year is what solidified the fact that I was going to call Tennessee my home.

I had packed only one suitcase when I set out on this adventure. By the time the air became crisp, I was hooked. The colors in the hills of East Tennessee were unforgettable. It happens overnight and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to get on a plane right now and come visit!

Cooler weather means bonfires. I grew up having bonfires on the beach with my friends. It's different here. There's something magical that happens when friends gather together and have a bonfire. It's almost hard to explain, but the rest of the world disappears and you get lost in the moment. I did. I'm lucky to have my crazy Nashville family of friends. When they start singing....oh yeah...it's the only place in the world I want to be, and I'm the girl who is usually dreaming of elsewhere and planning trips. Now I look forward to when my Nash Fam is all together. Magic.

Homemade Mozzarella

My Aunt Toots sent me a cheese making kit after she successfully made homemade ricotta and mozzarella. It's one of the greatest gifts of all time. I am a huge fan of making everything from scratch when possible. Not because of the time it takes but the love of knowing what is actually in what we consume. Where things come from is just as important as who makes it.

I decided to make a half recipe using a half gallon of milk. I wasn't sure how it would turn out or how much mozzarella one girl can healthfully consume. Now I'm really glad I only made a half recipe because it is the greatest thing ever! I would have eaten all of an entire recipe had that been an option.

I followed the simple directions and was able to make the whole thing start to finish in about fifteen minutes all while on a business call. That is what I call multi-tasking fool proof easy cheese! I can honestly say I'm now a snob and won't be buying mozzarella from a store any longer, just pasteurized milk (not ultra pasteurized), and my lasagna will be 100% homemade from this day forward! Epic win for the little Italian girl whose grandmother would be proud that she still make pasta the way she taught her 27 years ago!

Nashville Music

It's no secret that Nashville is a music town. What's surprising is the level of talent among my friends. We went out to Blue Bar to support a friend performing as part of a song writers evening that happens every Wednesday. Just walking to the bar, I saw another friend performing outside on the deck at another place, and once we got to Blue Bar, several of my other friends were on stage throughout the evening. What a great place for music and friends! This city continues to surprise me. It's a lot of fun to see songs performed by those who have written them.

If you're in Nashville on a Wednesday, be sure to check it out!

Kentucky Fried Roadtrip

I went to see a friend. I had to drive thru Kentucky to do so. I've never been to Kentucky that I remember but my mother says otherwise. What a beautiful state! When the leaves change I will most certainly be going back. After all Kentucky has the Bourbon Trail and the most exciting thing I have seen in a highway advertisement, Dinosaur World! I'm a sucker for marketing.