Dories Pumpkin-Spice Muffins

On one of my favorite food blogs, Tracy's Culinary Adventures, she was saying why limit pumpkin goodies to October/November?  So, I made Dories Pumpkin Spice Muffins from her Baking: from My Home to Yours cookbook.  They were delicious and should definitely not be limited to fall cooking.

FFwD: Broth-Braised Potatoes

My family loves new potatoes and the local ones that we get are delicious.  Most of the time I just boil them and serve with parsley and butter or I roast them with herbs.

This was a super easy recipe that added a nice flavor to these little potatoes.  I used rosemary instead of thyme and served with simple sauted chicken and snow peas.  I cooked down the cooking water from the potatoes and added a tablespoon of butter right at the end which gave it a nice creamy, buttery flavor... yummy!  Everyone loved this one.

FFwD: quartre-quarts

What an easy and delicious cake to make!  I tried it with a teaspoon of cognac and a teaspoon of vanilla which gave it a really nice flavor.  I baked it for 25 minutes and checked it with a toothpick, but after it started to cool it began sinking in the middle.  Why do cakes sometimes do that?  It was perfectly cooked in all the places I tested it, just not the very center, which I'm sure I checked.  Anyway, it was yummy with a cup of tea and enjoyed by all!

Can you see that hole emerging right in the middle?

Gooey right in the center

Cut the goo away and it was just right!

FFwD: m. jacques armagnac chicken

I don't know what happen to my chicken, but it came out of the oven basically the same color as when it went in???  I covered it with foil and then the lid to make sure it had a tight fit, mystery.

This was a very easy dish to make, I always love a meal made in one pot.  I used Cognac instead of the Armagnac because for some reason we had 2 bottles of it in the panty and we don't even drink Cognac, yet another mystery ;o)  I didn't have any prunes, but I did throw in some dried figs I had from the holidays.  The chicken was very tender and the sauce did have a nice flavor.  Just OK for me on this one.

Happy French Friday!

All tucked into the veggies, ready for the oven...

What happened??  Where's my golden, crispy beautiful skin??

Last week's roll still looks good?  Just kidding,
I made everything last Sunday ;o)

FFwD: Bubble-Top Brioche Rolls

Happy New Year!  Well, I let my being more organized resolution slip on this recipe.  I didn't read through the recipe until Thursday evening.  The recipe says these are best for breakfast - Saturday mornings are busy and on Sunday morning the last thing I want to do is get up early to bake bread.  So, we had them with dinner this evening with next weeks chicken dish - how's that for being organized!  

The smell of these baking was delicious!  We were having these with dinner, but I didn't time them right, so had to have 2 right out of the oven, yummy!  They were definitely better hot and would have been great for breakfast.  Once they cooled and we had them with dinner, they were just rolls at that point.  We'll try the left-overs toasted in the morning.

This was my first experience baking bread (other than the banana or pumpkin variety), I can't imagine doing this whole process by hand... thank goodness for stand mixers!

dough rising!

all egg'd up and ready for the oven

I made bread!

FFwD: Chard-Stuffed Roast Pork

Every Wednesday at work I have to prepare a roast dinner for our residents (14, 80 & 90+ year olds). This week I had planned to do roast pork, so when I checked to see what this weeks recipe was I thought perfect! Now this little group I cook for are pretty set in their ways when it comes to food. They like what they like - meat, potatoes, two veg and gravy. But, every now and again I like to shake up their taste buds and offer them something new.  This week they got a taste of French Friday with Dorie!

I didn't have Swiss chard on hand so I used cabbage instead. My butcher had already boned & rolled my loin of pork. So I had to reopen it and try and get it flattened as much as possible. It was a pretty thick piece of meat with a thick layer of fat on top (this becomes crispy crackling which they love!). I'm thinking this would have been easier to prepare with a pork tenderloin or just a smaller pork roast.

It was a pretty easy dish to put together. My stuffing sort of fell out of the bottom of my roast, again I think it had to do with the thickness of my meat. Overall, a hit and I would make again for my family.  Might also be good with apples in the stuffing?

Happy French Friday!

*forgot my camera, so had to use my phone for photos.

Looked like a salad stuffed pork, probably could
have cooked the cabbage down a little more.

Trying to roll things back up, wasn't really cut correctly.

Ready for the oven!

Little bit of a stuffing explosion

Photo prior to covering it with gravy.  Served with
roast potatoes, mashed carrot & swede and green beans.

FFwD: Matafan (fluffy mashed potato pancake)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I cooked our Thanksgiving meal on Saturday for my husbands family - 15!  I had all intentions of making Dories chocolate pecan pie that's in Baking from My Home to Yours.  Well, on my way home from my son's soccer practice going through my list of things to do and prepare, my well intentioned pecan pie turned into pecan bars that were really yummy.  Just couldn't face making pie crust!  I did remake the stuffed pumpkin and used a mini pumpkin this time.  I stuffed it with stuffing and added pecans and mushrooms for my veggie sister in law, she loved it!

This weeks recipe was a hit.  My 6 year old son, who is my toughest food critic even gave it a 50 out of 50 :)  Next time I make these I might try adding bacon, cheese or herbs to the potato mixture.  I served mine with chicken and broccoli and can see where a sauce would have really been delicious with the potato pancakes.

Below, I had to share my one almost disaster with our Thanksgiving meal.  I was reheating my mashed potatoes and had them obviously on too high of a heat with the lid on.  I went to say hello to our guests when my husband called me to come quick!  Made me and everyone in the kitchen laugh.

Happy Friday!

Almost forgot to take a picture!

Mini-stuffed pumpkin stuffed with stuffing!

Tip... don't try to reheat potatoes too quickly!
They totally raised the lid, ha-ha-ha!