Instagram has it's stars and while I never want to see another selfie of Mylie with her tongue sticking out, I flock to Instagram to see cute fuzzy faces... and one of my favorite is Tuna. He's not actually fuzzy and some might say he's not cute... but I think he's utterly adorable and I love his Human's commentary.
Tuna was rescued after being rejected because of his lower jaw deformity and now he is loved worldwide, appropriately so!
In an effort to eat more veggies and fruit - after learning that hubby has an indicator of higher risk for Kidney cancer - as I was making breakfast the other day, I turned to a book I bought when LLC was little - Jessica Seinfeld's, Deceptively Delicious.
The Egg Puffs - with hidden Butternut Squash - looked tasty enough... and I happened to have some already-pureed squash in the freezer from a recent CSA haul (though I'm more than happy to use my Vitamix to make more when needed!)
So I made the Egg Puffs with the hope that they wouldn't be terrible... and that I could get LLC to eat one. As I checked the oven with about 5 minutes to go, the eggs still hadn't puffed and I was sure this was going to be a huge failure... but sure enough, 5 minutes later... puffing had ensued. I still had to cook them about 5 minutes longer than the recipe - but they turned out looking pretty adorable and apparently appetizing enough for LLC to give one a try.
Mine didn't come out nearly as pretty as Jessica's, but it was still tasty enough to elicit a resounding seal of approval from LLC, as she declared, "this is the best thing I ever ate!"
Here is the recipe:
BAKED EGG PUFFS
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup yellow or butternut squash puree (baby food perhaps?)
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, squash puree, cheese, flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Divide it among the ramekins and bake about 13-15 minutes (note: mine had to go longer), until the tops are puffed up and the eggs are no longer funny in the center. Serve immediately.
Note: mine also deflated a bit... whomp whomp whomp.
Well, for reasons I can't explain or just choose not to acknowledge consciously lest my psyche suffer, I haven't blogged in AGES. Life changes... and moves at a steady clip... and things happen... and you must move on.
So a fresh start - and I'll mainly hold true to my blog title, DAILY BITE. My addiction to The Food Network + Pinterest + more time at home + Vitamix purchase + trying to eat healthier + great cookbook gifts = renewed love of baking and cooking and more time to experiment.
Over the past year or so, I've tried many new recipes... some came out great, some not so much (I'm still scarred from the horror that was homemade Pop Rocks). So with that, I definitely have stories and recipes to share... the good, the bad and the ugly.
To start, one of my favorite things to make, sugar cubes. They are so easy to make and can be made adorable (or Sweet & Cute - as I like to call the goodies I sometimes sell at craft sales and at Enjoy Cafe in Honeoye Falls)... by either molding them or putting them in (one of my other addictions) - a Weck jar.
Sugar cubes are insanely easy to make... here's the original recipe.
Handmade Sugar Cubes
1C sugar
1Tbsp water
Use a rubber spatula to mix the sugar and water to a wet sand consistency. Smoosh mixture into mold. Place a piece of parchment over the mold, then a sturdy piece of cardboard, flip the mold, place on table, tap - tap - tap to unmold the cubes. Let dry a few hours or overnight.
I found these molds
from Amazon work best for square cubes. You can also use chocolate molds for more adorable shapes.
If you don't have a mold, you can use an 8x8 pan - smoosh mixture into pan as evenly as possible (yes, this is a challenge), score square cuts by dragging a sharp knife through, let dry a few hours, remove from pan and snap into squares.
From this basic recipe, I experimented to make flavored cubes - substituting in extracts, adding in spices and using brown sugar.
OK - so, I really hope to continue my posts and even add in videos as I bake, cook, and Vitamix!
purchase + trying to eat healthier + great cookbook gifts = renewed love of baking and cooking and more time to experiment.
from Amazon work best for square cubes. You can also use chocolate molds for more adorable shapes.
