Whirley Pop: For the Popcorn Lover

This is another random post and bit dorky I admit, but I am a popcorn fanatic and have to share how to get the best popcorn for those who may share the same love of popcorn. The Whirley Pop popcorn popper hands down makes the best popcorn there is for the home connoisseur. Movie popcorn will even be mediocre after having this.

The Whirley Pop is used on top of the stove which gives that old fashioned flavor. I use a little canola oil, whirl the kernals around for a few minutes , add some kosher salt while still hot and voila! Instant gourmet popcorn. You can also experiment with your inner popcorn diva and use different oils (a touch of truffle oil is out of this world!) or herbs. I am a fan of olive oil with dried oregano, dried parmesan cheese or even kettle corn is a nice treat. As I sit here typing I can smell my husband make some right now...he's making up for locking me out of the house.

You can purchase this simple, but oh so wonderful product at Amazon.com:Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper

Oh and did I mention that the lid has a lifetime warranty? I have already burned through one and had a replacement sent...like I said...I really like popcorn!!

Mother's Day Brunch

It was a busy weekend preparing for Mother's Day and having my mom in town visiting at the same time, but with a little pre-planning I think I (I mean we) pulled it off without a hitch. We ended up having a brunch at our place with my mom, mother and father-in-law and my brother and his fiance. A modest crowd, but enough people that you have to make the food simple and easy so you are not up at the crack of dawn preparing breakfast.

I made a mushroom, spinach and fontina egg strata as one of my old standbys and always a crowd pleaser. They are the best since they feed a crowd and all of the preparation is done the night before and then you put it in the oven in the morning to bake. I say anything you can make ahead of time is a life saver! The strata paired with a simple salad, a classic sourcream coffee cake (made the day before) and broiled grapefruit rounded out the menu. Yum, yum! The broiled grapefruit was a last minute adjustment from the original menu, but it was super easy and a pretty addition to the table.

Grilled Grapefruit:
Preheat oven to broil. Halve however many grapefruits you will need (one half/person), place them on a cookie sheet, sprinkle tops with sugar and broil for about 10 minutes! You can serve warm or at room temperature. I recommend trying this for a different take on the usual brunch fruit suspect.

With a simple palette to the table setting and some beautiful lilacs to make it special for our mother's, I think the morning went really well. I hope our special mom's felt spoiled!!

Recipe: Oatmeal Cookies That Won't Fall Flat

After a long week of feeling tired and fighting a cold, I usually want to bake something comforting. And what is more comforting than a good batch of chewy oatmeal raisin cookies? I baked a batch a few days ago and they have been feeding my sole (among other things that could do without) ever since.

It's hard to find a good oatmeal cookie that doesn't flatten out like a pancake or on the other extreme, is more like a dry dense cake than it is a cookie. So I leave you this weekend with this comforting recipe that will fill your home with yummy smells and is sure to please a crowd.

Makes about 48+ cookies...depends how much cookie dough you eat I suppose
1 c butter, softened
1 c brown & 1 c white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla (the real stuff!)
1.5 c flour
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (kosher or sea)
2 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning
3 c uncooked oatmeal (not the quick kind)
1 c chopped pecans
1 c yellow raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in electric mixer until light and fluffy about 5 min. Add eggs and vanilla, mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt and spices. With mixer running, gradually add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in oatmeal, nuts and raisins. Drop by tablespoon (I use a one-inch cookie scoop and they come out perfectly every time) 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased cookie sheet or one lined with a silpat (my preference). Flatten tops slightly and bake 10 minutes for a soft cookie.

Bakers Notes:
A few things I have figured out over the last few years trying to learn my own oven is to not put two cookie sheets in on the same shelf. The heat doesn't circulate properly, thus leaving you with half burnt bottom cookies. Also rotate the sheet halfway through to ensure an evenly browned bottom. Enjoy!

You can purchase a silpat online at Amazonif you don't have one - highly recommended for all types of sheet baking!!

Beechers: More Cheese Please!

I think I have found heaven in a cheese. Granted this may not be hard to do because sometimes I wonder if heaven is cheese, but this one...simply YUM! I was eating at the Pomegranate in Redmond for lunch one day and veered off from my usual lunch order and got their mixed green salad to offset some of the other not-so-healthy choices that day. Thinking it might be like any other mixed green salad (usually good and dependable no matter what the restaurant), I took my first bite with a little bit of this and that on my fork and wow!!! This cheese was like nothing I'd had before, but was obviously a mild flavored goat cheese. It had a hint of honey with a velvety texture. An unusual pairing of sweet and savory, but with great success.

We asked our server what this amazing cheese was (something I rarely, if ever, do) and she said it was Beecher's Blank Slate Honey. So after lunch we headed directly over to Whole Foods to find some of our own. It's $6 for one container, but soooo worth the treat! To compliment the Blank Slate cheese, I got some rosemary, raisin and pecan crisp crackers and they are just the ticket. It's practically like having dessert, and who doesn't like dessert? I definitely recommend this cheese for a special treat for yourself or guests.