Tag: Martha Stewart

Don’t get yourself into a fig jam…

CarrieLeave a comment

Fig jam is of my favorite condiments to have on hand is a tiny, treasured jar of fig jam.  In fact in my pantry right now are multiple brands of fig jam.  I think that you really can’t go wrong with fig jam because you can find a use for any variety.  I find that brands of fig jam very on density and sweetness.  Here are three of the varieties that I have in my pantry and their uses are listed below as well.

The Harvest Song fig jam has a loose consistency and is not as sweet as other fig jams.  I like to use it for fig jam vinaigrette.  All you need to do to make this is mix together the following ingredients: 1/2 c fig jam, 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c vegetable oil, and pinch of salt.  Yesterday I tossed this vinaigrette over greens with roasted butternut squash, sweet onion, beets, and goat cheese.  It was delicious.  Another variation is to toss this vinaigrette over arugula, sweet onion, pear slices, and honey goat cheese.

The Dalmatia Fig Jam comes in this orange-infused variety as well as a regular variety.  I think this orange-infused variety is great for spreading on a slice of toast or filling butter cookies.  It is also great for making crostini.  Take a slice of toasted bread or a rustic cracker and spread it with honey goat cheese.  Then top it off with a dab of fig jam and you have a great appetizer that everyone will enjoy!

The Mitica fig jam is a great addition to any cheese plate.  It is great paired with manchego cheese especially.  Of course these are just my suggestions, you might find many other uses for the varieties of fig jam as well.  Don’t be afraid to try them!  I’m watching Martha Stewart right now and she’s finding uses for parmesan cheese.  Now that I bought Silpat sheets I want to make parmesan crisps to go with the fig jam vinaigrette salads that I often make.  You can find inspiration anywhere…just look around and get out of that creative jam you’re in!

Project for Beer Caps

Carrie1 Comment

I usually throw a lot of parties during the winter months and as a result I collect a lot of bottle caps.  To make a few extra bucks, I use the beer bottle caps to make magnets to sell in the bakery.   Last year I made about 75 caps thinking that I would just try to sell them and hope for the best.  Little did I know that they would be a hot seller.  At just $.99, they were a great souvenir for kids. Don’t worry parents, by the time the caps are finished you can’t see any alcohol advertisement to expose to the little ones.

It’s so simple.  Just use a circle cutter (mine is Martha Stewart brand of course) to cut out a one inch circle of any desirable scrapbook paper that suits your fancy.  Then you can decorate the paper cut-out with any sticker you want.  I like to use a sticker that will give dimension to the cap.  After you have the cap all set to the way you want it, place them on a non-stick surface like parchment paper (I even used a cut ziploc bag.  Then, pour the clear resin into each bottle cap (I use Clear Castin’ Easy Cast that you can find at any Michael’s store) and let it set overnight.  Then all you need to do is to hot glue a round magnet to the back of each cap.  You’re creation is complete!

The Best Cookies You’ll Ever Eat

Sadie2 Comments

To start this blog off on the right foot, let’s talk cookies.  I love testing cookie recipes, tweaking them, and making them awesome.  One of my favorite sources for cookie recipes is Martha Stewart.  Now, admittedly, Martha leaves something to be desired in the recipe department.  She’s not always on the cutting edge of new ingredients or healthy alternatives, and some of her recipes are pretty dated.  But she also has some quality basics that are a great springboard to adapt into a more successful version.  Say what you will about Martha, but with her help, I think this recipe is a good thing.

Not only are these delicious, but between the whole wheat flour, oatmeal, dried cranberries, and nuts, how could you go wrong!  Every time I make these, I get nothing but raves.  Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredients list, you have most of it in your pantry, just run out to the store to grab the add-ins!

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

Yields about 4 dozen (this is a big batch)

  • 4 sticks of unsalted butter (2 cups)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt or milk
  • 4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 12 oz package of white chocolate chips
  • 1 12 oz package of butterscotch chips
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1-2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cream butter and sugars together with electric mixer.
  3. Sift together dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt/milk to butter and sugar.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.  Once ingredients are combined, add in oats, white chocolate, butterscotch, dried cranberries, coconut, and nuts.
  5. Mixture will be relatively stiff.  Make sure that the add-ins are uniformly distributed throughout the batter.
  6. Use an ice-cream scooper to portion out dough into 2 inch balls on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  These will be a great texture if they are closer to golden rather than brown.

Here’s what they looked like when I made them around Christmas.  Enjoy!