Bread Machine recipe - Cinnamon Chip Bread

Fall is in the air.  I can feel it.  I really don't want fall to come, because that means winter is around the corner.  I haven't recovered from last winter.  I don't think any Bostonian has recovered from last winter.

Here is a recipe that is really easy, if you have a bread machine.

Cinnamon Chip Bread

1 cup plus 2 T water
2 T butter
3 cups bread flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 heaping t cinnamon
2 1/2 t bread machine yeast
3/4 c cinnamon chips (can get from King Arthur Flour)

Use the basic cycle.

This recipe makes one loaf in a 1 1/2 lb machine.  Put all ingredients in the pan, except for the chips.  Start the machine.  Add the chips when the machine beeps to add raisins (some machines have a special place to put the chips).  Remove bread from machine at the end and cool on wire rack.

Excellent toasted with a small amount of butter.

The house will smell amazing.

Slow Cooker Greek Style Cinnamon Pot Roast

I have been MIA for a few weeks, and I am sorry.

Overnight camp ended, and then there was a flurry of activities, followed by a lovely vacation (Niagara Falls - Canadian, Day Trip to Toronto and the Baseball Hall of Fame).  I do owe you all a post about that. . . . . and then we had another week of no camp and no school.

Then school started and now Rosh Hashana is here.

So, I tried this dish at Newton City Hall when Newton honored some great local businesses.  Whole Foods made this, and not only did the kids like it, but I did.

Serves 8

2 t canola oil
2 1/2 pounds of beef chuck roast (trim off the extra fat)
1 t sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 onions - chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
3 cinnamon sticks

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned on all sides.  (About 10 minutes).

Transfer beef to a slow cooker.  Add onions to the skillet and cook, stirring until browned, about 6 minutes.  Stir in garlic and salt pepper.  Transfer onion mixture to the slow cooker.  Add tomatoes with their juices and put in the cinnamon sticks.  Cover and cook until meat is fork tender (8hours on low or 5 hours on high).

Remove from slow cooker and serve.

Summer Camp

My kids LOVED Jewish Overnight Camp - CYJ.  As someone who never attended overnight camp, I could never visualize what happened at camp.

Until this year, when the camp released weekly videos.

This was from week one:

HERE

And here is the one from the last week:

HERE.

Now I can see why both my kids love camp.  I can't wait for them to experience camp next summer, and for me to have a window of what they experience.

Thanks CYJ for a great summer!

Raising Funds for Hadassah

I will be participating in the Hadassah Walkathon on Sunday, September 20 around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, near BC.  This walk will benefit Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel.  Hadassah Hospital is a special place in Israel because it treats every patient, no matter what their religion, race or gender.  It is the only Level 1 Trauma center in the Jerusalem area.  Following the Boston Marathon bombing, surgeons used triage procedures developed by the Hadassah Hospital doctors.  It is truly a unique place in Israel.  When I was in Israel (years ago), it was one of the highlights of my visit.

I am a third generation Hadassah life member and Naomi is a fourth generation Hadassah life member.

Please give through this website (you will notice people giving in increments of 18, as 18 is a special number in Hebrew):

HERE

And if you are available on September 20, I would love it if you could walk with me and my family!  Please join my team to support this amazing organization!

It is a fun walk and easy - flat surface around the pond.

Yummy Hot Weather Dessert

We were struck with at least three blizzards this past winter.  I am NOT complaining that the Boston area has had a heat wave.  Bring on the heat!  This week I made another new recipe:

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet

1 pound of strawberries, halved

1 cup of sugar

1 vanilla bean cut in half

1 1/2 c buttermilk

1/3 c sour cream

1/2 t kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  On a cookie sheet, lined with tin foil, place the strawberries, and then cover with sugar.  Put the vanilla bean halves into the sugar.  Roast for 20 minutes, but stir every 7-8 minutes.  Let cool.

Throw out the vanilla bean.  Put the strawberries, juice, buttermilk, sour cream and kosher salt into the blender and whip until smooth.  Then put the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes.  Transfer to Tupperware and freeze for 24 hours.

Ready to eat!  Delicious!

LLC - Lovely Lemon Cake

Sometimes a good friend will share a great recipe.  This time a good friend shared a great recipe with book club!  We went to discuss a book in the spring, and we all went GAGA over the lemon cake.  We call is LLC, and for now, I will call it Lovely Lemon Cake.

It is VERY easy to make!

Lemon Cake

1 ½ c flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 C sugar
2 tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
⅓ C lemon juice
½ C vegetable oil

Icing
2 C powdered sugar
1 T and 1 teaspoon fat free half and half
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 T I fresh lemon juice

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
With mixer, blend eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add oil and mix well.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a metal loaf pan.  Put it on a sheet pan, because it will leak over.
While baking make the icing.
Let the cake cool 10 minutes in the pan.  Flip out and cool completely and then frost.

While the kids are at camp

Dear Kids,

I hope all is well at camp.  I can see that you are having a lot of fun.  Swimming, arts and crafts, sports, trip day, mitzvah day and Israeli Dancing!  So much fun!

I have sent emails and letters nearly daily.  I have come home every day hoping for a letter from at least one of you.

But there are somethings I haven't included in the letters (and one day you will find this blog post.)

I haven't cooked one meal since you were gone.  That is right, your mom, the cook and the baker has had a 3.5 week vacation (except for one batch of brownies, two batches of cold gazpacho and one salad), I haven't cooked.  What a feeling that has been after 13 years of cooking meals.  Of course, the fridge is bare.  I have purchased fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, cream, coffee beans and cereal.  We haven't starved either.

We have been to:
Otto's pizza in Brookline
Bondir in Cambridge
Ana's Taqueria in Brookline
Boacado in Wellesley
Three Squares (I went with friends)
Barcelona in Brookline (I went with friends)
Carmine's in the North End
The Biscuit in Somerville
Vinebrook Tavern in Lexington
Farmstead Table in Newton
Besito in Chestnut Hill
Sweet Green in Chestnut Hill
The Antique Table in Swampscott/Lynn

I have stayed in bed past 7 AM on Saturdays and Sundays.  Even if I am awake, I watch TV.  In fact one weekend I watched a movie in bed, in my PJ's before breakfast.  It was decadent!  We have seen Jurassic World without needing a baby sitter!  We watched the entire season three of HOUSE OF CARDS.

We went to the SOWA market and ate whatever we wanted, and purchased really cool things.  We then ate at the food trucks (actually we ate at the same one, so we only had to stand in one line).  We then came home, and watched the World Cup of Women's Soccer.  And we ate dinner (lots of interesting things from the SOWA market) in front of the TV on the SOFA!

Of course, you also missed the time that the hot water heater broke, and we had to take a cold shower before the plumber could fix it.

You also missed the neighborhood BBQ, but there weren't that many kids there.  You missed a Red Sox game on July 4.  We went to the U2 concert in Boston without you, and had a great, great time.  You missed out on my car accident (when the person in back of me rear ended me twice at a RED light).

I have only done laundry once a week, instead of my usual every other night!  Of course, I had to bring out the trash cans and bring them back, since you were at camp.  I had to empty the dish washer myself.  Mark wasn't available to do laundry!

We missed you terribly, and we missed the daily conversation of BEST and WORST.  We missed hearing Mark's trombone playing.

I am looking forward to camp pick up/visiting day.  I know that you are both having a great time!  You are missed, but life is a bit different without two kids.

Love,
Mom