Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Earlier in the year I saw a post from one of my favorite bloggers - Wendy at  A Day in the Life on the Farm  - and I realized that they've been having a muffin party for years without me. LOL. I emailed the host, Stacy of  Food Lust People Love  and got the scoop: "...last Monday of the month and no themes. We've been baking together since August 2015! Only one rule, you must use the muffin method (folding wet ingredients with dry - no creaming butter and sugar, etc.) to bake muffins." I've been happily joining in for months now. This month is the last Muffin Monday of 2020! Here's the muffin line-up... Banana Mini Muffins from Food Lust People Love Chocolate Avocado Walnut Muffins from Palatable Pastime Cinnamon Applesauce & Raisin Rye Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories Easy Snickerdoodle Muffins  from Making Miracles Eggnog Muffin Tops from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Pearl Millet Banana Muffins from Magical Ingredients Ingredients...

Last night was our first  Cooking Around the World Adventure   in almost two years! And tonight, we have another nation under our collective culinary belts. We haven't located our atlases, from our move last summer, but the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf is more than happy to look up information online and read it to us. from worldatlas.com About Turkey... Geographically, Turkey spans two continents: Europe and Asia. However, it lies primarily on the Asian side. For a size reference, Turkey is slightly larger than the state of Texas and, as of the summer of 2013, its population was just over 80 million people. Though Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey - and is the third most populous European city - it is not the capital; Ankara is, in fact, the capital of Turkey. The Precise Kitchen Elf just started reading the Odyssey in his English class. I told him that the ancient city of Troy was located in modern day Turkey. Side note: I absolutely adore his readin...

For the sweet dip at the Magical Fairy Feast (menu here ), I wanted to make use of the abundance of summer stone fruits and picked up some peaches at the farmers' market. I served it in a hollowed out watermelon and served it with berry wands. Ingredients Dip 2 to 3 organic ripe peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges 2 C organic sour cream 1/2 t pure vanilla extract 3 T raw local honey 1/2 t ground cinnamon mini watermelon Wands organic berries, rinsed and dried (I used blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries) organic grapes, rinsed and dried also needed: bamboo skewers Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place peaches in a rimmed baking dish. Place them in them in the oven until they begin to caramelize and lose their shape, approximately 35 minutes. While the peaches roast, assemble the wands. Alternate fruits, pushing them on to the skewers carefully. Slice off the bottom of the watermelon so it sits flat; slice off the top o...

The boys needed something hearty to start their day. They will be smashing tile, loading boxes, and making a run to the dump later this morning as they help Daddy with the house remodel.  "This is not a relaxing summer vacation!" wailed the Wom this morning.  I know. How about some pancakes? Pancakes always brighten his day. And, I have to admit that I can't make regular fluffy pancakes to save my life. But, oddly, I have made these gluten-free pancakes a few times and they are a hit. Every. Single. Time. Ingredients  makes eighteen 3" pancakes 4 medium overripe bananas 2 eggs 2 C milk 1 C gluten-free flour blend 1 C buckwheat flour 1 T baking powder 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 t pure vanilla extract butter for cooking Procedure Smash bananas in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Stir until just moistened. Melt butter in a large, flat-...

When a farmer friend of mine at Serendipity Farms posted that she had a glut of blueberries - along with a special locals' price - I was thrilled. I had her set aside five pounds and sent my mom to the market with a wad of cash. When the boys saw the bag, they demanded that I make dessert. "Mamma, make a blueberry pie! We want pie! We want pie!!" they hollered in unison.  Will cobbler suffice? "Yes! We just want something sweet...not savory," declared the Sugar Pigs. Ingredients makes one 9"x13" cobbler 6 to 7 C fresh blueberries 1 C sweet white rice flour 1 C gluten-free flour blend 1/2 C chestnut flour 2 t baking soda 1-1/2 C butter, softened 2 C organic granulated sugar + 4 T for sprinkling 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 t pure lemon extract 2 C Greek yogurt 1/4 C whole milk 1 T olive oil Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and baking soda. In another ...

Originally I had suggested a cheesecake for Nonna's Easter brunch. D countered that his apple pie was better. It's possible. But, in the end, Nonna, asked us to make "some easy." So we went with lemon squares and brownies. For the brownies, I added in some ACME Coffee Motor City Espresso. When I dropped off the pan, my mom wrinkled her nose a little and said they looked naked. Okay. I told her pick up some dulce de leche and coffee beans for garnish. She did! Ingredients 4 large eggs 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 C organic brown sugar 1 T honey 1/2 olive oil 1-1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder 2 T ground coffee beans, espresso roasted and finely ground 2 t pure vanilla extract 1/2 C flour  1/2 t salt dulce de leche, for garnish (optional) coffee beans, for garnish (optional) Procedure Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan. In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients, except flour, and mix to combine. Add flour and ...

One of our best friends gave the Enthusiastic Kichen Elf a pizzelle maker for Christmas. I groaned inwardly when he opened it - another kitchen tool to take up cabinet space, another kitchen tool that only has one purpose, another...[imagine much grumbling]. But D did a test run at a family dinner on Friday  and, one bite in, I was a huge fan! I don't care for sweets too much, but these cookies are amazing...and simple. Perfect! He started with the recipe included with his machine, then made a few adaptations. Ingredients 3 large eggs 3/4 C organic granulated sugar 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 t pure almond extract 1 3/4 C flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 C melted butter zest from 1 organic lemon oil for greasing the pizzelle maker (he used a non-aerosol grapeseed oil spray) Procedure In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts until well combined. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flower and baking pow...

The Precise Kitchen Elf has a cookie exchange at school tomorrow. He asked if we could make gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free cookies to accommodate his friends' allergies. Yes, multiple friends with multiple sensitivities. He perused cookbooks and we decided to adapt chocolate crinkles into something that fit his parameters. I made a version for the class, then added in instant espresso powder and chopped pecans for a version we could enjoy after the kiddos went to bed. Success! Ingredients 1-1/2 C lightly packed organic dark brown sugar 1/2 C olive oil 4 eggs 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 t coffee liqueur 1 C unsweetened cocoa powder 1 T instant espresso powder 2 C gluten-free flour 2 t baking powder 1 t fleur de sel 1/4 C raw pecans, chopped 1/2 C organic powdered sugar (for coating) Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk toget...

#PumpkinWeek is here again and we can't be more excited. Hosted by Terri from Love and Confections , nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board ! #PumpkinWeek Day 1 Recipes: Browned Butter Salty Pumpkin Sugar Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie Caramel Pumpkin Cake from Feeding Big and more Pumpkin Chai Baked Donuts from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures Easy Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Cream Sauce from {i love} my disorganized life Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Healthy Cinnamon-Apple Pumpkin Muffins from Simply Healthy Family Homemade Pumpkin and Sage Pasta from Kudos Kitchen by Renee Pu...

This is what happens when I am craving something sweet: cookies with whatever I have in the cupboards. This was a hit and I was asked to write down the recipe. Okay. Here goes. The name - Mixie - that's the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf's doing. He called them Mixies. I'll run with it. Ingredients 1 C butter, softened 3/4 C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed 3/4 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 t baking powder 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 2 eggs 1 t vanilla paste 1/2 t pure vanilla extract 1 1/3 C flour 1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder 2 C rolled oats 1 C white chocolate chips 1 C chopped walnuts Procedure In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until lightened and fluffy. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat mixture until well-combined. Add eggs, vanilla paste, and vanilla extract. Beat well. Fold in flour and cocoa powder until just combined. With a wooden spoon or spatular, stir in the oats, ch...

Can this really be the first time I'm posting with this group?? It might be. I love the idea behind the Crazy Ingredient Challenge, hosted by Dawn of Spatulas on Parade ; it's akin to the Improv Cooking Challenge that I joined a couple of months ago. We are assigned two ingredients to cook and create. So, here goes... April's Crazy Ingredient Challenge = cardamom and parsnips I wanted to experiment with some almond flour I need to review and opted to make a Spiced Parsnip Cake with Cardamom-Cashew Butter instead of frosting. And this cake uses no sugar and no butter; it's sweetened with honey and moistened with coconut oil. This was a hit! Ingredients Spiced Parsnip Cake 2 C almond flour (I used Morning Pep * ) 1 t baking soda 1 t ground cardamom 1 C grated parsnip 2 eggs 1/2 C coconut oil, softened 1/2 C local honey 1 t pure vanilla extract Cardamon-Cashew Butter 1 C raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours 1/4 C local ...

Calling all garlic lovers!   Do you know what today is?!? Welcome to National Garlic Day 2015, hosted by Heather from  girlichef . April 19th is a day for garlic lovers far and wide to come together and celebrate the wonder of "the stinking rose". Whether it's the ability to ward off vampires (and bugs), its numerous health benefits, or the way it lends flavor to a dish, there are so many reasons for singing the praises of garlic. Okay, so if you've been following me for awhile, you'll know that I typcially go with a savory recipe for any cooking challenge. Almost. Every. Single. Time. So, for this post - #NationalGarlicDay hosted by Heather at girlichef - you might be wondering why am I sharing a dessert? It's garlic...that automatically means savory, doesn't it? Well, that's how I roll. I'm a maverick that way; I love the unexpected. I wanted to use black garlic (click to read about it ) because it has a softer, less pronoun...