A gift to share

The first time I ever tried Panettone it was at a Christmas party. I was visiting my sister-in-law in D.C. and she took me along to a party given by a very good friend of hers.

This panettone had swirls of chocolate ganache and I immediately fell in love with it. Now, every time I see it during Christmas time, it makes me think of that lovely occasion. The reason I have such fond memories of that party is because I remember the host telling me the bread had been a gift from another friend. I remember thinking what a wonderful gift for Christmas but more important, what a wonderful host to share her gift with all her guests. Since then, I always find someone to give panettone and this year was not the exception. I gave panettone to several friends and I just hope they will enjoy it with friends and family while creating sweet memories.

Ice Cream Recipes from June 1922 Needlecraft Magazine

Time for some old recipes. Here are a couple of ice-cream recipes that I will definitely try this summer. Specially, after I read this post on how to make ice cream at ToddleBits. A great project for the kids.

Picture from The Ulterior Epicure

Caramel Ice-Cream

Put a cupful of brown sugar into a small frying pan and stir over the fire until it melts and begins to smoke a little. Heat together one quart of rich milk and one quart of cream, mix the liquid sugar with them and flavor with a teaspoonful of vanilla. Take from the fire and stir until it cools. Then strain the mixture into a freezer and freeze as usual. the flavor of this cream is varied by the length of time the brown sugar is cooked.

Marshmallow Parfait

Whip half a pint of cream, sweeten to taste and set away on ice. Cut in small pieces two bananas, one orange, one quarter pound of marshmallows and add two tablespoonfuls of shredded pineapple. Beat lightly into the cream and fill tall glasses. Decorate with candied cherries.

Peppermint Ice-Cream

Dissolve a half pound of strong cream or sugar peppermints in two cupfuls of rich milk. Strain and then add two cupfuls of stiffly whipped cream and two egg-whites beaten very stiff with a pinch of salt. Freeze and serve with chocolate sauce.

Corn in a cup.

Picture from wikipedia.
Today I got to read a recent post at Pink Roses where she lists a recipe for Roasted Corn Dip. Check it out; it sounds really good. It made me think of a popular snack in Mexico, "Elote Desgranado." This snack is usually sold at snack stands or from street vendors that walk around the city pushing a cart. Mexican white corn is a bit meatier and not so sweet as yellow corn but any kind of corn will taste good as well. To prepare an elote desgranado:

1 cup of hot cooked white corn kernels. Cut from the cob is best but canned is ok.
1 tbs. of butter
1 tbs. of mayonnaise
1 tbs. of Mexican fresh cream (creme fresche works)
2 to 3 tbs. of shreded Mexican "queso fresco". (mozzarella or any kind of mild cheese is good too)
chili powder and lemon juice to taste
Mix and enjoy!
I guess you could play around with the amount and type of ingredients to make it healthier but the real thing is the best.

I want some sugar in my bowl ... of yogurt.

So I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. And I had an Ob/Gyn other than my Dr to give me the news; I started crying and could not stop. I was devastated and was pretty depressed for a couple of days. Nevertheless, that same day I scheduled an appointment with a nutritionist and got on a diet right away. My main concern is what kind of harm I may cause to my baby and how can I prevent it. But also, I know this diagnose throws a 50% chance of me acquiring diabetes in the future, and since diabetes runs in my family, I know I am now at a very high risk of getting diabetes later in life. I guess this only means I will need to watch my diet and make sure I get plenty of exercise so my chances drop.
I been on a low carb diet for about ten days and my glucose has been good for most of the time but mornings are when my glucose levels go a bit high and my Dr has put me on some medication. I am so against taking drugs during pregnancy but she assures me this one does not penetrate the placenta.
And since I am required to have 4 servings of diary every day and I do not like milk; I am having tons of yogurt and cottage cheese. I have made my own granola to add to my yogurt and I love it. It has lots of nuts which count as protein, a must when I consume carbohydrates. Here is the recipe:

Sweet Bea's Granola
4 cups of oatmeal
4 tablespoons of wheat bran
1/4 cup of raisins
2/4 cup of dried fruit, I like a tropical mix (cranberries,pineapple,papaya)
1/3 cup sliced raw almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup turbinado cane sugar
1/3 cup agave nectar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Mix all ingredients except last three. Combine oil, sugar and syrup and add to dry mix. Make sure is well mixed. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn granola to expose uncooked oats and bake for other 10 minutes. Check every five minutes as some areas may over roast depending on your oven. I like mine medium brown but feel free to pull granola before it gets dark. I used some agave syrup because it has a low glycemic index which some claim makes it a good choice for diabetics. A bit expensive but so much better than fake sugar substitutes. And the turbinado sugar is so much tastier than regular sugar though I admit I could have used a bit less. This batch was sweet and great tasting but not so healthy for someone that is supposed to be watching her sugar intake. I will use 1/5 cup of each sugar and nectar for the next one and rely on fresh fruit for sweetness. In the meantime, I am enjoying my cup of yogurt topped with 1/4 cup of sweet nutty crunchy granola.

Summer Recipes from June 1927

Here are a couple of recipes taken from a Needlecraft Magazine. They are suggested for wedding or graduate receptions.

Economical Chicken Salad
1 cup cooked chicken (large cubes)
1 cup diced cooked veal
3 slices crisp bacon
1 cuo mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced celery
6 sliced olives
Combine all ingredients except the bacon and marinate in oil, salt and paprika with a little of lemon juice. This gives a much moister salad and calls for less mayonnaise. When ready to serve, add the bacon finely minced, mask with mayonnaise, surround with small lettuce leaves and garnish with rose radishes and sliced hard-cooked egg, or halves of stuffed eggs. This salad is extreely good, very good-looking, and less expensive than straight chicken salad. About six portions.

Prohibition Mint Julep
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 pint of charged water
6 lemmons, juice
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup strawberry juice
Boil the water and sugar for ten minutes, then remove from the stove, add the mint leaves, cover and let stand ten minutes before straining. When cool, add the combined fruit juices and allow to blend for an hour. Chill, and when ready to serve, add the charged wqater and a cup of cracked ice. About fifteen small punch cups.
This last drink sounds delicious but I am not sure what charged water is. I imagine is carbonated water. I google for "charged water" and I only got electrically water and healing water results. I will try the recipe with carbonated water and ginger ale and see what comes out.