Few Words Friday (camping)

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Frozen apple pops

Musselman's peach apple sauce + pop mold + freezer = AMAZING SUMMER TREAT!

(yes I was pretending the rocket ship was flying.. and yes I'm 5 years old...)

Whoever thought this up at Musselman's is a genius!! I'm addicted to these things and keep making them in all the different flavor varieties. The freezer somehow transforms the apple sauce into an even better and more refreshing summer treat!

The wonderful people at Musselman's actually sent me a whole gift basket of their products and recipes to try out (full disclosure it was sent to me for free).



I've tried these two recipes so far and really want to try the third one super soon! But I've got to say out of all of them, the simplicity of just freezing flavored apple sauce seriously blew my mind. Go try it! Betcha the kids will love it too :)

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First of the season

Perfection, in jarred form. How could you not love this? Sign ups are on for the jam exchange... want to join in? With over 75 (scratch that... 90!) participants from the US and Canada, it's going to be an epic exchange :)

Never made jam before? Head on over to the easiest jam recipe ever here. But I warn you, you're going to get hooked and want to make more :)

Tell me, what's your favorite jam/jelly flavor?

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Camping - on my way

Jeanne and I are headed for a camping meet up this weekend and I'm so excited!! We went last year and made these amazing campfire chocolate orange cakes. You can read about them here.


I'll be back next week with some of our new adventures (camp fire grilled pizza anyone?)
What's your favorite camping treat?

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CSA Stirfry

With veggies starting to pour in it's time for another CSA basket recipe! This past week we had kohlrabi, I'd never had it before but it kinda tastes like brocolli stems. Just make sure you use a veggie peeler to get the outer layer off, that stuff is TOUGH and hard to chew.

CSA stirfry
recipe by steph chows

1 kohlrabi, peeled and chopped. I also used the leaves sliced thin
1 cup zucchini grated
3 carrots sliced
4 scallions sliced
1 head fresh garlic peeled and crushed
1 small onion sliced
fresh basil to taste
1/2 lb frozen shrimp thawed
1 bundle udon noodles (buckwheat noodles)
1 tsp chili oil
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tbs oyster or fish sauce
squirt of sirachi or other asian hot sauce

Cook noodles according to directions, set aside.

In a wok or large pan drizzle chili oil and heat on high. Add garlic and onion and cook until starting to brown. Add kohlrabi, zucchini, and carrots and cook until tender. Add in hoisin, soy, and oyster sauce and stir to coat. Add scallions, basil, and shrimp at the end just to warm them through, do not overcook. Serve over udon noodles.

Use whatever veggies you have on hand, I know I'll be making this again and again this summer with whatever comes in our basket.

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KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce

Through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I got to try a bottle of KC Masterpiece BQ sauce on the house! Or course I've been pouring it all over grilled chicken and veggies (it is summer after all!)

John has been using it... lets just say... on everything...
Exhibit A:


Yup that's corn. The man doesn't use butter + salt + pepper like a normal person... he uses BBQ sauce, and I must admit it was pretty darn good! Give it a try, it's not as scary as it looks :)
How do you dress up your corn?

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Rocket Pop

I'm hooked on these vintage inspired pops. It doesn't get any more summery than a rocket ice pop mold if you ask me, and they are so easy to make it's not even funny! I've been making them left and right! My latest creation is a watermelon strawberry yogurt pop.

Steph Chows Pops
1 cup watermelon
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup greek plain yogurt
1 Tbs sweetener of choice (honey agave white sugar)

Dump it all into a blender and pour into your molds, add the tops and freeze until set. Easy as pie :)

So, what would be the first flavor combo you would mix up?

Tracy of Sugarcrafter came over for a day of crafting and we ate these as a mid day snack.

And check out the awesome skirt I showed her how to make! She did great!! You can make one too just head on over here to learn how!

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Jam Exchange Sign Up Time!!!

Thanks to the over 100 people who signed up this year! If you missed the deadline make sure to come back next year!!

It's that time of year again, jam making time!!!! I've gotten a few emails from previous entrants and a few newbies who want to join in on the fun! I'm so excited to host this again and can't wait to see what people come up with this year!



Here are the "rules"

1. You do NOT need to have a blog to participate! Everyone is welcome to join in!
2. You must be willing to mail two 1/2 pint jars of any kind of jam your little heart desires to your given person. (yes they can both be the same kind of jam)
   
3. You must sign up with me so I can make sure to pair you with someone! Email me at stephchows (at) gmail (dot) com with the following:
   Your name and mailing address
   Blog URL if you have one (see rule 1... you DO NOT need one)
   If you would be ok with mailing internationally (most likely just to Canada) or if you want to stick domestic (USA) (totally ok either way you choose) I figure if you agree to ship international, I'll pair someone international to send back to you so it's a fair trade.
   
4. If you would like your jam included in the final roundup email me a picture of it and a link to a blog entry if you have one up, or just email me to let me know what you sent/received.

Deadline to send me your info: August 11th (my birthday!)
I will contact you with your jam partner by August 22nd
You have until September 10th to mail said jam to said person. You can mail as early as you like though, so if you have your jam ready to go on the 22nd when I email you... go for it and mail it! Or if you are a procrastinator... wait till the 10th to mail it... either way works :) Just please make sure to mail it so no one is left out!

What's that? You've never made jam before? Well then this is a darn good excuse to learn right? Read more about my adventures in jammin' here.

OH and feel free to grab the image above and blog about the exchange to get the word out there and more peeps involved :) Just link back to me :) Or you can tweet about it... or facebook... or do smoke signals... whatever floats your boat :)

Ready... set... GO!!!!

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CSA Garden Burger

Another dinner straight from the CSA basket plus a few staples. I wasn't sure what to do with so many scapes and my bunch of swish chard but Vanessa was quick to send me this link! I improvised a bit, white beans instead of black, added some scallions in for good measure, used panko instead of bread crumbs. The result... I loved it! John hated it. You win some you loose some :)

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Ahoy!

I had so much fun doing the giveaway with Shabby Apple a few months ago of course I had to say yes to doing my own review of one of their fabulous dresses!

For those of you who weren't around back then, let me tell you a little about Shabby Apple. They make amazing dresses that are vintage inspired silhouettes with modern updates! I'm in love with so many of their dresses! Let me give you an example with the Ahoy dress!

It says the dress hits above the knee but on my 5'4" frame is hits just below the knee. I'm going to get it shortened so it is right above my knee which I think will make it more flattering and help me look a little taller (hey a girl can use all the help she can get!).

The fit guide also says it falls in the fits generously size chart. By this chart I would have been a small, in reality I could have gone to the XS and had it fit my waist and hips better but there's no way the top would have fit. The Small for me was a tiny bit tight at the top (to be expected with my broad swimmers shoulders, even though I haven't swam competitively in 11 years they haven't shrunk any!) My waist is 26" and my hips/rump at the widest part are 39" the small was large in both these areas on me, but not so much that I think it's unflattering or anything, just a few quick stitches and I shortened the belt so it would hold the dress in and it fits great now :) Plus lets face the facts now it lets me eat a little more and still fit comfy!

Looks like they are having a summer sale right now with 20% off most things! Bonus! Enter code SUMMER20 at checkout (not sure when this ends though, it says it at the top of all the pages in red type as I write this up).

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Gluten Free Avocado Cookies

Meet Beth! Beth rocks! However her belly feels like she ate rocks when she eats gluten. I'm a bad friend and am always bringing in baked good to work and taunting her with them... so I'm trying to be nicer and bake things she can actually eat with me! Enter in gluten free avocado cookies!!

This was a first attempt, they were good, but my next batch would involve cornmeal, although it gave it an interesting texture it was a little TOO much texture if you ask me. Otherwise the flavor was to die for :)


Chewy & Gooey Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
original recipe by Sweet Road made GF by me

1 c plus 2 Tbs brown rice flour
1/3 cup cornmeal (next time I will use all brown rice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1/4 c butter
1/4 - 1/3 c mashed avocado (no chunks)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
LOTS of roughly chopped chocolate

-Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl
-In a separate bowl combine the butter and avocado to make a smooth buttery mixture, then add the sugars, flax seed mixture, and vanilla to combine until the ingredients are well incorporated
-Add the dry ingredients and mix well
-Add the chocolate chips and mix, then refrigerate the cookie dough overnight

Preheat the oven to 350º F

-Scoop the cookie dough and place evenly on a baking sheet, flattening them slightly with your hand
-Bake for 10-15 minutes (more or less) depending on your desired consistency - if you bake them too long, they only stay chewy for a bit before becoming crunchy

PS. I emailed the winners of the clearly fresh bag giveaway, so check your email to see if you won!

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Whole Wheat Avocado CC Cookies

Don't look at me like that. These things are delicious, and totally the right texture, plus the whole wheat flour disguises the slight green tinge they get from the gloriously luscious avocado.

I made these for a party, a dress opening party! I met this wonderful girl Tanvi at a craft fair earlier this year and low and behold it turns out her day job is working in the same department as John! Such a small world. Well I fell in love with her dresses (all hand made) and bought one up quick.

THEN I find out she's going to be selling them in a local shop here in Rochester called Thread. AND she was having an opening for her line!! A quick convo later and we had it set up that I'd bring some goodies to the opening (and get to leave some ::steph chows:: cards behind) These bad boys got eaten up so fast! LOVE! I was so excited everyone liked them.

(check out my mad modeling skills! *dork* I always wanted to be a model... unfortunately my 5'4" frame and large rump had other plans)

Oh right we're talking about cookies here... full disclosure the recipe below is vegan, my cookies pictured are not since I used real butter, and semi sweet chocolate chips since that's what I had on hand. Either way you make them, delicious!


Chewy & Gooey Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe by Sweet Road

1 3/4 c flour (I used whole wheat and they came out great!)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (I used less salt)
1/4 c Earth Balance
1/4 - 1/3 c mashed avocado (no chunks)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
LOTS of roughly chopped dark chocolate (read the ingredients to determine whether it is vegan or not)

-Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl
-In a separate bowl combine the Earth Balance and avocado to make a smooth buttery mixture, then add the sugars, flax seed mixture, and vanilla to combine until the ingredients are well incorporated
-Add the dry ingredients and mix well
-Add the chocolate chips and mix, then refrigerate the cookie dough overnight

Preheat the oven to 350º F

-Scoop the cookie dough and place evenly on a baking sheet, flattening them slightly with your hand
-Bake for 10-15 minutes (more or less) depending on your desired consistency - if you bake them too long, they only stay chewy for a bit before becoming crunchy

PS. Today is the last day to enter the Clearly Fresh Bag giveaway!
PPS. I'm working on a gluten free version of this recipe... My amazing friend Beth gets to be the guinea pig.... hopefully they are good! Recipe to come soon!

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