Posted by missjunebug on Thursday August 5th, 2010
Oh. My. Yes. Not Key Lime Pie Perfection! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug thinks the lazy days of summer call for lazy desserts like her missjunebug’s Not Key Lime Pie, a cool and citrusy dessert that’s…well…as easy as pie!
Here’s all you need to do to make a delightful summery dessert that’s fresh and delicious!
Everything you need for the crust! Photo by mjb2010
Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 pkg. graham crackers (1 ¼ cups)
3 T. sugar
5 T. butter, melted
Rolling pin the graham crackers into crumbs in a large Ziploc bag. Pour into 9” pie plate. Add sugar and blend with crumbs. Add melted butter and press down into pie pan as well as up the sides of the pie plate.
Not Key Lime Pie Filling
3 eggs yolks
1 can Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ c. lime juice (Larger Persian limes work just fine for Not Key Lime Pie!)
2 tsp. lime zest
Beat egg yolks with hand mixer until smooth and creamy looking, about 2-3 minutes.
Add condensed milk slowly, using hand mixer to incorporate, about 3-4 minutes.
Blend in the lime juice and zest. Pour into pie filling and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until firm.
Add three egg yolks and voila! Photo by mjb2010
Separate yolks in the palm of your hand. Photo by mjb2010
Mix until smooth. Photo by mjb2010
Mix in the sweetened condensed milk! Photo by mjb2010
Add the not key lime juice. Photo by mjb2010
Don't forget the not key lime zest! Photo by mjb2010
Pour into graham cracker pie crust! Photo by mjb2010
Ready for the oven! Photo by mjb2010
The delightful result: Not Key Lime Pie! Photo by mjb2010
Optional Topping
1 cup Horizon Organic Heavy Whipped Cream
2-3 T. granulated sugar
Whip up the cream with a hand mixer. Gradually add the sugar and whip until the cream forms soft peaks. Slather on top of the Not Key Lime Pie and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yum x 10!
Posted by missjunebug on Wednesday July 28th, 2010
missjunebug has been busy lately reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Being a true-blue fan of self-help books, mjb was happy to pick up The Happiness Project having read a one-page preview of its precepts early on in Real Simple magazine (one of mjb’s favs). She’s even sent copies to her two sons ElderJB and TinyJB and she’s discussed some of its precepts with Mr.JB.
missjunebug is certain that the erudite yet down-to-earth Gretchen is on to something! Inspired by a couple of old school guys Ben Franklin and Samuel Johnson as well as the happy and holy Thérèse of Lisieux, Gretchen charts a course for a year, month by month to work on very specific goals to increase her happiness quotient. Part of her thinking is to perfect her ability to experience happiness now in preparation for the guaranteed tough times ahead. Having recently gone through some tough times herself missjunebug can fully appreciate this a-good-offense-is-the-best-defense strategy when facing the inevitable vicissitudes of life.
To give you a better idea of Gretchen’s approach, let missjunebug fill you in on her plan for November. That’s the next to last chapter that missjunebug is in the middle of right now and very close to the final page of the book. The theme for November’s happiness pursuit is Keep a Contented Heart and missjunebug definitely hearts that idea!
Gretchen hopes to meet these happiness “challenges” in November: Laugh out loud. Use good manners. Give positive reviews. Find an area of refuge. Neat ideas, Gretchen! In the course of the chapter, she learns to listen fully and engage in a full belly-laugh response when the joke is deserving instead of rushing to do the talking. She begins to value kindness and being kinder especially in her conversational style which at times can be a bit peremptory and one-ups man. She also comes to terms with the dark desire of humans to play constant critic, instead of doing the braver thing: to embrace joy. Her Barry Manilow example is well worth the price of the book. She finishes off the chapter with her very helpful idea of seeking out mental areas of refuge that can be as simple as mentally visiting a few things, people, and places that never fail to provide little packets of joy.
missjunebug thinks these very personal but powerful connections are the perfect push toward greater happiness in a rough and tumble world. And this terrific book looks at such connections to happiness in each of its other month-entitled chapters, January through December, all chock full of happiness wisdom earned the hard way by Ms. Rubin’s own personal trial and error. And believe missjunebug when she says, if Gretchen doesn’t get happy doing the particular happiness activity or process she sets for herself, she’s the first to jettison it and move on. Smart move, G.
The secret to missjunebug’s happiness in reading this very savvy, atypical, and highly recommended self-help book The Happiness Project is that she will be able to share her takeaways from it with the three shiny, happy people in her blessed life: Mr.JB, ElderJB, and TinyJB!
Posted by missjunebug on Monday July 26th, 2010
mjb says "Thanks, TJ's" for this awesome bread! Photo by mjb2010
Perhaps the title to this blog is a bit much, but missjunebug can’t say enough good things about this good bread! Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane “A Stone Hearth Oven-Baked Classic Italian Bread” lives up to its name: It is a classic! And squisito! And missjunebug hearts it big time!
Perfect for toast, even more perfect for grilled cheese! Believe her when she says you should swing by your local T.J.’s and pick up a loaf today! The “crisp crust” and “chewy interior” will not disappoint!
missjunebug owes her friend and neighbor M. who brought a loaf to her a while back as a little get well gift (along with soup and super treats, too) a big THANKS for introducing her to this lovely loaf!
Oh. my. yes. Delicious for Toast & the Perfect Grilled Cheese! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Friday July 23rd, 2010
Lemony x 10! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug loves muffins and occasionally indulges in the semi-healthy mega-delicious varieties. The missjunebug Lemony Good Sour Cream Muffin recipe definitely qualifies for that designation. For all health foodies out there, please feel free to adapt away with whole wheat flour and less sugar and no butter, but for missjunebug, she’ll keep the white ingredients and only eat these delicious lemony treats every once in a while! The perfect compromise for optimal eating! And missjunebug can’t think of a better spring or summer breakfast treat served along side a slab o’ slices of Farmer John’s Classic Bacon, cooked up crisp-delicious! (jk, health foodies!)
missjunebug’s Lemony Good Sour Cream Muffins
(adapted from 1-2-3 Bake in Parade July 11, 2010)
2 cups King Arthur unbleached white flour or white whole wheat flour (for your h.f’s out there)
2/3 cup C & H sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3/4 cup Daisy or TJ’s sour cream
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 stick butter, melted
India Tree Sparkling Sugar-Bright White (optional)
Prep dry ingredients first: Mix together with a whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
Prep wet ingredients next: Mix together lemon juice, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts, and melted butter.
Prep dry and wet ingredients separately! Photo by mjb2010
Mix the dry and the wet ingredients together. Stir in a kind and gentle way, just enough to combine. Don’t worry about any tiny lumps!
Mix Gently! Tiny Lumps Allowed! Photo by mjb2010
Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tin. Sprinkle with India Tree Sparkling Sugar-Bright White for a bakery finish! Bake 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest five minutes before sampling! Enjoy!
Any Old Muffin Tin Will Do!! Photo by mjb2010
Let rest five minutes before sampling! Enjoy!
The Perfect Summer Muffin! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Sunday July 18th, 2010
Tiny Pancakes for Le Petit Dejeuner! Get it??? Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug made pancakes this morning, nice and thin like her dear JBGranny used to make a long, long day ago. JBG always used Bisquick, but missjunebug prefers the efficacy of Krusteaz Pancake Mix! Still, it didn’t take long before mjb got a little silly doing it. JBGranny’s were always silver dollar sized and she and her JBBro just loved them with the Log Cabin! But missjunebug did JBG one better and made pancakes that fit right in with her Tiny Things Collection–remember Petite Pirate, Nifty Ninja, Small Ball, and the World’s Tiniest Pencil?
If these little pancakes were a constellation they’d look a little like the Pleiades viewed from Earth, of course, to approximate the tininess of them!
Sometimes when the larger things in life get too serious and too complicated, it’s good to get a little silly and go really, really tiny. It never fails to bring a tiny smile to missjunebug’s face!
Posted by missjunebug on Thursday June 17th, 2010
Tiny Tomato Turns on a Dime! Photo by mjb2010
Last year around this time missjunebug was eulogizing her Tomato Sadness. Only half of her homegrown tomato looked good enough to eat. The underbelly was ulcerated and grim and looked like something she might find on the kitchen counter of TinyJB’s former abode (recently cited as a nuclear waste hazard).
But this year is different!
missjunebug has found Tiny Tomato Happiness growing cherry tomatoes! (Thanks for the tip, lovely r.h.!) The one pictured above is the runt of the litter, but it’s a perfectly round and healthy runt! mjb is looking forward to a full harvest of cherry tomatoes that are just the right size.
In the meantime, missjunebug plans to add this tiny tomato to her Collection of Tiny Things! That is, until she adds a little s&p and pops it into her mouth!
Happy gardening!
Posted by missjunebug on Wednesday June 9th, 2010
Tiny Collection of Tiny Things! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug has been cleaning out drawers and closets (again). She’s watched enough episodes of Hoarders on A&E (oxymoron that a show with that title would end up on that channel!) to scare her into taking action. Not as far gone as some of those pitiable people, she recognizes a few tendencies that are troubling. Stacks of magazines (Real Simple is a Real Culprit), projects held in abeyance (they might as well be cast in amber), and supplies for every random creative urge she’s ever had.
Progress is being made! But she has come across a few items with which she cannot part: Tiny Things!
Today’s blog post is a tiny homage to Tiny Things: Petite Pirate, Nifty Ninja, Small Ball, and perhaps the World’s Tiniest Pencil!
This stellar collection of Tiny Things has a special place in missjunebug’s kitchen, just hanging out with her while she tidies up or makes dinner. Despite their tiny size, they have cheered her in a big way. Sometimes she writes with the World’s Tiniest Pencil or sets up the Petite Pirate to fight with the Nifty Ninja. Small Ball is perfect for a quick round of table soccer to relieve a tiny bit of stress, and yes, missjunebug knows it’s a football. Duh.
So the magazines can be dissected for keeper pages, then tossed and the ambered projects can be recast and reinitiated or cast away, but the Tiny Collection of Tiny Things is here to stay.
Posted by missjunebug on Friday June 4th, 2010
A Plateful of Goodness: missjunebug's Homemade Breakfast Bars!! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug has been comfort cooking lately and one of her fav comfort foods is a little breakfast treat called missjunebug’s Homemade Breakfast Bars which she adapted from a recipe given to her by one of her best students at the community college where she taught a long day ago.
missjunebug can’t say enough good things about these treats: grainy, sweet, easy to make and oh so easy to eat! Without further ado, missjunebug introduces you to
missjunebug’s Homemade Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (mjbTip: store in frig to keep fresh!)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned Oatmeal
1/4 cup Kretschmer Wheat Germ (Also store in frig after opening!)
1 1/2 cups jam of your choice (mjbFavs: boisenberry, raspberry, red plum, and blackberry)
Directions
Cream butter and sugar until well blended in your Kitchen-Aid mixer…you have one, don’t you? Mix in remaining ingredients except for the jam.
Press down well 1/2 the mixture into a buttered-down 13″ X 9″ glass baking dish. Spread jam evenly over the top using an offset spatula for smooth and even distribution of the jam.
Top with remaining crumble mixture, pressing lightly.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until light brown. While warm, cut into bars, 2″ X 1 1/2.” As they cool, they will set up nicely.
Enjoy for breakfast with a big glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee. Delicious!! You’ll never need to buy Nutri-Grain bars again…no offense NG.
Posted by missjunebug on Saturday May 29th, 2010
Flank Steak with missjunebug's Marvy Marinade! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug and Mr.JB recently collaborated on a great send-off dinner for ElderJB. (We miss him tons already, but what a great visit!!) Flank steak, a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, can be dressed up to perfection with a good pounding and the right marinade. missjunebug suggests you find the right culinary tenderizing hammer and then slather the pounded-not-quite-to-a-pulp flank steak with this marinade. Throw it on the barbie (not the doll, please!) and grill until medium rare, about six minutes a side. Cook up some grilled veggies: mushrooms, yellow, red, orange, and green bell peppers–the more color, the better, and lots and lots of onions for the perfect side dish. Throw a baked potato on the plate and missjunebug assures you, you will have the best meal ever to serve to family and friends.
missjunebug’s Marvy Marinade
1 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Colman’s Mustard Powder (dry mustard)
A generous grind of black pepper (1/4 teaspoon-1/2 teaspoon)
A sprinkle of Kosher salt
A sprinkle of garlic powder
Whisk together all the ingredients in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the flank steak. Be sure to mix in all the mustard. It will try to clump up in the liquid. Carefully place the meat in the dish and press it down so that the top is covered with the marinade. Flip the meat over and press down gently again so the marinade completely covers the meat. Place in the frig for up to 3 hours so the marinade can work its magic. Grill 6 minutes a side, slice on the bias, nice and thin and serve with grilled veggies and a big ole baked potato with all the toppings!
Delicious Sides: Grilled Veggies and Baked Potato Piled High! Photo by mjb2010
Flank Steak: Up Close and Delicious! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Tuesday May 11th, 2010
Wow! That's a Lot of Great Produce and a Delicious Sweet Treat for 21 tiny dollars! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug suggests you remember this website name: www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com. And this addy: 3370 Sunset Valley Road
off of Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark, California. And this motto: Discover Underwood Family Farms “bringing you back to the farm.”
She took a leisurely stroll through the colorful farmer’s market area and came away with a treasure trove of delicious vegetables and fruits without paying a king’s ransom. In fact, missjunebug wants you to know that what you see pictured above set her back a mere 21 dollars. Now all she has to do is throw in a little protein and she’s got dinners for the rest of the week. And don’t overlook the little treat missjunebug picked up for herself included in that tiny price tag: Honees Honey Filled Drops Pure liquid honey inside every drop! Did missjunebug mention how delicious these little candy treats are? Believe it! Sweet and soothing and she says, “Just one more, please” as she unwraps another and pops it into her happy mouth!
Honees are just about as sweet as a trip to Tierra Rejada Family Farms in Moorpark. But not quite! Check out their website to find out more about the fun family doings at this rare way to spend your day in the era of blogging (mjb guilty as charged,) web surfing, twittering, facebooking, and general self-absorption via technology that knows no bounds (actually a pretty good thing!). Here’s a shortlist of the fun available down on the farm: Birthday Parties for wee ones, Pick-Your-Own Produce (check out their website for what’s currently in season), School Tours, Fun Rides, and, of course, the fab Farmer’s Market with Specialty Gifts & Products and Fruit & Vegetable Gift Baskets!!! And the people working there are Super Friendly, too.
missjunebug wants to know What are you waiting for? Grab that cowboy hat (she knows you have one up in that hall closet somewhere) and head down to Tierra Rejada Family Farms in Moorpark. There’s one in Somis, too! Fun x 2 for mjb and you!
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