Here comes the sun!

Do you ever have days in winter when you can't remember what the sun looked like or you can't even remember when you last saw it? I felt that way this week. My power went out a few days ago, prompting me to go stay with my friend Shannon. It seemed like a good idea at the time...as a matter of fact, she and I had a good time, the kids had a good time, but we didn't have that great of a time WITH the kids. Siblings fought, tears where shed, names were called. At 4 o'clock each night we found ourselves looking at our watches and declaring it "Cocktail" time! I have had this happen several times with friends. We get together, and double the number of kids, but I always think, "Hey there are two of us! So we can handle these kids!" Not really.....because really it just ends up being double the trouble and two moms against four just doesn't really add up to a good time. So how do these polygamist wives do it!? In theory you could sit back and say, "I can see the madness in this!" More moms, less work, less trouble! But you see the problems come when the kids outnumber the moms, and I dare say that in polygamist sects their kids WAY outnumber them putting Shannon and I to shame! Please don't think I am stereotypicalizing the polygamist lifestyle, but I am kinda sure they have more than two kids per. :)

Anywho, as my friend says, I made these biscotti the other night, when Shannon and I were practicing being polygamist sect wives, with our four children, I made us some biscotti. My kids looked at it like they were bad cookies that had been baked too long, but their friends John and Chris loved them! So my kids decided maybe they weren't so bad.
Warning...I saw the reviews on these and saw that some people said they were too hard and they had to dunk them in their tea or coffee. I thought that was the purpose of biscotti but maybe not. So be warned, they are crunchy! :) Also, I added finely chopped almonds and cherries. I think that made a big difference. You can use white chocolate if you want. Biscotti are twice baked. You will bake them in logs once then cross slice them, and lay them out on a sheet and rebake them so that they are crunchy.

Here is the recipe:
Chocolate Citrus Biscotti
Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon orange zest
* 1 tablespoon lemon zest
* 1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange and lemon zests to the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and beat just until blended (the dough will be soft and sticky). Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming two mounds spaced evenly apart. Moisten your hands with water and shape the dough into two 11 by 4-inch logs. Bake until lightly brown, about 35 minutes. Cool the logs for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale and golden, about 25 minutes. Cool the biscotti on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Dip 1 cut side of each biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti, chocolate side up, on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes. Dip a pastry brush in the cocoa, then lightly brush the cocoa over the chocolate on each biscotti.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

Pasta all Vodka

Yummy, elegant and easy. If you feel like having a drink, you may want to try this first.

Ingredients

* 1 pound Pasta
* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped Finely
* 2 cloves (to 3 Cloves) Garlic, Chopped
* ¾ cups (to 1 Cup) Vodka
* 1 can (About 14 Oz.) Tomato Puree
* 1 cup Heavy Cream
* 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
* ¼ teaspoons (to 1/2 Teaspoon) Salt
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
* 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in chopped onion and garlic. Stir and allow to cook for two minutes. Pour in vodka. Stir and cook for three minutes. Add in tomato puree and stir.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Allow to simmer, being careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if it needs it. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Pour mixture into large serving bowl. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese.

Eat it out of the serving bowl. Faint. Repeat as needed.

Blizzard Bound!

Used to be when I was little my grandmother would come visit us during the winter, and she would typically time her visit to coincide with the worst blizzard in that year's history. This would ensure that she couldn't leave for her long trek home for at least 2 weeks. During that time she would cook, we would play cards, we even held a sceance once when my parents were gone! She tried to make me think the flimsy card table was floating off the ground my perching it up with her knee! We had a lot of fun but what would typically begin as a happy snowbound existence would quickly deteriorate into us all having enough of each other! During one of her visits, she put beans in a pressure cooker with some baking soda because she heard it made them cook faster. I came home from school to find beans dripping from the ceiling of my mom's kitchen because the baking soda in the pressure cooker came to an explosive end. She brought musical Christmas bells with her and would turn them on and play them for two weeks straight. At one point, I think my dad may have even told her to leave and take her bells with her! The visits would leave us all reaching for the liquour cabinet before it was over! But the memories are happy in my mind today. Now I find myself home with my kids, too cold to venture outside, and already fresh out of ideas to keep them entertained! And for some reason the only thing I can think to do that will soothe me is cook! Here are some recipes for you all to dip into if you get bored. :)

Beef with Snow Peas - Easy to make a so tastey.
ngredients

* 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
* ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
* 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
* 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
* 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
* 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
* 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
* Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
* 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
* Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
* Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.