Maple Butter Recipe

A friend of ours is from Vermont and she made some maple butter, which she kindly shared with us!  I asked if I could share her recipe because it was so good.  It totally trumped my homemade strawberry jam which was on the table.  

Sami told me she was sorry, but that if the maple butter wasn't there, then she'd eat the jam.  What a cutie!  

So, here's the original recipe my friend started with and her recipe.  She had to play around with it to get it to work right, so the testing and experimenting has already been done!

Original recipe:

1 cup pure maple syrup and 3/4 cup melted butter. 

Heat the maple syrup until a small amount forms a soft ball in cold water. 

Then add the butter and beat w/ a rotary beater until thick and creamy. Serve it warm on hot bread. 

Our friend's version:

1 cup pure maple syrup heated as above.

Beat it into room tempeture butter (not melted), then put in the fridge until it cools. If you don't put it in the fridge, it tends to separate a bit.

According to the internet, it can take up to 10 minutes. 

She noted that Martha Stewart recommends putting the butter into the pot once the syrup is at the soft ball stage and having it melt there, then immediately transferring it to a bowl where you beat it for 8 minutes until it's the right color/consistency.  But, Martha Stewart's recipes and I have never seen eye to eye (for some reason they never work for me).  So, I think I'll stick with my friend's version!

Happy Maple Buttering!

Oh, as for the best price--Costco or BJs.  Both used to have a great price a few years ago before Maple Syrup took a huge price hike.  But, their price is still better than other places.  

Annie's Mac and Cheese Tip

This is a funny thing I do when I'm fixing Mac and Cheese...


Kraft Mac and Cheese always works the way the directions tell you to make it.  Put the noodles, sauce mix, butter, and milk all in the same bowl.  Then stir.  There's never clumps and it looks just right.  Hmm...  


Then, there's Annie's or Trader Joe's Mac and Cheese, or even Costco's Kirkland Mac and Cheese.  You put the noodles, sauce mix, butter, and milk all in the same bowl.  Then you stir.  BUT, there's always clumps.  At least there is for me if I do it that way.


Instead, this is what I came up with =)


Cook the noodles as directed.  Turn off the burner and pour them into a colander.  Place the pan back on the burner, but don't turn it on (saves energy).  Put the butter, milk, and sauce mix in the pan.  Use a whisk to stir it until there are no lumps.  It works really well =)  And NO LUMPS!  Yay!  If the butter doesn't melt as quick as you want it to, but the cheese is all dissolved, just add the noodles back in --the warmth from them will melt the rest of the butter as you stir everything.


Anyways, I hope that's not too silly of a thing to post, but it's helped me a lot--I don't get frustrated with our Mac and Cheese anymore =)

Refried Beans and Bean Flautas

I use a version of the recipe for Craig's Refried Beans in the Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook. It's out of print and my recipe is different enough that I feel comfortable posting it here =)

Saute 1 chopped onion and 1 sliced green or red bell pepper in 1-2 Tbsp. of canola oil.

After about 5 minutes, add 1 tsp. minced garlic an saute about 30 seconds to a minute.

Then add 1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. dill

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

A pinch of pepper (to taste--you can add up to 1/4 tsp.)

Add 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed.

Mix well. Then throw all of it in a food processor or a Vita-Mix. I don't think I'd use a regular blender because I think it's too hard on it. The food processor really does the best job on it.

When they are as smooth as you want them, add them back to your saute pan and turn the heat to med. low add 2-3 Tbsp. of butter (optional, really this is up to you). Let the butter melt and then stir it in until it is all mixed thoroughly.

I got very frustrated with canned refried beans because of the hydrogenated fats a lot of brands put in them, so I've gotten in the habit of making these.

Bean Flautas...

I'll be honest, my husband and I love tacos, but my kids aren't so crazy about them. We do have them every week, though. Autumn and Eli will eat them, but not Sami. But, then again, there's a lot of things she won't eat.

So, last night, I took the refried beans and shredded cheddar cheese and spread a little (2-3 Tbsp. down the middle of a small tortilla. Then I rolled the tortillas up and put a toothpick in to hold them closed. I placed them in a pyrex 8x8 or 9x13 pan. Then, I brushed them lightly with butter on top and then put them in the oven. I baked them for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees. Eli and Autumn liked them much better and Sami was able to eat half of a half (which is more than the none that she usually eats of her taco =) ).

Mary Ann's Potato Peeling Tip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4W0qIPJmoo

My aunt forwarded this youtube video to me last night. I haven't tried the potato tip, but I laughed at the video. I think I'll try it the next time I need peeled potatoes! =) The video is of Dawn Wells, who was Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island, demonstrating a very unique way of peeling potatoes!