MIM: Blueberries

Linking up with the girlies for MIM, Blueberry-style!

Does anyone have kids old enough to remember the show, "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast"? And, an episode I cannot seem to locate on YouTube, where they sing a song, "Blueberries! Blueberries! I love them so! They'll never know how I love them so!"?

No? Just me? Ok, well, you're welcome for the earworm!

This week was a slam dunk for me as I have been making Blueberry Tea Cake with Blueberry Sauce since I was 18. I think I found the recipe on those cards that Time-Life Publishing used to send to people trying to convince them to start a subscription for one of their culinary magazines. The sauce part was my own personal addition. Let's do this thang!

Blueberry Tea Cake with Blueberry Sauce

1 egg

2/3 c. Sugar

1 1/2 c. Flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. Milk

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 tbsp. sugar

  For sauce:

1 cup blueberries

1 1/2 c.water

1/2 c. Sugar

3 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp. cold water.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9" pan.

Beat egg, then add 2/3 c. sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Next, combine dry ingredients in a small

bowl and add to egg mixture 1/3 c at a time, alternating with milk. Add melted butter and vanilla. Finally, fold in blueberries gently. 

Pour/spread into pan (I use my clean fingers to spread it evenly, as it is a very thick batter.) 

And, sprinkle with 2 Tbsps. of sugar:

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, place all of the ingredients for the sauce, EXCEPT THE CORNSTARCH-WATER MIXTURE, in a saucepan and bring it to a low boil.

After it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes, having your unwilling 18 year old stir it gently while you laugh at him.

Add cornstarch mix and cook until slightly thickened.

Once cake is done, slice and serve warm

with a couple of tablespoons of sauce on top. It's also delicious with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Bon appetit!

MIM: Mustard

Joining up with The Gang for this week's edition of MIM: Mustard!

Ok, I had fully intended to make my mom's ham with brown sugar-mustard glaze* for this week's challenge. But, once again, the frappin' hot weather won out and my oven stayed dark. *I will share the recipe for the glaze at the end of this post, because it makes your ham legendary. (That sounds gross, but I don't know why..)

Instead, I had Faith help me make deviled eggs which is a popular dish around these parts. She assured me that it is "her favorite food!" and helped with so much enthusiasm that I really believed her. Turns out, when all is said and done, she no likey deviled eggs -- but everyone else does, so they were gone in a flash.

Usually, I don't give a second thought to hard-boiling eggs. The trick is to immerse them immediately in ice water when they are finished boiling. This ensures that they peel easily and neatly. Always works.

Except for this time.

Out of 8 eggs, only 4 peeled somewhat cleanly and the rest were fed to the clamoring masses (read: William. Yes, he ate 4 eggs in one sitting; ain't no thang.)

So, naturally, these were not the prettiest deviled eggs I've ever made. Not by a longshot.

Anyway, Faith and I had fun making them

and they tasted MUCH better than they looked.

That's Faith's manicured hand presenting her culinary delight.

Deviled Eggs

4 hardboiled eggs (we buy only large eggs, but any size works)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika for garnish

Cut eggs in half lengthwise, and remove yolks. Place whites on platter and store in fridge. In a small mixing bowl, mash yolks with a fork, then add mayo and mustard. After thoroughly mixing, add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove whites from fridge and with a teaspoon, scoop yolk filling back into yolk cavities in whites. (You can put the filling into a pastry bag with a fancy tip and fill the whites that way, but who has time for that??) 

Sprinkle with paprika if your kids don't call it "blood spatter", thereby rendering the eggs unappetizing.

Vicki Shea's Scrumptious Baked Ham

One big ham (in this case, size doesn't matter), bone-in 

1.5 cups brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup water

Score ham diagonally. In a small bowl, mix sugar, mustard and water. Spread approximately 1/3-1/2 cup on outside of ham.

Bake as directed, and during last 30 minutes of baking, brush on the remaining glaze. 

When finished, outside of ham should be crispy.

We serve this with scalloped potatoes, peas, and Hawaiian Rolls.

MIM: Lemons!

Joining LoLa (Lovely Ladies!) for another edition of MIM. This week's mystery ingredient was Lemons!

Initially, I was going to make my sister Anne's famous Lemon Bar recipe, but the weather went insane and there was no way I was turning on the oven in 90 degree temps at Persian Gulf humidity levels in a house with no central a/c.

Basically, I was all about cracking open a canister of Country Time, adding some water, ice, and vodka and calling it a day.

Enter the ever-ready Jessica who emailed me this no-bake (we'll discuss what "no-bake" means a little later) recipe for an icebox lemon yogurt tart.

Issues I had in the prep and serving of this recipe:

-I don't own a tart pan.

-the grocery stores do not sell pre-baked tart shells

-the grocery stores DO sell unbaked pie shells, and you have to bake them at 400 for 10-12 min.

-ask any one of my kids what Mama is like when she has to preheat the oven to 400 in aforementioned weather conditions and then bake a pie shell for 12 minutes.

-the same weather conditions make it nearly impossible for the pie/tart filling to set up even in the fridge

-and, serving and eating the pie in these conditions has to be done at a lively pace.

You'll be glad to know that I survived, as did my kids and Kyle. 

And, this pie was absolutely divine! The tartness was PERFECT for this heat/humidity wave. I served it with a garnish of blueberries and a wreath of whipped cream (also, not cooperative in heat and humidity).

My parents gave me this lovely tea set for my birthday and I can't wait to use it!

I would highly recommend this dessert and even having to bake the crust was worth the sweaty cursing that abounded. 

(The recipe notes that you can eliminate any crust and serve as a custard in individual ramekins, but I never registered for such fancy thangs before my wedding ..back in the Middle Ages....)