SUMMER'S LAST HURRAH AND AN ICEBOX TOFFEE PIE!

"By all the lovely tokens

September days are here

With summer's best weather

And Autumn's best cheer"

-Helen Hunt Jackson

Here in Upstate New York, it's the first day of school for most kids. Picking up my e-mail in my office early this morning, I saw the big yellow school bus drive by, and reality hit me like a ton of bricks--WHAM! Fall is really, truly on it's way! I still can't get over how fast summer whizzed by this year, and now it's time to start thinking about the next season, Autumn. Which just happens to be my very, very favorite season of them all. Bring it on! Especially the month of September here in the Adirondacks, when all of the trees start getting ready for their spectacular,  jewel-colored displays and our mountain air feels so crisp and clean.

And while I can't wait to start putting pumpkins on my front porch and lighting cinnamon scented candles and cooking stews and soups and roasts and ANYTHING involving pumpkins and apples, I just have to share this one last summery dessert with you--because it is so absolutely TO - DIE - FOR that I wouldn't want you to miss it! I made it for Labor Day dessert and Big Daddy (who is not even that big of a fan of frozen desserts) just raved about it. So let's just pretend it's still summer for a few more minutes and indulge, shall we?

The recipe I have for Icebox Toffee Pie calls for a pre-made graham cracker crust, but I always make my own, from the recipe on the side of the graham cracker crumb box......of course, you can do whatever you have time for...........

In a stand mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in half and half until blended....................

And before you say ANYTHING, I know Cool Whip is not one of my beloved whole foods and is, in fact, really horrible for you, but every once in a while everyone has to loosen up on their principles a little, right? Anyways, the next step is to fold in the whipped topping and some English toffee bits..............

Spoon into a cooled graham cracker crust and sprinkle with remaining toffee bits............

Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving. Go to confession and say 1 billion Hail Mary's, then dig into your own little personal adios to summer! My oh my, Icebox Toffee Pie.....Enjoy!...............

Here's the recipe...............

ICEBOX TOFFEE PIE

Serves 6-8

4 oz. package cream cheese, softened (NOT low fat)

2 tblsp. sugar

1 / 2 cup half and half

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed (NOT low fat or sugar free)

1 package (8oz.) English toffee bits, divided

1 graham cracker crust

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in half and half until blended. Fold in (by hand) whipped topping and half of toffee bits. Spoon into crust; sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in freezer, tightly wrapped.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR.......

**The recipes our daughter is sending me--LOVE that she's sharing in my love of cooking and wholesome foods! At her age, my idea of cooking was opening a can of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee!

**My parents--today is their 49th wedding anniversary, and they are celebrating in grand style in San Diego! What wonderful role models Big Daddy and I have for a happy marriage.

**The refreshing walks in the rain lately with Wee Willie!

MY FRIEND CARRIE'S GLUTEN FREE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS AND MY LATEST OBSESSION!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love, love, love anything on the Food Network. Seriously. Especially Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Drive-ins, Diners and Dives and of course, Paula Deen, the undisputed Queen of all things butter and calories and fat. Did you know that her show, Paula's Best Dishes, is THE most watched show when people are on treadmills and stair-masters in most gyms? I love that statistic........But now I must confess : I have a new obsession , and it's with these two adorable women.....

If you have a moment, check them out on the new Oprah Winfrey Network, called OWN. The show is called Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag, and it airs (around here, anyways) at the unGodly hour of 6 and 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Probably other times, too, but I haven't taken the time to find out when yet. Anyways, Anna and Kristina, who are VERY Canadian, test out recently published cookbooks in their own kitchen, and the results are often HILARIOUS! Because at the end of the show, the frazzled duo must endure a critique from a Michelin 3 Star - caliber chef, and lemme tell you sister - mama - friend, these visiting chefs do not hold back on what they really think. In the end, Anna and Kristina give the cookbook they're testing a "buy" or "pass", which I find very helpful. So if you'd like to find out more, you can find Anna and Kristina's website HERE.

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I have a very dear old college friend named Carrie who is quite famous in the blogisphere......isn't she cute?..................

Carrie lives in the gorgeous Portland, Oregon, and has a husband named Stan the Man, plus two adorable children. Some of her family cannot tolerate gluten, like so many these days. I never used to have any problem with ANY food (well, except for oysters....I won't go into what happens to me when I eat them), but lately I find that I do much, much better, digestion-wise, if I stick to proteins or oatmeal in the mornings. Which means bye bye to my beloved Kashi Cheerios-like cereal and even whole grain toast. Most days, I just scramble up a couple of these, maybe sprinkle on a little bit of shredded cheese, and I'm good to go for hours......

Back to Carrie....she has a blog, called LOVE, and it is the very first blog I check out, each and every day.....you can become addicted to it, also, by clicking HERE. A while ago, Carrie sent me her recipe for Gluten Free Peanut Butter Muffins, and I put it in my old newspaper column. Let me tell you, I heard RAVE reviews from many, even those who don't have to go GF. Hard to believe a muffin with no flour, whatsoever, could be so delicious!

The other day I whipped up a quick batch for our little three day trip out of state, for fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything except for maybe donuts or bagels where we were going, and I just can't go there, especially while on the road. This is truly a one-bowl recipe ; who doesn't love that? To start, measure out 1 cup peanut butter (Carrie recommends organic) into a greased measuring cup (another Paula Deen tip--helps the peanut butter and honey slide out so easily! I just use spray oil.)......................

Add some honey, a couple of eggs, baking soda and chocolate chips.....these particular chips are my most recent favorite---dark chocolate chips by Hershey's--so good for you, and nice big plump chips!...............

Mix everything together and pour into greased muffin tins. This recipe makes 9 regular sized muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees. Pour yourself some coffee and enjoy a gluten-free breakfast...thanks so much, Carrie!................(I ate 2--these are the remnants)

Here's the recipe......

MY FRIEND CARRIE'S GLUTEN - FREE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS

Makes 9 muffins

1 cup organic peanut butter

1 / 2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 / 3 tsp (Carrie says just eyeball it--weird amount!) baking soda

1 / 2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into greased muffin tins (I filled mine about half-way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees (please note--Carrie tells me that since oven temperatures may vary, check your muffins after 15 minutes).

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TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

**Old friends and new friends, near and far!

**The bookstore on the UC Berkeley campus, for keeping our daughter on to work for the rest of the semester (they only choose a few to stay on, after the back to school rush has ended). The customers and her bosses must have been dazzled by her work ethic and sweet smile!

**The job I've been "dabbling" at this summer (I obviously do NOT have my daughter's work ethic!), watering and pruning and tending to the flowers and herbs and  vegetables at the club my husband manages. Sadly, with fall on its way here I fear my gardening days are coming to an end, but I have truly enjoyed my time there, digging in the dirt!

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CAKE AND TIME TO KILL!

QUESTION:  When you get bored, do you take photos of yourself in your full-length mirror, like this?.......................

I actually loathe pictures of myself, but I wanted to show my daughter my new larger than normal hoop earrings I bought yesterday.....she and her friends have an utterly charming expression (I can't believe I'm telling you this) that goes a little something like this : "The bigger the hoop, the bigger the ho!"....isn't that just lovely? Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm no "ho", but I have been buying bigger earrings lately, to somehow offset my shorter - than - normal but oh - so - necessary haircut (lots of hair thinning from chemo /  immuno-suppressant drugs). I think they look fun and funky, especially on an almost 50 year old!

FACT:  I'm kinda bored because I feel like a shut - in, due to that annoying Irene....Hurricane Irene, that is. What a week it's been....first our earthquake, which is so very strange in the East, and now this. We are, fortunately, not even close to the coast, but we are experiencing heavy rains and winds, and so I'm typing feverishly to get this post in before our power zaps out. Big Daddy and I are actually going out of state for a few days later on this week, so this will most likely be my last post for a week or so....BUT, I have my friend Carrie's Gluten Free Muffin recipe to share with you upon my return.......so, Y'all come back now, ya hear?

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If you have your own vegetable garden, you probably have an over- abundance of these bad boys lying around, 'bout now................

Now I know there are soooo many things you can do with Zucchini, like Zucchini bread, latkes, stuff like that. But, have you ever heard of Zucchini Cake? I hadn't either, and wasn't sure what I thought of the concept. Hmmmm....but I gotta think, pumpkin is a squash, and it tastes so good in sweet baked goods, and then there's carrot cake, for goodness sakes! You probably aren't thinking about the actual carrots when you're enjoying each bite of that delicious cake, but they sure add a nice flavor. Well, same goes for this recipe.....the cake is super moist, and there's a lot of chocolate in it, so that just makes everything okay, no?

Go ahead and grate up about 2 cups of your zucchini..............I grated mine into a strainer, because you won't believe how much water comes out.....

Cream together your sugar, butter and oil. .....................

Add 2 eggs, some vanilla and REGULAR sour cream........C'mon, live a little!..........

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt..............

Add this dry mixture to your wet mixture. Beat well, then stir in grated zucchini and chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips....wow!)............Bake in a greased bundt pan for 45-50 minutes....................

I served mine with freshly whipped cream, but the cake would also be fabulous with ice cream!........................

YUM! Here's the recipe.....

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CAKE

Cream together:

 1 and 3 / 4 cups sugar
1 / 2 cup butter, softened
1 / 2 cup oil (I used canola)

Add:

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 / 2 cup sour cream

In a separate bowl, mix together:

2 and 1 / 2 cup flour
4 tblsp. cocoa
1 / 2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 / 4 tsp. salt

Add dry mix to wet mixture. Beat well then stir in:

2 cups grated zucchini
3 / 4 cups chocolate chips

Bake in a greased bundt pan at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

***Word thus far that so many of our friends who have homes / second homes on the Atlantic ocean are fine. So far, most of the damage is from downed trees and flooded basements.

***Strong Starbuck's French Roast coffee...the drug of success!

***Good books, especially for plane travel.

SPICE-RUBBED STEAK WITH WHITE BEANS AND CHERRY TOMATOES, AND ONE AMAZING BOOK!

I can't wait to share a new fast and easy dinner recipe with you, but FIRST I must force myself to put down this book I've been reading! And noooo, this isn't the first time I've read it...it's my third. And I never, ever do that (read a book more than once or twice, that is), but I am obsessed with the message that author Geneen Roth so eloquently spells out here.....in a nutshell, here it is:

***You will never, ever again have a weight problem or have to diet again, for that matter, IF you eat only when you're hungry, and stop when you're full (so very common sensical, I know, but so hard to do!)

***You can eat whatever it is your body is craving, IF you only eat when you're hungry, and stop eating when you're full.

***IF you are eating when you're not hungry, well, therein lies the problem. See, compulsive eating (which by her definition is eating when we're not hungry) has the same makeup as alcoholism or any other addiction. It's born of the need to escape, to numb ourselves out from our reality, to (as Roth words it) "bolt" from our bodies! So, the answer is....when we find ourselves reaching for food when we're not hungry, to ask ourselves, "Hey, am I really hungry?", and if the answer is "no", then we need to feel the emotions we're trying to escape from. For example: let's say I am sad. Food is comforting. I reach for, say, some marshmallow cream and Nutella (I know it's strange, but it's my weakness!) to comfort myself. Which might work, but only while I'm eating it. After that...it's good ol' remorse time, sistahs! So instead, I need to LET MYSELF FEEL THE SADNESS. Which sounds quite scary, doesn't it?

I've been trying to practice her theory for the past 6 months or so, and I have to say, it really works! I'm putting my fork down at meals when my plate is not empty (HUGE for me--I hate waste!). I'm asking myself at least 3 times a day, "Hmmm...am I really hungry for these cheese doodles?". And most of the time, I'm not...just bored, or nervous, or something.

I'm down 28 pounds, but I must confess that most of that weight loss is not because of my newly found self-discipline, but due to medical reasons (very little appetite plus no alcohol... who'd a' thunk?). BUT, I can truly say that I don't know one woman in my life, including myself,  who has not battled weight, or some other form of addiction, for at least some period of their lives. Geneen's book is a bright little ray of sanity in our diet crazed culture....worth reading, in my humble opinion! And, best news ever....it's now available in paperback.

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If you've read my blog for any time at all, you know that we Willards are not huge red meat eaters. BUT, occasionally we crave a piece of good old fashioned American beef, just like the next guy! I found this recipe in an old Gourmet magazine about 5 years ago, and whenever we have a hankering for steak, out it comes from my recipe binder. Normally, Big Daddy would grill the meat outside for us, but on this particular night it was raining cats and dogs, so I used my stovetop grill pan.

To get started, mix chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and oregano.....

Sprinkle spices, salt and pepper all over steak (girls, gotta rub that meat!)........

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook steak to desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium rare).................

Transfer to a cutting board. Add a little more oil to the skillet; add cherry or grape tomatoes and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and additional cumin. Add drained beans and heat until through......

Slice steak; serve with beans and tomatoes. I also had some lovely fresh asparagus, so we had that, too. Simple, nutritious and delicious!............

Here's the recipe.....

SPICE RUBBED STEAK WITH WHITE BEANS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Serves 4

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1 / 2 tsp. ground cumin, divided

1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

Coarse kosher salt

1 and 1 / 4 lb. top sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)

2 tblsp. olive oil, divided

1 pint container cherry or grape tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 15oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Mix chili powder, 1 / 2 tsp. cumin, crushed red pepper, and oregano in small bowl. Sprinkle spices, salt, and pepper all over steak. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak to desired doneness, 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to cutting board. Wipe out skillet; add 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomatoes; saute 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 teaspoon cumin. Add drained beans; stir until heated through, adding water by the tablespoonfuls if dry, about 3 minutes. Slice steak; serve with beans and tomatoes.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

**Dinner out tonite with the fun girls! Billy's Italian-American restaurant will never be the same....

**Feeling pretty darned good today!

**A future filled with surprises!

MOM'S FISH TACOS, THE BLUES, AND COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, BIG TIME!

I was just having one of those days, yesterday; you know, kinda blue. Blue for a few reasons, starting with..............

***Pudding cups. The kind that Jello makes that are in all the stores, and are prominently displayed right now on the grocery store's end-caps, because it's back to school time, and pudding cups are popular in kid's lunch boxes. Lunch boxes...hmmm, don't hafta pack those anymore....which made me sad the other day, and is making me tear up, writing this. Maybe this is what happens to moms - of - only - children......the kids just grow up too fast, and them WHAM, they're gone, and we're left with nobody else to mother but the family dawwggg. Sigh. I know this happens to all moms (well, if we've done our jobs correctly and set our children free to explore this wonderful world we live in, anyways), but it's all just happened so FAST. And that's all I'm sayin' on this subject, for now anyways.

***Methotrexate. Or, more specifically, how Methotrexate is failing me, which led to my rheumatologist just looking at me and shaking her head, pitifully. Because it seems we've tried everything else, and everything else just hurts my liver too much to take it anymore. And Methotrexate is just making me MORE sick--sheesh, like I NEED that! So I'm running out of options, except to go back to that horrible / wonderful Prednisone, which I hate / love.

***The state of the economy, and how it's affecting us all. Because even though Big Daddy is so blessed with his wonderful job, we've lost soooo much money, like everyone else, in our retirement account, which just makes me sick to my stomach. Not to mention our real estate--it's no secret our house is on the market, again (which TOTALLY exhausts me), and we're probably "under water" at this point, because we built when prices were at their absolute highest (2004, before the "crash"), and now it seems that we'll just have to give our wonderful home away. I'm just getting too old for this! Hey, anybody wanna buy a house?.................

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Enough of that blues nonsense. Despite it all, I really do try to always look on the sunny side. Because that's just how I roll! My one little pity-party day was Friday, and well, by Friday night I was over the MOON with happiness and gratefulness, because.......

***This movie opened...................

Am I the only one who has been counting the DAYS until opening night? Big Daddy and I got to our beloved STRAND THEATRE bright and early, for fear of the flick being sold out, and let me tell you that this was one of the best movies we've seen in a long, long time; it's not everyday that you laugh, you cry, AND the entire audience applauds at the ending. The bestselling book was awesome, and the movie did it justice--another rarity, I know!

***This came in the mail, just for me..................

A delightful little chicken pitcher, to add to my chicken pitcher collection (doesn't everyone have that collection, I ask?)...sent by my dear friend Marianne, who owns this shop.............

If you've been reading this blog for long, you know this is my favorite shop in the whole wide universe, Old and Everlasting, in Cazenovia, New York. You should check out Marianne's website and blog.....I will be making another pilgrimage to her shop very soon for her Fall Open House. Nirvana, absolute Nirvana!!! Thank you Marianne--your thoughtfulness and great timing are so heartfelt to me!

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As you may remember from my last post, Abbie requested Fish Tacos for her "last supper" (doesn't that sound so dramatic and final?). So of course I made them....they're my mom Carol's recipe, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE them to death! Best thing about her fish tacos? They come together lickity split--you can actually use frozen and breaded fish filets, straight from those cute little Gorton's Fishermen! How great is that?

To start, you'll need to assemble your cabbage mixture. Combine shredded cabbage (if you want to get really fancy, use red AND green!), cilantro, chopped red onion, lime juice and salt.............just look at this COLOR!!.............

Refrigerate cabbage mixture until ready to use. For the avocado topping, mix together 1 very ripe mashed avocado, salt and sour cream..............

Also refrigerate this mixture until ready to use. Bake your fish filets until crispy (Mom says if you don't want to use the frozen fish filets for dietary reasons, you could use several pieces of any mild white fish, sprinkled with lemon and pepper seasoning and baked until done). Cut filets into chunks............

To assemble tacos, place several chunks of fish filets into each tortilla. Top with avocado mixture, cabbage mixture, Jack cheese and maybe some hot sauce, if desired. Absolutely delicious....thanks, Mom!

Here's the recipe.............

MOM'S FISH TACOS

1 package of 6 Gorton's Breaded Fish Filets, frozen

6 or 8 flour tortillas

Salad topping:

Shredded green cabbage and / or

Shredded red cabbage (about 2 cups shredded cabbage, total)

1 / 2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 / 2 small red onion, chopped

1 / 2 lime, squeezed

1 / 2 tsp. salt

Avocado mixture:

1 very ripe avocado, mashed

lime juice

salt

1/ 4 cup sour cream

Jack cheese

Hot sauce, optional

Combine all salad topping ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Combine all avocado mixture ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bake fish filets per package instructions. Cut into chunks. Heat tortillas and place several chunks of fish filets into each tortilla. Top with avocado mixture, cabbage mixture, Jack cheese and hot sauce, if desired.