Category Archives: In the kitchen

Favorite recipes and tips

More on banana cake

A couple of weeks ago I shared (here) on some banana cake my mom made one day for my sewing circle. Since then she has corrected me: I had stated one of the ingredients was flour, and she has pointed out there is no flour (or sugar) in this recipe. So I tried it myself […]

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

More on crustless asparagus-quinoa quiche

A while back I posted a couple of recipes using my favorite grain/cereal:  quinoa. Our friend Irene (who lives in Guatemala) went looking and was able to find quinoa at  a local supermarket. Unfortunately, the price was also pretty steep, so she decided to go home without it.

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Hooting Owls

Now that the dove wallhangings are finished, my friends have become busy with their new owl projects. I thoroughly enjoy being able to see them work on one of my designs… it is particularly fun to see how each one evolves differently.

Also posted in Applique, Life in Ecuador, Sewing circle | Comments closed

Crustless Asparagus-Quinoa Quiche

As I have mentioned before, I love quinoa. So I made one of my favorite dishes today and thought I would share the recipe here. (So sorry, Irene, that quinoa is so expensive in your country!). First the recipe, and then some pics to explain the process…

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Sweet, Tangy Sauce

Besides the usual (and some unusual) cookbooks, I keep my favorite recipes in a big, black binder that has started to fall apart. I figured it was time to sort them out – toss those I really don’t use and move those we truly do like onto index cards.

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Fanesca

Fanesca is a traditional soup here in Ecuador and could very well be considered the national dish, as it is prepared throughout the entire country. It is only prepared once a year, during Easter, and served throughout Holy Week.

Also posted in Life in Ecuador | Comments closed

All those cookies!

Well, Christmas Eve is here and I didn’t meet my goal of 20 different varieties of cookies. I’m blaming my daughter-in-law Allison for that. (-: Normally we do all this baking together, but she’s back in the U.S. with the kids this year, and I find it isn’t half as much fun to bake without […]

Also posted in Christmas | Comments closed

Christmas Tea Party

Earlier in the year my mother saw fit to bestow on me part of my “inheritance,” consisting of three different tea sets she brought down with her to Ecuador over 50 years ago! They are now being put to very good use: every Thursday they are polished and set out for the “girls” in my […]

Also posted in Sewing circle | Comments closed

Snickerdoodles

This is a very modest cookie – very easy to make. Cinnamon gives it interest, so beware because you could easily eat and eat at one sitting!

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Ok, so I am going to say something here that you will probably find blasphemous: I am not really fond of chocolate. I mean, I like a candy bar every now and then and a piece of hard chocolate is fine. But no chocolate cake for me. Nor chocolate brownies or cookies. Even less so […]

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Russian Teacakes

Absolutely sinful. Sinfully delicious, that is. Also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes (no one has ever been able to explain to me why the two different names) these delightfully nutty cookies simply melt in the mouth. They have been a part of our Christmases for as long as I can remember, and I’m not one […]

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Gingersnaps

This classic, sugar coated cookie gets its chewy texture and spicy flavor from brown sugar, molasses, and ginger. What makes this particular recipe unusual is the additional use of maple syrup and cardamom. Yummy! Shorten or lengthen the baking time for a softer or crisper cookie.

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed

Angie’s Absolutely Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

Ok, so you are saying, “What can be so great about the same old, same old oatmeal cookies?” Well… first give these a try and  then get back to me! What I can tell you is that amidst all the Christmas cookies baked year after year, this one has been voted the all-around favorite in […]

Posted in In the kitchen | Comments closed