Christmas Fruitcake

November is the perfect time to prepare for Christmas.🎄 This week, I've ordered nuts and dark chocolate chips to have on hand to bake cookies. Buying a few items at a time is the way to do it. Planning and making lists equal calm.

The following recipe is a David Parke share. David Parke is a Facebook friend of mine from the United Kingdom, who retired after years of serving on Queen Elizabeth II's staff. I have no idea what position he held and haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but he uploads very tempting recipes. My classmate, a romance author, makes the best fruitcake ever found here, but it requires lots of Kentucky bourbon and weeks of time. My in-person friend has so many requests for her fruitcakes, she began selling them.

If you don't order or make hers, try this one uploaded on Facebook by David Park:

Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, cherries, apricots, and cranberries)

1/2 cup candied orange peel

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup dark rum (or orange juice for a non-alcoholic version)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Optional Glaze:

1/4 cup apricot or peach jam, warmed

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tsp milk (adjust as needed for consistency)

David's directions as quoted verbatim ...

"Instructions:

1. Prepare the Fruit Mixture --

In a bowl, combine the mixed dried fruits, candied orange peel, and nuts. Pour the rum (or orange juice) over the mixture, cover, and let it soak for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

2. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan --

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan or round cake pan with parchment paper.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients --

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Make the Batter --

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir until just combined.
• Fold in the soaked fruit and nuts, along with any remaining liquid from soaking.

5. Bake the Cake --

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Optional Glaze:

For a festive glaze, mix the powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Brush the warm jam over the cake, then drizzle with the powdered sugar glaze.

Details:

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus soaking time)

Bake Time: 60-75 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours (including soaking)

Servings: 8-10 slices

Tips:

a) Storage: Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in an airtight container. This cake tastes even better after a few days!

b) Flavor Boost: Brush the cake with additional rum or fruit juice every few days for extra moisture and depth of flavor.

This Christmas Fruitcake Delight will bring a taste of the holiday spirit to your table. Each slice is packed with festive flavors and warm holiday memories—perfect for a cozy winter celebration!"

I aim to make this fruitcake (for Thanksgiving?). It looks sensational! Hmm, I must grab some dried fruit while shopping for my weekly groceries. Nowadays for Christmas, I prefer confections that aren't super sweet yet have other flavors and textures creating a party in your mouth! Like European cakes and pastries, call them adult sophisticated sweets if you will!

Thanks, David Park, for the share!

You may also enjoy:

Making Springerle

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Low Fat, Sugar-Free Eggnog

Rita Fox's Bourbon Fruitcake

Protein Cookies For Breakfast

Today I'll share two recipes, one for a senior and another for everyone else. First up: For breakfast some mornings I make a hot bowl of cereal for my senior mother. In her cereal, she gets 1/4 cup of 1-minute oatmeal, an overflowing tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter, about 1/4 cup of milk, and sometimes 1/2 banana. Microwave it for 2 minutes and after it cools but is still warm, I dice a Pure Protein Chocolate Chip bar and mix it in. She gets protein vitamins, and fiber but is none the wiser that she's eating a healthy breakfast as it tastes and smells like a cookie! According to her, she doesn't eat breakfast.🙂

Here's how you can turn it into a real protein cookie to eat for breakfast, or anytime you need a cookie. If you're not a senior who's a picky eater, you don't need the Pure Protein bar 😉 --

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies (a complete protein)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oatmeal flakes

1 cup of crunchy peanut butter

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

a pinch of salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

a sprinkle of nutmeg

1/4 cup honey

2/3 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Options: (1) 1/4 cup of raisins - I add raisins to keep the cookies moist longer. You could puree them before adding. (2) Although we're not dried fruit in cookie fans, you could use other dried fruit if you like. (3) If you wish to chop 1/2 cup of nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds, feel free to toss them into the batter. (4) A couple teaspoons of flax seeds is another healthy choice.

Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, mix all your ingredients, one by one, together.

(2) Refrigerate the batter for 1/2 hour or more.

3) Drop a tablespoon size of batter onto a buttered foil-lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Flatten the top if you wish.

4) Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 - 14 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown.

5) Remove and let cool before serving.

Protein cookies are for people who don't eat breakfast.🙂

You may also enjoy:

Making Springerle

Scottish Shortbread

Peace, Love And Joy!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies Are Quick

Joy Bauer's Healthy Brownies and Rice Crispy Treats

Joy Bauer is a nutritionist who formally worked with New York City Ballet dancers and then became a TV personality. Two of her many keeper recipes are lighter, healthy versions of Brownie Bits and Rice Crispy Treats. Normally I pass on both sweets since usually they are made with a ton of butter and sugar. But Joy replaces these high and empty calories with healthy ingredients. In her recipes, she substitutes ingredients to boost the amounts of protein, vitamins, or fiber. Here are 2 of her sweet treats:

Brownie Bits - Go here for the recipe on Joy's website.

Ingredients:

¾ cup whole wheat flour, or all-purpose
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon instant coffee powder, optional
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup maple syrup
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Liberally mist your mini-muffin tin(s) with nonstick oil spray and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, salt and baking powder, and whisk until well combined.

2) Add the eggs, maple syrup and applesauce to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a creamy batter, being thoughtful to not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3) Fill each muffin compartment with batter; you’ll have enough for approximately 35. Be sure to mix the batter as you go to distribute the chocolate chips—otherwise, the chips may settle at the bottom and the last bunch will have a ton.

4) Garnish with a sprinkling of preferred toppings; you can mix and match various combos such as strawberries and coconut, granola, and seeds.

5) Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 14 minutes, until the tops are firmed

🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚🍫🥜🍪🥚

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats - Go here for the recipe on Joy's website.

Ingredients:

¾ cup peanut butter
 ⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

1) In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the peanut butter. Microwave for about 50 seconds to soften it, making it easier to mix.

2) Add the honey and vanilla extract to the softened peanut butter, and mix until well blended. Add the crispy rice cereal to the bowl. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to crush the cereal.

3) Transfer the mixture into the parchment-lined pan. Use a spatula or your hands to flatten it out evenly among the bottom perimeter.

4) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or freeze) to firm up. Remove
from the fridge, slice into 16 pieces (4 rows across and 4 rows down), and enjoy!

I want to make it clear again that these are nutritionist Joy Bauer's recipes, not mine. I'm posting them here for our convenience, as well as, linking them to their original source. 

Joy seems like an amazing cook and baker. I wish I could be her taster-tester and next-door neighbor, so she'd invite me to her house for delicious and healthy eating!

You may also enjoy:

Easy Low Fat Ice Cream

Czechoslovakian Cookies

Appalachian Spoon Bread

Swedish Cardamon Cake With Caramelized Topping

High Protein Granola Bars -- To Bake Or Not To Bake

Granola bar images istock

Since my senior mom has become a picky eater I spend more money on protein drinks and bars than I do on meat. One of my rules is she must eat real food -- unprocessed meat, carbohydrates, and either fruit or vegetables for dinner. At times, it's a struggle. So I buy 30-gram protein drinks and strive for 20-gram protein bars that are low in sugar. They are more costly than real food and not as tasty, but what am I to do?

I found 2 recipes for High Protein Granola Bars. Both are 20 grams of protein per bar, count as real food, and are easy to make. Since the recipes are on multiple websites without credit, I have no idea who created them. 

Nearly the same, the 1st recipe requires 5 ingredients and no baking. Add eggs and bake recipe #2:

I. No Bake 5 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, oats, and protein powder.

2) In a 2nd mixing bowl, microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them.

3) Combine the wet with the dry ingredients. You can add a few spoons of water to the mixture if it's too dry.

4) Press the mixture into an 8" by 8" pan lined with parchment paper.

5) Evenly distribute the chocolate chips and press them into the batter.

6) Refrigerate until the bars are firm before cutting with a knife dipped in water (to avoid sticking) into 16 bars.

🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪

II. Baked 6 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) Mix the dry ingredients, oats and protein powder.

2) Mix in the eggs.

3) Microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them and combine them into the mixture.

4) Pour into an 8" by 8" pan sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.

5) Distribute and press the chocolate chips into the dough.

6) Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Check and remove when the outside edges start to turn slightly brown.

7) Cool, and cut while still warm into 16 bars.

To bake or not to bake, that is the question. My answer: First try the unbaked granola bars and if you like them go no further. If curious, make the baked granola bar recipe and decide which texture you prefer. Also if you want add-ins like whole almonds, or sunflower seeds, or white chocolate chips, or coconut flakes, or raisins it's up to you. Feel free to dip your baked granola bars into melted dark chocolate with baker's wax if you desire. 

You may also enjoy:

Real Italian Cooking

Dresses For A Senior Mother

5 Interior Design Styles - Part I

The Value Of A College Education

Summer Eats

Fresh summer tomatoes are the best! Photo: HuffPost 

I post more recipes in summer on THE SAVVY SHOPPER than at other times of the year. Why? I have more time to cook and play. In summer, real food -- not junk food -- that doesn't take hours to prepare or cook also catches my eye. I slap it up here if I wish to share or find it again myself.

Fresh food I don't have to cook is one of the many things I love about summer. Last night I cut up an avocado, tomato, and onion, tossed them into a bowl, and seasoned them with cider vinegar (a friend gave me cider vinegar with a "mother" in it), salt, pepper, garlic and parsley. Mmm!

If you mash the ingredients, you'll have guacamole, more traditionally made with lime, but I prefer good vinegar.

In summer I love a late-night dinner of red wine and extra-sharp cheddar cheese on grainy rye bread. It's umami tasty! I could eat it as a supper 7 days a week, but I don't let myself! Only one day a week is my rule. I add cruditès of raw vegetables and fruit to balance out the meal. Another summer love is it stays daylight until 9 PM!

When you don't cook a meal what is your favorite at-home summer dinner? If reading this blog, you're looking at mine.

You may also enjoy:

American Potato Salad

Barbecue Franks And Beans

Stove Top Roast Chicken With Gravy

Bean, Avocado, Corn, Onion And Tomato

Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's Half Sour Pickles And BBQ Sauce

      

These two recipes from Chef Geoffrey Zakarian are definitely keepers. Pickling cucumbers is too darn easy not to try it. I suggest following the instructions exactly the 1st time out. You can blanch the cucumbers thereafter if you like pickles less raw.

Directions:  

Toss all the ingredients in a canning jar, screw on its lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before eating.

🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊🍅🥒🍊

I love a scrumptious barbecue sauce. I have 2 recipes for you. For mine click here. The one below is extra special!

The BBQ Sauce for Burgers

The Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

Directions:

Toss all the ingredients (except for the bacon) into a stockpot and simmer on a stovetop for 40 minutes. You can save the bacon to top the burgers. Chef Geoffrey tosses them into his BBQ sauce at the end of the cooking time, but I prefer my sauce to be healthier with fewer calories. {I don't put bacon on burgers either. For me, it's too much of a good thing. I eat crispy bacon with eggs for a weekend breakfast. Moderation is ideal.}

Thank you, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, for sharing your restaurant recipes!

You may also enjoy:

Let The Barbecues Begin

Barbecue Franks And Beans

Homemade Chicken Fingers

Celebrate The 4th of July With The Everly Brothers

Lume or Native vs Homemade Body Deodorant

Recent advertisements selling all-over body deodorants have us convinced we all stink. It seems like the main reason to buy them is they work on areas outside of armpits that might be too sensitive for regular deodorant.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself therefore it's not good to completely disrupt this essential function. Unlike anti-perspirants which eliminate wetness by clogging sweat glands, deodorants stop odor (not perspirantion) with bacteria-fighting ingredients.

Bacteria naturally live on your skin. Antiperspirant-deodorant combinations can alter your body's ecosystem and actually make you sweat and stink more! The reason is traditional antiperspirant-deodorants also kill good bacteria (named Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Propionibacterium, and Micrococcus) leaving the way for bad bacteria to grow and cause stronger odors, not to mention disrupting your immune system leaving the door open for infections.

Switching from a traditional antiperspirant to a natural deodorant requires a transitional period of 1 to 4 weeks when you may sweat more while your body rebalances itself. Stick it out and you'll sweat less soon enough.

The new body deodorants on the market are much more expensive than most armpit deodorants (including organic varieties), ranging from about $12 - $22. 

I bought Lume deodorant in Lavender Sage to pamper my senior mother. Frankly, I see no difference in its effectiveness compared to what I use daily, Crystal™ Mineral Body Deodorant Stick, which is cheaper and lasts and lasts forever! The Crystal™ stick sometimes lands in the beauty aisles of T.J. Maxx for even less.

You may wonder what makes a deodorant natural? According to Healthline, "3 ingredients are common:

• ingredients with disinfectant or antibacterial properties, such as coconut oil and tea tree oil
• essential oils like lavender, sandalwood, or bergamot to provide a pleasant scent
• naturally, absorbent ingredients like baking soda, arrowroot, or cornstarch to combat moisture"

There are several homemade deodorant recipes on the web. An easy one is:

Photo: Treehugger

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil (Shea butter can be substituted)

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup arrowroot starch

10 drops of eucalyptus; lavender; or your favorite scented essential oils

Directions:

1) Spoon the coconut oil (or shea butter) in a cup to melt in a microwave or submerged in hot water.

2) Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth and incorporated.

3) Pour into a cleaned recycled deodorant container or a recycled makeup pot container with a lid. Leave the lid off until the mixture solidifies. 

Although this alternative recipe is superb, I never buy beeswax, sunflower oil, or zinc oxide powder. I prefer simple!

Homemade natural deodorant, suitable for armpits and body is many times cheaper than 3 oz of Lume, Native, or their retail competitors. If you make your own deodorant (or buy, my brand, Crystal™, you can sit back and wait for Walmart, Target, or drugstore knockoffs to enter the market at lower prices. $12+ really adds up over time! BTW: My senior mom and I just treat our armpits. We don't need 72-hour entire body protection as we rely on bathing and after-shower baby powder with cornstarch to stay fresh. I suppose it exists if we ever were to need it.

You may also enjoy:

DIY Rich Soothing Hand Cream

Weleda Offers A Century of Skin Care

Crystal Body Deodorant Stick, A Review

Going Organic: Face, Body And Hair Essentials

Cook's Country Drop Meatballs

Never in my life have I made meatballs. Too much trouble! Always I brown ground beef and onion in a skillet and then add my spaghetti sauce. At times I've turned crushed tomatoes into pasta sauce, but frankly often use Whole Foods 365, Barilla, or another commercial brand of tomato sauce ... I'm not gonna lie!

After watching an episode of Cook's Country I'm now interested in trying its easy (Philadephia-inspired) recipes for drop meatballs and homemade tomato sauce. There's no bread to break up and no browning of the meatballs! Despite the simplification of steps, the dish is fancy enough to serve dinner guests, so I'm putting it on the blog with plans to invite friends over for a taste test!

Here's the episode and below is the recipe written out for our convenience  ...

Cook's Country Drop Meatballs and Pasta Sauce

Ingredients for the meatballs:

22 square saltines

1 cup milk
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Fresh chopped basil.

Directions for the meatballs:

1) Crush the saltine crackers using a rolling pin with the saltines inside a sealed plastic bag.

2) Empty into a mixing bowl and add a cup of milk. After the crackers soften mix it together into a paste.

3) Add the 2 lbs of ground meat and 2 oz of grated Parmesan cheese to the cracker-milk mixture.

4) Toss in the garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper. 

 

5) With your hands combine the meatball mixture but don't over mix or the meatballs will get tough. No eggs are needed because the hot sauce will provide the structure for the meatballs to hold them together.

6) Form into 24 - 1/4 cup size meatballs.

7) Skip the browning. Instead put the meatballs in the refrigerator while making the tomato sauce.

Ingredients for the tomato sauce:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions for the tomato sauce:

1) Mash 10 garlic cloves and toss into E-V olive oil in an oven-safe-pot. Turn on the stovetop and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes until the garlic is golden brown on both sides. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds. Next, add salt and pepper.

2) Retrieve the uncooked meatballs from the refrigerator and lay them one by one in the sauce which is still in the pot.

3) Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and place in a preheated 400-degree oven to cook for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top with fresh chopped basil if you wish.

4) Meanwhile make 2 lbs of spaghetti pasta. You'll need 4 quarts of water, 1 tablespoon of salt and to boil the pasta for 7 - 8 minutes for al dante noodles. Also after draining the water, put a spoonful of tomato sauce into the pasta and mix to keep it from sticking.

Plate your food and eat! The recipe is for 2 pounds of pasta. Feel free to make one pound of pasta and freeze half the tomato sauce with drop meatballs for another day.

You may also enjoy:

Making Pizza Dough

Mocha Chocolate Cake

Emeril's Virgin Or Bloody Mary

Salmon Cakes With Spicy Rèmoulade Sauce