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Chocolate Banana Smoothie

This is a Summer treat I like to make on a hot afternoon. I normally eyeball the ingredients, but this time I took note and measured the ingredients so that I could pass it along to you. This smoothie is supper quick and easy, plus not to mention healthy, with only the sugar naturally found in the banana and a little in the yogurt, if the yogurt you chose to used has sugar. 

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

1/2 c of plain or vanilla yogurt (I prefer Light & Fit's Nonfat Vanilla yogurt for smoothies. It is thicker than I would want if I was just eating yogurt but perfect for smoothies.)

1/2 c milk (your choice, but I stick with 1%)

3/4 tbsp cocoa powder

crushed ice (optional)

Directions:

1. Break or cut the banana into a few pieces and add into blender.

2. Then add in yogurt, milk, cocoa, and ice it you want between a 1/4 - 1/3 cup of ice.

3. Then blend until smooth, about a minute.

4. Scrap down the sides to make sure there aren't any pieces of banana that were missed and not pockets of yogurt that stuck to the side of the blender. 

5. Blend for another 30 seconds before taste testing. At this point if you want it thinner add a little more milk, or if you want it thicker add in more banana and ice. You can also adjust the flavor here too. 

6. I like to pour my smoothie into a cup and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill it down just a little more before drinking

All of the ingredients combined in my bullet blender before blending. 

Finished product, yummy, frothy, delicious chocolate banana smoothie.  

Enjoy!

Should this go in the refrigerator?

                        

So I came across this neat section of Bon Appetie's website months ago and it quickly became a close friend. I can't remember how I was originally introduced to this part of their site, thought I've been using recipes from Bon Appetite for over a year now.

http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients

This awesome tool allows you to look up almost any ingredient you could want to cook with and learn more about them. For each ingredient you can find a description of what it is and with most of the items you will find: why you should eat that particular food or spice, the health benefits, what to look for at the store to insure that it is fresh, as well as how to store it once you are home, and you can also see a few recipes they suggest for each food item if you are stumped on the best way to cook it or incorporate it into your meal. So I thought I'd pass along the link because it's an amazing tool.

For example:
- Ever wonder if tomatoes should be stored in the fridge or on the counter?
- What makes a good maple syrup?
- Why is sour dough bread sour?
- What is the difference with steel-cut oats?
- What is raw sugar?

                          

Enjoy!

Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:
2 c + 1 tbsp + 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c + 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c + 1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c milk
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 c strawberry preserves

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375* F and line a muffin tin with paper liners. I like to spray the liners with non-stick spray so that the paper releases easier when it's time to eat the muffin.
2. Cut strawberries into small pieces. Then toss them with a 1 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of sugar and set aside.
3. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
4. Then in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until blended/
6. Next mix in flours 1/2 at a time.
7. At this point mix in milk, but be careful not to over mix. Muffins are meant to be mix just until blended. If you over beat them they will become dense and the top will be smooth and not rocky.
8. In a small bowl, stir and break up the preserves, so that no muffin ends up with a huge section of preserves.
9. Then fold in the strawberry pieces and preserves into the batter.
10. Then using an ice cream scoop or a 1/3 c measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin tin.
11. To make the topping, mix together 1 1/2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 c flour. Then sprinkle crumb topping over each muffin.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. Then allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Be careful not to leave them in the pan too long because the muffins will trap moisture and the muffins will then become soggy.


In depth instructions with pictures: 

 You need: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, fresh or frozen strawberries, and strawberry preserves.

Preheat your oven to 375* F and line a muffin tin with paper liners. I like to spray the liners with non-stick spray so that the paper releases easier when it's time to eat the muffin.

 Cut strawberries into small pieces. I like to start with cutting off the tops. Then cut in quarters and into small pieces.

 Then toss them with a 1 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of sugar and set aside.

 Mix flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Then in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until blended.

Next mix in flours 1/2 at a time. At this point mix in milk, but be careful not to over mix. Muffins are meant to be mix just until blended. If you over beat them they will become dense and the top will be smooth and not rocky. Make sure as you go, that you scrap down the sides of the bowl

In a small bowl, stir and break up the preserves, so that no muffin ends up with a huge section of preserves. Then fold in the strawberry pieces and preserves into the batter.

Then using an ice cream scoop or a 1/3 c measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin tin.

To make the topping, mix together 1 1/2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 c flour. Then sprinkle crumb topping over each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Then allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Be careful not to leave them in the pan too long because the muffins will trap moisture and the muffins will then become soggy. Eat right away or store in an air tight container for up to 3 days. I like to eat leftover muffins for breakfast after toasting it in the toaster oven for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Family Recipe - Biscuits From Scratch

So I'm giving away a family recipe, it's not top secret but delicious and almost fail proof, as long as you to things in the right order. With only three simple ingredients it makes it very simple. I do like to add one more ingredient and that's a little butter.

Ingredients
2 c Self rising flour
4 tbsp shortening
1 c buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk add in a tbsp of lemon juice to whatever milk you have)
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Cut shortening into the flour in a large mixing bowl. I like to use two forks for the the first half, you can also use a pastry blade. Basically you are cutting up the shortening into the flour. This will allow the biscuits to be flaky. As they bake, the butter will melt causing the moisture to escape making the biscuit fluffy.
2. After the shortening has been cut into the flour as much as you can, use one hand to rub the flour into any remaining lumps, so that you have an even crumb.
3. Then add in the milk and mix with a fork. Don't stir because you want the shortening to stay in tiny pockets, but push and pull the dough until most of the crumbs as combined.
4. Then roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface until it is about 1-inch thick.
5. Then using a biscuit cutter or a round cup, cut out your biscuits and place them on a greased cookie sheet.
6. After you have cut as many biscuits as you can fit out of the dough as you can gently roll it back into a ball, trying not to handle it too much as not to melt the shortening, and roll it out again to that you can cut more biscuits out.
7. Then bake them in the over for 6-8 minutes or until right before they are about to start brown.
8. Brush melted butter over the top of the biscuits with a pastry brush or just the corner of a paper towel and return them to the oven for another 2 minutes.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then they are ready to savor as is or with some butter or jelly.

Enjoy!

Our Costume Shop

I took pictures of our Costume Shop, here at Columbus State University, and I thought you might like to see our facilities. We have a huge space that is about 2 to 3 times larger than most costume shops and it is located on the second floor with windows and natural lighting, when you never find. Often costume shops are located in the darkest most cramped corners of the basement, but we were lucky because our professors had input when they were building the $35,000,000 Theatre On The Park Facility. The built in cabinets and cutting tables we had custom build. Though we have more then 15 Bernina sewing machines, a dry room, two laundry rooms, and a shoe closet, the best feature of out shop is the undisputed best view of the Chattahoochee River.

Though it's not really part of the shop we also have costume storage that runs the length of the entire building in the basement to store all of the costumes we make on site. In one year we put on anywhere between 7 to 10 productions and we make about 85% of the costumes; the other 15% are bought, like blue jeans, or rented.

 This is the view when you walk in the door.

 A little bit in the doorway

 Once you enter, to your left

 Upstairs laundry room

 Dry room where we can dry our own fabric

 Student work tables 

 Custom shelving unit and one of the custom cutting tables

The other cutting table 

 Sergers, patterning paper, and thread wall

 Costume Shop Assistant's tables and machines and the ironing table and board

 The Nook, where we relax and you can see the Chattahoochee 

 You can kind of see the view, though this picture doesn't do it justice

  You can see that we have some costumes that we doesn't want to put in storage set up in the window, it's funny how many people walk by and are scared by the lemon

 Fitting area and belt rack in the shoe closet

 Shoes to the left and scrap fabric to the right

So that is our shop and where I spend upwards of 16 to 18 hours a week in between my classes. It's a little messy because we've jsut finished building our two shows for our first Summer of the Columbus Repertory Theatre, Blue's Clues Live and Nunsense, so things haven't gotten put away or in their proper place. As you can see on the first cutting table, there are a few of the pieces for Blue's Clues, there is Blue's body, Shovel is lying down and the Birthday Cakes's hat is sitting there. So that is a peck into were I live most of the time. 

Enjoy!

Apple Pie From Scratch

Ingredients:
For a double crust:
2 1/2 c flour (I suggest White Lilly)
1/3 c shortening
1/3 c cold butter cubed
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 or 5 tbsp cool water

Filling:
2-3 lb baking apples; washed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/3 c packed brown sugar (light or dark, your preference)
1/4 c butter
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Assembly:
1 egg
2 tbsp water
a little sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Crust:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour with forks or a pastry blade.
2. Add in a few tbsp of water at a time and mix but pushing a pulling the dough gently, not stirring, because you want the butter and shortening to stay in little pockets of the dough because this is what makes the pastry flaky.
3. Roll into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, though you can make this a day ahead and refrigerate over night.
4. Then cut the dough in half and roll it out until it is about an 11 or 12 inch circle.
5. Place dough in a greased 9 or 10 inch pie pan.
6. Then roll out the other half until it is about the same size, and then you can either use the whole circle to cover the top of your pie or cut it into strips to create a lattice.

Filling:
1. Core and cut apples into thin slices and put in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to slow the apples from browning.
2. Add in the sugars and toss until the apples are coated evenly.
3. Then in a large skillet or heave pot melt butter over medium-high heat.
4. Once the butter has melted, add in the apples, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
6. After about 3 minutes add in the cornstarch and stir well. Cover and allow it to cook for another 4-6 minutes or until thickened.
7. Then pour back into the bowl and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring the apples to the pie pan.

Assembly:
1. After adding in the apples, in a small bowl beat an egg with 2 tbsp of water.
2. Then lay the top pie crust over the top, whether you are using a full sheet or the lattice.
3. Once it is the way you want it to look, go back with a pastry brush or your finger and brush anywhere you want the pie dough to adhere to other pie dough and use the egg mixture as a glue.
4. Then brush the entire top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with so granulated sugar.
5. If you used the entire sheet to cover the top of the pic make sure to cut a few vents in the middle of the pie to allow steam to release as the pie bakes.
6. Then bake the pie for about 50 minutes at 350* degrees.
7. Then allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack before consuming.


Directions with pictures and more explanation: 

 Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add in butter and shortening.

 Cut the butter and shortening into the flour with forks or a pastry blade. I use forks and pull them through the flour in opposite directions. "'Cutting in" means incorporating shortening or butter into the flour in such a way that little lumps of the raw fat remain whole within the flour mixture. When the dough is baked, these little lumps create separation in the structure of the produce, which is what gives it that flaky consistency."  - http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/ss/pastrycut.htm

 This is about what you are looking for when the cutter has been cut in. The mixture will be like little clumps, crumbs, or peas, whatever you prefer. Though there shouldn't be any clumps of butter or shortening; the clumps are created by the fat and flour clumping together.

 Add in a few tbsp of water to the dough. I like to put a few ice cube in my water to insure that it is cold and then using a tablespoon, scoop the water out. You want cold water to make sure the fat stays cold and in it's little pockets.

 Pushing a pulling the dough gently, not stirring, because you want the butter and shortening to stay in little pockets of the dough because this is what makes the pastry flaky.

Roll the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, though you can make this a day ahead and refrigerate over night.

 Then cut the dough in half and roll it out until it is about an 11 or 12 inch circle. Make sure to keep your counter and rolling pin well floured so that the dough does not stick.

 Place dough in a greased 9 or 10 inch pie pan.

 Core and cut apples into thin slices and put in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to slow the apples from browning. Add in the sugars and toss until the apples are coated evenly.

 Then in a large skillet or heave pot melt butter over medium-high heat.

 Once the butter has melted, add in the apples, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. After about 3 minutes add in the cornstarch and stir well. Cover and allow it to cook for another 4-6 minutes or until thickened. Then pour back into the bowl and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring the apples to the pie pan.

Once the apples have cooled a little you can gently pour them into your pie pan. In a small bowl beat an egg with 2 tbsp of water.

 Then roll out the other half until it is about the same size, and then you can either use the whole circle to cover the top of your pie or cut it into strips to create a lattice. Then lay the top pie crust over the top, whether you are using a full sheet or the lattice. Once it is the way you want it to look, go back with a pastry brush or your finger and brush anywhere you want the pie dough to adhere to other pie dough and use the egg mixture as a glue. At this point is where I trim off the extra dough from around the pie pan. You can also then decide to make some sort of decorative edge to you pie by using a fork to press down,  using your fingers to create a scallop, or cutting out a design like I did with squares. If you are adding on dough like I did, you will wont to brush the back of each piece with the egg wash before adding them to your pie.

Then brush the entire top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with so granulated sugar. If you used the entire sheet to cover the top of the pic make sure to cut a few vents in the middle of the pie to allow steam to release as the pie bakes.Then bake the pie for about 50 minutes at 350* degrees.

 Then allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack before consuming. I will say that a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream goes will with a warm slice of apple pie.

Enjoy!