It is the time of year that my basil is very abundant.  Once the weather gets too cold, all that luscious green herb goes black. Since it was 39 degrees one morning this week, it is time to harvest it.

I plant the basil next to the tomatoes in the garden. The general consensus is that basil – both the plant and extract made from the leaves – can be an effective natural deterrent for white flies, mosquitoes, tomato hornworms, aphids, houseflies, and asparagus beetles. The basil is also thought to (somehow) improve the flavor of the tomatoes if planted nearby.

My dear friend, Gwen gave me this recipe in 1993.  It has been my go-to pesto recipe since then.

Having a food processor makes this quick and easy.  If not, you will just do some chopping and blending.  I love recipes with a few ingredients-fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and two types of cheese.

Separate the leaves from the stem.

Place all the ingredients, except the olive oil in the food processor.

While the food processor is running, slowly add the oil.

Look at the beautiful color of the pesto.  As I was making this, the girls came into the kitchen asking what smelled SO good! The scent of basil is so unique and aromatic.

I have a ton of basil to use and will make several batches of pesto.  I tend to freeze this in 1-2 cup batches in Ziploc bags,  but you can also preserve it in the canning process. Or just store it in the refrigerator. We go through it so quickly so I do not know how long it will keep in the fridge.

There are so many uses for pesto~~ over pasta, in scrambled eggs, or as a sandwich spread. Dunking a piece of artisan bread in pesto with a glass of wine could be a whole meal for me!

Pesto is a great staple to have on hand during the holidays.  Please enjoy this simple recipe!

Simple Pesto Recipe (given to Mary by her friend, Gwen)

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:30]

As the weather gets cooler, a nice, warm chicken pot pie out of the oven is a family favorite. What makes this so easy is getting the pre-made ingredients and assembling it.

All the ingredients for this recipe are from Trader Joe’s (but any resource will do)~~pre-made double pie crust, cooked chicken and frozen vegetables.  I typically make my own pie crust, but Trader Joe’s is a very, very good option. I also used their 2.5 lb. bag of frozen chicken breast tenderloins, and 2 packages of Vegetable Melange.  But any cooked chicken or frozen veggies will do.

The frozen Vegetable Melange is filled with peas, carrots, cauliflower, sweet corn in a butter sauce.

Heat 2 packages of frozen vegetables in 2 tablespoons of watering a large skillet. I baked the chicken a day earlier at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder beforehand). Cut the chicken into bitesize pieces.

Add the chicken to the vegetables.  I make a very simple chicken gravy to add to the chicken/vegetable mixture using Better than Boullon and water. However, if your frozen vegetables have enough sauce or moisture, you can add a bit of flour to that to thicken it up.

You could easily skip this part or make it with chicken stock. Two teaspoons of boullon mixed into 8 oz. of hot water creates the chicken stock.  Whisk a small part of the stock into two tablespoons of flour to make a roux.

Add the roux back into the remaining stock and whisk until smooth.

Microwave for 30 seconds and stir again.  The mixture will thicken, like gravy.  If it is still too loose, microwave for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour the gravy into the vegetable/chicken mixture and mix to combine. Add more or less gravy depending on how moist you want your filling.  Salt and pepper or season to your liking.

While this mixture cools, prepare your pie crust.

Even though I follow the directions to defrost the crust and leave at room temperature, it always looks like this when I unroll it.

So I gently gathered the dough into a ball, and rolled it out as the bottom crust.  I used a 9″ deep dish glass pie pan. I do chill the bottom crust for a minimum of 15 minutes in the refrigerator before I add the filling.

Add the cooled filling.

Roll the second dough for the top crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes (again this depends on the size of your pan, amount of filling, etc). In order to prevent the edges from burning, you can add foil or a pie ring on the edges of the crust during the last 20 minutes of baking.

With hungry children looming, I cut into the pie while it was a bit too warm, but you can see the abundant filling spilling out.

This is a very easy recipe requiring a small amount of assembly.

I love this cooler weather as it inspires me to do more baking!

Mary’s Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:29]

Lately, I have seen so much information on the benefits of turmeric.

Turmeric is a plant related to ginger and is sometimes called Indian saffron or the Golden spice. It is a tall plant that grows in Central America and Asia.  Turmeric is made from the ground roots of the plant.

According to HealthLine, turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up what Indians have known for a long time — it really does contain compounds with medicinal properties.

These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic, Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.

Research has shown that curcumin has healthy beneficial effects on: heart disease, arthritis and joint pain, PMS, depression, cancer, anxiety, liver function, cognitive function, and digestive ailments.

There are several ways to add turmeric in your diet.  You can sprinkle the spice into salad dressings, casseroles, marinades, or on rice.

I also drink Golden Milk by Gaia. The ingredients to this warm yellow beverage are turmeric and other traditional Ayurvedic herbs like Black Pepper, Cardamom, Vanilla and Ashwagandha.

Mix 1 teaspoon into any warm milk of your choice. I use a hand frother to blend the powder. Drink daily. Gaia Herbs Golden Milk is vegan and gluten-free with no GMOs or soy, with natural sweetness from dates.

I purchase my Golden Milk at our local Sprouts store, but it can be found online as well.

If you prefer tea, my dear friend, Gabie from Tea End Blog has shared her recipe for Turmeric Tea.  She has allowed me to use her photo below-one of my favorites!  For the link to her blog post, click here.

There are many high quality turmeric supplements available.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it. It is recommended to find a product with BioPerine (the trademarked name for piperine), which is the natural substance that enhances curcumin absorption by 2,000%.

Based on MedicalNewsToday, research indicates that turmeric doses of 500–2,000 mg per day may be effective. However, high doses are not recommended long-term. Also, do not use if you are pregnant or nursing. Please check with your doctor before taking any new supplements or products.

There is a TON of information on the internet about turmeric and curcumin.  Even one sight indicated it was “the world’s healthiest food”.  I just started taking daily supplements so I am excited to see if I notice a difference.

Have a healthy day!

I am addicted to the Great British Baking Show.  The 5 seasons on Netflix are hosted by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (swoon~~ah those blue eyes!).  Amateur bakers face off in a 10-week competition whipping up their best dishes hoping to be named the best in the U.K. The show is so informative-who knew the British had so many different cakes, breads, puddings, and pastries! Watching all 5 seasons is inspiring me to do more baking and today, I am making lemon flavored Madeleines.

Madeleines are a very traditional French breakfast or tea cake.  Perfect madeleines should have a nice hump at the top, indicating a good rise and a lightness in texture. The thinner edges should be golden brown, caramelized and crunchy. According to this recipe, a madeleine pan is nice but not necessary. You can also use a miniature muffin pan.

Ingredients and Recipe

This recipe for madeleines is from Dessert University by Roland Messier, executive pastry chef at The White House for 25 years. I took a class from Roland years ago and finally dusted off his cookbook. You can find it here.

Ingredients are rather simple~~flour, baking powder, lemon, sugar, eggs and lots of butter!

Blend the flour and baking powder together.

Zest the lemon~~later the fruit will be juiced for the lemon glaze. This is my favorite zesting tool here.

Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, blend the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt.

Be careful not to over beat. With the mixer on low, add the eggs and then the egg yolk until well combined.

Stir in the flour mixture and mix until dough is smooth.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Baking Preparation

Butter and flour the madeleine pan.  The only one I have is a Tefal silicone one with 8 cakes. Though the recipe stated there isn’t a need to butter and flour the non-stick pan, I did so to prevent any sticking. Updated note: I do not like this silicone pan. It buckles in the oven and prevents the batter from laying evenly. See other pan resource here.

Fill the cups 3/4 full.  The batter is almost cookie dough-like and it’s hard to tell when it’s 3/4 full. My first batch produced rather large madeleines.  I measured the batter in the second batch (a low heaping tablespoon) and the madeleines were a more normal size. Below is a picture of the first batch pre-oven.

I have a convection oven so I set the temperature at 400 degrees (recipe calls for 425 degrees) and baked them for approximately 8 minutes.  That time varied depending on the quantity of the batter.

Finishing Touches

After baking, remove the madeleines immediately from the pan.  Mine popped out nicely.  Brush each one with the lemon glaze. This silicone basting brush works very well with the delicate cakes (see here).

This is only the second time I’ve made madeleines and I really loved this lemon recipe.

These were a big hit with my family!  I wonder what Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry would say 🙂

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

What is mole (MO-LAY)?  Mole is a rich, velvety, deeply complex sauce that is slightly sweet, smoky, and subtly spicy. Conceived centuries ago to serve dignitaries, it is widely considered Mexico’s national dish.  To this day, preparing mole is a ritual in Mexican households, one that’s often tackled over multiple days and reserved for special occasions.

There are plenty of published recipes to choose from and many are incredibly labor-intensive. As a result, I have steered clear of making this in the past. I have had it only 3 times in my life and each time I have savored the dish and wished I knew how to make it.

My friend, Rick shared his recipe which he makes in an electric pressure cooker.  My son, who recently moved to Washington, DC, used Rick’s recipe for his very first dinner party.  It was time for me to try my hand at it.

Please know that I am not very familiar with an electric pressure cooker, often referred to by the brand name Insta-pot.  But I purchased this 6 quart Faberware one several months ago and have only taken it out of the box a handful of times.

There are 16 ingredients, but nearly all are commonly found.  Canned adobe chiles or adobo chili paste can be found in the ethnic food aisle of most grocery stores.

The beauty of today’s electric pressure cookers is that they perform multiple functions from sauté to slow cooking. The first step is to cook the wonderful spices (cinnamon, cocoa, cloves), garlic, and chilies in the oil.

Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, raisins, and peanut butter and cook for 5 minutes.

Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth.

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Using the same pot in the cooker, sauté the onions in oil until soft. Stir in the pureed sauce and add the chicken to the pot. Look at the rich color of the sauce!

Here is where the pressure cooking comes in.  Cook under high pressure for 25 minutes.  My Faberware electric cooker does not have a high pressure setting, but it does have a chicken setting-which I used. The cook time was very similar.

It’s important to know how to release the pressure before opening the lid.  My pot has a release knob and I waited until all the steam/pressure was gone before I proceeded.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board, let cool and then shred.  Set aside.

Strain sauce through a medium sieve.

Return sauce to pressure cooker and bring to simmer.  Add red peppers and cook until tender. I do not have a simmer function on my pot so I defaulted to the vegetable button.  After 10-15 minutes, the bell pepper was cooked.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add cilantro.

The aroma filled the kitchen.  The sauce was so flavorful.  Typically you would serve this over rice or in a tortilla.  However, my husband and I are watching our grain/bread intake so I experimented with serving it over spiralized sweet potatoes.  I cooked the sweet potatoes in sesame oil for a few minutes and lightly salted them.

Here it is!

Many thanks to Rick for sharing his recipe (which was adapted from Cooks Illustrated Pressure Cooker Perfection). This recipe is a keeper!

Enjoy!

Electric Pressure Cooker Chicken Mole

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:27]

I am not the most current on trends, but I find the concept of e-commerce subscriptions fascinating. My first encounter was Stitch Fix, nearly five years ago.  Stitch Fix, is a company that mails you a monthly box of clothing and accessories.

The items are hand-picked by Stitch Fix’s 3,500 full- and part-time stylists, who work with the company’s team of more than 80 data scientists to suit customers’ tastes. Stitch Fix charges a $20 fee for each box (which goes toward any purchases the customer makes). Clients pay extra for the clothing they keep, and can return what they don’t want.

My daughters and I subscribed after filling out a lengthy style questionnaire.  It was fun to see what a design consultant who had never met you or knew what you looked like, would select and send.

Since the company was relatively new, some of the styles weren’t to my liking so I cancelled. The company has since evolved and expanded, including a line for men and children. I may give them a try again, as I am not fond of clothes shopping.

Katrina Lake, 34, is the founder and chief executive of Stitch Fix. The company brought in $730 million in revenue in its 2016 fiscal year. Katrina was 26 years old when she founded Stitch Fix in 2011….very impressive.

I have used Stitch Fix for gift giving and it is easy to do so. You can print, email, or send a gift card in whatever dollar amount you want.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of my favorite bloggers is Sharon Santoni from My French Country Home.  She has created a quarterly Subscription Box that I recently used as a birthday gift for my sister in Connecticut.  The theme for the August box was French kitchen and not only was the box beautifully wrapped, the items inside were spectacular. And it was mailed from France! My sister was delighted with the high quality of items and presentation.

Here are the contents of the August Stylish French Box with further details on a few of the items.

Artist Celine Chollet features a blue-shuttered house in Provence.

Marseille soaps by Marius Fabre: These soaps from Marius Fabre come from a family-owned business in Salon de Provence that still makes their products in the same way as their great-grandfather did a century ago.

A stoneware pottery bowl by the Manufacture de Digoin: Fabricated in the Ceramic Valley, deep in the Burgundy region, this bowl will impress you both with its durability and the craftsmanship that went into its creation.

Three copper cannelé molds: These adorable copper molds are used to bake cannelés, a traditional Bordelais pastry.  Or insert tea candles for a French-inspired deco piece.

An antique teacloth: This brocante item is one that you’ll find as functional as it is pretty. The red-on-white pattern is traditional of this type of linen blend teacloth.

A book of recipes: All come straight from Sharon’s kitchen, made with wholesome, seasonal ingredients.

There was also a beautiful copper candle, an apron and chocolate fondant included in the box. For more information on My Stylish French Box, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s been hard finding good flowers here in Phoenix during the latter part of summer.  Nothing exciting is growing in the yard, and our local retailers have meager pickings. Motivated by my desire for a different selection of fresh flowers, I signed up for a monthly delivery from The Bouqs.

Their farm-to-table flowers come from eco-friendly, sustainable farms around the world.  You can cancel anytime so I thought it was worth a try.

I set it up so I get Farmer’s Market flowers on the 12th of each month. They are (were?) having a 20% off and free shipping sale which pushes me over the edge to order.

The Bouqs also has a gift option online so it is very easy to send a bouquet to someone you love.  I will let you know the quality and quality of my flowers when my first subscription arrives on September 12th.

There are many e-commerce boxes available–from beauty to art to supplies.  On a recent post (click here to read) I shared my subscription to Paris Letters, which has been a delightful experience for someone like me that appreciates getting a fabulous letter in the mail.

If you are getting a subscription box, please let me know what it is and if you love it.  With the holidays approaching, having e-commerce at our finger tips expands our gift giving options.

Excerpts and photos taken directly from My French Country Home, Stitch Fix and The Bouqs.