Easy Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients


5 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 quart whole milk

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Melt butter over medium heat, once melted stir in flour until smooth, continue stirring as flour cooks to a light sandy color about 7 min.

Increase to medium high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce to medium low and continue simmering until flour has softened 10-20 minutes.

season with salt and nutmeg.

be patient you will be rewarded by the taste!

Home made chocolate frosting

Chocolate frosting made from scratch is so much better than the store bought, but I usually have all the ingredients in my pantry, plus it's not full of chemicals.

1 stick butter

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

melt butter and stir in cocoa, alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

add small amount additional milk if needed, stir in vanilla.gives about 2 cups, add more sugar to make stiffer icing. This is excellent.

Cornmeal vinegar crust for pies

Jennie Perillo's crust for 2 9 inch pie crusts

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup ( 8 oz) very cold butter cut into 16 pieces

1 large egg

1.1/2 tsp white vinegar

2tbsp ice cold water

METHOD

add flour, sugar and salt in a food processor bowl. pulse 1-2 times to mix well

add the bits of bitter and pulse a few times until it forms a sandy looking mixture.

add the eggs, vinegar and water, pulse until it forms a solid ball of dough about 8-10 one second pulses. dump the ball of dough onto a floured counter, divinde into 2 equal pieced. roll out circle to fit pie plate.

Ricotta Mascarpone Cheesecake

Serves 8-10

2 pounds ricotta cheese

1 pound mascarpone cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

zest from 1 large lemon

1 tsp fiore di sicilia or 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp lemon extract

powdered sugar

preheat oven to 325 degrees

generoulsy butter a 9 inch springform pan, the cover bottom and sides with foil.

place pan into a larger casserole dish and pour enough water to come up to the sides of the springform pan by 1 inch.

USING A MIXER BEAT TOGETHER RICOTTA, MASCARPONE, SUGAR until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and yolks one at a time beating between each addition.

Add lemon zest and extracts and mix until well blended. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake 1 1/2 hours.

Turn over off and let sit another 30 minutes. Remove from ob=ven and let cool at room temperature.

Using a sharp knife to help loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan and place on a plate.

Refrigerate several hours- sprinkle with powdered sugar and trim with berries.

Simple Crochet Gift Bag

Use 5 mm hook

Any kind of yarn and gauge does not matter

chain 17

Row 1- SC in second chain from hook and across- turn

Row 2- Ch 1- SC in second chain from hook and across-turn

Rows 3-4-5- Repeat Row 2- do not turn work at the end of row 5.

Row 6- chain 1,turn work counterclock wise 90 degrees, work 5 SC along the edge, CH 1, turn counterclock wise 90 degrees, work 15 SC. Chain 1 turn work counterclock wise, work 5 SC, Ch1, turn work 90 degrees work 15 SC. Mark 15 st SC with marker, base of bag is made.

From this point on you will be working in a spiral, at the end of each round, do not turn work, do not join with a slip stitch and do not work chains unless directed to do so in the pattern.

Next round

Starting at the marked stitch SC 3 TOG,work 3 SC, SC 3 TOG,work 13 SC, SC 3 TOG, work 3SC, SC 3TOG, SC to marker.

Work SC in marked stitch, place marker in this new stitch and continue in a spiral until work measures 9 cm in length from the base. Remember to move the marker at the end of each round.

Bag Handles

Starting at marked stitch, work 9 SC, CH 8, skip 8SC, SC in 9th SC., work 8SC, CH 8, skip next 8SC, SC in 9th SC, Sc to marker. ( this is where I found a mistake in the pattern, if you work it up this way the handles do not line up for me, so I just eyeballed it!)

Work a further 3 rounds working SC into each chain space made on CH 8.
Fasten off.

fruit flies

Our home is infested with fruit flies and last summer I remember finding a recipe to kill them off heh heh. You will need one small bowl, one cup of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Place in the spot where you last saw the flies, at the end of the day, gone baby gone!

Pandora Bracelets

In an effort to keep my mind off of food and indulge my insatiable creative impulses I have assembled pandora type bracelets with the authentic sterling silver bracelets but with the much more affordable non pandora beads. Shopping around for beautiful beads is half the fun and assembling them is soo much fun. My Etsy store is up BeaderDenEver, but not functional, that where my DIL comes in! Keep posted for pictures of my creations.