Boiled Peanuts

I didn't grow up eating boiled peanuts. The first I heard of them were from my friends that grew up in Hawaii. Boiled peanuts are a favorite snack there. My son-in-law and daughter-in-law's families are from the southern United States--and they like boiled peanuts. Boiled peanuts are so popular in The South, they're sold at roadside stands. I recently went to the Farmer's Market in Clovis and found some fresh, green (raw) peanuts, and thought I'd give boiled peanuts a try.

I bought three pounds of green (raw) peanuts and split the batch into two--one I made from the recipe Marc Matsumoto has on his blog No Recipes--that one is made with five spice powder and star anise. I also thought chile and lime sounded good. I think they were both equally good!

When looking for peanuts to boil, don't be confused by the terms. 'Raw' peanuts can also mean dry roasted peanuts. You want 'green' peanuts--they're not green, but 'green' in the sense of fresh, uncooked. The peanuts I found at the Farmer's Market were obviously fresh-picked, they were moist and smelled like rich, fresh dirt. They were about $1.50 per pound.

Boiled Peanuts

recipe adapted from Marc Matsumoto

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green peanuts

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Ono salt

1 teaspoon five spice powder

2 whole star anise
1/2 cup mirin

1 clove garlic, mashed

few slices jalapeño pepper

6 cups water

Thoroughly rinse any dirt off peanuts.

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let the peanuts sit in the brine overnight.

The next day, drain the peanuts and serve. Refrigerate any uneaten portion.

This is the Ono Salt I used. I bought it in the Hawaiian section of Marukai--several years ago. "Fresh ginger, garlic, pepper and salt are blended together to create a flavor for tastier foods."--that's what it says on the package. I keep it in the freezer.

From what I've read online, it may take longer to cook the peanuts so they're soft, depending upon how dry the green peanuts are. Some bloggers say to soak the peanuts overnight in water before cooking, some say it takes 6 hours to cook--the peanuts I bought were really fresh, so it took only 45 minutes to cook--I had to add 15 more minutes to my cooking time to get them soft, after 30 minutes they were a bit al dente.

Here's the recipe for the chile-lime boiled peanuts. Follow the same cooking directions above. They were good too.

Chile Lime Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green peanuts

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 jalapeño pepper

2 fresh limes, juiced and rinds added to pot

6 cups water

I can't wait to have my friends try boiled peanuts!

Itadakimasu!

***

We recently visited my daughter and her family.

My granddaughter Rachel is growing up fast!

She's watching some kids play in the courtyard where she lives.

She kept looking in, watching the kids play. I wondered what she looked like from the other side of the fence.

This little one always brings a smile to my face.

It's a lot of fun following her around trying to get a photo--she moves fast!

This little one has a hearty appetite!

Is it ever too early to learn to sew?

***

Boiled Peanuts

recipe adapted from Marc Matsumoto

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green peanuts

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Ono salt

1 teaspoon five spice powder

2 whole star anise

1/2 cup mirin

1 clove garlic, mashed

few slices jalapeño pepper

6 cups water

Thoroughly rinse dirt off peanuts.

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let the peanuts sit in the brine overnight.

The next day, drain the peanuts and serve. Refrigerate any uneaten portion.

Chile Lime Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green peanuts

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 jalapeño pepper

2 fresh limes, juiced and rinds added to pot

6 cups water

Follow directions above.

Sour Cream Apple Muffins

When I asked my friend Sue what I could make for the baby shower she was having to welcome her coming grandson, she said coffee cake muffins.

I'm not much of a baker, but thought I'd trust Ina Garten. I love watching her show The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.

Ina doesn't disappoint with her recipes--the muffins were delicious.

I think the glaze is optional. My husband doesn't think the glaze is needed--they're good without it--he prefers less sugar. I glazed these for the baby shower so they would look pretty.

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

adapted from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup shopped pecans, optional

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons real maple syrup or strong coffee

Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until light, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the diced apple until just combined.

Mix the ingredients for the streusel, then fill the cupcakes 1/3 full with batter.

 Sprinkle with a generous teaspoonful of streusel, then another small scoop of the batter until the cups are filled 3/4 full.

Then sprinkle again with streusel.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Drizzle with icing if desired.

Itadakimasu!

***

This is my friend Sue and her family.

Payton's growing up. She's going to have a baby brother soon!

Margie and Natalie are getting ready for shower guests.

Sue out-did herself with all the little details!

This is the color scheme Jen chose for the baby's room, and also for the shower.

This family loves daschunds--they've got four among them.

Look at these cute charms made for the parfait glasses--so cute!

The cookie pops had little 'thank you' charms on them too!

Have you tried a Johan Pie?

They are delicious!

Natalie is in coral and Sadie is in black.

Sadie is part daschund--so that bumps the family count to five!

Thank you, Sue, for the fun baby shower. We are all excited for the arrival of your second grandchild this fall!

***

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

adapted from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup shopped pecans, optional

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons real maple syrup or strong coffee

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Set cup cake wrappers into tin for 24 cupcakes.

Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until light, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the diced apple until just combined.

Mix the ingredients for the streusel, then fill the cupcakes 1/3 full with batter.

Sprinkle with a generous teaspoonful of streusel, then another small scoop of the batter until the cups are filled 3/4 full. Then sprinkle again with streusel.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Energy Bars

While at the grocery store the other day, I noticed they had some chocolate marshmallows I hadn't seen before. Have you tried them? My husband is a chocolate lover, so I decided to try them in energy bars since I was due to make a batch.

Since the energy bars have peanut butter in them, I thought a mini Reese's peanut butter cup might taste good in there too. Turns out I was right!

Chocolate Energy Bars

Ingredients:

5 cups Rice Krispies

2 cups quick Quaker Oats

1 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1 cup roasted pepitas

1 package mini peanut butter cups, wrappers removed

 mixture:

2 (10 oz.) bags chocolate marshmallows

1 cup peanut butter 

1/2 cup butter

Melt the butter and marshmallows over medium-low heat.

Add 1 cup peanut butter, stirring frequently and being careful the mixture doesn't burn.

In the meantime, unwrap the peanut butter cup miniatures and, in a large bowl, mix together the quick oats, sunflower seeds and pepitas.

When the marshmallow mixture is evenly melted and combined, add it to the oats & nuts.

Stir to combine.

Place half of the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and press mixture into dish.

Arrange the peanut butter cups in the pan.

Cover with the remaining mixture. The mixture is warm so the peanut butter cups will melt a little (or a lot depending upon how warm the mixture is when you put it into the baking dish), press the mixture into the dish.

When mixture cools, cut into squares or bars.

Itadakimasu!


***


Do you remember my dad and his dog Daisy?

I wrote about them after the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce with Leeks recipe.

And also after the Peppers Stuffed with Barley & Quinoa recipe.

 

Early Sunday afternoon my dad called and invited us to dinner to have Chinese food at Sam Woo's. We were having an early dinner at 5 so he and Mom could be home in plenty of time to watch their favorite TV show. They've become hooked on Korean dramas.

I didn't think anything of the invitation, but my husband asked several times, "What's the occasion?" It was my brother Gordon's birthday, but he just visited last weekend, so I knew that wasn't the reason. I really didn't think much of the invitation, I just planned on going--but now that I think about it, it was a little out of the ordinary because we all got together just last Sunday.

 

When my husband and I got to the restaurant, my mom and dad were there sitting way in the back--we made our way back there and sat down--we were the only ones there, everyone else came 10 or 15 minutes later.

 As we sat down, my dad pulled out a framed picture from a bag--it was a picture of Daisy, much like this one, taken when she was young and a favorite of mine, and he said,

"Daisy died today. I invited everyone to dinner to honor her and give her a good send-off."

My heart instantly broke.

My parents adored Daisy.

Daisy's whole life flashed through my mind in the moments I sat grief-stricken.

When my husband was building homes in the high-desert, someone had the cutest puppy out in their front yard, in a kennel, giving her away to a good  home. He called to see if he should bring the puppy home for my dad...My dad walked her everyday, twice a day--having such a hard time leash-training Daisy, but day after day, he'd take her...The first time they walked nicely together, with Daisy in co-operation, my dad sat down and cried tears of joy...Every time my dad would come home from work, Daisy would wait for him at the gate, tail wagging furiously and barking her special bark for my dad--and how tickled he would be that she was so happy to see him...How Daisy would wake my dad up when he would fall asleep in his recliner, in her way saying, 'Get up and go to bed.'

Daisy loved going with my dad to The Barn where he grew vegetables, and she traveled with my parents in their motor home.

Sometime last week, Daisy wouldn't get into the pick-up to go to The Barn and she stopped eating. My dad went to the store and bought steak for her and tried hand feeding it to her. She would lay in the backyard on her side, lifting her head to see Dad and wag her tail, but didn't move much. Soon, the life left her body, and my dad took care of her one last time.

As other family members came to the restaurant, Dad asked if he should tell everyone now or wait until after dinner--and since I was a mess and no longer felt like eating, I said, "After."

After dinner, everyone was shocked, just like I was. There were tears, and Dad recounted the week to the family. Some offered stories of Daisy, which brought comfort. Dad gave Daisy a nice send off with the family there in support.

Dad says he doesn't want another dog--he maybe wants to do some traveling. He worried about Daisy when he was away--that she might be lonely.

I worry Dad and Mom will be lonely without Daisy.

When I went to see them yesterday, Dad simply said, "I miss my dog."

Mom said she expected to see Daisy in her spot, laying on top of the dirt under the avocado tree where it's cool.

I'm thankful to Daisy for taking care of my parents by being such good company and showing me a side of my dad that's seldom seen.


***

Chocolate Energy Bars

Ingredients:

5 cups Rice Krispies

2 cups quick Quaker Oats

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pepitas

1 package mini peanut butter cups, wrappers removed

 mixture:

2 (10 oz.) bags chocolate marshmallows

1 cup peanut butter 

1/2 cup butter

Melt the butter, marshmallows and peanut butter in a large pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is evenly combined.

In the meantime, unwrap the peanut butter cup miniatures and, in a large bowl, mix together the quick oats, sunflower seeds and pepitas.

When the marshmallow mixture is evenly melted and combined, add it to the oats & nuts. Stir to combine.

Place half of the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and press firmly but gently. Arrange the peanut butter cups in the pan and cover with the remaining mixture. The mixture is warm so the peanut butter cups will melt a little (or a lot depending upon how warm the mixture is when you put it into the baking dish), press the mixture into the dish.

When mixture cools, cut into squares or bars.