A Birthday Bash in the Breakroom

How are birthdays celebrated at your workplace? At the school where I work we draw names at the beginning of the school year and then bring treats for the birthday person on or around their special day. We bring a nice selection of treats, clear off a corner on the big table in the break room and everyone digs in.  Its a great system, but there's a bit of a "feast or famine" element as there are sometimes weeks between celebrations or as is the case in October, great feasting, as quite a few birthdays are packed one after another in just a few weeks. This was a banner week as I both celebrated my birthday with yummy goodies brought by a dynamic language arts teacher and got to bring treats for one of our outstanding math teachers. Here are some of the things I brought:
 

 Cereal Mix

12.5 ounce box Rice Chex (sometimes I use Crispex)
12 ounce can salted peanuts,
 2 ounce package dried cranberries (about a cup or more if you like)
16 ounce package Almond Bark candy coating (might not need all of it)

Pour Rice Chex, peanuts and cranberries into a very large bowl or pan. Melt candy coating according to directions. Pour over mixture and stir until coated. Serve when coating has hardened.

Maple Sugar Fruit Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3-1 cup brown sugar
2-3 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together. Give it a few minutes for the sugar to dissolve. Serve at room temperature with apples and pears.



The birthday girl likes chocolate and is partial to Almond Joy candy bars. This is a great recipe that includes both chocolate and coconut as well as a cream cheese topping.

 German Chocolate Coffee Cake

Mix well with an electric mixer:
1 box Swiss or German Chocolate cake mix (I use any chocolate cake mix)
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Spread above into a greased 9X13 pan.

Combine the following and spread over the top of the chocolate mixture:
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Serves about 20. Very rich!
Source: Among Friends with Heart and Soul

Roasted Pepper Dip 

You'll find this recipe on an earlier post.  Serve with crackers.

Apples Announce Autumn's Arrival

Perhaps there is no perfect food, but consider the apple. Round and smooth, crisp and juicy, sweet and tart...and it's nutritious!  That's very close to perfection. There are thousands of varieties to choose from and most taste great. A crunchy fresh apple is delicious but so is one that is cooked in a crisp, cake or bread. Cinnamon is apple's comforting companion and together they announce that autumn has arrived!

The scent of apple bread baking is almost worth the effort of making it, but when you taste it, there will be no regrets! Sourdough Oatmeal Apple Bread is loaded with apples and oatmeal gives it a delightful chewy texture. If you're into sourdough, this is a recipe you will want to try. If you don't have sourdough, keep looking because I am also including a recipe for apple crisp.

Sourdough Oatmeal-Apple Loaf

 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup sourdough starter
2/3 cup oatmeal
2 cups shredded apple, with peel
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda


Cream together sugar, oil and eggs. Add sourdough starter along with the dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in apple.  Pour in a well-greased loaf pan and in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until done.  I have used my small mini-pans and baked for about 30 minutes. 

Source: Rita Davenport's Sourdough Cookery, some changes made

Apple Crisp reminds me of my mother as it something she often made. The soft spicy apples contrasting with the crispy buttery topping make it one of the ultimate comfort foods. In my book, its as good as pie and much less work.

Apple Crisp

First of all, let me admit that I don't usually measure these first ingredients. There's some flexibility to this part of the recipe.

5-6 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3/4-1 cup sugar
2-3 tablespoons corn starch 
 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon


Mix together in an 8X8 pan. 

Next make the crisp topping, which I do measure, mix together in a separate bowl:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter


I usually use a fork to stir, just until it kind of holds together. It should be crumbly. Sprinkle on top of apple mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Crisp is done when top is browned and apples are soft when tested with a fork. Best served warm and on the day it was made. 

Warm and Wonderful