Yankee Crafty B*tch

Let's Party with a Baked Brie!

Want to amaze people at a party with an appetizer?

Do you only have 1 hour before the party?

Do you love melted cheese on a toasty piece of bread?

If you have answered YES to all of the questions above, than this recipe below for Baked Brie is the BEST appetizer for you. This is certainly one of the best apps you can bring to a party and a big WOW factor.

Party, Party, Party!! 

Baked Brie

 

What you'll need:

 

16oz round Brie

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons toasted almond slices

1 baguette

6 tablespoons butter- melted

1 sheet puff pastry dough

1 egg

1 bag green grapes

1-bag red/ purple grapes

 

What to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Remove the puff pastry from the box, and set on a lightly floured surface to defrost.  Slice the baguette into 1/8” slices, arrange on a cookie sheet (s) (typically 1 baguette will be about 60-65 slices; usually you need 2 cookies sheets).

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. With a pastry brush, brush each slice with the melted butter. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, rotating and spinning every 5 minutes. Remove the toast rounds from the oven when they are golden brown, set aside. TURN UP the oven to 380°.

Remove the brie from the refrigerator and remove it from its wrapping. With a cheese slicer, gently remove the top coating of rind on the on one side of the Brie.

Place the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar on top, spreading evenly with your fingers. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds on top of the brown sugar, gently pressing the almonds into the sugar, set aside.

By this time the puff pastry should be defrosted. To test this fact: gently and slowly bend back the puff pastry and see if it unfolds easily, if so you are ready to unfold the whole piece and being to work. IF NOT, let the dough defrost. You do not want to break the dough, it’s strength when baking will be compromised, and it could break open, spilling out all the hot Brie!

Once the dough is ready to be worked, lightly sprinkle flour on a work surface. Place the dough in the middle, and with a rolling pin gently press and roll the dough, working from the center. You want to roll the dough to a 1/16 thickness. It will only take 5-10 rolls. 

Once this process is complete, grab the brie and gently lift the puff pastry, center the brie in the middle of the puff sheet, and lay the puff pastry on the brie.

With your hand on top of the brie, flip the whole brie and puff pastry over, so the puff pastry is underneath the brie. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Working from any side, gently fold the edges of the puff pastry over the brie.

 ** For extra flare, cut a small corner of the puff pastry off, and cut into any shape you wish to put on the top of the brie, you can also use a cookie cutter. **

Brush a small amount of the egg wash in between each fold, continuing this process until the whole bottom of the brie is wrapped and sealed with the egg wash.

Flip the brie back over on a wax-lined plate, so the smooth side is on top and the folds are on the bottom. Brush the top and sides of the brie with the egg wash. If you have cut out a shape for the top, brush it with egg wash and place it on the brie.

 

Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (DO NOT SKIP this step).

Remove the Brie from the refrigerator and lift the brie off the plate and place on a lightly oiled, non-stick cookie sheet.  Baked in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes until the puff pastry ‘puffs’ and turns a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Gently lift the brie onto a large serving platter, placing the brie in the center. Arrange the grapes and toast rounds around the brie.  The brie can be served warm, or cold.  This appetizer will be the hit of the party!

Early Spring Vegetarian Lasagna

We recently posted a delicious meat Lasagna for the chilly weekend and now with spring coming our way here is a Veggie version. For those who do not eat meat, or those who want to have meatless meals, this Veggie filled lasagna will be a hit with the whole family. We choose mushrooms and spinach for this lasagna, sautéd with onions and garlic, with a side of warm garlic bread…..should I go on? ENJOY!

YCB Lasagna- Vegetarian

 

1 ½ cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1-tablespoon thyme- minced

1-tablespoon oregano- minced

4 cups sliced baby Portabella mushrooms

1 5oz box of Baby spinach

1 box lasagna pasta

2 15oz part skim, or whole milk ricotta cheese

½ cup minced parsley

2 large eggs

3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

 

In a large sauté pan over medium heat place 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown. Add the thyme and oregano cook for 1 minutes stirring. Add the sliced portabella mushrooms.

Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Add the box of baby spinach, turn off the heat, and stir and fold the mushrooms into the spinach. The spinach will wilt and cook from the heat of the mushrooms, remove from heat and set aside.

 

While the mushrooms are cooking, fill a large pot ¾ full of water. Add a 1-tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the entire box of lasagna pasta, cook for 10 minutes. At 8 minutes of cooking, check the pasta to see if it is done: just remove one piece of pasta from the pot, cut off a little piece and taste it. You will want the pasta al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, rub a cookie sheet with a light layer of olive oil. When the pasta is done, remove the pasta and place on the cookie sheet.

Grab a large bowl and add the 2 containers of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs and the ½ cup minced parsley. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Add 1 teaspoon of salt stir well.

Preheat the oven to 350. On a clear counter, gather your 13x9-baking pan, the cooked pasta, tomato sauce, mushroom/spinach mix and ricotta mixture. Remove the leaves of basil from their stems. Now that you have all the parts: Lets Assemble!

 

Here is a step-by-step process:

 

1. Pour a light layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. 
2. Place 3 pieces of pasta next to each other on top of the pasta sauce.
3. Dollop 2-3 large spoon full of the ricotta mixture over the pasta.
4. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
5. Evenly spread 2 large spoon falls of the mushroom- spinach mix on top of the ricotta.
6. Place 10 or so basil leafs on top of the mushroom- spinach mix.
7. Evenly spread 1 cup of the mozzarella over the basil leafs.
8. Evenly spread ½ cup of Parmesan.
9. Place 3 pieces of pasta over the Parmesan.

10. REPEAT steps 1 through 9. (check out the Pictures for the step-by-step process)

 

 

 

Once you have made 2 layers of the steps 1-9 listed above, and you have 3 pieces of pasta on the top of the lasagna, the final step is: Spread 2-3 large spoon full of pasta sauce on the top, covering all the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cook in the oven for 35 minutes. Cover the top with aluminum foil and cook for additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes (letting the lasagna cool will make it so much easier to cut and serve, all the juices and cheese will settle).  Serve with some warm garlic bread and a green salad.

Buon Appetito!

 

Roar! It's Spring....well sort of...

We all know the English proverb: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. As of today, the first day of spring, March 20^th, the proverb should be this: March comes in like a lion, went and found a lioness, and had a bunch of cubs, and they are roaring and roaming around New England (and it seems the rest of the country). 

We got about 14 inches on Tuesday in southern New Hampshire, and similar amounts across the rest of New England. So, winter feels like it is NOT over.   

But we, the strong willed, weather-tested, New Englanders, have weathered the storm and welcome spring with open arms today and as you bundle up to head outside (boots, down jacket, gloves, hat, scarf) into this brisk ‘First Day of Spring”, keep the thoughts of a warm, green, lush spring that will soon be here.

To get into the ‘springy’ feeling we suggest the following:

Start planning your veggie garden (tomatoes, salad green, herbs, etc., etc.,)

Go online and look at fun summer clothes and sandals

Look at flowers that you want to plant for the 2013 season

Enjoy and embrace the longer daylight hours

Get an Iced coffee instead of hot

Check out a 10 day weather forecast (warmer temps are coming!)

Happy First Day of Spring!

Late Winter Lasagne

With the snow melting along the highways and the hills we can feel spring coming in New England, but we still get those chilly nights when a warm filling meal is needed. Our lasagna will not only fill you up with warmth for a cold night, but it will also be the best leftover lunch the next day.  

The YCB Lasagna (with Meat)

1 ½ cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1-tablespoon thyme- minced

1-tablespoon oregano- minced

1-pound sweet Italian sausage

1 pound lean ground beef

1 box lasagna pasta

2 15oz part skim, or whole milk ricotta cheese

½ cup minced parsley

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

2 16oz pasta sauces

1 large bunch of Fresh Basil 

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

13x9 baking pan

 

What to do:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat place 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown. Add the thyme and oregano cook for 1 minutes stirring.

Add the meats, breaking them up and stirring until the onions mixture is well combined with the meats. Cook for 20 minutes, until meat is browned, stirring occasionally. Once the meat is done, remove from heat and set aside.

While the meat is cooking, fill a large pot ¾ full of water. Add a 1-tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the entire box of lasagna pasta, cook for 10 minutes. At 8 minutes of cooking, check the pasta to see if it is done: just remove one piece of pasta from the pot, cut off a little piece and taste it. You will want the pasta al dente.

 While the pasta is cooking, rub it with a light layer of olive oil. When the pasta is done, remove the pasta and place on the cookie sheet.

Grab a large bowl and add the 2 containers of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs and the ½ cup minced parsley. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Add 1 teaspoon of salt stir well.

Preheat the oven to 350. Grab your 13x9-baking pan and the cooked pasta, tomato sauce, meat, and ricotta mixture. Remove the leaves of basil from their stems.

 Lets assemble! Here is a step-by-step process:

1. Pour a light layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. 
2. Place 3 pieces of pasta next to each other on top of the pasta sauce.
3. Dollop 2-3 large spoon full of the ricotta mixture over the pasta.
4. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
5. Evenly spread 2-3 large spoon full of the meat on top of the ricotta.
6. Place 10 or so basil leafs on top of the meat.
7. Evenly spread 1 cup of the mozzarella over the basil leafs.
8. Evenly spread ½ cup of Parmesan.
9. Place 3 pieces of pasta over the Parmesan.
10. REPEAT steps 1 through 9.

Check out the Photos for the Steps 1- 9.

Once you have made 2 layers of the steps 1-9 listed above, and you have 3 pieces of pasta on the top of the Lasagna, the final step is: Spread 2-3 large spoon full of pasta sauce on the top, covering all the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cook in the oven for 35 minutes. Cover the top with aluminum foil and cook for additional 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes (letting the lasagna cool will make it so much easier to cut and serve, all the juices and cheese will settle).  Serve with some warm garlic bread and a green salad.

Buon Appetito!

Hungarian Goulash

We really believe that people who love to eat, love to love.  Sharing a meal with your loved ones, is for us, one of life's greatest joys.  For Valentines Day this year, we made a beautiful hungarian goulash from Cook's Illustrated.  They have a unique method of blending the sweet paprika with a jar of roasted red peppers, which creates the smoothest stew imaginable.  And while we don't feel as though we can share the recipe, we guarantee if you search for it via the www, you will be sure to find a copy of it.  One variation we used, even though Cook's Illustrated it strictly against it, was we substituted about 1/3 of the sweet paprika for smoked and thought it was superb.  We also served ours over rice, instead of the standard potatoes or egg noodles.  Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day.  To Love!

You Make my Heart Beet Salad

Beets make our hearts beat! The sweet, tender beet is such a wonderful topping for a salad. By cutting the beets with a heart shaped cookie cutter, it brought this salad to another level of Valentine sweetness. We also roasted brussels sprouts with pecans to give the salad a warm nutty flavor, and along the tang of fresh goat cheese, this salad is sure to be a favorite.  And try the mustard vinaigrette again on another salad- we were very proud on how wonderful this dressing came out.  Enjoy!

 

What you'll need:

 

 5 Large Beets

3 cups Brussels sprouts

½ cup whole half pecans

Mixed Greens of frisee and red lead lettuce

1 log of goat cheese

Olive oil

Salt

 

Home Made Mustard Vinaigrette

 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 of a lemon

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Cut off the greens of the beets and peel the outer skin. 

Slice the beets in ¼ inch think rounds.  Place the beets in a bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, toss. Place the sliced beets on the foil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until a fork slides easily though the beet.  Remove from the oven and let cool. 

While the beets are cooking, slice the butt end of each brussels sprout and toss into a bowl. Keep all the excess leafs that peel off during this process, toss in the bowl.

Slice the half pecans in half-length wise.

Toss into bowl with brussels sprouts. Drizzle lightly with oil and salt. Pour the brussels sprout pecans mixture onto a cookie sheet. Once you pull the beets, put the brussels sprouts into the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until a fork slides easily through. Remove from oven and set aside.

 

In a mason jar add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette:

Olive oil

Vinegar

Mustard

Shallots

Salt

Lemon

 

Shake well, until all the ingredients are well combined.

Once the beets are cool to the touch, gently remove from the foil and place on a cutting board. With your heart shaped cookie cutter in the center of a slice beet, press down gently, and voila! A heart shaped beet.

Repeat this process with the remaining beets, removing the excess beet from around the cookie cutter, as you cut out the hearts (we couldn’t help but to snack on the tid-bits!).

In a large bowl, place the salad greens. Edge the greens with the brussels pecan mixture around the bowl circumference.

Remove the goat cheese from the refrigerator and with a sharp knife, slice ½ inch thick rounds, gently placing in the center of the salad greens. Lay the beet hearts on top of the goat cheese rounds. The white of the goat cheese highlights the shape of beets.

Dress if you are going to serve immediately, or let each guess dress their salad individually.

May your loved ones heart beet when they eat this salad!

You Felt My Heart Banner

As Yankees, we love making crafts that you can use year after year. Using fabric and felt as mediums, lets us make this Heart Banner that can be pulled out and hung for years to come. Also, if you love cutting out hearts, this project is right up your alley….Happy Heart Day!

 

What you'll need:

 

5 Different sheets of Reds, Pinks, White Felt

3 Different Fat Quarters of Patterned Fabric

Butcher's Twine

Red Thread

Scissors

 

What to do:

 

Cut, Cut, Cut!

Start by cutting out various sizes of hearts from the felt. The easiest way to do this is to fold the felt in half, quarters, or thirds (or to any size you wish the heart to be), and by holding the folded half in your left hand (or right if you left handed), cut a half a heart out. Unfold the half- and you will have a whole heart.  Continuing folding the felt and cutting out hearts until it is impossible to cut anymore. You should be left with large to very small hearts- all different styles. 

 

Pick out 10-15 hearts, all different styles and sizes- these will be the hearts that you will sew on the pattern fabric.  Start by folding a heart in half. Fold on edge of the fabric and place the folded heart on top. Line up the folds and pin the folded heart to the fabric.  Cut the fabric around the felt heart. Keeping the felt pinned to the fabric, cut a ¼” off the fabric, following the shape of the heart. Unpin and unfold the two hearts, and line the fabric heart in the center of the felt heart, repining the two together.

 

 

With the red thread in the sewing machine, sew ¼” inch in from the edge of the fabric around the circumference of the heart. Repeat this with the 10-15 hearts that you picked out.

 

 

Gather all the hearts, felt and fabric/felt, and a large needle and 6-8 feet of butches twine. Thread the needle with the butchers twine, and with a heart in your hand, poke the needle through one edge of the heart, then in and out through the middle of the heart, then through the other edge of the heart. Repeat this process with all the hearts, mixing the sizes and fabric hearts.

 

 

 

Find a great place in the house to showcase the banner, and with a couple pushpins hang the hearts. Happy Crafty Valentines Day!

 

 

Little Bits Of Love Banner

Here at YCB, we love, love, love Japanese masking tape.  What is there not to love about a utilitarian product like tape that is all dressed up to party?!?  We particularly love making little flags, because we find them irresistible all strung up over a sunny window.  For Valentine's Day, instead of cutting notches to create flags, we decided to cut little hearts in the tape, making little bits of love to string around our home.  Happy Valentines!

What you'll need:

Baker's twine

Japanese masking tape

Scissors

 

What to do:

Cut baker's twine to desired length.  Cut bits of masking tape approximately 2 inches in length and fold around twine, sticking it back to itself.  Repeat as many times as desired. 

Trim any unevenness off bottom of tape and then use scissors to cut heart shape out of the middle. 

Hang where you can enjoy!

Snail Mail is the Best Mail

Receiving a letter in the mail is such a wonderful feeling. These days, most of our communication comes to us by text and emails.  But the feeling of sliding your finger underneath the edge of a sealed envelope beats opening an email any day. Making a homemade envelope is as simple as folding a piece of paper 4 times, and it shows to your loved one how much you care about them.

 

What you'll need for one envelope:

 

2 pieces Large Square Card stock

Large print pattern Stamp

Black stamping ink (permanent, quick drying)

Scissors

Glue Stick

 

Stamp one side of one entire piece of card stock, set aside to dry.

Once the stamped large piece of paper is dry, place it in front of you, stamped side down, so it looks like a diamond.  Place the card that you will send in the envelope in the center of the piece of paper.

Fold the left and right corners into the center, one corner on top of the other, so the folds are in line with the card inside.

Fold the bottom corner up, so it’s fold lines with the bottom of the card.  Repeat the process with the top corner. Once you have made all the folds, gently fold the top corner up and remove the card.

Glue the left and right folds on top of each other (doesn’t matter the order) then glue the bottom fold on top of the right and left folds.

While those folds glue together, take the scissors and cut off the excess corners of paper on either side of the top fold. Cutting off the excess paper, helps the envelope fold smoother.

Insert the card you want to send, and place glue along the edges and press firmly.

With the other piece of card stock, cut out a small piece of paper that will fit on the front of the envelope. Write the address of your valentine of the piece of paper and glue the back and press firmly on the front of the envelope.

Place a stamp on the envelope and the valentine is ready to go!

This home made envelope can be used for any occasion.

 

Happy Valentine's Day

There's nothing like a homemade card to make someone feel special, so this weekend in the YCB crafting studio we crafted up some Valentines for our loved ones.  All it took was some stock card, decorative paper, old magazines, japenese masking tape, scissors and glue.  Oh, and be prepared to get a little punny!