"I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late" - The White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland"

August 2023 was a weird one grieving projects, the anniversary of my Grandmother and Father's deaths, it was summer and I hate summer and then it ended with me having my first bout of COVID-19. Which then spread to one of my roommates all on the weekend of our third roommates 40th birthday party. This meant she had to cancel because she cares about people and had been exposed (although praise God she didn't get sick).  I mean, I really could have lit that month on fire and sent its behind down the river because of how poorly it ended. I still don't understand what was going on with that month, but it's over now and I hope not to repeat it at any point...ever.

Because Miss Rona ruined our roommate's event, I concocted a plan to celebrate her birthday, albeit belatedly at the next weekend she had available. Due to her schedule that meant October. 

I told her to invite four of her closest friends and I would throw her a tea party at our apartment. I shared several photos from that event and a bunch of folks said they'd love to have the recipes, so here they are with my anecdotal notes and the usual storytelling.

My roommates favorite color is purple, so you'll see a lot of that throughout the pictures. 

One thing I want you to imagine as you read through this is, my roommates (including the birthday girl) decorating during my second night of cooking and assembling. The later it got the more punch drunk we got and laughing for no reason is our go to. It is a miracle everything went as great as it did. 

First up were the scones. I made them first, two days before the event in case they didn't come out and I had to buy some instead. When they came out of the oven, I was extremely proud of them. If you don't like them, keep it to yourself. LOL!! 

Yes, these are mine! No, this photo does not do them justice! 

Here's the recipe for Soft Scones 

Adjustments to my version: 

Girl, the way I HATE buying that quart of buttermilk that ALWAYS goes to waste because I bake with it once or twice a year. So, instead I make it with a cup of milk (usually non-dairy but it doesn't have to be) and a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Then I let that mixture sit for 5-10 minutes while I fix my other ingredients. You can adjust the ratios based on how much buttermilk you need in your other recipes that call for it. This little hack I found on these interwebs has not failed me yet. 

I also did not put any crunchy sugar on top because why? They are literally called soft scones, but then I'm going to ruin it by making them crunchy with sugar no one asked for on top?  Y'all know what I'm saying? Senseless. 

Next up is Mock Clotted Cream. Why mock clotted cream you may ask? Listen, go google a real clotted cream recipe and see how long it takes. I do not have eight to twelve hours to sit over a stove or crock pot scraping skim off the top of milk and what have you, girl I have job, friends, I'm on a board of directors. Ain't nobody got time for that. Also, this recipe tastes very good! 

The picture on the left has: Masker Orchards Pumpkin Butter (bought at the apple orchard I go to every fall), Lemon Curd (store-bought), Apple Butter (homemade) & Mock Clotted Cream (homemade). 

Mock Clotted Cream Recipe

The first time I made this "clotted cream" was many moons ago, but I remembered the mascarpone cheese. Ooooo girl! It's good. 

Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe 

    Yes, I picked the apples with my own two hands from trees in an orchard. You don't have to be that extra but I am. That was my Ina Garten moment. 

   And just let me be frank with you, this recipe is here for your sake. Because I do not agree with the lack of spices in her recipe. I put all of the fall spices in mine; nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves. And yes, I know essentially that allspice is called that because it has all of the spices but folks out here seem to be afraid of adding flavor to their food and you all really need to be released from that oppression. Get free and add some flavor to y'alls food. 

I have also switched up my sugar to include coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, but I did use demerara with the coconut sugar this year. 

And since I am my Grandmother Florence's Granddaughter and my Aunt Ethel's niece, I have no measurements for my version, I just eyeball it. So here's a recipe for you to follow if that's what you need to feel safe but I beg you to add more spices than what this woman is doing. Please for the love of all that is good and yummy! 

My favorite sandwich to have at a proper tea is a cucumber sandwich. Now, the sandwiches are where things went a bit off the rails because I definitely did not choose the right bread. Choosing sourdough was a poor life decision because if you're doing it right, you are cutting your sandwiches into traditional tea sandwich shapes and sourdough is just not about that life so cutting them was a struggle. I've learned my lesson for next time. Thanks be to God mine held together and no one knew of my trials and tribulations. They looked cute, which is really all that matters in the end. 

For the cucumber sandwich filling I used three ingredients:

1. Seedless Cucumbers thinly sliced

2. 3oz Herbed goat cheese

3. 4oz Cream cheese 

I mixed the goat cheese and cream cheese together adding more spices and then spread it on the bread. Then I placed the thinly sliced cucumbers on top to make a sandwich. These I then took off the crust and cut into stick shapes. 

And what is a tea party without chicken salad sandwiches?  See now, I'm not really for regular chicken salad (unless my family in NC makes it). I love to have pecans (or almonds), craisins (or grapes), curry and celery in mine. Also, I do not love mayo so I use plain yogurt in it. For this tea party that was my version of Coronation Chicken Salad because my roommate also does not love mayo. But like I said, for mine there are no measurements, I eye-balled it. If you desperately need a recipe, then go on Chatgbt.

Who wants to come to a party with no dessert? Maybe you know somebody, but I'm not friends with them and neither are my roommates so we had dessert. 

And since the Birthday girl loves chocolate I made an easy and quick chocolate mousse. Another recipe I have made before and was a hit. Again, many many moons ago. 

Easy Chocolate Mousse

This recipe has two ingredients y'all! If you mess this up, you need to just quick cooking because I really don't know what to tell you. Order out, hire help, something. It's only two ingredients. 

A staple that was taught to me over fifteen years ago are chocolate chip cream cheese cookies. One of my friends was kind enough to share it with me all those years ago and we baked my first batch together. I find them to be more addictive then regular chocolate chip cookies. I believe these are a family recipe of hers so I always title them with her name, except that she doesn't know y'all and I'm not giving her full name on these interwebs. 

Laura L's Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup Shortening

1 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 eggs

2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1-12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

Mix together shortening, sugar, vanila cream cheese and eggs.  Then add Flour and salt and mix.  Then add chocolate chips.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Since we had some gluten free folks I went to one of my favorite bakeries in the city called By The Way Bakery. They are gluten free and dairy free which comes in handy because I have friends with dietary restrictions and had two of my birthday cakes from here so those friends could partake. 

For this event I wanted a decent bread and I was just not going to do Udi's. I know some of y'all like it but this is a special occasion and I just wasn't doing it. 

I also purchased their scones and desserts from By The Way because we are not a GF household and cross contamination when baking scares me. I'm not having folks come to my house to get sick. It's also just about community care. A phrase one of my friends came up with that I wish we focused on more in this country, but alas that conversation is for my other blogs. 

And since it is a tea party and this roommate and I LOVE Anne of Green Gables, I had to make raspberry cordial. You cannot have a tea party without at least one reference if you love Anne. We watched Anne with an E together and loved it. We also love the ones with Megan Follow
s, but there is room in our hearts for both. And I'm going to tell some of y'all right now, I will not tolerate any slander for either of these iterations anywhere near me. Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial

The last recipe I'll share I actually promised folks in 2022. It's for the apple butter spice cake I made a week later for my roommate to take to her Mother in Connecticut. I had also made it in the fall of 2022 for the first time to share with my film co-creators. Both times I made it with the homemade apple butter.

November 2022 Dear Brutus Pre-Production Meeting

Apple Butter Spice Cake

You might be wondering, wasn't this a birthday party? Where is the birthday cake? Do you think, I made everything I just told you about, purchased all the decorations, ran all the errands needed to make this day happen and still baked a birthday cake? Like I said, I have a full life with boards, podcasts, etc. Your girl just entered her 40s and is getting smarter about knowing her limits. Old me would've also tried to do this. New me is like girl, let people help you and stop doing too much. So, I purchased cupcakes from By The Way Bakery which also meant our gluten free folks could enjoy them without worrying. 

In conclusion, there are a few takeaways I hope everyone who chooses to read this leaves with besides just the recipes. Firstly, you don't need to do everything to make a great event. Know your limits so you're not in the kitchen still cooking or cleaning up when people arrive. It's the worst when you can't actually relax and be with the people you invited to your home to be with.  Secondly, to avoid said scenario, LET PEOPLE HELP YOU! If you need to order a few things, DO IT! No one is going to judge you and if they do, I would seriously rethink that friendship. And finally, if things don't go perfectly, it's okay. Life is messy and crap happens. You're not a failure, you're just human and so is everyone you're with. 

Well, that's it from me. Doing this event was super fun and I had been struggling with cooking and baking for a while because it brought up a lot of grief from me losing my Mom and Grandmother who taught me how to cook and bake. So to those of you struggling with grief, just know that it takes the time it takes. It's not a linear process it is cyclical, so make sure you are with folks who can support you through all the moments. 

More photos from the event for your enjoyment! 

Not Everyone can be Ned the Pie-Maker 

Tuesday, November 24 - Yes, I loved the show Pushing Daisies, but I'm not a big pie baker. I am a cake baker more than anything. Most people are the best at one baked good and then make everything else okay, but are most successful at one thing they bake. For some people it's cookies, others it's pies, for me it's cakes. But my roommate and I decided we'd make mini pies for this Thanksgiving since there will only be three of us eating at our apartment. Anything more than that is overkill and will have us with way too many leftovers. I mean, our turkey is already eight pounds which means I need to figure out some good recipes that aren't just sandwiches for the leftovers. 

For the pies, my roommate made the pie crust and I made the pecan pie filling, she made the pumpkin pie filling. 

I decided on a vegan pecan pie filling. The ingredients looked delicious and I'm really excited about it. I made half of the recipe so that I wouldn't be wasting any of it due to the fact that we were only making four mini pecan pies. 

If you're interested in trying it, here's the recipe I made - https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/the-best-vegan-pecan-pie/

If you want to do it halfsies, here are the measurements:

1 tbsp vegan butter

1/4 c coconut sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 c pecans

6 tbsp coconut milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

A major flaw you'll find in the recipe I linked to is that the recipe doesn't explain to you when you what to do with the cornstarch. You are to whisk the cornstarch into the milk before hand so that it will act as a thickener and won't be lumpy in your pie filling. 

Megan, my roommate made the gluten-free pie crust and pumpkin pie filling. If you're interested in the crust, here's the baker she got the recipe from: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com

Now, the truth is the first batch were in the oven a little too long so we had to do a take two on Wednesday. The recipe included the pumpkin pie filling and it is A LOT OF FILLING so it takes longer than we needed. And although they weren't in as long the pecan pies were burned. But even with halfing the pecan pie filling, I had enough to make four more mini-pies. 

I also jushed up some apple cider for us to drink on Thanksgiving Day on Monday night to go with our pies. 

Lemon Meringue is a Memory

When Pamela and I were recording the Thanksgiving episode of our podcast I asked her what some of her favorite dishes were with her family. She said that lemon meringue pie was her favorite pie even though it isn't technically seasonal and how she'd learned how to make it over the years so that when she can't go home for Thanksgiving, she can still make her favorite pie on that day. She's gotten the hang of it so much that now she experiments with it. 

It reminded me how my late paternal Grandmother would always make a special lemon meringue pie for me to take home after Thanksgiving dinner in North Carolina. She'd watch me take so many slices she recognized I really liked it and would make my own. The last one she made me, I had a feeling it might be her last and I couldn't eat it. I could feel that something was on the horizon and couldn't bring myself to eat the pie. That next spring, she passed away and during the conversation with Pamela I realized I haven't had a lemon meringue pie since. I can't bring myself to eat it. How sad. A pie that once brought me so much joy and gave my Grandmother joy to make an extra one just for me I haven't eaten since she died almost 18 years ago. 

Food holds so many memories. I don't know if I haven't eaten it because I only want to remember the ones she made me or if I'm afraid no one else's will ever be as good? But making pies this year for Thanksgiving I am hoping will be a therapeutic act for me. Thinking about how much baking and cooking are an inheritance in my family and how sad my Grandma Taylor would be (Yes, her name was Ella Mae Taylor which is super southern) if she knew I never ate another lemon meringue after she died. Life keeps going, you can't freeze it even as much as you sometimes want to. We have to move ahead, grow and learn to live in the new normal. I know this year is not easy, but I believe in us, I believe in you. With everything going on in the world, there are always things to be thankful for even when you're still grieving. We can be thankful that we had the people in our lives we did for the time that we did and that we get to have memories of them and the kindness and love they showed us. This Thanksgiving I'll be remembering Ella Mae making pies in her kitchen and smiling as she'd see her children and grandchildren eat them. And then I'll thank God that I get to have memories of her smiling and handing me my own pie to take home to show how much she loved me. 

Happy Pie-making Friends!

 I wanted soul food and all I got was this darn pandemic

Every year since my Mom passed away I usually go down to North Carolina to see my paternal family to have Thanksgiving dinner with them. I LOVE it! I don't love Tarboro, North Carolina but I sure do love my family. They are funny, have minimal filtration and are wonderful cooks. They have been a sanctuary especially these last four years. So when the coronavirus pandemic threatened to end my soul food streak, I was pretty sad.  I've been avoiding doing a lot of cooking for the past few years. You may have noticed that this blog has a post from 2014 and nothing after that because a few months later, my Mom died and through the years cooking has been more difficult for me. It reminds me of my grief and loss and has slowly begun to no longer bring me the joy it use to. So being forced to celebrate Thanksgiving in New York without family this year is a little triggering as you can imagine. That is why I'm going to try to make it as fun as I can. Thankfully, I won't be doing the cooking alone which will help tremendously and if anything goes horribly wrong whoever is reading this blog will get a great chuckle out of it. 

How Is It Going?

Monday, November 23 - So far today, I've recorded a special Thanksgiving episode of my podcast, Theatre Geeks Anonymous which you will be able to hear on Thanksgiving Day. It's our present to ourselves and all the geeks who listen to our pod. If you've never listened and your interested, here you go! 
I've taken the turkey out of the freezer to thaw and am really struggling with whether to brine or not to brine. You can brine your turkey as it thaws so I may brine it on Wednesday morning for the last 6-8 hours of it's thaw time before smothering it with herbs and vegan butter before it goes in the crockpot before I head to bed. My podcast co-host Pamela is a good cook as well and she talked me into seriously thinking about brining. Neither of us have done a turkey before this year so we're figuring it out. We'll see if I brine.  I'll keep you posted. 
Tonight I have a fun Friendsgiving social hour planned with the think tank I started with some friends in the spring called the Think Tank for Theatrical Innovation. This group is filled with some of the most majestic human beings and I am so excited to talk to them about nothing and everything while we eat and drink tonight! 
Lastly I'm thinking about re-watching my church's service from yesterday. It reminded me about perspective and gratefulness during a plague and how to give God glory for the good He has done. I still have a job, friends, a home and so do my siblings and extended family. We are a blessed group and there's a lot to be thankful for this year even if 2020 had some plot twists nobody wanted. 
Tomorrow I'll share some photos of the sides we're cooking, but for now, enjoy the photos of past Thanksgivings with my family in North Carolina. 

I have two friends who want spinach recipes from me and when I think of spinach I think of Popeye.  Then, when I think of Popeye I think of Robin.
There are so many childhood memories this man is tied to for me and it makes me sad to know that the little people coming up in the world won't get this.  They won't get to see this amazing man who was a literal genius and could turn himself into any character.  They won't partake of the new ideas he had and the lightening speed with which he created.  He was a tornado of genius.  No one, I mean no one is, was and will ever be like him.  He is one of the greats that all the comics for generations to come will look to for inspiration.  He's up there with the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello and I hope and pray they're all together making each other laugh and having the greatest time.



The first recipe I got online two years ago before I had a Pinterest account and now, I can't find it anywhere.  There are a lot of recipes for this dip but I can't find the one that has all of these ingredients so I'm posting it here.  If anyone finds the original, please put the link in the comments below this post.  Thanks!
I eyeball both of these recipes so the measurements are my guestimation of what they should or could be.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/2  chopped yellow onion
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese
1 12oz container of sour cream
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 8oz pkg of chopped frozen spinach
1 can of artichoke hearts or 2 jars of marinated artichoke hearts
1 tsp Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

*You can substitute the dairy ingredients with Daiya products for dairy-free alternatives to this recipe.

 1. In a large pot saute the chopped garlic and onion in olive oil.  When I purchase marinated artichoke hearts for this recipe, I saute my garlic and onion in the oil marinade the hearts come in.  This adds a lot of flavor. Once the garlic and onion are translucent you can put in a couple of shakes of the red pepper flakes.  Letting the red pepper flakes saute for a couple of seconds will bring out a bit of the heat.
2. Defrost the frozen spinach and get out as much excess liquid as possible before adding it to the pot then saute until heated through.
3. Chop the artichoke hearts and then add them to the pot as well.
4. Add in both packages of cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese has melted.
5. Add in 1 cup of sour cream, then stir until well mixed.  Add in the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese until both cheeses are well melted into your mixture.
6. Once your mixture is combined well you can add salt and pepper to taste.

This next recipe is an Ebony original and I've made it in four variations.  The first time I made this one year ago it only had baby bokchoy, tomatoes and chicken.  I actually prefer it this way.  I ran out of bokchoy and substituted spinach a few days later.  Then a month ago I had a dream about a swiss chard and asparagus recipe.  I don't like asparagus, but it gave me the idea to substitute swiss chard for the spinach and add green beans to the below recipe.  The actual pasta dish I dreamt will be in a later post.
When I made this next recipe this week it had the most veggies I have ever put into it.  This is the recipe my friend wants so that is what is below.  You can do any of the variations I have listed above if you like. I have no measurements so again this will be a guestimation.

Popeye Saute
2 heads of baby bokchoy
1 8oz pkg of spinach
1 cup of frozen green beans
3 chopped tomatoes (plum or vine)
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 chopped yellow onion
Frozen grilled chicken strips (Trader Joe's)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Mrs. Dash's
Italian Seasoning

1, In a large skillet, saute the chopped garlic and onion in olive oil until the vegetables are translucent or a bit caramelized.
2. Add in your baby bokchoy and cook until the white ends are soft and translucent and the greenery is wilted.
3. Add in and saute your spinach and green beans until soft.
4. Add in chopped tomatoes and as many pieces of the grilled chicken strips as you would like.  Add 2tbsps of water, cover and let simmer until the chicken is thawed and has absorbed the juices from your vegetable mixture.  This will be about 3-5 minutes.  If your mixture is drying out, add a bit more water, but the juice from the tomatoes should moisten your mixture well.
5. Add seasonings listed above to taste.


I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm strong to the fin-ich
Cause I eats me spin-ach
I'm Popeye the sailor man.

"Belle" - In Movie Theaters

"Violet" On Broadway

This post is going to be be all about the histrionics portion of this blog. Nothing edible.  I've just seen two pieces of performing art that are demanding my complete attention and I'm giving it to them. I'm excited to write this entry because the only entertainment I believe that's worth creating is the kind that provokes thought.  And since most entertainment that's out nowadays is thoughtless, these two gems gave me hope that all is not lost. 
You see, I've been struggling with some things for all of my life and these two pieces forced me to look at them. I don't know where I am now, but I've been forced to look at myself.  Well...this part of myself at least.  I know these themes are ones every woman faces at one time or another. The two women here, Belle and Violet, have it much harder than most of us do.
To give you a short synopsis of each so that you know where I am going in this post, Violet is a woman who was disfigured as a young child. She decides to go on a journey to a faith healer to get healed after her father passes away.  She is the town "freak" and no one looks her in the eye. Her Father never did either.
In the movie "Belle", Dido (Belle) is a bi-racial woman raised in a high ranking political household. Because the standards of "propriety" at the time hold her back from fully engaging in "high society" she finds herself not knowing where she stands or who she is. Sort of lost, in a constant state of having one foot in and one foot out. Neither of her own choosing.
The common themes of these stories are beauty, accepting your own and the desire to be accepted by others. Love, being loved for who you are, totally and completely.  Self-acceptance, inner healing, father-daughter relationships and the enormous impact they have on a woman's identity and the ability to love herself and others.
Growing up as a minority with two well educated parents in the suburbs in the '80s and '90s, you find yourself always the "token' one.  You get so use to it that you don't ever really notice or pay attention to it because that's always been your life. You have the friends you have and they're just people and you and them don't pay much attention to color. Or at least, that's what I thought. 
There is a scene in "Belle" where the title character is sitting at her vanity looking in the mirror just after a terrible encounter with her soon-to-be brother-in-law. She strikes herself as if trying to get away from her color. As I watched both of these women struggle with their own self-hatred so viscerally, I was once again reminded of my own. I'm a person yes, and this is a common struggle, yes. But the difference for me has been that I've been the only one for so much of my life. Not black enough to be fully accepted by my own race but still clearly a minority and not able to be completely understood by my friends of other races who have loved and accepted me.
And when I watched both women struggle in their love lives, because they were different, I was struck to the core. I watched my mail be read on screen and on stage and I thought, "I'm not the only one who is dealing with this? I'm not alone?"  I'm blessed, I've never been told I'm unattractive. People can look me in the eye. I don't get whispered about behind my back like the two women above. My parents loved me and edified me all of my life. But rejection and I have also known each other my whole life. From the kindergarten teacher who faced me to the back wall for an entire year, to all the unrequited loves of my life.
There's that nagging thought in the back of your mind that maybe you aren't good enough.  If you lost weight, changed your hair, dressed differently, wore make-up or sometimes, yes, even were a different color, things might be different.   When I was a child this was at the forefront of my mind. You can tell a little girl she's beautiful, but if she is rejected by those she wants to be accepted by, it leaves scars. Maybe the scars aren't as visible as the ones on Violet's face but they are no less real, deep and affecting.
So, now I'm an adult. I've finally gotten to a place in my life where I love my skin color, I love my hair and I accept those things as gifts from God. Things aren't any easier but I take the responsibility that comes with these gifts as an honor.  Just as I took my charge to become a New Yorker as a great honor.
Don't get me wrong...I still struggle with completely accepting myself as beautiful.  There's this messed up stigma on women that if you say or think that about yourself than you're arrogant. It's part of the burnt toast theory, I think.  If you tell me you don't struggle with this you're lying to yourself.  You're not lying to me because I have your number and I know what you're doing. At least own up to it, learn from it and begin to grow and heal in a REAL way. Lying to yourself will not work.
At the end of Violet and Belle's stories both women stopped allowing everyone else to tell them they were worthy of loving and being loved.  Once they accepted it the things they wondered if would ever be offered to them were.  Belle was even able to change the world and make it a place I can live in as a free black woman. She was one of the "Esthers" of my race and I am indebted to her for her contribution.
So, where does this leave me?  I have only one choice and that is to daily remind myself that I am worthy of being loved and I need to be active in loving others well.  And when I fail, having grace for myself to try again, and when others fail extending that to them. So that when you learn how to love yourself and others well you become more beautiful.  For this is the beauty of God that should shine through all of us. This is how the world is changed, when we know our worth and worthiness.
And one day, if it be God's will, I may meet a man intelligent enough to see my truth and love me well as these two women found. One should NEVER be loved, "in spite of" or "because of".  One should just be loved.  All of you just "because".
And whether or not that happens, I will choose to love myself and others in that way because I am loved that way by my Creator. So, I leave you with this, You are beautiful, worthy, accepted, known, understood, appreciated and loved.  Walk in THAT truth my friends. Accept no other.

Love,
Ebony

Just recently, I moved.  I'm in the same borough but my wonderful roommate has left the state.  I miss her.  In this urban jungle it's tough to find a great roommate and God knows I had one.  When you get one this good, you're over the moon and grateful you've been so blessed.  So, this post is for my former roommate who wanted this recipe weeks ago but, can now have it on her new adventure.  There won't be any artsy stuff on this post because this is just for Vanessa.  :-)

For a little backstory, when I first moved back a major natural disaster happened and I went to help out.  While I was helping with the relief effort, I stayed with some lovely friends and one Sunday evening we had a curry chicken pot-pie for dinner.  Now, I was told the recipe was from Trader Joe's cookbook?  I never knew there was such a thing.
For beginners, I had never made a chicken pot-pie before.  This is by far the easiest and most delicious chicken pot-pie you will ever encounter! 

Now here is the original recipe:
Trader Joe's Curry Chicken Pot Pie

But here is what I make,
Anna's version of TJ's Curry Chicken Pot Pie:
2 bags of TJ's Organic Foursome Vegetables
1 bottle TJ's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce
1 bag of TJ's Just Chicken
2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 rolls of pre-made pie crust

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2.Defrost the chicken but don't let it cook.  The chicken is pre-cooked and you don't want it to get tough.
3. In a large bowl mix the veggies, chicken, curry sauce and flour together
4. Prepare a dutch oven by spraying non-stick cooking spray to the bottom and sides of the dish.  Then line the bottom with one roll of the pie crust.
5. Pour the veggie mixture into the prepared dish on top of the pie crust.
6. Top the pie with the remaining roll of pie crust and puncture vent holes in the top
7. Bake the pot pie for 35-40 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes, if you can wait that long.

If I'm honest, I have burned my mouth on this pot pie a few times.  It smells great and I was hungry and impatient.
You'll notice the differences, like there are no onions in my recipe.  Again, I'm not a big fan.  I might add a bit of chopped garlic to it next time.  Garlic I am a fan of!  You can play around with the measurements to make it as big or as small as you like.  When I make this it's usually for no less than four people so, my recipe makes a lot and my dutch oven is a good size.  People like seconds so don't skimp!  It's a bad idea, dude!  I promise you'll regret it if you skimp.
Don't be daunted!  This is a great recipe and everyone will think your a freaking genius and it's the easiest thing ever!

Enjoy!
Ebony

Not only is Gotham the, "City that Never Sleeps" it's also the "Artists Mecca".  We come from our little towns in the middle of nowhere or lands where we grow up feeling that we don't speak the language to find our voices here.  So, needless to say, a majority of my friends are artists and I love that!  Why, because I'm one and they get me. Well, as much as one can get me, I'm definitely a different breed but, who doesn't feel that way?
So, about a week after my last blog post a dear friend of mine had a birthday.  She's an Actress going to auditions at the crack of dawn, waiting in line to not even get seen, callbacks, more auditions... etc. You know the deal.  So, because last year we were both preoccupied with trying to move here to the Big City during her last birthday; I had been holding on to this recipe for all that time, chomping at the bit to make it for her.  Her favorite cake is spice cake and I'd wanted to make this recipe ever since I'd seen it in a 2007 October issue of Family Circle that my Mother had sent me back then.  So, when I met Jennie, which is now two years ago, I decided this was the person I would make it for.
I was excited about this cake because I LOVE THE FALL!  I love the colors, the cool weather, sweatshirts, warm blankets, hot tea and all of the flavors fall bring with it.  Saying that, I feel that spice cake is one of the quintessential fall desserts.  It has a nutty yet warming quality about it and a beautiful coloring that is perfect for the season!

As usual, I've changed up a few of the ingredients but, it's pretty much the same.  I'll post a link to the original recipe but, post my ingredients here on the blog. 

Chocolate-Glazed Spice Cake


Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 c. solid vegetable shortening

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp all-spice
1 tsp ginger

1 c. packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 c maple syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c.  Vanilla Rice Milk

Filling:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. Vanilla Rice Milk
3 c. confectioner's sugar

  

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 c. heavy cream

 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

The explicit instructions to putting this cake together are listed here:
Chocolate-Glazed Maple Spice Cake
I didn't top the cake with walnuts because Jennie doesn't like nuts much and I'm not a big fan of walnuts myself. So, instead I put flowers on top and I think it's quite pretty.
I want to give you an explanation for why I changed certain things in the recipe and be upfront about how it turned out and what I would do differently.  I'm no professional and I like to be forthcoming about what the real journey was from start to finish.

Things I would not worry about, do differently or do again:
1.  I would have put a layer of bread on top of each cake layer as it cooled.  I wasn't happy with the moistness of my cake, I felt it was a bit dry.  A slice of bread on top is supposed to help keep the moisture in.
2. The cake looked much bigger in the original picture and I worried it was too small.  Don't be fooled.  Jennie had about 20 or so people at her party.  Everyone had a piece and there were leftovers to boot!
3. I added milk to the filling so that it would be a bit looser and easier to spread.  This idea worked well.
Some goals I have are to find a good substitute for shortening, butter and heavy cream.  Any suggestions?  Please post a comment if you know good alternatives to this and I will try them and post my adventures on this blog!


Of course the entire point of making the cake was to see this happen with it! ;-)

I hope you try this cake during the Autumn season and it warms your soul!

Ebony