So not too long ago, I received an email-you know the type-declaring this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world because now anyone can have chocolate cake any time in just five minutes! I don’t think I would choose this recipe to satisfy a chocolate cake craving, but it did look like a great recipe for kids to make. The cake batter is mixed in a microwaveable mug and then “baked” for 3 minutes in the microwave. To demonstrate this: my three year old volunteered to make the cake completely on her own.

Chocolate Mug Cake

• 4 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips
• dash of vanilla

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium to large microwaveable mug.
2. Add the egg and mix well.
3. Add the milk and oil, mix well.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla.
5. The recipe says for a 1,000 Watt microwave it needs to cook on high for 3 min. Our cake was a bit over done at 2 min 30 seconds so I might even take it out at 2 min.
6. I used a very large mug so mine didn’t rise over the rim, but the recipe says not to be alarmed if your cake rises above your mug.

Ok, so everyone is wondering what it tastes like. Well, it’s definitely better than anything that ever came out of our Easy Bake Oven. As I said before, it seemed a little over done. It was moist and kind of spongy. It lacked much of a cake-like texture but it was very chocolately. The three year old ate several handfuls of chocolate chips and declared she wanted popcorn instead so maybe it was too sweet? Despite it’s flaws it is a fun, easy, edible recipe for little kids who might want some freedom in the kitchen. Thanks to almost frugal food for reminding me to check my inbox for this one!

What’s for dinner this week?

Since this blog is now all Fall, all the time, I wanted to share one of my favorite fall comforts. In the Chaos household fall and winter bring casseroles, soups, and stews-a surprising number of which contain chicken. To be prepared for these comforts, I often buy whole chickens at the grocery store for making stock and procuring meat for casseroles, pot pies, etc… A great side effect of poaching chicken meat is delicious homemade stock ready to be turned into soup or frozen and used later. I know making your own chicken stock sounds a little time intensive but really it’s not. I simply put some vegetables and a chicken in a stock pot and cover with water, then simmer for several hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and falling apart. Remove the meat and refrigerate and continue simmering the chicken parts for several more hours. Then strain and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning the fat will just lift off the top and you have a great low sodium, low fat chicken stock.

Chicken Stock

• 1 whole chicken, plus any chicken parts you have: extra meat, bones, giblets, etc…
• carrots
• onions
• celery
• parsley, other herbs
• peppercorns
• water to cover

1. Rinse your chicken and place it in the pot. Or if you are like me forget to thaw it and put the frozen chicken in the pot.
2. Thoroughly wash all your vegetables and greens (carrot tops, celery leaves, etc). Roughly chop, break, or quarter the vegetables and throw them in the pot. Add spices and herbs.
3. Cover with water. Turn heat to medium and allow to come to a light simmer.
4. Try not to get a rolling boil going on or your broth with develop a gross white foam, but since this will inevitably happen just skim the foam off every 30 min or hour until it goes away.
5. After several hours your chicken will be fully cooked and a lot of the fat will be rendered, making it easy to separate the meat from the refuse.
6. Remove your chicken and allow to cool enough to handle.
7. Remove the meat and refrigerate for another use. Add all of the chicken refuse-giblets, skin and bones-back to the pot.
8. Continue simmering for several more hours until slightly reduced. Strain broth into a bowl and discard the solids.
9. Separate your broth into several covered containers so it will chill faster and refrigerate.
10. The next day your broth will have a fat layer at the top that you can peel off before using.

This seems like a lot of steps, but really the chicken stock makes itself. I usually just throw everything in the pot and ignore it while wandering around the house doing various chores. You can also put it all in a large crock pot and it will simmer while you are at work. I suck at roasting a chicken so I prefer this method for making cooked chicken for pot pies and casseroles. The meat is easy to identify and separates easily for chopping or shredding later. Plus there is nothing more soothing to a stuffy head or sore throat than a steaming pot of chicken on the stove top.

Did I mention that I LOVE fall?  Yes?  Ok, did I mention apples?  How much I LOVE apples? Yes, again?  Well then this one shouldn’t surprise you. I LOVE apple cider.  On chilly fall nights, I love it more than an espresso or hot chocolate.  It’s October and we’re far from chilly nights but it is time to start planning the holidays and what kinds of fun food gifts we’ll be making en masse for friends and family.

I make my own apple cider about once or twice a fall-from apples boiled for hours with spices then crushed and strained.  But sometimes we need a quicker solution.  Cider Beetles are the best!  Seriously, I get all giddy just thinking about them.  With hints of orange, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, combined with brown sugar and cinnamon, you simply drop them into a pot of boiling apple juice and simmer for 30 minutes for some awesome apple cider and a house that smells like all the best parts of the fall.  Add some brandy and you’ve got a great party drink!  The best part is they make the cutest gifts-combined with a bottle of apple juice-for a hostess or teacher.

Making cider beetles is one of my favorite Fall/Winter traditions, one I have let fall by the wayside in busy years in the past.  That’s going to change starting this year.  They are also easy and fun to make and kids can pretty much make them all on their own, minus the oven part.  These beetles are also super cheap if you utilize a bulk spice retailer.

Cider Beetles

• 6 oranges
• approx 6 cups firmly packed brown sugar, depends on the size of your oranges
• 12 small cinnamon sticks
• 12 small whole nutmegs
• 24 whole allspice
• 96 whole cloves

1. Slice oranges in half and scoop out the flesh without breaking through the orange rind.
2. Crumble sheets of foil into small balls to fill out your orange halves.
3. Place orange halves cut side up, like a bowl, on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 250°F for 2 hours or until dry and hard.
4. Once oranges have cooled, pack brown sugar firmly into each orange half, mounding slightly.
5. Arrange spices in the brown sugar to resemble beetles: use a cinnamon stick as the body, a nutmeg for the head, 2 allspice on each side of the head for eyes, and 6-8 cloves arranged as the legs/feet.
6. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
7. Directions for use, attach to gift beetles on decorative card:
8. Unwrap cider beetle and drop into 1 1/2 quarts apple juice or cider. Simmer for 30 min. Strain out whole spices and orange rind from cider to serve. May add 1/2 cup of brandy, and heat well. Store left over cider in the refrigerator.
9. You can also make Cider Reindeer by using the nutmeg as the head, allspice for ears and arrange the cloves into antlers. I would hide the cinnamon stick inside the orange half and cover with brown sugar. Really cute? Use one of those cinnamon candies for a red nose!
   

   

Yes these delicate little baby herbs are the ones I’m talking about. That’s basil, parsley, and cilantro and they are not long for this world. I say that because they arrive at my house every year: bright eyed and full of promise. Something happens though and before long they are brown and shriveled and I’m back to buying fresh herbs at the grocery store. It’s sad and I mourn them every time, swearing never again. But I can’t help myself, when I see them they call to me, fresh herbs! fresh herbs at every meal! I cave and bring them home, whispering sweet, empty promises into their fragrant leaves.

So how about this year we keep them alive? Not just alive but thriving! Keep me in fresh herbs throughout the year. I’m going to need your help; I don’t know what kind of care they need. I don’t have a garden so I need to know how to take care of them in a pot/pots. Do I need to put them outside? Can I keep them inside? How much sunlight? Water? Any green thumbs out there who can help me?

Email me at katie at chaosinthekitchen dot com or share your tips in the comments section below and let’s talk about how to keep these babies alive.