What's Cooking?

I cleaned out my freezers a couple of weeks ago which presented a dilemma - too much stuff and not enough room.  The solution, to cook up a bunch of food and freeze it for quick dinners.  Seems counterproductive doesn't it?

Chile rellenos and enchiladas were made for the freezer.  Breakfast cake, breakfast cookies, cranberry bars (adapted from this recipe), and corny dog muffins all went into the freezer as well.  If I thought the thing was full before, you should see it now!  Plus, I made some granola for the pantry and yogurt for the fridge.

For some friends, I made lemon curd (yum), meringue nests, salsa, and vanilla sugar (non-recipe below.)

And for a funzy, I attended another French cooking class.  This time, it was all about sauces - cranberry chutney, bechamel, and a mushroom sauce.  So I made croque monsieur for dinner with my bechamel as a last minute substitution on my menu plan for the week.  I also came home speaking in an annoying terrible French accent all evening as well.  Something about saying bay-sheh-meh-luh (just a slight luh, not too much) makes you want to dive into a pool of cream sauce and speak only in French.

Vanilla Sugar

Spent Vanilla Bean
Granulated Sugar
Jar

After you have made creme anglais, or homemade vanilla, or whatever you have made with your vanilla bean, wipe it down and let it dry out on a paper towel.
Once the vanilla bean has dried out completely, cut it into three or four pieces and put it in a jar.  Pour over the sugar and shake it every once and awhile to distribute the bean.  Put the lid on the jar and place it in a cool dry place for a couple of months.  When you think about it, give the jar a shake.  After those couple of months, you can decant your vanilla sugar into a pretty container and give it as a gift or keep it in the jar and use it in hot drinks, to rim martini glasses, in baking, to sprinkle on cookies or sweet breads, etc.

This is part of Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday.