My new 'Toy' ~ Guess what it does!

Last month when I attended the Novato Art & Wine Fest, I made a purchase.  I think I was drawn to the vibrant colors and the fact that it was some sort of ceramic plate.  I LOVE dishes, bowls, serving platters, anything for the kitchen but especially pottery!

This is a French Garlic Grater.  But it's not just for garlic, you can also grate ginger, citrus rind, nutmeg, parmesan cheese or chocolate.  I watched the woman at the booth demonstrate how it worked.  When you're grating something that releases water or oil, such as garlic, moisten the surface of the grater by rinsing it under water.

This morning, I grated some garlic out on our deck.

I placed a garlic clove in the garlic peeler tube, that came with my purchase.

Roll it on a firm surface with the palm of the hand until you hear a crushing sound.

Your garlic is peeled.  It takes just a few seconds to peel one clove and it's fun too!

Hold the garlic with the root pointing up and the tip towards the plate and start grating.

You can either grate in a circular motion or back and forth.

I used the handy dandy brush that came with the plate to sweep the garlic into a dish.

The ceramic 'teeth' on the grater are supposed to last for years.  It grates garlic into a puree or paste form....perfect for homemade salad dressings. 

I love my new garlic plate :)  It's super easy to clean, I don't grate my fingers in the process and I actually had a fun time using it.  I just hope I don't drop it as I do SO many other bowls, cups, plates, etc in my kitchen

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I've only grated garlic on my plate so far, but I'm sure other items are just as easily grated.  Now my fingers are smelling like garlic and it's making me hungry......next time maybe a rubber glove :)

This would be the perfect gift for a 'foodie' wouldn't it?!
Here's a great dressing recipe from Eating Well that is super creamy, yet low in fat.

Creamy Garlic Dressing

photo from Eating Well


Ingredients



1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste


Preparation
1.Combine buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth.


Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.


Nutrition
Per tablespoon: 16 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 89 mg sodium; 5 mg potassium.

Happy Saturday! Pin It

An Afternoon at the Birthing Barn & Banana Layer Cake

The kids and I were at the birthing barn while Dominic was feeding the calves the other day.  It's fun to visit the barn, the kids love feeding the calves their alfalfa and letting the calves suck their fingers.  I never know what kind of photos I might be able to get.  Here I snapped a photo of a baby calf and her mamma, that I wanted to share with you.  The calf is having a little snack from her mom.

Speaking of milk......

Check out this Eating Well recipe for Banana Cream Layer Cake.  Doesn't it look delicious?  It's hard to believe this cake has only 300 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per slice!  The cake is made with buttermilk and the fluffy cream is made low fat by combining nonfat milk with whipping cream.

Photo from Eating Well

Cake Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas, (about 3), plus 2 whole bananas, divided
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bavarian Cream
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream


Preparation

1.To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper.

2.Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar and oil in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the banana mixture and fold in just until blended. Divide the batter between the pans.

3.Bake the cake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

4.To prepare Bavarian cream: Place milk in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the milk and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of raw egg whites, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the milk mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate until set and thickened to the consistency of whipped cream again, about 1 hour.

6.To assemble cake: Shortly before serving, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread half the Bavarian cream over it. Peel and slice the remaining bananas; arrange half the slices evenly over the cream. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining cream over the cake and arrange the remaining banana slices decoratively over the top.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3. Wrap the cooled layers in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Nutrition

Per serving: 300 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 47 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 229 mg sodium; 204 mg potassium.

Happy Tuesday! Pin It