Other Things | Simple By Cindy

Salty Caramel Peanut Butter Cake

Mar. 18
2021

In this past year, we’ve learned that kindness counts. I have been the recipient of so many acts of kindness this past year. In our busy lives, we face stressful situations every day, whether it is sitting in traffic, standing in a long line at the store, or giving special attention to kids that need homeschooling. Though it might sound counterintuitive, focusing on doing nice things for others can give you a break from your own problems. Altruism enables us to cope better with stressful situations, and provides us with a better state of mind to tackle whatever comes next.

Do you watch TV and see the commercials to give to wounded war veterans, animal rescues, and sick children? These commercials break my heart, and I want to give to all those in need. Abused pets in particular pull at my heartstrings. You do not have to make a huge donation, because whatever you choose to give will help the organization and make you feel happy that you helped. Just be sure that you do your research and pick organizations that are going to use your money for the right reasons.

Being kind to others also affects your heart. It stimulates the production of oxytocin, which causes the release of nitric oxide in blood vessels, which in turn dilates the blood vessels. It is known as a cardioprotective (serving to protect the heart) hormone because it reduces blood pressure. It is said that caring people have really big hearts – this is so true as kindness strengthens your heart physically and emotionally!

Being nice to others can be one of the easiest, quickest, and most inexpensive ways to keep anxiety at bay. It calms the mood and takes the focus off yourself. There are several ways to reduce anxiety, such as prescription medications, homeopathic remedies, meditation, and exercise, but the most natural way is just to be kind. This small change leads to many good things such as improved self-esteem, happiness, better relationships with others, and better physical and mental health. During this crazy time, I cannot even count the random acts of kindness I have received and I am grateful for each and every one. I always thank the person for their thoughtfulness, promise to pay it forward, and make sure I actually follow through. Even during your darkest mood, try to be kind, do something for others, and I promise it will make you feel better.

If you really want to make someone feel better, make this recipe and bring it to your office, to your friend’s house, or to an elderly person in need of company. Even the name of this recipe makes you feel good. The buttermilk and oil ensures a rich, moist interior that explodes with delicious peanut butter goodness. It is just the right amount of sweet, with subtle hints of vanilla in every bite. The icing is the star of this cake. It is creamy with a smooth texture that compliments this cake perfectly. Do not forget to put on the flaky salt, it makes this cake so satisfying and scrumptious, and looks so fancy.

This snacking cake is courtesy of Yossy Arefi and will help you do an act of kindness for 8 to 12 people.

Ingredients for Salty Caramel Peanut Butter Cake:

For the Cake:

¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the Fudgy Caramel Icing:

¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of kosher salt
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Flaky salt, to finish (optional)

Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and dust with flour, set aside.

To make the cake, in a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute.

Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.

Add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and salt.

Whisk until smooth and fully emulsified.

Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap it gently on the counter to loosen any air bubbles, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Bake until puffed and golden, and a toothpick, inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Then invert and flip right side up onto a plate to cool completely.

Make the Icing:

Melt the butter, brown sugar, cream and water together in a saucepan set over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and cook for 3 more minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to cool it down slightly.

Whisk in the kosher salt and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Immediately pour and spread the icing over the cooled cake and sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.

Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Store the cake, covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

It’s that simple!

Coconut Skillet Cake

Sep. 21
2020

A small act of kindness goes a long way. You may not even remember what you did, but it probably meant something to the other person. I’ve had people offer me coupons, pay for my Starbucks order, or give me a bag so I didn’t have to buy one at the store. Whether you hold the door open, compliment somebody’s shoes, or pick up something dropped by a child in a stroller, your forgotten altruism could be remembered.

With the holidays right around the corner, it is easy to get caught up in the stress of trying to make a grand gesture. A lot of people get so caught up in the hype, and don’t take time to understand that we need to think more about the meaning behind the action. I have learned through the years that the things that go wrong are sometimes the funniest moments. It all depends on how you look at it. Mistakes are inevitable, and someday, maybe not in that moment, you will look back and be able to laugh.

What are some random acts of kindness you can pay forward?

Say please and thank you when people help you out. It really is the politest thing to do and takes no energy to do. Everyone appreciates politeness.

Do one good deed a day. If someone drops something, pick it up for them. Help an elderly person carry their groceries and put them in their car. Hold the door for someone. Just do so safely and while wearing a mask and respecting social distance.

Pay for someone’s coffee or tea. That person may be having a bad day and you can brighten it up by treating a stranger.

Let someone who is in a rush or has very few groceries cut ahead of you in line. It will make their day for sure.

Be thoughtful. If someone is having a bad day, bring them some coffee or other treat to brighten their day a little.

While driving, let somebody merge in front of you. We all know how frustrating that endless stream of cars can be. Help somebody out a little bit and give them a spot in line.

If you decide to prepare this cake, save some for someone you love or care about. I am sure it will make their day, and I will tell you why.

This cake is so delightful, it will cheer anyone up. The sour cream ensures that this cake is moist and delicious. It is fragrant with coconut extract and scattered with delicate coconut flakes, so every bite is heavenly. It is then topped off with delectable, sweet whipped cream and some more delightful coconut flakes. If you are a coconut lover, or know someone who is, make this cake. Think of it as being kind to yourself and someone else.

This recipe is courtesy of Bake from Scratch and will serve 6 to 8 people who will want to pass it on too.

Ingredients for Coconut Skillet Cake:

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup sour cream
1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Garnish: toasted coconut flakes

For the Sweetened Whipped Cream:

2½ cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Spray a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with baking spray with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in coconut extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Reduce mixer speed to low.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

Stir in coconut.

Spoon batter into prepared skillet.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool completely.

Make the Sweetened Whipped Cream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream at medium speed until slightly thickened.

Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and gradually add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread Sweetened Whipped Cream onto cooled cake.

Garnish with coconut, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

It’s that simple!

Greek Yogurt Apple Blueberry Bread

Sep. 10
2020

One of the things I cherish most about the summer is all the wonderful, fresh fruit at our local farm stands. Fruit picked fresh from the farm just tastes so much better than the ones in our grocery stores. It smells fresher, and tastes much sweeter and more delicious. Local orchards know their crops, which ensures that they are picked at their peak ripeness. The flavors are noticeably better, and more true to the fruit. They are then brought to the stand within a day or two, rather than being frozen for weeks before they arrive at the grocery store.

When you buy locally, you get more than just better tasting fruit: the fruit is also better for you the sooner you buy it after it has been picked. When fruits are first picked, vitamins C, E, A and some B vitamins begin to deteriorate. Exposure to light and temperature changes during shipping can affect this as well, so purchasing fruit picked yesterday is better than fruit picked two weeks ago and shipped to your local store. According to the BBC, there is not a whole lot of difference in nutrition between fresh and frozen produce, so it might well be to your advantage to freeze some summer blueberries.

Buying locally also helps to support the economy in your area and cut down on the use of fossil fuels. Instead of being paid off to your grocery store, the shipping company, and the fruit company, your money goes directly to a company in your area and supports local jobs. And while it might take gasoline to get you over to your market (if you feel comfortable biking or walking, you can do that too, and make the whole venture even more environmentally friendly), buying from a local farm means that the produce was transported only regionally, rather than overseas. So you get to eat good food and help to save the world– how cool is that?!

The best thing of all is that by going to the farmer’s market, you get to know your local growers. They are some of the most kind, friendly, and knowledgeable people out there. I encourage you to ask questions about the produce, their favorite preparations, and what might be good. These people know the crops so well, and they can often direct you to a particular fruit or vegetable that is particularly tasty on that specific day, so keep an open mind.

I hope I have convinced you to look for your local farmer’s market and spend your money there. Now, when you are there, be sure to pick up some apples and blueberries for this recipe. It is worth every penny, I swear. The honey gives it a sweetness that compliments the blueberries and apples beautifully. The yogurt makes sure that this bread is moist and delicious. The cinnamon and nutmeg adds savory goodness, and you get a taste of the sweet, luscious fruit in every bite.

This recipe is courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction and will serve 8 people who will love enjoying the last of this summer’s blueberries.

Ingredients for Greek Yogurt Apple Blueberry Bread:

1/3 cup canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil
6 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
1/2 cup (121g) plain Greek yogurt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded apple (about 1 apple)
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (not thawed)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. (I used parchment paper).

Whisk the oil, honey, egg, yogurt, vanilla, and apple together in a medium bowl until well combined.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and blueberries together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined.

Avoid overmixing.

Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours.

The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you find the top of the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack.

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 5 days.

It’s that simple!

Summer Corn with Tomatoes and Red Pepper

Jul. 27
2020

Fresh, clean produce is always the best choice when cooking. Making sure that the food you are using is free from pesticides or artificial substances is fundamental to your health. Sometimes, produce can carry e-coli or some other bacteria. If you’re shopping at your local market, you can ask the grower about the conditions, but if you don’t know (and even if you do!), it’s best to wash your produce thoroughly.

Because I try to keep my diet healthy, I always read the ingredients of packaged foods. They often contain a lot of food dye, sugar, and artificial sweeteners that I do not like. Did you know that “natural flavors” is listed under ingredients that contain GMOs? A GMO is a plant or other organism whose makeup has been modified or controlled using selective breeding or laboratory procedures. Farmers do this to crops for a variety of reasons, including making their crops larger, more resistant to pests, or more nutritious.

I personally stay away from additives I can’t pronounce. Some examples are erythrosine (food coloring), glyphosate (chemical used to kill weeds), carrageenan (can cause ulcers and cancer), sodium nitrate (can cause cancer), and butane (found in chicken nuggets – a known carcinogen).

Most processed and canned foods have many additives that are unhealthy, which drives me towards even more fresh fruit and vegetables. Although it may take you a little longer to do your grocery shopping, reading labels can help you make better choices. Not only do fresh ingredients provide more nutrients compared to processed foods, they also deliver truer flavor. The purpose of food is to nourish you, so you should always buy fresh when you can. If you can’t buy fresh, frozen is a good substitute.

This dish is chock full of natural and whole ingredients. The next time you’re at your market, pick up these ingredients and make this dish. The sweet corn and red pepper combine to add sweet flavor and texture. The tomatoes take on the flavor of the lime, making it smooth and tangy. The mustard seed and cumin give it a nice savory depth of seasoning. Everything about this dish is healthy, delicious, and delightful.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people who will be thankful that you took the time to prepare such a wholesome dish.

Ingredients for Summer Corn with Tomatoes and Red Pepper:

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions; sauté until translucent.

Add red pepper, mustard seeds, cumin, salt and pepper.

Cook until red pepper softens slightly.

Stir in tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in corn kernels.

Cook until tender about 5 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and lime juice

Take off heat and toss with parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s that simple!

Oh my, how my pants have grown!

Strawberry Cake

Feb. 24
2020

“Preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies, but to our spirits. Feeding people is a way of loving them, in the same way that feeding ourselves is a way of honoring our own createdness and fragility”. -Shauna Niequist

Recently, I picked up Shauna Nieqist’s book Bread and Wine, a collection of love stories about connecting to others over food. As you might imagine, it hit home with me. All the cooking I do is for one purpose: to bring people together at my table. I consider it one of the most important things I do.

Cooking, especially when it is done for others, does have some positive psychological effects. Knowing the positive effects may just get more people into the kitchen to cook. Doing something, anything for others, always makes you feel better about yourself. It is a form of altruism, which makes people feel happy and connected to others.

If you are cooking for someone, it definitely brings a sense of closeness in expressing your love and care for them. You may remember watching your grandmother, mother, or father preparing a dinner for you. This was an act of love that you may realize now, but at the time you did not know how much self-giving was attached to. it. We all understand that the greatest payment you can receive for your efforts is seeing the people at your table enjoy your food. Once the main course is served at my Thanksgiving table, I listen for the silence of people eating. And it is there every year. This silence fills my heart greatly, because I know the people at my table are feeling happy, grateful, and loved.

The next time you sit at someone’s table, be thankful for what has been prepared for you with love and care, and know that somebody loves you, and thought about you with every stir of the spoon, every dash of salt and pepper, and every measured spice. Respond to them with love, and even better with words and deeds.

This dessert will definitely show the recipients that you love them. Usually I write my own descriptions, but I think Smitten Kitchen says it best. This is “a pound of hulled and halved strawberries in a cake that can barely handle it. The strawberries take over. The batter buckles around the receding berries, which dimple like a country quilt. The edges of the cake become faintly crisp. And your apartment will smell like a strawberry patch.” Nuff said.

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart and will serve 8 to 10 people who will feel the love in every bite.

Ingredients for Strawberry Cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved