Baking Sunday: Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

It all started about a month ago during a nonchalant conversation with a sweet friend, Jenny, at Asbury. We were chatting in-between our intramural volleyball games about baking. I knew that she enjoyed baking and I said that we should get together to bake sometime. She informed me that, during college, her and her roommates used to spend the majority of their Sundays cooking, baking and enjoying meals/desserts together. They entitled this day, "Baking Sunday." I became wrapped up in the idea of it all and a few weekends later, Baking Sunday commenced in Wilmore. It's as simple as that. So, I thought it would be fun to share some recipes from Baking Sunday. Maybe you can start this in your neck of the woods, too. It's such a fun activity to do with friends on a relaxing Sunday, if you enjoy cooking/baking, that is.

Last weekend, Jenny and I baked some pretty amazing Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Crumb Bars. I was slacking on Instagram last weekend, so I have no pictures. But, the recipe can be found here. Thanks, Pinterest. And, thanks, Jenny. Who also happens to be a Pinteresting Queen.

This weekend, Jenny was gone so I invited Anna Chua into this adventure and we made one of her family's favorite dessert recipes: Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (we're into making desserts with long names, I guess). This is the recipe many of you have asked for. So, enjoy! P.S. Credit is all due to Anna -- thanks for the recipe AC!

Next Baking Sunday's plan is White Chocolate Bread Pudding, I think. I guess we'll see.

Blueberry Cream Cheese  Coffee Cake 
yields: 9 servings 

Coffee Cake:
- 1 package Pillsbury Blueberry quick bread and muffin mix
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/3 cup of oil
- 2 eggs

Topping:
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or grated lemon peel

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. In a medium bowl, combine quick bread mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat 50-75 strokes until well mixed.

2. Rinse and drain blueberries and fold into the batter. Pour batter into greased pan.

3. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (with hand-held beaters or a mixer). Dollop spoonfuls of the blended mixture across top of the batter. Swirl by running a knife across the cream cheese and batter.

4. Bake at 375 until topping is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Bake an 8x8 inch pan for 35-45 min. Bake a 9x9 inch pan for 30-40 min. Cool 15 minutes and serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

Baked Beef Tostadas with Mexican Rice

I think I'm going to start adding a few of my recipes to my blog. It's fun for me and it might give you some ideas if you're ever in a dinner pinch. Plus, for my happiness project, I decided that I want to focus on promoting hospitality via cooking/hosting for others. So, here are all of those ideas wrapped in one. Today, I'm featuring traditional ground beef tostadas with mexican rice.

I'm from Kansas. I grew up eating beef. My family often raised cattle on our farm and had them butchered locally. However, when I moved to Kentucky, I soon figured out that beef tastes a whole lot less appetizing around here. I actually prefer chicken anyway (unless we're talking about brisket or flat iron steak and then you're speaking my love language). However, I don't mind using ground beef for some things and when it's terribly bland, it's a fun challenge to spice it up. Enjoy the recipe below.

Serves: Approx. 4 (rice will definitely feed at least four)

Ingredients for Tostadas:
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- taco seasoning (check out my taco seasoning from this blog here)
- 4 corn tortillas
- EVOO (for coating tortillas)
- 15 oz of pinto beans (drained if you're using them from a can)
- Feta Cheese
- Cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredients for Mexican Rice:
- 1 cup of jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
- 2 cups broth (chicken, beef or veggie will work just fine)
- 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of cilantro
- Dash of ground red pepper (if you want some extra spice)

For the Tostadas:
Preheat oven to 410 F

Cook ground beef; rinse; drain. Return to the skillet. Add in pinto beans and taco seasoning along with a 1/4 cup of water or so. This will help create a nice sauce for the ground beef and bean mixture. Let mixture come to a boil, then simmer it on low for five minutes or so, stirring periodically.

Meanwhile, lay corn tortillas out on a baking sheet. Coat both sides lightly with EVOO. Make sure the surface area of the tortillas are covered or the shells will turn out chewy instead of crunchy. Bake the shells for 5 min. on each side. When finished, top each shell with the ground beef/bean mixture. Then, top with feta. Bake in the oven for 3-5 additional minutes. Garnish with cilantro or any other toppings.

*I like using feta cheese in this dish because it's saltier than cheddar or mozzarella. It really brings out the flavor in the ground beef. 

For the Mexican rice:

In a skillet, on medium heat, stir jasmine rice and EVOO until the rice is puffy and golden, about 5 minutes. After that, add in the broth slowly and carefully (the rice and oil will begin to pop when you do this). Also add in tomato sauce, garlic, cumin, red pepper (optional). Stir rice so the ingredients blend together well. Wait for the rice to return to a boil, then cover the skillet and reduce to low heat. Let the rice simmer for 10 minutes or so. Stir in cilantro and let rice cook for 3-5 additional minutes or until the rice begins sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add extra salt if need be (I normally don't add much).

Delicioso!

 Molly

::Nourished:: - Meanderings on Hospitality

hos·pi·tal·i·ty noun \ˌhäs-pə-ˈta-lə-tē\:
:generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

:the activity of providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are the guests or customers of an organization.

Merriam-Webster defines hospitality as just that. The first time that I really even began to uncover and discover the meaning of hospitality was when I lived in my first apartment in college. Our apartment became a "hub," of sorts, a place for people to come and gather and eat, on many occasions. My roommates and I actually made it a priority to invite others over for dinner to our house. I'm going to say that this took place at least once a week, but much of the time, more often than that. I loved it. I loved hosting and cooking and being. I relished those moments.

However, as I began to discover the beauty of hospitality I also wondered if there might be more to it -- more than inviting people into a space and taking care of them, which is a lot in itself anyway. Last semester sometime, I was reading about hospitality for seminary and Henri Nouwen's insight about hospitality jumped off the page in his book, Reaching Out, he notes: "Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

Wow. Nouwen said, in words, what my brain was trying to figure out. As a person that still loves to cook, host and be, I simply keep Nouwen's words in mind when I do those things. While hospitality encompasses more than just hosting, cooking and being, this is the more specific form in which I like to practice it. So, if I ever invite you over to my house for supper, tea, or something of the like, know that I keep Nouwen's words in mind. 

In my home, when I host you or cook for you or talk with you, my hope is that you wouldn't just experience food, chatter and laughter. My hope is that the part in you that needs to be nourished the most is indeed nourished. My hope is that you would experience a peace and freedom that only true hospitality, Christian hospitality, and hospitality empowered by the Holy Spirit can provide. 

Radical Hospitality

One of the greatest privileges I enjoy is being at least 20 years old and a junior. Here is why...I get to live in the Warren Apartments at college! These are the apartments that they show you on your campus visit, and they are the apartments that most people dream about if they come to SC. Now, hear me out, the Warren apartments are actually really nice. They are not typical college apartments. They are spacious...2 bedrooms (with big closets, a must for girls), 1 1/2 baths, a nice living room, kitchen and dining room. By the time you are a junior, it's time to have a kitchen! Having a kitchen has been one of the best things ever! I have really discovered that I love to cook.

Also, another reason that I love living in the Warren apartments is because it allows my roommates and I to be able to participate in radical hospitality. Hospitality is one of my favorite things!

I.love.having.people.over.

I especially love cooking for people and having them come over for supper. One of the best places to spend time with people is around the table, sharing a meal. Really, it does not get more organic than that. There is something cool about getting to eat together. I love providing people with a healthy, home-cooked meal. As college students, we eat one-too-many cafeteria meals.

Also, our apartment is often the meeting room for worship, prayer and regular community life! We sing, play games, watch movies…everything. I absolutely love it. It really has made me think lately, though. What an easy way to bless people! Really. This is what life in community is all about. Blessing people. Ah, it makes my Spirit really joyful. God continually just keeps blessing our apartment with wonderful people. On Thursday, we are having some friends over from Cowley Community College…they are excited for a home-cooked meal, and I am excited to bless them!

This is what it’s about. Mmm.