stephanies slice of life | Stephanie's Slice Of Life

Tag: stephanies slice of life
- Parker’s Maple Barn
  
  Posted at 10:52 am by StephMo
  
  Feb 25th
  
  I have been going to this restaurant off the beaten path in Mason, NH since I was a young child. This is another one of those places that I have no idea how my parents found out about it, as it was not close to home. This maple barn is about an hour and 15 minutes from Boston, and you would never find it unless you were looking for it. While I loved the food and seeing the unique restaurant itself, I always dreaded going because my parents would leave so early to get there. This is a very popular place and there can be quite a long wait, which my parents always tried to avoid by getting there when it opened. Obviously even pre-internet the word got around about this fantastic little spot.
  
  I hadn’t been in quite a few years and decided on a breakfast date with my husband. Unlike my parents who could only go on weekends, we went during the week and did not have to wait very long for a table.
  
  Outside you will find little covered bridges and other things to walk around and look at while you are waiting. They also have a sugar house open in March where you can see how they have been turning their maple sap into maple syrup for over 50 years.
  
  When you enter the rustic barn restaurant you will be greeted by the smell and sound of wood stoves crackling, along with a barn full of antique farm pieces. My favorite are the tables made with antique cow stanchions that were once used when milking. Of course I love these since I love all things old, repurposed, and unique. If only I could figure out a way to sneak one out 😉
  
  For this trip my husband and I both tried the Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes to be a little healthier, which were really good. I was a little skeptical about buckwheat, but I have to say I really enjoyed them. In the past I have tried their other pancakes which were even better.
  
  I hardly ever use maple syrup, and never on pancakes. I figured I would give it a try since they make their own, and after trying it I kept finding myself adding a little more onto my pancakes. Wow, it is really good, and I don’t think I have ever said that about maple syrup. The next time we go I might have to buy some. When ordering pancakes everyone gets their own little “nip” size bottle of syrup to use and take home. Let me tell you, those little bottles did not go to waste at my house.
  
  Even though the pancakes were more than enough for breakfast, I wanted to try a side of something as well. I ordered the corned beef hash and while I like hash, I’m not usually one to eat much of it. This hash was so good that I admit I ate a little more than I probably should have. I really had to use willpower to stop myself from eating it it all.
  
  I mean look at that, right? My husband also ordered an omelet that he really enjoyed.
  
  As March is the busy time for them with tapping trees and making syrup, make sure to take a trip to this wonderful barn soon and experience a little taste of history, and REALLY good maple syrup.
  
  Posted in Blog Posts, Parker's Maple Barn, Restaurants | Tagged food blog, food blogger, maple syrup tapping, pancake restaurant, parker's maple barn, stephanies slice of life
- Hummingbird Cake
  
  Posted at 9:17 am by StephMo
  
  Aug 2nd
  A Hummingbird Cake isn’t one that many people have heard of, myself included until a few years ago. While I knew that a friend of mine always requests this on her birthday, I had never tried it and wasn’t even really sure what type of cake it was. I was thinking about baking something new and decided to give this cake a try, and I’m so glad I did!
  
  After looking on-line at different recipes I realized the base of the cake seemed very similar to the base of my favorite carrot cake recipe, so I decided to work off of that. The other main ingredients of a Hummingbird Cake are bananas, pineapple, and walnuts. My family has nut allergies so the walnuts were instantly eliminated from the ingredients. However, if you are not allergic I would imagine some chopped walnuts would make a delicious addition to the cake.
  
  Cake Ingredients:
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  3 extra large eggs (room temperature)
  
  1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  
  1 tsp. vanilla
  
  2 cups flour (plus 1 tbsp)
  
  2 tsp. cinnamon
  
  2 tsp. baking soda
  
  1 1/2 tsp. salt
  
  8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
  
  2 ripe bananas, mashed
  
  Grease and flour two round cake pans. Set aside.
  
  In a large mixing bowl beat the sugar, eggs, and oil on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
  
  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  
  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine well with an electric mixer on low speed. The batter will be thick.
  
  In a third bowl mash together the bananas and pineapple. Stir in to the batter.
  
  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  
  Let cool on wire racks before removing from pans.
  
  Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
  
  8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
  
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  
  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  
  3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  
  With an electric mixer on low speed cream the butter and cream cheese together.
  
  Add vanilla and combine.
  
  Add confectioners sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.
  
  Start frosting!
  
  Once the cake is frosted keep refrigerated. Enjoy!
  Hummingbird Cake
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  2 cups sugar
  3 extra large eggs, room temperature
  1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  1 tsp. vanilla
  2 cups flour
  2 tsp. cinnamon
  2 tsp. baking soda
  1 1/2 tsp. salt
  2 bananas, mashed
  8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
  8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour two round cake pans.
  In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and oil and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
  In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while beating on low speed with the electric mixer. The batter will be thick.
  In a third bowl mash together the bananas and pineapple. Stir in to the batter.
  Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 20 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  Cool in pans on wire racks before frosting.
  For frosting, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter and cream cheese until well mixed and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.
  Posted in Cakes, Hummingbird Cake | Tagged banana cake, cake, cake recipe, cream cheese frosting, food blog, food blogger, hummingbird cake, hummingbird cake recipe, spice cake recipe, stephanies slice of life
- Boston’s Swan Boats
  
  Posted at 8:45 am by StephMo
  
  Jun 16th
  
  If you have never been to the Swan Boats in Boston you must add it to you bucket list. The Swan Boats are in the Boston Public Gardens which is a tranquil little oasis nestled in the middle of the city. I have been taking rides on these old wooden boats since I was a child, as my mother had since she was a child. I don’t believe there are any other swan boats other than those located in Boston, but I could be wrong.
  
  The Public Gardens were built next to Boston Common in 1837. While Boston Common is a lovely park, in my opinion it is nothing compared to the Public Gardens. While the two parks are next to each other, I never walk through the Common unless cutting through, however I do walk around the Public Garden multiple times a year. In 1877 a catamaran type boat with a foot paddle was created and a swan was built to hide the operator and the Swan Boats were born. They have been run by the same family since the creation and were designated a Boston landmark in 2011.
  
  Recently I was having lunch with a friend from out of town that mentioned she hoped to some day really see Boston. I asked if she had an hour or two for me to kidnap her and bring her to one of my favorite spots in the city. We zipped into Beacon Hill and with a couple of circles around the Public Gardens, found a parking spot. As if Beacon Hill isn’t beautiful enough as is, when you step through the old black wrought iron gates into the Public Garden you are taken to a different world. While you can still hear the hustle and bustle of the city, you forget it’s there.
  
  You walk along the paved paths lined by many different varieties of trees, which I have always taken for granted not realizing what a treat this is for someone that doesn’t live in the area. Depending on the time of year you are treated by amazing beds of tulips, roses, and many other beautiful flowers.
  
  I would say the flowers have gotten a little better over the years. Well, at least cameras have as well as my outfits!
  
  Then in the middle of this wonderful park is the little man made pond graced with the old wooden boats peddled by a swan. Well, a person sitting in a swan.
  
  After you pay the whopping $4.50 for a ticket, you will embark on your tranquil ride around the pond. At one end of the pond you will be paddled around a little island and if you have ever read Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, you will know that this is the island Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decided to make their nest.
  
  No matter which part of the pond you are on there is never a shortage of ducks ready to greet you.
  
  You are no longer permitted to feed the ducks, but when I was a child there were vendors selling little brown bags of peanuts for feeding the ducks. You can see a little bag in my hand in the next photo. You can also see the boats appear to be the same boats used today except they were covered with canopies.
  
  The next time you are in Boston, make a point to take a stroll through this beautiful spot and take a ride on the swans 🦢
  
  Posted in Blog Posts, Boston's Swan Boats | Tagged boston, boston sight seeing, boston swan boats, boston tourism, lifestyle blogger, stephanies slice of life, things to do in boston, things to see in boston
- Turning the Page
  
  Posted at 10:25 am by StephMo
  
  May 1st
  
  We awake in the store with volumes abound
  
  The day decided by the genre we take down
  
  Oh, how we wish we had time to peruse
  
  As some have happy endings and others leave us confused
  
  Will this story be another left with a dog-eared page?
  
  On the nightstand with the others to finish another day
  
  The stories have all been written while the endings are yet to be told
  
  We turn the pages eager to see what wonderful things will unfold
  
  Some we never expected to take such a twist
  
  What started a happy tale has left us amiss
  
  Do we finish the story, should we muddle through?
  
  Or reach for another and start anew
  
  Adding this to the pile of unfinished books
  
  Whose endings never turned out as good as they looked
  
  S.M.
  
  Posted in Poems | Tagged blogger, lifestyle blogger, my poems, poem, poetry, stephanies slice of life
- Window Panes
  
  Posted at 7:39 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 31st
  
  They say the eyes are the windows to the soul
  
  The windows we only ever peak inside
  
  More drawn we are to the colors of the trim
  
  So focused on the facade we never see within
  
  Do we ever really see what lays behind
  
  Those clouded windows that once would shine
  
  Panes now coated from years of harsh weather
  
  That despite those tiny cracks remain together
  
  If we were to wipe away all the years of grime
  
  Through those panes we would now find
  
  Memories neatly stacked high upon shelves
  
  Meant to remain hidden not just from others, but from ourselves
  
  S.M.
  
  Posted in Poems | Tagged blogger, poem, poetry, poetry blog, stephanies slice of life, window panes poem
- Sprinkles Blondie Bars
  
  Posted at 4:52 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 5th
  If you aren’t in the mood for chocolate, then give these buttery, sugary, chewy, yummy Blondie bars a try. They are not really a cookie bar, they are more of the consistency of a chewy brownie. You can absolutely make this recipe without the sprinkles, but don’t the sprinkles just make them look happier! 😅
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 cups brown sugar
  
  1 cup butter, melted
  
  2 eggs, room temperature
  
  2 tsp. vanilla
  
  1 3/4 cup flour
  
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9″ x 9″ or 13″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  
  Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Combine with the brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
  
  Look at all that butter! Yum! Brown sugar and butter just go so well together.
  
  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well until smooth.
  
  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add to the butter mixture until well combined.
  
  Then…..stir in the sprinkles!
  
  Spread the batter into the greased pan and sprinkle some additional sprinkles on top. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  
  Let cool before cutting. The nice thing about using aluminum foil is you can just lift it out of the pan and it makes it much easier to cut.
  Sprinkles Blondie Bars
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  2 cups brown sugar
  1 cup butter, melted
  2 large eggs, room temperature
  2 tsp. vanilla
  1 3/4 cups flour
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13" pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well until smooth.
  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to butter mixture and combine well. Stir in sprinkles.
  Spread into greased pan and top with additional sprinkles. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  Cool before cutting.
  Posted in Cookies, Sprinkle Blondie Bars | Tagged bar recipes, blondie bars, blondie bars recipe, blondies, blondies recipe, food blog, food blogger, rainbow sprinkles bars, Recipes, sprinkle blondie bars, sprinkles blondie bars, stephanies slice of life
- Chicken Pot Pie
  
  Posted at 7:14 pm by StephMo
  
  Dec 14th
  
  Pot pie is such a classic comfort food isn’t it? I’ve made it a few different ways over the years and this is the way I have made it the most, and most recently. This pie is actually a turkey pot pie with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving that I had in the freezer. Normally I would cook chicken breast for this, but since I had the turkey why not make it into a pot pie.
  
  Let me just come clean right now and say that I cheated and used a pre-made pie crust for this pot pie. And I don’t feel bad even though my family always teases me when I use pre-made crust. As I have mentioned before, pie crust is not my favorite thing to make and after a busy day I just prefer to use something already made. Still tastes delicious!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Pie crust
  
  2 tbsp. butter
  
  1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
  
  2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
  
  3 cups chicken broth
  
  1/3 cup flour
  
  1/4 cup half and half
  
  Salt
  
  Pepper
  
  Dried thyme
  
  Onion powder
  
  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peas and carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
  
  Add the chicken and cook for another minute.
  
  Add the flour and stir well, then cook for another minute.
  
  Add the chicken broth and bring to a low boil for about 3 minutes until it starts to thicken.
  
  Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme to taste. I don’t measure it out, I just shake some in the pot.
  
  Add the half and half and continue cooking at a low boil until it thickens.
  
  Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before pouring into a pie dish.
  
  Top with your pie crust, homemade or store bought.
  
  If you would like, brush the crust with an egg wash. To make an egg wash mix a beaten egg with 1-2 tbsp. of water and brush over the crust. Use a knife and put a few slits in the crust as well to let the steam escape.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees on a foil lined cookie sheet for around 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the pie is bubbly.
  
  Serve and enjoy!
  
  Posted in Chicken Pot Pie, Dinners | Tagged chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie recipe, food blog, food blogger, leftover turkey recipes, Recipes, stephanies slice of life, turkey pot pie, turkey pot pie recipe
- Italian Cold Cut Calzone
  
  Posted at 12:07 pm by StephMo
  
  Oct 17th
  
  When you think of calzone you probably think of Italian Cold Cut Calzone. It is one of those classic calzones you always see on a menu where calzones are sold. It is also a calzone that tends to differ depending on who is making it. My version is a very simple combination of Italian meats and cheese. I have tried different variations but in the end this is the way we like it.
  
  Calzone is something people often only think about serving for a party or gathering, but calzone can be a wonderful dinner if you serve it with a side salad. If you can make homemade pizza, you can make homemade calzone.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Pizza Dough
  
  1/4 lb. Capocolla Ham
  
  1/4 lb. Genoa Salami
  
  1/4 lb. Black Forest Ham
  
  1/4 lb. Provolone cheese
  
  If you would like to make your own pizza dough you can find my recipe here https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/?s=pizza+dough, or you can use store bought dough if you prefer.
  
  Roll out the dough into an oval.
  
  Start layering your ingredients while leaving some space on the edges.
  
  As I mentioned you can use whichever Italian cold cuts and cheeses you like, this is the combination that my family and myself prefer. It’s a really good combination! Trust me!
  
  Gently fold the long sides of the dough inward, then fold the edges in. Press the seams to ensure the dough is sealed. Putting a little water on your fingers will help with sealing the seams.
  
  Flip the calzone over onto a greased cookie sheet. If you like you can brush with an egg wash, which is a slightly beaten egg combined with an equal amount of water. I also like some sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
  
  Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the calzone is brown and hard when tapped. I personally prefer a softer calzone so I don’t cook mine as long as you may want to.
  
  Oh my goodness, so yummy!
  
  Posted in Breads, Dinners, Italian Cold Cut Calzone | Tagged calzone, calzone recipe, food blog, food blogger, homemade calzone, italian calzone, italian calzone recipe, italian cold cut calzone, Recipes, stephanies slice of life
- Easy Nachos
  
  Posted at 3:30 pm by StephMo
  
  Oct 6th
  
  Who doesn’t love nachos? They are the perfect food to eat while watching a football game right? Well that is what I gathered from my husband’s puppy dog eyes as he mentioned how one of his clients had said he was going to be having nachos for the Patriots game last night. Despite his insincere “oh no you don’t have to make nachos”, I made nachos. I am not complaining because they were a yummy treat!
  
  Let me start by saying I did not make gourmet nachos with all homemade ingredients. I made easy, no frills, but delicious nachos. I know making nachos may seem like a simple thing to do, which it is, but in case you have never made them I thought I would share how I make nachos.
  
  If I were making these for company I might make my own guacamole https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/?s=guacamole, maybe use homemade pulled pork https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/?s=pulled+pork, a combination of fancy cheeses, a better looking presentation, etc. The beauty of nachos is that you can make them however you like!
  
  Last night I decided to use the following ingredients:
  
  Tortilla chips
  
  Shredded cheddar cheese
  
  Queso
  
  Ground turkey (or beef)
  
  Taco seasoning
  
  Lettuce, chopped
  
  Tomatoes, chopped
  
  Black beans
  
  Sliced black olives
  
  Banana peppers, chopped
  
  Jalapenos
  
  Sour Cream
  
  Guacamole
  
  I cooked ground turkey until no longer pink in a frying pan, drained the grease, and added the taco seasoning and water (follow instructions on the package). Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. You can also use shredded cooked chicken mixed with the taco seasoning if you’d like.
  
  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread a layer of tortilla chips covering the sheet.
  
  Add shredded cheese on top of the chips. You can use as much or as little as you like.
  
  Spread half of the taco meat on top of the chips.
  
  Add another layer of chips and more shredded cheese. I don’t know about you but I like nachos stacked.
  
  Now add the rest of the meat, the olives and black beans. My son doesn’t like beans or olives so I had to leave a section without. I then added some queso on top as well. You can never have too much cheese!
  
  Bake at 375 degrees until the shredded cheese melts.
  
  Then top with the remaining ingredients and that’s it!
  
  Since not everyone in my family likes sour cream and guacamole, I served it on the side.
  
  Posted in Appetizers, Easy Nachos | Tagged Comfort Food, easy nachos recipe, food blog, food blogger, game day foods, game day recipes, loaded nachos, nachos, nachos recipe, quick nachos recipe, Recipes, stacked nachos, stephanies slice of life
- Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
  
  Posted at 10:52 am by StephMo
  
  Aug 4th
  
  I can officially say this is my favorite cake, and not just my favorite cake recipe, but my favorite cake. It is better than a bakery. While it is very time consuming to make, it is completely worth it. Unfortunately the vintage lighting in my Maine cottage was not very good for photos 🙁
  
  Carrot cake was my wedding cake and every year on our anniversary we would buy a carrot cake from the same bakery. When they stopped offering to bake the cake without walnuts, instead of looking for another bakery I decided I would just bake a carrot cake for our anniversary. HUGE thank you to that bakery because this cake is so much better! Now every year on our anniversary we have this cake.
  
  Even though I do not use walnuts you can absolutely add them to this recipe if you choose. I also only use 1/2 cup raisins because no one in my family likes raisins except me. If you enjoy a carrot cake with more raisins you can increase that to 1 cup.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  3 extra large eggs (room temperature)
  
  1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  
  1 tsp. vanilla
  
  2 cups flour (plus 1 tbsp)
  
  2 tsp. cinnamon
  
  2 tsp. baking soda
  
  1 1/2 tsp. salt
  
  1 lb. carrots grated
  
  1/2 cup raisins
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two 9″ round cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment paper.
  
  Peel the carrots and grate them using the fine side of a hand grater, you do not want the carrots shredded. Once grated put them aside. This is my least favorite part of making this cake, and pretty much the only reason I don’t make this cake more often.
  
  In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and oil and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
  
  Stir in the vanilla.
  
  In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  
  Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while beating on low speed with the electric mixer. The batter will be thick.
  
  In a third bowl combine 1 tbsp. of flour with the carrots and raisins and mix well. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cakes.
  
  Have you noticed the vintage Pyrex bowls yet? These were my mother’s, I love everything vintage.
  
  Stir the carrot mixture into the cake batter and pour into prepared pans.
  
  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  
  Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
  
  Once the cakes are cool it is time to frost these delicious cakes with cream cheese frosting!
  
  Cream Cheese Frosting:
  
  1 stick of butter softened (1/2 cup)
  
  1 8 oz. block of cream cheese softened
  
  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  
  3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more per taste)
  
  Using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter and cream cheese until well mixed and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the powdered sugar.
  
  You may like the frosting sweeter and if so, just add a little more powdered sugar.
  
  Place one of the cakes upside down on a dish or cake stand and start frosting the middle.
  
  Place the second cake round side up on top of the first cake and finish frosting.
  
  Make sure to keep the cake covered and refrigerated.
  
  Then eat, and repeat! Yum!
  
  Posted in Cakes, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Tagged baking from scratch, blog, blogger, cake, cake recipe, carrot cake, carrot cake recipe, cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting recipe, food blogger, from scratch, home baked, homemade, Recipes, stephanies slice of life
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