So yesterday was Canada Day and again, the LSC had the day off. I like it when he has days off. It’s nice having him around the house on weekday afternoons. Anyway, I spent most of the holiday being a food-preparing fiend.

I have more or less designated Wednesdays to be Baking Wednesdays; the day where I find something I want to try or just really sounds good. Well, after my earlier bread debacle, I found a somewhat simpler bread recipe that might have suited my needs better. The recipe already tells you that this is a dense bread so if it turned out dense, it wouldn’t be a disappointing shock. I know the LSC said he liked the last loaf of bread I made but I don’t believe him.

Also I made the recipe into mini-loaves instead of two regular size ones. And yes, the bread turned pretty okay, much better than last time.

There are times in any home cook’s life where a seemingly simplistic recipe turns into something so tasty, so magical, you start to pat yourself on the back profusely. The pasta recipe I made for dinner last night is one of those times.

Now I don’t usually go in for ham—more of my food issues—but we got this from a butcher at the farmer’s market. Sliced just thickly enough, at least we know where this pig was from.

The closest approximation this dish has is Spaghetti Carbonara (one of my all time favorites) and heck, now that I think about it, you could easily make it that way. I know this dish won’t appeal to my vegetarian friends but for my carnivore ones, I think you should make this. You could not be sorry, no how.

And of course, you gotta have dessert!

Y’know, when I was single, I hardly ever bought ice cream. When I did, it was usually those small Ben & Jerry’s pints, but they always lasted too long. (I can already a few people screaming: “Are you nuts!?”) By the time, I got around to finishing them up or wanting to, they’d developed a caul of crystals. And don’t get me wrong, I totally dig ice cream but it always seemed like a luxury item for me. So: summer in a new place and a husband who never lets anything to go waste has me resolved to eat more ice cream.

Of course, the resolution to eat more ice cream makes me glad that at least I exercise. You can’t have one without the other, right? I liked this ice cream “cake.” The only thing I would have changed about it was the ice cream I used to fill in the crust. It was chocolate-caramel—which I know sounds like a totally awesome thing and it is—but along with the chocolate-y crunchy crust, it was utterly rich. If you’re into that sort of thing, go for it. Me, next time I think I’ll sub a fruity ice cream or just plain ole vanilla. Oh, and I also came up with idea of maybe making the crust sort of like a giant Rice Krispies treat (!!).

Oatmeal Bread

adapted from “More-With-Less” by Doris Janzen Longacre (Mennonite Publishing)

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, divided

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbl. salt

2 tbl. butter

1 package yeast

2 to 3 cups bread flour or AP flour

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and butter. Add 2 cups boiling water and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

When oat mixture is cooled, add yeast mixture and stir in remaining 2 cups whole-wheat flour. Add 2 cups AP flour, a cup at a time, stirring well to incorporate. Add more flour, just until it is stiff enough to handle. Turn onto a floured board and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. The bread should still be soft but not excessively sticky.

Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and knead briefly. Divide in half and shape into 2 loaves. Place loaves in two greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Let rise until puffy and filled out; 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When bread has risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove loaves from pans and cool on rack.

Pasta with Sauteed Country Ham, Apples and Pecans

adapted from “An American Bounty”, Louis Wallach (Rizzoli)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. country ham, julienned

1 tsp. salt

1/2 fettuccine or linguine

1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, thinly sliced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Toast the pecans by cooking in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Do not let scorch. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, add salt and dry pasta to boiling water and follow package directions for cooking time. Add the apple and cream to the skillet and simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens slightly, 5 to 6 minutes. Add pepper and keep the mixture warm. When pasta is tender to the bite, drain in an colander. Add pasta to the skillet and toss gently over low heat until it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve at once. Garnish with the pecans.

Ice Cream Pie

from Real Simple magazine

8 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate, melted

4 cups Rice Krispies

2 pints ice cream of your choice, slightly softened

In a large bowl, combine the chocolate and cereal until the cereal is completely coated. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze until just firm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Spread the ice cream in the prepared crust and freeze, covered, until firm, for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.