Category Archives: Cooking for Pregnancy

Chocolate Pinot Noir Cupcakes with Strawberry Compote Filling & Dark Chocolate Frosting – Recipe

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Chocolate Pinoir Noir Cupcake with strawberry compote

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup organic sweet cream unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large organic eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups pinot noir
  • 2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup King Arthur self-rising flour
  • 1½ cups cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
  • 16 ounces organic fresh strawberries, diced into 1-inch pieces  (about 2 cups after diced)
  • ½ cup pinot noir
  • ½ cup sugar
For the frosting:
  • ½ cup organic sweet cream butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup organic heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
Directions:
For the cupcakes:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard cupcake tins with 20 paper liners.
  • Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed in a large bowl.
  • Slowly add in eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed until combined.
  • Reduce speed to low and add vanilla extract and pinot noir.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Using a large spoon, fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tooth-pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes. While cupcakes are cooling, start Strawberry Compote Filling.
For the filling:
  • In a medium saucepan, heat straw-berries, pinot noir, and sugar over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
  • Once sugar is dissolved, bring heat up to high and bring mixture to a boil.
  • Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
  • Strawberry mixture should be reduced by half and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
For the frosting:
  • With a hand or stand mixer, beat softened butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low for 1 minute.
  • Add heavy whipping cream and beat on low for 1 minute.
  • Slowly add the cocoa powder and the rest of the powdered sugar and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy.
  • Once cool, poke small holes in each cupcake, using a circle pastry tip or an apple corer. Insert one tablespoon of the Strawberry Compote Filling into each cupcake. Gently pipe each cupcake with Dark Chocolate Frosting. Garnish with a heaping spoonful of Strawberry Compote Filling on top.
2016 Valerie Renèe

 

 

Pink Champagne Cupcakes with Vanilla & Champagne Buttercream Frosting – Recipe

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Pink Champagne Cupcake
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup organic sweet cream butter, softened
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup dry champagne
  • ¼ cup organic sour cream
  • ¾ cup King Arthur Organic all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup King Arthur self-rising flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5–7 drops red food coloring (or until desired color)
For the buttercream:
  • ½ cup organic sweet cream butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup dry champagne
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • Pink sugar, for garnish
Directions:
For the cupcakes:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard cupcake tins with 15 paper liners.
  • Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed in a large bowl.
  • Slowly add in eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed until combined.
  • Reduce speed to low and add vanilla extract, champagne, and sour cream.
  • In a separate bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Slowly add in red food coloring until the batter turns the desired shade of pink.
  • Using a large spoon, fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes.
For the buttercream:
  • With a hand or stand mixer, beat softened butter and vanilla extract together on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Slowly add half of the dry champagne, and then add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat on low for 1 minute.
  • Slowly add the remaining champagne and powdered sugar alternately until everything is combined.
  • Gradually increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy.
  • Gently pipe each cupcake with buttercream. Garnish with pink sugar.
2016 Valerie Renèe

Valerie Renèe’s Monkey Bread – Recipe

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Ingredients:

2 cups organic whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup organic sweet cream butter or shortening
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
5 cups organic all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup organic sweet cream butter, melted

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Scald milk: Bring nearly to a boil, heating only until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges of pan. Remove from heat. Stir in shortening and sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

Stir in yeast mixture and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth.

Transfer dough to a bowl brushed with oil, turning once to coat dough with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 or 3 hours.

Add remaining ingredients except for the butter. Knead 4-5 minutes. Allow the dough to rise for another hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 1/2 cup butter and allow to cool slightly. Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the butter for a little extra sweetness.

Dust a work surface well with flour. Turn dough out and roll into 1 1/2″ to 2″ diameter balls. Dip the dough balls into the slightly cooled, melted butter.

Arrange in layers in a Bundt pan, tube, or monkey bread pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, Run a blunt knife along edges of bread to free it from the pan. Remove, upside-down, from pan onto serving dish.

Best served while still warm from oven.

Copyright 2005 Valerie Renèe

 

Honey Oatmeal Bread – Recipe

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Honey Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup Quaker rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup organic honey
  • 2 tablespoons organic sweet cream butter
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 2 tablespoons organic honey, warmed slightly
  • 2 tablespoons Quaker rolled oats

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, oats, 1/2 cup honey, butter and salt. Let stand for 1 hour.
  2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  3. Pour the yeast mixture into the oat mixture. Add 2 cups of flour; mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  4. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
  5. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from pans, brush tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with oats.

Blog Update 01/17 – The 411

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baby - ivf egg and sperm

My embryos are growing in a lab and awaiting Mommy to come get them and nestle them inside ! Tomorrow at 10:30 am, I have acupuncture and then at 11:30 am, Dr. Kiltz is going to transfer embryos to my womb.

Today, I got up as usual and started my injection and pill swallowing regimen.  I then learned that a friend, Comedian Joe Torry is flying in to Syracuse and performing tonight at Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant at Destiny USA.   My mom and I went there this morning to see Will Packer and Tim Story’s new film Ride Along 2.   The movie was really good.  After the movie, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

Tonight, I am going to go back to Destiny USA for Joe’s comedy show.  It should be a lot of fun.  I tried to get my mother to come along, but she has declined to go.  She only likes a handful of comedians because she says they do a lot of cursing and the majority of their content is about sex or vulgar.  lol

In family news, my sister who lives in North Carolina and my little mini me niece drove up to my other sister’s house in Northern Virginia/DC area for the impending birth of our niece’s baby. My niece is finally having some contractions and her mucus plug came out last night or early this morning.  By the time I get back to the DC area, I will be a great-auntie !  Not sure I like that title… I am not even a mother yet…

This week is going to be a stressful one. My mother will get the results of her CT Scan on Thursday at her appointment with her Oncologist.  We are praying that she gets an all clear, despite the fact that she is acting like she expects them to find something.

I would love to hear from you ladies as to what you feel I should do if I have more than two embryos tomorrow.  I am torn still as to how many to transfer back.  As far as I know, I have three, three day embryos.  I am not sure if I should transfer two and hope for the best, or transfer all the embryos.  My dilemma is, if I transfer three, then I will have no embryos left and will have to do another cycle with another donor since my current donor is no longer cycling.  I do have another donor that I like, but she does not look like me and is much lighter in complexion than I.  If I transfer two, then I would have one to freeze, if it is of quality to freeze, and transfer later.  The only concern there is that the embryo may not be good enough to freeze and also that even if frozen, does not guarantee that it will survive the thaw.

If I transfer all three, and none of them stick, then I have to start all over again.  The new donor would have to do a fresh cycle instead of a frozen one.  There are no donors in the frozen bank that I like.

Why does this have to be so darned complicated?   If only all of the eggs would have made embryos, then I would have two transfers worth of embryos or even three if I did two at a time.  Then again, that would all depend on them making it to freeze and thawing properly.

I definitely want twins, however, I do not want triplets.  My mom wants me to have triplets… not sure why that is even a thought in her head, given how she knows I have no tolerance for a lot of foolishness and just a little bit of patience. Two will be a lot of work, but I am mentally prepared for it.  I just can not see myself with three kids. Whoa !

Prayers needed tomorrow and please weigh in with your thoughts ~

 

Val’s Paleo Omelet Muffins – Recipe

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Paleo Omlet Muffin

Ingredients:

  • 8 large organic eggs
  • 8 ounces cooked ham, crumbled
  • 1 cup diced organic red bell pepper
  • 1 cup diced organic sweet onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons bottled water

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
  2. Beat eggs together in a large bowl. Mix ham, bell pepper, onion, salt, black pepper, and water into the beaten eggs. Pour egg mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until muffins are set in the middle, 18 to 20 minutes.

 

Swedish Cured Pork Loin – Recipe

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Swedish Cured Pork Roast

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast
  • 4 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

  1. Rinse meat well and pat dry. Place in a glass dish large enough to hold it. In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, cumin, pepper and cardamom. Mix well and rub liberally over the entire roast. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
  2. Preheat an outdoor grill for indirect heat and lightly oil grate.
  3. Remove roast from the refrigerator and discard any juices in the dish. Rinse meat well and pat dry.
  4. Grill over indirect low heat for about 1 hour, or until internal pork temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).