Tag Archives: high altitude

Snacks & Appetizers

jalapeño poppers

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I went to the other end of our house while these were baking and when I came back, whoa, was the air filled with jalapeño scent! Sounds a little overpowering, but if you like this kind of food, it was mouth-watering. Haha, think Scentsy has “Jalapeño” yet? :)

I left the stems on just so the filling didn’t go over all over the baking sheet, but a few of them spilled over a little anyway. It wasn’t bad. Next time, I might not fill them quite so over-full and also place them closer together to prop each other up.

Don’t skip the bread crumbs – it helps hold it all together and makes the best little crunch on top! I didn’t have any so I crushed up some mini toasts and that worked marvelously.

We decided this was a keeper recipe! Print it .

Oh, and p.s. we discovered they’re totally fine reheated in the microwave, but it was best when we would refrigerate the filling & peppers and then make fresh every time. Enjoy!

Sweets: Breads & Muffins

high-altitude raspberry muffins

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Definitely worthy of blogging about! These muffins were created for our altitude of almost 10,000 feet but the cookbook has adjustments for 3 different levels of lower elevations as well.

It’s best to eat these the first day due to the fresh fruit inside, but we ate leftovers for a couple days and they were okay – just not as scrumptious!

From the cookbook Pie in the Sky, they are originally called “Mom’s Blueberry Muffins.” The author talks about the unlimited variations these muffins can withstand – you can combine different types of berries or use blueberries and peach or nectarine slices, or sliced plums and raspberries.

Print the recipe .

Breads

sarah’s pizza dough

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To my recollection, I’ve only ever used 2 pizza dough recipes – at all altitudes. And they were both from friends in Peru years ago! This one is Sarah’s. It is the one I don’t use as much but it is the simplest. An extremely easy pizza dough recipe if you need something with few ingredients and quick!

Did I mention it is practically foolproof? :)

Also, here is a trick to getting it onto the pizza pan:

Once it’s rolled out,

Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and hold over the pan.

Now roll out across the pan. Reshape if needed. That’s it!

What are you favorite pizza toppings? I think, currently, mine are: tomato, green pepper, pepperoni & onion. I LOVE tomato on pizza!

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Breads, Snacks & Appetizers

whole wheat “easy cheesy” crackers

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It may seem obvious but the motto of cracker making should be “the thinner the better.” I’ve made various cracker recipes that perhaps will eventually make it to the blog, but here’s one that we really liked! We even ate the “too thick” ones.

I did one batch in pretty flower shapes and then said, “Forget this!” and moved on to the efficient method. :)

Of course, the USA is the ruling nation on variety, right? 50 different types of everything on the shelves. Well, in Ecuador we don’t have that and that’s okay…but every once in a while I miss things likes Triscuits, Wheat Thins, etc. So, hello! Make your own variety!

This really is an easy recipe (at any elevation) in the whole line of cracker recipes, so give it a try…

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Breads, Breakfast

breckenridge biscuits

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I’m obsessed with my I bought a couple months ago, specifically about high-altitude baking. I mean, I read it like a novel.

The author-cook {} talks all about her trials with cooking at various elevations and I’m just over here nodding through it all. It’s been a joke these last few years to bake things properly, no matter what I try!

Well, I’m done trying to adjust my own sea level recipes. I’m all about following hers to the T, because they’ve been 100% successful so far.

These biscuits are now a permanently saved & hand-copied-onto-a-notecard recipe that I will always use here in Quito. They are just as fluffy-wonderful as they would be in Eugene, Oregon.

The author is incredibly thorough and detailed in each recipe, giving notes on elevations of 0; 3000; 5000; 7500 and 10,000 feet. My printable version will only show the 10,000 ingredients & instructions. If you live anywhere above sea level, seriously buy this book. And, no, the author has not asked for an endorsement nor even knows I exist. I told you I was obsessed. ;)

 

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Sweets: Cookies & Bars

Happy Valentine’s 2015!

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Basically all my cookbooks and websites are “Americanized,” right? I can’t get the majority of ingredients favorite recipes call for, so I have to plan far in advance for treats like this.

I came back from our latest Stateside trip with white chocolate chips and cinnamon oil… we had already brought the Red Hots down. :) That’s how much I wanted to make these, I know I have funny priorities…

I didn’t change a thing from I had pinned ages ago. The cinnamon really “dies down” in the ocean of white chocolate so it shouldn’t be too spicy for anyone. It was a grand combination.

Hope you all have a great February 14th tomorrow and enjoy your loved ones to the max. xoxo

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Sweets: Cookies & Bars

ritz-rolo cookies

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Okay, I made these a long time ago and got other people hooked on them, too… so this is a must-share!

There are no Rolos in Ecuador that I know of, buuuut I had Mike bring down a bag on his last Stateside trip a few weeks ago so I totally need to make these again soon.

I couldn’t find where I found these originally so I went on a hunt. I’m annoyingly careful about giving credit where its due but it’s also in turn annoying to find blog after blog that credits the next that credits the next, etc. I THINK the original creator was ‘s? Good grief. This is why I like cookbooks. Oh I miss my cookbooks…

Anyway! I’m not kidding about these! All skeptics shut their mouths after they experience the perfect blend of chocolate-y sweet and cracker-y salty. Plus, I only share recipes I like on here, so just trust me.

All you do is:

  1. Preheat to 350 F.
  2. Place crackers (salty side down) on baking sheet.
  3. Put a rolo in center of each cracker.
  4. Bake in oven until soft enough to easily squish down but not too melted or that just gets messy.
  5. Remove from oven and place another cracker (salty side up) on each. 
  6. Press down until Rolo reaches edge of cracker.

You can even make one at a time, but who would do that. ;) You need at least 20 at a time, ha.

One note – the couple times I made these we preferred them hardening for much longer than says (till they’re cool). It really can be eaten at any time, but we enjoyed it more after several hours (I know, torture, right). Whatever you prefer!

P.S. These will totally work for high-altitude dwellers. Nothing to it!

Breakfast

high-altitude glazed cinnamon scones

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As usual, I have included the original sea level notes in my printable recipe below, so this is for everyone!

Just to give you a little picture of what’s happening at the moment… I’m currently sitting at my computer, feeling the floor (and maybe the walls) literally shake. If you have ever lived in South America, you probably have experienced their version of partying. It’s almost 10:00, it started over an hour ago and it will probably go on for a couple more hours at least. Someone (I don’t know if just a neighbor or if the guards were called) is banging repeatedly on their door but to no avail. Besides the cultural differences which has been already written about in many books, I think I have just always been an old soul. How does anyone have the energy to scream and stomp and scream and cheer and holler and dance for so many hours to music crashing through most floors of this tall apartment building?

Update later: the party lasted almost 5 hours and multiple people tried to get them to stop. I didn’t call the guards because I knew it was futile, but I would have if they had woken the baby. Thank goodness they didn’t. He and Mike slept like…babies. ;) This is different than when we lived in Arequipa, Peru – we were told by our neighbors (after other neighbors partied all night) that if one called the police, the police would tell the “guilty” who called them. This would endanger them depending on the situation so no one ever called. Everyone partied and everyone hated it, haha! 

Oh goodness, that has NOTHING to do with these amazing breakfast scones, but I am having a hard time concentrating. :)

These really were amazing! Especially with a steamy cup of coffee right next to it.

I adapted it for high-altitude and it actually worked well the first time! Usually at 9800 feet elevation it takes multiple tries, if ever, to get dough recipes to rise (or not collapse) properly.

I’m really falling more and more in love with the website. It really does share terrific financial tips, recipes, and so much more. You can thank for these scones!

 for the printable recipe.

Sweets: Cookies & Bars

high-altitude turtle cookies

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Before you throw this one away because you live at sea level – I noted on the printable recipe below notes for either. :)

Half the fun of making these was just that they’re pretty. :)

This recipe is from as shared by , but I have adjusted it for high altitude. Remember I’m talking over 9,000 feet elevation, so this should work for most “high-altitude” dwellers!

I don’t really know why but these always scream “Christmas” to me. At least I’ve made them for a Christmas party before! Just a holly jolly cookie, I guess.  ;)

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Breakfast

high-altitude english muffins

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When we first moved to South America at the beginning of 2009, I craved a lot of food we couldn’t get. Just random things, mostly sweets. :)

As the years go by, though, the craving more turned to missing. We miss a lot of things we can’t get in Quito. A lot of the healthier options the States has to offer being on top (I still miss certain candies and treats, of course!) and now certain baby items along with basic conveniences. Sure, we don’t have the temptation of a lot of the junk food USA has in abundance but we also don’t have a lot of healthy options either.

That’s okay. We make do. And we exercise, that also helps. ;) (Oh, don’t get me started on running at 9800 feet elevation…)

Anyway, it occurred to me one day that I could make English muffins, one of the items I used to buy way back when. Granted, we didn’t have whole wheat flour (we do now!!) when I first started making these, but no big deal.

These were completely legit. I’ve made them multiple times and they always work out so well here.

Funny thing is – my baker friend up in Oregon said they didn’t turn out as well at sea level, even after she made the called for adjustments.

Here’s the  with my re-wording of a few things that helped me “stay the course” better, but it’s not really adjusted from .

Note for those interested: I live at 9800 feet. It’s a testament to ‘s skill that these worked so well. :)