BRiCCK

"Spray" Painting

2011-12-24T20:54:00.002-06:00

I realize this is a horrible picture but I was freezing and running out of daylight.

This is what I made Cainan for Christmas this year. I bought the shirt at Target, made a stencil and then mixed up some fabric paint and water, put it in an old squirt bottle and started spraying the shirt.

You can see that it is darker around the stenciled area. I went back later and sprayed the rest of the shirt a littel more and flipped it over and sprayed the back too. At first I was disappointed with the big drips coming from my cheap spray bottle but I kind of like the splattered look it gives the shirt.

For my stencil I just printed off this free image I found on Google onto cardstock then cut out all of the shaded area and left the white parts. I laid it on the shirt and started spraying. Super easy and a really cute way to personalize any shirt. This should look great with his Yoda hat. The Sith and the Jedi all at the same time. WooHoo!!

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-24T20:48:00.002-06:00

Made these cute little sheep with the Martha Stewart brass Noah's Ark cookie cutter set I got from my boss for Christmas. (He's the black one in the middle. Ha ha ha!)
These came from an idea I saw on Pinterest. It actually worked. Santa will be eating melty snowmen tonight. :)

Washer Necklaces

2011-12-22T12:01:00.003-06:00

I saw the idea for these necklaces on a DIY show of some kind. They are super simple and cheap to make.All you need are some washers from the hardware store, scrapbooking paper, fine grit sandpaper, Mod Podge, cord, beads (optional) and a dimensional glue. #1. Trace the washer onto the back of your scrapbook paper.

#2. Cut out the circle and adhere to the washer with a good layer of mod podge between the paper and the washer (not on top of the paper).

#3. Flip upside down on a piece of wax paper, weight down with a heavy book and let it sit for an hour or two to make sure the paper is firmly affixed to the washer.

#4. Use sandpaper (NOT an exacto knife or scissors) to remove the excess paper from the outside and inside of the washer. Trust me, the sandpaper gives you the perfect edge that you could NEVER get with a blade.

#5. Cover the paper side of the washer with dimensional glue. Be sure to pop any bubbles.

#6. Let dry overnight.

#7. Attach cord and slide on a bead if you want.

Voila!

Christmas Cards

2011-12-22T10:59:00.003-06:00

I don't have time to add greetings, address and mail the Christmas cards that I made. :( It's a sad day. The first time ever that I haven't sent handmade cards.

Ironically I had 8 hours to make the cards in early November but as the holdiays approached I had no more time to actually send them. I guess I should have done it before Thanksgiving.

Anyway, no card, no picture of the kids, no family update letter this year, but I can show you what you would have gotten had I actually had the time. :)

These are the cards I made:

Applique Shirts

2011-12-22T08:52:00.003-06:00

When I spotted these cute orange, brown and pink prints at Joann's Fabrics I had to find a project to make with them. (I always do that. The fabric proceeds the project for me.) I made one skirt for Kinley and then decided to make a few more.
These are headed to Pennsylvania for my nieces, who like to dress in coordinating outfits. I decided the skirts weren't quite enough so I dove into applique land for the first time and made coordinating shirts. It was easy enough once I got the hang of it.

I printed out letters the right size, traced them onto the fabric, put them on an iron-on transfer, cut them out and then ironed them on to the shirts. After that I set my machine for a zig zag stitch and just outlined each letter....slowly.

Then inside corners were hardest for me, but I eventually got the hang of it. I'm really happy with the way they turned out. Plus, doing the shirts allows my nephew to have something that coordinates with the girls too.

The other little touch that I love about these outfits is that the two oldest kids got the capital letters and the two younger kids got the lower case letters. So cute!

I'm conisdering making the same outfits for my 3 other nieces in Florida so that even though we live hundreds of miles apart we could take pics of the kids and put them all in one frame and they'd all match. It'd be a great gift idea for my mom. We'll see. ;)

Necklaces....on the cheap

2011-12-21T06:02:00.000-06:00

Paint chips are all the rage right now, and while I don't agree with robbing a store of hundreds of paint chips to complete elaborate projects, I did use a few to make these easy peasy necklaces.
I made six different shades and they're all reversible! I found the idea and the tutorial at Infarrantly Creative. All you need is a few paint chips, a couple of circle punches and some dimensional adhesive to make your own. I got the chain and jump rings at Joann's and my sweet husband drilled all the holes for me. :)

May the Force Be With You

2011-12-16T23:42:00.002-06:00

It would be an understatement to say that our house is full of Star Wars fans, so when my fabulous friend Noel said she found some awesome Star Wars hat patterns and we were the first nerds she thought of, we were honored. When I saw these two AMAZING hats I was more than honored....I was thrilled. I just can't wait to see these on the kids and see the looks on their faces on Christmas morning when they open them.

My favorite part is the hair in Yoda's ears. LOVE IT!!

T-Shirts Everywhere!

2011-12-16T23:32:00.004-06:00

Ryker is sentimental. He never wants to get rid of anything. Everything has special meaning to him...even t-shirts that are too small.

You know the t-shirts kids get at every sports camp, church camp, little league team, church program, and every other event in between? Yeah, he wants to keep them all. Forever.

He also thinks he can wear them. Forever.

He doesn't want me to pass them down to Cainan, or sell them at a yard sale, or give them away to needy children. I refuse to let him wear them anymore and I can't stand to have them piling up in the closet. Forever.

So.....

The T-Shirt Quilt

12 shirts, two yards of wide fabric for the strips in between and the backing, a roll of batting and some quilt binding. Tah-dah!

I think he'll either be super excited that he can keep his favorite shirts forever OR he'll be devastated that I cut them up. We'll see what happens on Christmas morning.

The 30 Minute Skirt

2011-12-16T23:17:00.004-06:00

I made these two skirts for Kinley this year for Christmas. I still have to make the coordinating leggings and hair accessories but the skirts are the main attraction.The pink and orange one is just cotton with hidden seams but the blue one is made from leftover t-shirts, and since its knit I left the seams exposed.

Seriously. This is the easiest skirt I've ever made.

Three strips of fabric. One hem. One elastic waistband.

The hardest part is figuring out how long each piece should be, but Ashley at Make It and Love It has great diagrams and equations to help you get it just right.

Be sure to like her Facebook page to keep an eye on everything great she makes....and loves. )

Povitica

2011-10-27T06:42:00.001-05:00

The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

My parents used to make a lot of cinnamon swirl bread when I was growing up and Povitica brought back fine memories of those steamy sweet loaves. Rolled thinner, folded up twice, and filled with cocoa powder and nuts in addition to the cinnamon and sugar it is just what the doctor ordered for a cold rainy fall day.

Once again my challenge went with me to Bible Study and the ladies all loved it. I ended up making one cinnamon sugar loaf, one traditional loaf, and two Nutella filled loaves. Reviews on the Nutella loaf were mixed but the traditional got rave reviews. I will definitely make Povitica again.

The 12 Hour Daring Baker's Challenge

2011-09-27T06:44:00.000-05:00

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child! I, of course, made my Wednesday Bible Study girls be the guinea pigs for this recipe, and I don't think they minded that at all. The smell of the buttery croissants in the oven was almost worth it in itself.

Even though this challenge was extremely time consuming it was very simple and took almost no ingredients. It's something anyone could do with a little advanced planning. My only complaint is that even the low estimate on the baking time turned out to be just a tad too long for my taste. I would have preferred my croissants to be just a tad less crispy on the outside, but overall they were delicious. Perfect with a side of berries on a cool September morning.

To get the recipe go to www.thedaringkitchen.com and try these flaky treats for yourself.

Le Fraisier

2011-07-28T07:26:00.007-05:00

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers' host and she challenges us to make fresh fraisiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

This was another elegantly simple dessert to make. It is very pretty to serve and it is a delicious light cake with plenty of fresh summer fruit inside. Everyone who tasted my fraisier loved it! I'll definitely be making it again.

I had never heard of a fraisier before so I wasn't sure what I was in for. Turns out it is simply a chiffon cake filled with pastry cream and fresh fruit and topped with a thin layer of almond paste. I chose to fill mine with fresh blueberries and strawberries.

The only thing that I might do differently is skip the almond paste layer. While it made a beautiful smooth top the flavor was so strong that it completely overwhelmed the light and subtle lemon chiffon cake.

Overall I loved the look and the taste of this Daring Baker's Challenge, Le Fraisier.

To make your own fraisier go to http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/ for the recipe and helpful tips.

My Big Fat Greek Dessert

2011-06-27T06:14:00.000-05:00

Erica of Erica's Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker's June Challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make baklava.

Yep, Baklava.

I've never made Baklava before and I generally don't enjoy eating it that much, add that to the fact that I've made my own puff pastry before I wasn't too hip on this challenge at first. However, the homemade phyllo dough was super simple to make and much less time consuming than the puff pastry AND the baklava was DELICIOUS!!

Really, this picture is horrible and doesn't do it justice at all but it was really, really good. There was enough of the honey syrup that it stayed very most and the sugar and nut filling was very sweet and rich. A small bite was plenty.

My first ever attempt at baklava got rave reviews, so if you'd like to try it for yourself you can find the recipe at http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/ . Oooompah!

The Daring Baker's May Challenge

2011-06-26T20:24:00.004-05:00

On the eve of the big reveal of the June Daring Baker's Challenge I suddenly realized that I never posted my May challenge.

It's a shame too because it was soooooo delicious.

Our May challenge was a marquis. Yeah, I'd never heard of it either. Basically it is a homemade chocolate mouse that you freeze. After it is frozen you cut it into cubes and then plate it in a bed of fluffy meringue that has been lightly torched. You then drizzle the whole works with some sort of caramel or sweet sauce and sprinkle it with nuts or chocolate nibs or coffee beans or something.

Sounds complicated, I know, but it really wasn't.

We had the freedom to use any flavor combinations we wanted as long as the mousse was chocolate. My first instinct is always to add raspberry but I've been there and done that so I decided to go a different direction.

Since we had to also do a sauce and some sort of nut I decided to do a Bananas Foster Peanut Marquis. Yep, I made bananas foster (bananas sauteed in butter, vanilla and brown sugar) and drizzled it over the top of the marquis and the torched meringue. Then I sprinkled on honey roasted peanuts.

It was a peanut butter banana chocolate extravaganza! The mousse thaws as it sits out but it retains its shape so it is a creamy decadent mousse on top of a crunchy meringue with gooey bananas and crispy nuts. Yummy!

Really, who doesn't like a dessert that requires a blow torch?

Bacon....Again

2011-04-27T07:19:00.000-05:00

Last month I shared with you all my Bible Study's obsession with bacon. Well the girls in BS...Bible Study with a Side of Bacon couldn't be happier with this month's challenge. Yep, bacon.

Well technically... The Daring Baker's April 2011 challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make maple mousse in an edible container. And one of the suggested edible containers just happened to be a bowl made entirely of bacon!

So the Bible Study girls were treated to Maple Mousse in a Bacon Bowl. It was absolutely delicious and made a lovely sweet and salty mouthful.

The bacon bowls were slightly messy and tedious to make however, so I opted to make my already famous Pancake Muffins and fill them with a generous dollop of the maple mousse and top them with a crispy strip of bacon. Also delightful!

Prizes are actually being awarded to the person who came up with most original edible container. You can cast your vote now over at The Daring Kitchen. I don't know who I'll vote for but one of my favorites is definitely this "stack of pancakes and pat of butter" by the baker over at The Flirty Blog. Isn't it so cute? The pancakes are hollow and are filled with the maple mousse. And yes, those are bacon curls coming out of the top. I love it!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T06:02:00.001-05:00

EGGREGATION!

...w/ a Side of Bacon

2011-03-27T06:46:00.003-05:00

So I'm in this Bible study....

We meet every Wednesday morning. We study the Bible. We eat bacon.

I don't know exactly how it happened, but we all came together based on our shared love of Jesus Christ and one of his greatest creations....pork fat.

We've sort of become obsessed with bacon. We've made Bacon Brownies (more than once), Bacon Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes, Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies and Chocolate Bacon Cookies. There are rumors of Bacon laced Rice Krispie Treats in our future too.

If you don't believe me when I say that we are serious about our bacon just search for our group on Facebook. You'll find us under BS....Bible Study with a Side of Bacon. I'm not even kidding.

So when this month's Daring Baker's Challenge was a Meringue Coffeecake to be made with our own choice of fillings what else could I choose but bacon?

Yep. This is my Bacon Pecan Coffeecake and it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s if I do say so myself. The meringue gushing out of the edges looks a little weird, I'll admit, but it doesn't hurt the taste any.

The recipe was super easy and very versatile. I will say that it is much better fresh out of the oven than the next day but a quick nuke in the microwave and it revives pretty well. If you'd like to make your own pork flavored pastry you can find the recipe at http://www.daringkitchen.com/.

If nothing else just go check out the cool pics of all the different coffeecakes that everyone else made this month. And BS girls....I'll see you Wed. I'll be the one with the bacon. :)

Panna Cotta

2011-02-25T13:26:00.009-06:00

The February 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies. I decided to make two different kinds of panna cotta. I started with a chocolate panna cotta layered with a coffee gelee to create a yummy mocha dessert. My plan was to make them in some fluted individual molds and then turn them out to serve. That didn't work out because the gelee layer wasn't sturdy enough to stand up to being dumped out. Instead we just had to eat them out of the less than beautiful molds...but that didn't hurt the taste any.

I liked the flavor combination but I didn't think the chocolate panna cotta was quite as smooth in texture as the vanilla was; maybe because I used a cheap chocolate instead of buying the good stuff.

The second version I made was a vanilla panna cotta with a blueberry gelee. I got smart and just put them in some pretty little clear dishes instead of trying to unmold them. The vanilla panna cotta was DELICIOUS! It was completely smooth and creamy and WONDEDRFUL. I added real vanilla bean to mine to give it an even richer vanilla taste. The blueberry gelee was ok but it didn't really add anything besides color to the ultra super yummy vanilla panna cotta.

I will definitely be making panna cotta again. It was very easy and took very little time to prepare....aside from all of the time needed for chilling the layers.
The Nestle Florentine cookies were good too, nothing special, but good. They were also very easy to make and tasted particularily good with the mocha pnna cotta dish.

Here are the recipes we used for our challenge for those of you who would like to try it for yourselves.

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.

2. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

4. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).

6.Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

Chocolate Panna Cotta
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups (480 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
½ cup (115 gm) (4 oz) sugar
¾ cup (145 gm)(5 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.

2. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.

3. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.

4. Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.

5. Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight

Coffee Gelée
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups (480 ml) good quality brewed coffee
1/4 cup (60 ml) hot water + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
1/2 cup (120 ml) (115 gm) (4 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1.Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c. hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2.Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons cold water and let it soften 2 minutes or so.

3.Stir the coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla into a small metal bowl, add gelatin mixture and stir well until gelatin has dissolved. If pouring over Panna Cotta, be sure that this mixture is no longer hot, it will melt Panna Cotta if it is, let it come to room temperature.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
*I added 1 inch of vanilla bean.

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.

2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage. If you let it boil it will develop a very unattractive skin on top as it cools. You don't want that.).

3. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.

5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

Fruit Gelée
Recipe by Mallory

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mango, blackberry, etc.)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

Directions:

1.Sprinkle gelatin over water.

2.Place fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Now mix the gelatin into the strawberry mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.

3.Remove from heat and allow to cool (close to room temp, again, if you're planning on layering on pouring on top of your Panna Cotta, a hot mixture will also heat up your chilled Panna Cotta).

As always you can see pics of all of the panna cotta variations at The Daring Kitchen.

Cute As a Cupcake

2011-02-07T23:18:00.006-06:00

I was recently asked to share a cake decorating/Valentine's Day idea. The cutest little cupcakes I've ever made were definitely these:Picture by Bake @ 350

I found the ultra rich, super yummy recipe at one of my favorite baking websites, Bake at 350. She basically made her very own Hostess Cupcakes....and so did I.

Picture by Bake @ 350

She wrote cute little Valentine sayings on each cupcake. I made them for my Project Runway finale party so mine had a sewing theme.

No matter what message they have on top a taste of these creamy filled chocolate cupcakes says "I Love You" to your special Valentines.

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

(adapted from Food Network magazine, modified by Lovestoeat & then Bake @ 350)

For the Cupcakes

1 & 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the Filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla exrtact

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup marshmallow creme

For the Ganache

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Icing
1 stick unsalted butter

1 & 1/2 - 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Place paper liners in muffin tin for about 20 cupcakes.

Prepare the cupcakes: Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Using a mixer, beat the eggs into the chocolate, then mix in the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for about 25 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
(They will sink in the middle...they'll puff up when filled later)

For the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream; beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in batches, alternating after each addition. Beat in the marshmallow creme; set aside or refrigerate.
For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Heat the cream and 1 tablespoon butter until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla; let stand until cool but still glossy and liquid.

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a medium star tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake top; fill until the cupcake is heavier (do not overfill). (It's OK if some of the filling peeks out, it will be covered by the ganache.)

Spoon a little ganache on each cupcake and lightly spread with an offset spatula or a knife. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing: Using a mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, the milk and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Spoon into a pastry bag with a small tip (I used a #2 plain tip); pipe onto the cupcakes to decorate.

Store in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Snow Day Reversible Bag

2011-02-01T19:26:00.003-06:00

The big ice storm led to a day of being stuck inside which inevitably led to sewing. On the top of my list was a cute reversible bag I found the free PDF for over at Sew Mama Sew.

I can use it with the flowery side out or... ...with the cool graphic print side out. All I have to do is un-pin the flower button and flip the whole thing inside out. Either way I've got the polka-dots!

Of course Kinley had to have a little one to match.

This is a close up of the three fabrics I used and my first ever attempt at making my own bias tape.

I should have put something else in the pic to give you an idea of the dimensions. The regular sized bag measures approx. 12 inches high and 14.5 inches wide at the top. Go grab your own free pattern and make one for yourself!

Entremets

2011-01-27T08:52:00.007-06:00

The January 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She challenged everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

The basic idea was to make this special sponge cake that has a decorative design baked right into it and then wrap it around a multilayered, multi-textured dessert known as an Entremets. (Think trifle but not chopped into little pieces.)

I used a laser cut scrapbooking design as a stencil for the design on the outside of the sponge. Unfortunately it was so subtle that it didn't translate very well on the outside of the dessert. Next time I think I will pipe a more definite design.

I chose to do a vanilla sponge cake and wrap it around layers of brownie, vanilla pastry cream, raspberry jam, and chocolate mousse and top all of that with chocolate ganache, whipping cream and raspberries.

The result was outrageously delicious!!! I really think this is my favorite Daring Bakers' Challenge of all time, closely followed by the cream puff sculpture. While this dessert looks totally complicated it is really just several components put together. It took me about 3 hours start to finish, but it by no means has to be completed all in one day.

I highly recommend this dish to anyone with a sweet tooth. The flavor combinations are endless. Make it for your next party and you'll be raking in the compliments all night.

To see what everyone else did and to get the complete recipe for the biscuit joconde (the fillings are up to you) go to The Daring Kitchen.

Christmas Stollen

2011-01-02T09:04:00.002-06:00

The 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie's Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Baker's to make stollen. She adapted a friend's family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart's book.......and Martha Stewart's demonstration.

I further adapted the recipe by using dried cherries soaked in orange juice in place of the rum soaked raisins and I didn't add any "mixed peel" to my stollen. I did include the orange and lemon zests but not the orange and lemon extracts called for in the original recipe.

Since I make yeast breads all the time I found the Stollen very simple to make but I didn't particularily like the taste or texture of it. I prefer my breads soft and tender and I don't generally like fruity flavored breads either. But this stollen did get pretty good reviews from a few of the diners at our Christmas dinner.

To find the recipe and see all the different stollens made by the Daring Baker's go here.

Crostata

2010-11-27T17:22:00.005-06:00

The November 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Simona of bricola. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers' to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi's Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

This was one of the easier and tastier DB Challenges I've done so far. The pasta frolla was not difficult at all and I chose to fill it with a vanilla creme patisserie that I had made before. The result was a beautiful golden crostata which tasted pretty much like a traditional custard pie. The biggest difference (which my Dad pointed out) was that a custard pie is usually a little soggy and sometimes has standing water on top of it. The crostata was firm and spongey with all of the eggy, vanilly goodness and none of the excess moisture.

It was definitely worthy to grace my Thanksgiving dessert table.

To find the recipes and see what other Daring Baker's did with their crostatas go to http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/.

Doughnuts

2010-10-27T21:34:00.002-05:00

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

I made Buttermilk Sour Cream Cake Doughnuts and Bomboloni (a filled yeast doughnut). The cake doughnuts were super easy to make and were delicious warm. The next day they were a little tough but the kids still liked them.

The Bomboloni were a total bust. I simply couldn't get them done on the inside without burning them to a crisp on the outside. They puffed up beautifully and had a lovely airy texture perfect for filling but the outsides were as black as coal. Very unappetizing. So, I gave up and threw them all in the trash.

Better luck next time.

September Daring Baker's Challenge

2010-09-27T12:08:00.003-05:00

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

This challenge didn't do much for me. I don't find decorating sugar cookies to be all that exciting. It's actually a little tedious. I also didn't find the recipe to be anything unique or difficult so that wasn't very inspirational either. In short...I didn't do this challenge...or re-do as I should say.

I just found a sugar cookie and icing recipes that I love and I used them to make these cookies for the kids' birthdays in July. I'm going to count that as my contribution to the Daring Baker's for this month. They can sue me if they don't like it.

If you want to see what kind of crazily creative designs the other (more responsible) members of the group did you can go here.

The First Day of School 2010*

2010-09-01T06:51:00.005-05:00

Well, Kinley has started pre-school. I can't believe my baby is 4 years old already. Next year she'll be in school full-time. It just doesn't seem possible.

My boys never went to preschool because I was home with them full time and there just really wasn't any need to send them. But now I'm working part-time and looking for a full-time job so Kinley was going to have to be in some sort of daycare anyway, so we went ahead and sent her to preschool at our church.

She is so excited!! She loves it!! On the first day she barely stopped to wave good-bye to me before she scampered in. It is so fun to watch her enjoy it so much.

Meanwhile Ryker is in his final year of Elementary School (5th grade) and Cainan is in 2nd. They are both having good years so far. I'm really thankful for the great schools we have here in Bond County.

*Disclaimer: These pictures were actually taken on the 7th day of school. I was busy the first 6. :)

MMMMMMM....Brown Butter

2010-08-29T07:34:00.003-05:00

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I've been following Elissa's blog for a year or so now and she is one of the most impressive teenagers you'll ever meet. Her writing, her work ethic, her photography and her baking are all way beyond her years. She just headed across the country for college so I'm sure the posts will be even more touching and entertaining...not to mention full of delicious recipes.

I chose to make the Ice Cream Petit Fours because I've made Baked Alaska before and I wanted to try something new. I was very happy with the way they turned out and I especially loved the Brown Butter Pound Cake. I chose to fill my petit fours with coffee flavored ice cream. Yum! Yum!

This was a very simple challenge but I really like it because it introduced me to a new flavor: brown butter. Of course I've browned butter before...usually accidently, but I didn't realize how much flavor it can add to a recipe. It really gave the pound cake a nutty, caramelly flavor that was really, really delicious.

If you'd like to try making Ice Cream Petit Fours with Brown Butter Pound cake you can find the recipe on the Daring Baker's website.

Holy Swiss Roll Batman!

2010-07-28T11:52:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my friend Steph for the title of this post. Of course it refers to the Daring Baker's July Challenge, Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake. The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

I've never tried to roll any kind of cake before so this was all new to me. I made a chocolate cake, rolled a vanilla whipped cream filling in to the middle of it, sliced it, lined a bowl with the slices, then filled the bowl with layers of vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce and chocolate ice cream.

Voila! A bomb! (Term for a round, frozen ice cream and cake layered dessert.)

Please excuse the pitiful photography. It really was a delicious dessert but I didn't have time to set up beautiful shots of it....because ice cream melts, very quickly in 100 degree heat!

If you'd like to try making one of these babies on your own (which I highly recommend) you can find the recipes and directions here. Happy Baking!

Four Years and Counting

2010-07-24T10:10:00.006-05:00

Four years ago today Kinley was born...after 17 minutes of labor, without a doctor present, in a hospital with no air conditioning...and we couldn't have been happier. Since then it's been one smile after another as we watch our sweet baby girl learn and grow. It's hard to believe that she is already four years old and getting ready to go to preschool.

This year we had two birthday parties again, and she shared both of those with her brother (and one with her cousin). For her portion of the party I decided to do a Hello Kitty theme. Little did I know that while Hello Kitty is popular in clothing design and stationary sets it is not popular in the cake and cookie world. I couldn't find a HK cookie cutter anywhere...not even to order online. We don't eat much cake around here so I usually try to avoid birthday cakes and do some other kind of treat instead. I finally saw an idea online for how to piece together a HK cake and decided to do that.
It was simple to make two round cakes (two layers each), cutting one in half to make two semi-circles and cutting the other on in to strips, one to go between the semi-circles to form an oval and the other two to be cut into triangles for the ears. I covered the whole thing with a crumb coat of thin buttercream icing.

I then decided to try making marshmallow fondant for the first time ever. It was super easy and looked great. I just mixed one large jar of marshmallow creme with 2 pounds of powdered sugar...and then kneaded it until it was dry enough to roll out and cover the cake. I colored portions of it for the eyes, nose, bow and whiskers and added those at the end. It turned out cuter than I even imagined.

There was no way I wanted to have two half eaten cakes laying around my house so I was determined to make cookies for the second party. I finally cut out a picture of HK from an activity book and traced around it over and over again on the cookie dough. It worked well and I decorated the cookies with the same icing I used for Cainan's Star Wars cookies.

Overall we had two great parties with yummy treats and lots of presents. Happy Birthday Kinley!

Seven Years and Counting

2010-07-17T06:32:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy! Seven years ago today I was trying to politely keep my eyes open (with little success) as people came to visit you. I was slightly exhausted from the events of the prior evening.

I went in for a routine appointment and (as with all 3 of my kids) he told me to stay and be induced because I was ready and he didn't have much going on. Well, all that changed about 6 pm when he got stuck in a difficult and high risk caesarean and called to tell the nurses to stop my labor until he could get there. So they shut off all the drugs (except the epidural, thank goodness) and we sat there for 5 hours until Dr. Houck could finish up the surgery, go home and eat supper and come back for the 20 minutes it took to deliver you.

Needless to say by the time it was all over with and I was snuggled down in my bed for the night it was close to 3 am. So those 8 am visitors had to deal with a very sleepy mommy. Somehow I don't think they cared.

So happy birthday to my boy who still wants to snuggle in bed with me and sit on my lap during prayer time. To the Star Wars fan and SpongeBob watcher. To the baseball player and shoe straightener. To the instigator and the helper. We love you!

Now...the party!!

By now you should all know that we rarely do the traditional birthday cake. This year I decided to to cookies. Mainly because I found some that were so cute I just couldn't resist making them.

While cruising around on my favorite cookie decorators blog I found these adorable cookie cutters. I had to have them. So I zipped over to Williams Sonoma and ordered them on the spot. They are the best cookie cutters ever! They cut out the cookie, emboss it with the lines for decorating and push it out of the mold all in one simple push of the button. Not to mention the fact that they are perfect for my family of Star Wars enthusiasts.

For the Darth Vader cookies I made Bridget's chocolate cookies and used this recipe for the black decorator icing. For the Storm Troopers I used Bridget's favorite sugar cookie recipe, the decorator icing again and my own icing recipe to cover the bulk of the cookie.

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg white

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix it all up. It will be runny. Just dip the cookie in, let the excess drip off and lay flat to dry. It will dry hard. It needs to dry completely before adding the decorator icing on top or you may get some bleeding of the colors (like I did on the storm troopers).

Of course there were lots of presents, some Slip-n-Slide action, a couple of baseball games and time with family to enjoy too. Overall it was another great year celebrated with two fun birthday parties.

Happy Birthday Cainan, we love you!

Daring Baker's June Challenge

2010-06-28T09:19:00.003-05:00

The June 2010 Daring Bakers' challene was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

The challenge consisted of making chocolate meringues, chocolate mascarpone mousse and a mascarpone/creme anglais cream for drizzling over the top. The final result was VERY tasty but not very visually appealing.

It almost looks like a cheeseburger without the top bun.....or something worse. This is one of those desserts you have to judge with your taste buds and not your eyes. I was supposed to use a piping bag and pipe out perfect meringues and mousse but I chose to just dollop it on....hence the 'pile of poo' look.

However, despite it's somewhat revolting appearance these chocolate pavlovas are super rich and delicious. I could barely eat a whole one. I used very dark, bitter chocolate but the marscarpone cream on top helps to tame the chocolate with a sweet, very vanilla-y flavor.

The recipe was easy and fun and if I ever make it again I think I will follow the directions and use my piping bag. You can go here for the directions on how to make your very own Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse.

Good Luck?

2010-05-31T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Jon Acuff has done it again. He cracked me up this time with his blog about Chrisitans that say "Good Luck" and then feel guilty about it. Here is what Jon said:

“Good luck with the 10K this weekend!” Well, I mean, I don’t personally believe in luck, but you might. I believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. But how am I supposed to say that to you, my colleague from work, in the break room?

“I hope God works all things for the good of those who love him this weekend at your 10K race!” That’s a mouthful, but seriously, I probably shouldn’t be saying “good luck.” Some Christians don’t even say “Pot Lucks.” They call them “Pot Blessings” which kind of sounds like the headline from an issue of the marijuana magazine “High Times” but I’m only digging myself into a deeper hole of awkwardness at this point.
Would it be weird if I told you “Have a blessed 10K?” Does that make me sound like I’m the kind of person that would throw holy water on you during the race or hand you communion wine at one of those drink stands along the course instead of Gatorade? And do I have to over pronounce the “ed” at the end of that word like some people do? Do I say “blessed” like I would say “messed” or do I need to pronounce it “bless-ed.” I always feel like some random guy named Ed is getting hooked up when people do that.
This is getting so complicated. From here on out, I’m dropping luck, I’m dropping
bless-ed and am just going to say “Yay running!” and throw both hands into the air with spirit fingers. Wait, are spirit fingers related to the Holy Spirit or are those bad too? Ohhh, slippery slope, slippery slope indeed. I’ll go with jazz hands then, definitely jazz hands.

While funny in itself some of his commenters were equally hilarious. One guy suggested "Godspeed" as an appropriate encouragement for a race and several others agreed with him. I happen to like the suggestions that this guy made:

a simple "have a good race tomorrow!" might work well too.
other options could be:"ill pray that the lactic acid production is supernaturally
suspended... speaking of suspension, did youknow that jesus was suspended on
a cross for your sins.."
or."i'll pray that your loins are girded and that you are endowed with the
endurance of Elijah... who outran a team of horses... by the way have you read
that story in the Bible?? you know God's love letter to humanity?.... ... "
or. "May you run your race like it is to be won.. and not disqualified along
the way. You know, like Paul (Jesus's super duper post-mordem-assention marketer of ancient days)...."
so many options... all of which i'm sure would be recieved with thanks and no
discomfort.

As entertaining as that is, it does make me think. I had dozens of people (church people) wish me good luck before my half-marathon. I say "good luck" to people and never give it a second thought. I don't believe in luck so I guess for me it's just an expression, but I guess the same argument could be made for taking God's name in vain.

I don't believe in luck but I also don't necessarily believe in praying for every little hangnail extraction and close parking space. It's not that I don't think God cares I just think that I can be a happy, positive witness for Christ whether I have to walk 100 yards to the mall entrance or 10 so what difference does it make.

What do you think? Should Christians ever utter the word 'luck'? Have you ever eaten a "Pot Blessing"? Do Christians get too hung up on semantics and miss opportunities for authentic relationships?

The May Daring Baker's Challenge

2010-05-27T15:45:00.004-05:00

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

I was very intimidated when I first read what the challenge would be. I mean these things are huge and complicated. Besides that they just made one in a challenge on TopChef Masters. I mean if an award winning chef is making Croquembouche for a nationally televised cooking competition then it is not the PB&J of french desserts.

However, I will say that this was probalby the EASIEST challenge I have done to date. I did it all on one evening using only ingredients I already had in my house. And to top it all off it was sooooo delicious! Now granted, my piece montee wasn't extremely high, or symmetrical or even visually pleasing, but it was indeed a series of filled creme puffs stacked up and drizzled with caramel, which is exactly what a Croquembouche is.

So without further ado.........

There are three main components to this dessert. First I make the pastry cream to fill the cream puffs. I chose to make a coffee flavored filling. (And boy was it good!)

Crème Patissiere du Cafe

1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 T. instant coffee granules

3 T. boiling water

Dissolve coffee in water. Set aside. Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

While the creme is chilling go ahead and make the cream puff dough.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)

¾ cup (175 ml.) water

6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter

¼ Tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly. Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny. As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes. It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Filling:When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Hard Caramel Glaze:

1 cup (225 g.) sugar

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:

You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place – see video #4 below).

When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Skiing and Sledding

2010-05-21T08:09:00.002-05:00

I just can't help but share two more of Cainan's writing assignments. They crack me up.

This one was obviously about skiing:

"Once I was afraid to skie. I holdid on too my dads puls. He let go. I lookd at hem an then I had a wipoute. I like to skie. I learnd a lesen. Woch were I am going."

Not sure exactly what the theme of this one is. It appears to be very stream of conciousness:

"Once I was sleding and my brother was in frunt of me but I steard the sled but then I hit a tree. I was born in Elanoy greenvill. Then I was a baby I liked to choo on stuf. I loved to colr. When I grow up I want to be a artist."

Manic Monday

2010-05-17T08:11:00.002-05:00

Illinois Half

2010-05-14T12:06:00.004-05:00

The other big thing that recently occurred in my life that I haven't taken the time to write about is...

I completed a half marathon (13.1 miles)!!

A friend and I ran the Illinois Marathon in Champaign on May 1st. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but not too hot and the course ran through a lot of nice neighborhoods around Champaign and Urbana. We actually finished on the 50 yard line of the Illini Football Stadium!

I started training right around the middle of January for the race. I trained alone, in the snow, sleet, rain and mud for the first 10 weeks but as the weather improved my friends Linda and Chrisy started training with me. We spent our Saturday mornings running 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 mile routes around Greenville. It was such a relief to share the drudgery with others. It really made it enjoyable.

Chrisy was training for the half in Indy on May 8th so Linda and I were the only ones headed to Champaign....well, us and 14,000 other people!! Yeah, it was incredible. Once they said "Go!" it took us 9 minutes just to walk to the start line and begin our race!! (Times are determined by a GPS chip attached to each runner's shoe. The chips aren't activated until the runner crosses the start line. This makes the staggered starts fair.) It was wall to wall runners for the first mile or two and then it spaced itself out a little bit. We ran 11 minute miles for the first 3 miles and then decided we wouldn't be able to maintain that pace for 10 more miles and slowed down.

At the 3.5 mile mark Linda's knee really started bothering her. (She had been fighting an IT band problem for several weeks prior to the race.) So I stopped and stretched with her every mile through miles 4, 5, and 6. Eventually at mile 7 she had to give up running because of the pain. She decided to try to walk the rest of the race. At that point we parted ways and I took off.

My goal all along was to finish the race in under 3 hours. I was worried that I wouldn't make it, so I really kicked it in for miles 7, 8 and 9. Then at mile 10 my ankle really started to hurt. I had strained it the week prior during my 10 mile training run (well, actually during a slide down a muddy hill while trying to find the trail for my 10 mile run....long story). The last 3 miles were pretty painful. It was hard to stay motivated being all alone in a sea of runners.

I took water and Gatorade every time it was offered and I tried to stay in a good rhythm. I also grabbed a pack of GU Carbohydrate Gel at one aid station but I chickened out of actually eating it. It was espresso flavor and just didn't sound that appetizing at that point. The one thing that probably helped me the most was the little Dixie cup of M & Ms that a church was handing out along the way. It really gave me a little boost that I needed.

It also helped to see all of the people standing in their yards or driveways cheering for us and providing entertainment. There were elderly men sitting and playing the guitar, little boys playing the violin, a group of PeeWee cheerleaders doing cheers, a Jr. High aged girl playing her keyboard. There were plenty of kids handing out homemade lemonade and even one house offering fresh strawberries. At one point we had to run through a park. In one of the picnic shelters there was a rock band playing the theme from Chariots of Fire! I almost couldn't run for laughing so hard.

As I entered the stadium after 13 long miles I could hear the man on the loudspeaker say, "72 seconds left to make it under 3 hours!" At that point I just started sprinting as hard as I could across the AstroTurf (which I must say felt SO good under my feet after 13 miles of pavement). I ran under the clock just as it said 2:59. Phew! I made my goal by 1 minute. The thing I failed to remember was that the was the time from the moment the word "Go!" was shouted at the start line. My time wasn't based on that. It was based on the time I actually crossed the start line. So.....I actually made it in 2 hours and 50 minutes!!

It was a great feeling. I was frantically scanning the crowd to find Brian and the kids. I thought it would take me forever to spot them in that huge stadium. But I saw them almost immediately. They were jumping up and down and cheering. I just started crying. I couldn't believe I made it. I also couldn't believe I would have to walk up 10 flights of stairs to reach my family in the stands! My ankle was killing me and my legs were so weak I didn't think I could make it, but I did. Once I had caught my breath and hugged my family I set off to find the post race food (I was starving) and wait for Linda.

We both had a good cry when Linda made it into the stadium half and hour later. Our 15 week journey was over! The race hadn't gone exactly the way either one of us wanted it to but we made it and we are planning to redeem ourselves next year. Overall it was an awesome experience that I really enjoyed. There were times when it was painful and boring and long and tiring but mostly it was so gratifying to run further than I ever imagined I could. I don't think I'll ever run a Full Marathon but I can see myself walking one (or walking and running one) and another Half Marathon is definitely in my future.

Prior to training for this race I had never run further than 2 miles in my entire life. I started slow and finished slow but I ran the whole way. It is possible. When you get right down to it it really is mostly mental. The body is amazingly able to do much more than the mind imagines. I'm so glad I didn't let the thought of 13 miles stop me from running those first 3 or 4.

The Swap

2010-05-13T13:44:00.003-05:00

Ever since Ryker started school *gasp* 5 years ago I have participated in a swap with someone. A kid swap. I watch their child/children and they watch mine. For free.

Over the years it has taken on different forms. Sometimes it has been set up where I have the other child one day a week and the other mom takes my child on a different day that week. Sometimes it was just two hours once a week. Sometimes it was two kids but only every other week. It just depended on who I was swapping with and what my needs were at the time.

I initially did it so that I could go in to Ryker's class and help out (code for: find out what really goes on in the classroom since his response to every question about what he did at school was "I don't know"). It has sometimes also been a chance for me to get grocery shopping done or go to doctor's appointments as well.

This year I swap Kinley out with one of her little friends, Melia. They are 6 months apart in age(and 6 inches in height) and our families have been friends for over 10 years. They love playing together and I get the chance to volunteer in Ryker's 4th grade class and Cainan's 1st grade class almost every week. If you have kids in school and kids at home I highly recommend finding a swapping partner. After all, if you don't you'll miss out on experiences like this:

Today Melia was with us but I just couldn't put off my trip to Aldi, so we all loaded up and went together. Not the best grocery shopping experience I've ever had, but definitely not the worst. On the car ride on the way home I overheard this conversation:

Kinley: Grandma gave me these sandals.
Melia: Your grandma or my grandma?
Kinley: My grandma.
Melia: What shape is she?
Kinley: (without missing a beat) She's a rectangle with arms and legs and a hectagon for a head.
Melia: Oh.

And then they were on to the next topic. On the one hand, I was desperately hoping that I would get to hear what shape Melia's grandma was, but on the other hand I was a little scared they would start talking about what shape their mother's were, so overall I think it was a good place for the conversation to end.

Pasta and Pie

2010-05-11T07:40:00.003-05:00

I know I was completely MIA from the blog world last week. I'll try to make up for it this week. I've had so much going on recently that I need to catch you all up on.

The first big event was a visit from my sister and her girls. They drove up from Florida for a 3 week tour of Illinois and Missouri. They stopped at my Mom's house first and then came up here on Sunday afternoon. We had a nice visit, except for the fact that the two big girls were suffering from the stomach flu the entire time they were here! Both of them took turns rushing to the bathroom with diarrhea and vomiting.

Kinley (center) sharing a hug with her cousins, Gracie (left) and Claire (right)

Luckily between bouts of sickness they felt completely fine and enjoyed playing with the boys. It wasn't one of those illnesses where you just want to lay on the couch all day, thankfully. So even though we were dealing with two sick girls and a busy, busy one year old we managed to do what we always do when we are together....cook.

Yep, we tried two new recipes that I've been saving for a while and both were a great success. First we made Italian Pasta Bake (from Memoirs of a Munchkin Mommy). This is a great layered pasta dish chocked full of vegetables that only Cainan spotted and removed; healthier than lasagna but with a very similar taste. Then we tried Strawberry Banana Cream Pie (from Joy the Baker). This is a great dish to make to use those fresh strawberries. It has a crispy almost sugar cookie tasting crust, a creamy vanilla custard and slices of bananas and strawberries layered in a pie. Both recipes were easy to make and really delicious. I hope you enjoy them.

Italian Pasta Bake

-PAM Original No-stick Cooking Spray
- 2 cups dry rotini pasta, uncooked (I used whole grain)
- 8 oz Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (If you don't want as much heat just use regular turkey sausage instead)
- 1 med yellow onion, chopped
- 1 med zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
- 1 pkg (8oz each) sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- 1 can (28 oz each) Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking apart with spoon to crumble.

Add onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and pepper flakes; heat 2 minutes or until bubbling. Add pasta to tomato mixture; stir until pasta is well coated.

Spoon half of a mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once more.

Bake 15 minutes or until hot.

Strawberry Banana Cream Pie

Filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced10 fresh strawberries, sliced

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tart crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk

To make the tart crust:Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.

Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.

When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.

For the topping:With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.

Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made, but also isn’t too shabby the next day for a breakfast treat.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

P.S. Despite all the germs floating around my house for 3 days none of us has gotten sick. I've always known we had good immune systems but I didn't think we'd survive this one. :)

Manic Monday

2010-05-10T07:03:00.002-05:00

The One About the Roller Coaster

2010-04-29T08:16:00.002-05:00

Another installment of "Writing Assignments by Cainan"

I would like to try to ride a roller coaster. It would be big. I would go upside down. At the end I would be dizy. Now I am not afrade to ride a rollercoaster.
by Cainan Grove
P.S. I would feel sik.

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

2010-04-27T11:41:00.004-05:00

Once you taste these moist, sweet, delicious breakfast muffins you'll never believe that they are ultra healthy! They have no refined sugars, almost no fat, and they are packed full of fiber and omega 3s. If you are on the Weight Watchers system you'll be happy to know that these muffins are only 1 pt. each! These muffins were a hit with the ladies in my Bible Study and my kids too.

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

1¼ cups all-purpose flour*
½ cup oat bran
¼ tsp. salt
2½ tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ large bananas
1 egg white
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup orange juice
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir together with a fork; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy. Stir in the honey, butter and orange juice, and mix to blend.

Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the fresh berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Cooking On the Side

*The white flour is the most unhealthy ingredient in these muffins. Next time I may try using whole wheat flour instead. I think they have enough moisture to handle it.

This post linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

I Am Reading, Really

2010-04-22T08:33:00.003-05:00

I am woefully behind in reviewing the books I've read recently. I really have been reading this year, I just haven't taken the time to blog about any of them. So I updated my book reviews today. You can go here to see my reviews of:

Under Orders by Dick Francis

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes

The Shack by William Young

Theodore Roosevelt: Wilderness Warrior by Daniel Brinkley

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

As always you can find my 2010 Reading List and book reviews on my sidebar at the right. I'll try to do a better job of updating it on a regular basis. I am currently reading The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, the book on which the Nicholas Cage movie "Adaptation" was based. I'll let you know how it is as soon as I'm finished.

What are you reading?

I Love My Dad by Cainan

2010-04-21T18:12:00.003-05:00

"I love my Dad all the way to Earth. I love my Dad as wide as the oshinse. I love my Dad as tale as space. I love my Dad frum Earth to Mishugen."

By Cainan April 8, 2010

Manic Monday

2010-04-19T11:03:00.002-05:00

My Little Pony and Other Evils

2010-04-16T09:24:00.005-05:00

I've started following a blog called What Christians Like. This is the description of the blog from the site itself:

Started on March 21, 2008 as a reaction to the wildly popular blog Stuff White People Like which was created by Christian Lander, Stuff Christians Like is a blog about the funny things we Christians do. And what they just might reveal about our faith.

The site is written by Jonathan Acuff, a preacher’s kid/copywriter who lives in Atlanta with his wife and two kids. Zondervan is publishing the Stuff Christians Like book in April 2010 but you can pre-order it on Amazon.com right now, right here.

Jon has many hilarious insights into Christianity and asks thought provoking questions about how we are really living out our faith. Some of his posts are:

#750: Thinking the church is not wisely spending your tithe.

#704: Fearing your prayer request isn't big enough.

#645: The guy who refuses to scoot to the end of the pew.

Today's post was actually by a guest, Lyndsay Rush. And it is entitled:

#751: Having your life edited by your parents.

(I’ve never met Lyndsay Rush, but I have to confess I am a big fan of her motto, “No cheese left behind.” As a fan of queso, that is a motto I can get on board with. I can also get on board with her tale of having her life edited by her parents, something I’ve said my in-laws were pros at. I hope you dig it. I did.)

I’d like to start this post with a simple, three question test. Please answer honestly.

1. Have you ever been forced to walk out of a movie because your mom thought there were hints of sorcery?

2. Have you ever called your parents from a sleepover to ask permission to play “Girl Talk”?

3. Have you ever listened to Psalty the Singing Songbook on your walkman?

If you answered yes to any of the 3 questions, congratulations, you have had your life edited by your parents. And unfortunately, my childhood is the perfect example of that.

Whether our parents were scolding us for saying that something “sucked,” forcing us to spend copious amounts of time serving Meals on Wheels or telling us to “write a play” or “climb a tree” when we asked to watch TV, not a stone remained unturned when it came to ensuring our lifestyle lined up with biblical standards. (How exactly My Little Pony conflicted with the Bible, I am still not sure).

When it came to all things media-related, our parents tended to go bat-shucks crazy (note my use of parentally approved slang). Television, music and movies were seen as the #1 threat to our holy castle. I recall distinctly our family rule of parent-screenings for any show we wanted to watch. In a ceremony that rivaled that of the presidential inauguration, Mom and Dad would take their seats in front of the television at the appropriate time, turn to the appropriate channel, and take notes while we looked on in dismay, our heads ping-ponging back and forth between Blossom/90201/My So Called Life/The Smurfs/Dinosaurs/Dawson’s Creek and our parent’s beady eyes as they took in every detail and noted its varying levels of inappropriateness. For those of you keeping score at home we lost out on all of the above. It didn’t help that the night of our 90210 screening Donna lost her virginity or that when we screened Dinosaurs, Mom talked for weeks about how disrespectful those dinosaur kids were to their dinosaur parents.

Nary a movie, song or TV show was safe in the Rush household. ‘Twas a dangerous place to be if you were Pee Wee Herman, “Grease” or any secular music not found on the Oldies or Lite radio station.

Our reaction usually started out with obedience–reluctant obedience, yes–but obedience nonetheless. Sure there was your typical “This is SO unfair!” followed promptly by a “You guys are the WORST” and a slamming of a bedroom door. But when we were younger, we didn’t really see the fruits of putting up a fight so we just went with it. Later in life, to our parent’s dismay, there were accidental moments of rebellion. For instance, when I was 11 I yelled “Holy Testicle Tuesday!” at a family BBQ because our dubbed version of “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” didn’t bleep out the word ‘testicle’. (It took me another 6 years thereafter to discover that ‘testicle’ was not, in fact a curse word.) A few years later, we got investigated by AOL because I had inadvertently created a screen name that was slang for an illegal street drug. Finally, as we became teenagers, we entered into the full-blown, “oh no you didn’t”, straight up, dirty-south rebellion years. At this point in my life I was fed up with the strong arm of the Old Testament law constantly hammering down on my life so I responded like any good Christian girl would: by dancing.

That’s right, I danced. My friends and I would go to 16 + dance clubs in downtown Minneapolis under the rouse that we were bowling. Yes, I realize this is the worst cover we could have come up with, but it worked. We would stuff our purses with a change of clothes–black pants and sparkle-y tube tops–and change in the car. When my dad found out what was really going on I don’t know what he was more upset with, the fact that I had been lying or the fact that I wasn’t actually interested in bowling.

I believe this provides a brief but potent glimpse into a parentally-edited, culturally-censored, Biblically-biased childhood. You know what they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, or as my Christian parents would say, ‘what doesn’t kill your flesh (without affecting your soul, which will dwell in eternity in heaven with Jesus), makes you more like Sampson’.

(For more great stuff from Lyndsay, check out her site, http://www.lyndsights.com/)

I loved this post because some of it was a commentary of my own life, but, I was waiting for the conclusion. I wanted to say, "So?" Was all the editing good or bad? Are you permanently scarred or happy that you weren't exposed to premarital sex and violent video games when you were 7 years old? Many of the comments after the post answer those questions and you can read them here. Some former "editors" even commented. Did you know there are people who were never allowed to watch Sesame Street because of The Count? Wow!

Personally, looking back I think some of the editing my parents did was pretty ridiculous and some of it was necessary. I didn't need to be going to R rated movies (especially back then when R meant lots of horrible language and plenty of sexual content) or watching 90210 (not that I ever remember wanting to anyway). On the other hand getting in trouble for humming the tune to a beer commercial does seem a little overboard. Even though others in our church and family disagreed with it we were allowed to play card games and swim in our pool (but not the public pool) with the opposite sex. We watched Smurfs and He-Man (I know, shocker) and all kinds of other shows about magic, etc, like The Wizard of Oz and I can't see that it hurt any of us at all. As a matter of fact the things we didn't watch/listen to/participate in didn't hurt us any either.

I don't feel like I missed out on any of the great pop-culture of my day. So what if the only concert I've ever been to was The Beach Boys (in 1995) and I have no idea "Who shot J.R."? I never got to wear short shorts or tank tops either, but I think I still have an ok sense of fashion. At least I did get to go to Prom...mostly because I wore a humongous hoop skirted dress (everybody did, I wasn't that lame) that wouldn't allow the boys within a 3 foot radius of me and we did not have any "popular" music. We had a live orchestra that played big band music. Post prom had the vulgar dancing and rock music. Yeah, I didn't get to go to Post Prom. Having a 10:30 curfew as a senior in high school was frustrating, but once again, I'm no worse off for it.

I never felt the need to rebel from these exacting standards. Granted, my parents weren't the My Little Pony nazis that some people I knew were, but they still seemed to arbitrarily decided what was inappropriate (like Petra) without ever investigating it themselves. Through it all I understood that my parents loved me and wanted to protect me. I never thought they were out to get me and spoil all of my fun, but I did resent the fact that they didn't trust me.

So, what about you? What kind of restrictions did you have growing up? Did you resent them? Do you find that they have affected your adult life for the better or worse? How much do you edit your kids?

Everybody Loves Hugo

2010-04-15T08:21:00.003-05:00

LOST April 14 Episode...........

For some reason I can't blog about LOST anymore. I think I've come to a point with the show where it just isn't worth it to speculate anymore. I just want to sit and watch and wait for the explanations to fall into my lap...which I know they won't. I don't have the brainpower left after birthing three children to deal with sideways realities and demons and angels and dead people and dynamite logically anymore (if I ever could).

I still enjoy reading what other, more intelligent and witty, people have to say about each episode though. Here are a couple of great quotes from one of the best LOST recappers on the blog circuit, Rocks in My Dryer:

"...one is most likely to experience awareness of the sideways reality if one is a) a junkie, a la Charlie, b) near death, a la Desmond, or c) stark raving nuts, a la Libby. This leads me to wonder if some of our other Losties are far too rational and sane (a la Jack) to ever be made aware of the concurrent reality...."

and

"Also notable in this episode was the appearance of the strange boy in the woods. In a colossal lack of curiosity which is epidemic among characters in this show, Desmond doesn't follow him, despite my shouted instructions to the contrary. For the record, I predict that this strange boy is a grown-up Aaron, a hunch I base entirely on the fact that the actor seems to look like Claire, and perhaps this is by design. (Any other good guesses out there?)"

"Colossal lack of curiosity which is epidemic among characters in this show": NO KIDDING! Maybe they are like me. The just can't care anymore about who every ghost is or where Richard is leading them or who the smoke monster really is/was or why Jack continues to part his hair on the side like a kid out of the 1950s?

I think that may be why Desmond is so blase about everything now. He knows (from flashing forward, back and sideways through various versions of his life) that no matter what he will end up with Penny, the only outcome he ultimately cares about.

Anyway, as always I'm excited to watch each episode and read the theories they produce, but I just can't seem to come up with any of them myself.

Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

2010-04-13T08:38:00.003-05:00

As soon as I found this recipe over at Joy the Baker I had to find an excuse to make it. Lucky for me, I hosted my book club last night, which gave me the perfect opportunity to make this delicious bread but not eat the entire loaf myself.

The bread is super moist and sweet with just a little crunch. It has lots of healthy Omega-3s in it from both flax seed and walnuts. It does still contain some butter and brown sugar, but it's now the fatty bread I've ever made...not by a long shot.

Without further ado, Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated apples
1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples
1 tablespoon flax seeds
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided
cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts. Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-04-12T08:04:00.002-05:00

601

2010-04-09T13:37:00.003-05:00

This is my 601st post! Can you believe it?

Today I give you two pictures or springtime in Illinois.

I have great memories of climbing around in my grandma's magnolia tree all year long, (and sword fighting with the seed pods from the catalpa tree next to it) but I especially loved it in the spring when it was blooming. No one lives at my grandparent's house anymore but I still had to drive by this weekend and see the tree. It didn't disappoint.

Grandma's Magnolia Tree

Since I've always loved this tree I thought I should plant my own. I did....two years ago. The great thing about magnolia trees is they bloom even before they become mature trees. A little stick of a tree will still get a beautiful flower on it.

My Magnolia Tree

Yeah, not too impressive, but check back in 50 years and it'll look just like Grandma's....I hope. And just to prove that I can grow something beautiful....

OK, who are we kidding? We all know it's all Brian, right? I have nothing to do with anything growing in our yard, I confess.

Wish I could disown the horrible photography too, but alas it's all mine. :(

It Just Doesn't Make "Census"

2010-04-08T08:29:00.002-05:00

Has everyone filled out their census forms and returned them? Have you? Have you?

No, I'm not being paid by the Census Bureau to make this public service announcement, but I wouldn't mind dipping in to a little of that cash cow. Have you noticed how much they have spent on advertising alone?! It's unbelievable.

First there were the ads during the SuperBowl. These humorous ads featured, if not A list stars, at least recognizable faces planning a way to contact and count every person in America. Then there were the more serious, boring ads asking questions like "How will we know where to build new hospitals or where to put new roads if we don't know how many people live there?"

Next I started noticing big banners on all of the courthouses in various counties around here. Then the banners started appearing in other places around town. When I dropped my kids off at school there was a poster on the door encouraging me to take 10 minutes to answer 10 questions that would help us for the next 10 years. The doctor's office, grocery store and movie theatre displayed the same flyers.

Next began the mailing campaign. I got a letter in the mail reminding me that my census form would be coming soon and that I should fill it out and send it back in. Well, duh! Finally I got the long awaited, much talked-about census form and I sat down to fill it out. Since they promised it would only take me 10 minutes to fill out the 10 questions I decided to time myself.

It took me 4 minutes and 9 seconds to fill out the entire form. It was way more than 10 questions because after the initial ten I then had to fill out the information for the 4 other members of my household, but still, it wasn't difficult or time consuming or even aggravating. I didn't need a special pen or even a stamp. I stuffed it in the provided envelope, licked it and threw it back in to the mailbox. So simple.

So why are people not filling them out? Why do we have to spend millions of dollars on advertising to convince people that they really need to do this? And the biggest question of all...

Why doesn't the Census Bureau just get all of this information off of our income tax forms?

I don't get it. I guess communication between government agencies is more than we can ever hope for. So please, just fill out the blasted form and send it back in so that in 2020 they won't have to waste a gazillion dollars convincing us to do it again.

Happily Ever After

2010-04-06T22:49:00.003-05:00

Thoughts while I watched:

You'd think a guy like Whidmore could get better help than this Zoe chick. She seems completely incompetent.

Now I know the world is turned upside down. Whidmore and Desmond are buddies!!

And....Charlie and Desmond are together again. Yay!

Maybe not. Whoa! Didn't see that car crash coming. Too weird.

I really wish Charlie had some hair.

Mrs. Whidmore is.....Eloise, of course. (Guessed that one.) And she's still just as mysterious as always.

Kinda figured Daniel was Whidmore's son too. Still love him as much as ever.

Desmond meets Penny on the stairs where he met Jack. Cool!

So now Desmond thinks he's there to undo what Daniel did when he set off the bomb?

Is Desmond's nose going to start bleeding again now?

Oh no, now Desmonds going to "show" everyone why they aren't living their real lives? How many times do these poor people have to be harassed into going back to this island?

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

2010-04-06T09:01:00.003-05:00

For our Easter dinner yesterday I contributed devilled eggs (of course) and this homemade bread. It was a new recipe that I found at Confections of a Foodie Bride. She claimed that it was the best wheat sandwich bread around. A little sweet and very soft, not dense. She was right.

We all thought the bread was super delicous. The only problem was that the recipe makes a huge amount of dough. So much that it completely overflowed the loaf pan and hung over the sides in big flaps of dough that ended up burning to a crisp. But, after we cut the flaps off the rest of the bread was wonderful. If I make this bread again I will divide the dough in to two smaller loaf pans instead of shoving all in to one big pan as suggested in the directions.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup boiling water

1/4 cup water

2 tsp + 2 Tbsp agave (divided)

2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (extra light)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

Set aside 1/4 cup rolled oats. Place the remaining oats into a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Mix with spoon and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Whisk 1 tsp agave with 1/4 cup of warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add soaked oats, buttermilk, oil, 2 Tbsp agave, both flours, and salt. With hook attachment, mix on low speed to combine, then increase speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes. Dough will be wet and cling to hook, but have a satiny finish.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm area for 1 hour, the dough will almost double in size.

Place dough onto a floured surface and flatten it with your hands, releasing excess air bubbles. Form dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle and position it so that a long side is facing you. Fold the 2 short ends onto the top so they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll dough away from you into a log. Let loaf rest on its seam for a few minutes.

Transfer loaf to an oiled 10-inch loaf pan, pressing dough into the corners. Mix remaining agave with 1/2 tsp very hot water. Brush over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with the remaining oats. Let sit for 35-45 minutes, until loaf rises just over the top of the pan.

While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 385. Bake for 1 hour and allow to cool completely before cutting.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T08:29:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter yesterday and enjoyed a nice time with family and friends. For all of you that didn't get an Easter card in the mail from me this weekend (and I only sent out about 15 so there are a lot of you) here is your belated Easter greeting........

Down on the Farm

2010-04-01T10:21:00.003-05:00

Well, we've officially lost our minds. We've invested in livestock. We've started "farming".

For a couple of years now Brian and Ryker have wanted to try raising chickens. We've always decided against it for one reason or another (no good pen, the dog will eat them, too much work, we have no idea how to raise chickens, etc.) but this time I guess the temptation was just too strong.

The kids were all gone for the weekend when Brian and I went in to the local farm store. We saw all those cute little baby chicks and decided it would be the best surprise ever for the kids if they came home and found the little guys all snuggled up in our garage. We finally decided to bite the bullet and buy them when we saw the price, 5o cents. We got seven. So even if we accidentally kill them all off in the first week we'd only be out $3.5o. Why not?

We were right. The kids were thrilled and really surprised. They absolutely love them and they actually argue over who gets to feed them and clean their box and give them their water. We've enjoyed watching them grow over the last week and we are eagerly awaiting our first batch of fresh eggs, due to be layed sometime in August or September.

So far they all seem healthy and happy. They are all eating and drinking and pooping as they should be. We might just keep them all alive after all. And the dog? Well, he could care less that they are around. He doesn't even give them a second glance. Of course they are living in a box right now, that might change when they are running around outside all day. He is a border collie after all, so I'm not sure how long he'll be able to repress is chasing instinct. That remains to be seen.

So, I would like to introduce you to the newest addition to our family. The chicks.....

Bread Pudding

2010-03-30T15:54:00.002-05:00

originally posted April 4, 2008

Bread Pudding is the epitome of frugality. My Grandma taught me how to make this as a little girl and she told me that it originated during the depression and was called “poor man’s dessert” because it was a dessert you could make even if you didn’t have flour or other fancy ingredients. All you need is bread, eggs, milk and sugar and you’ve got one of the most moist and delicious desserts (more like a cake, don't let the name fool you) you’ll ever taste. Add the butter sauce and it is really decadent.

This is a great way to use up stale bread, hot dog or hamburger buns. I personally save the heels from all of my loaves of bread (my kids won’t eat them) and freeze them until have I an entire loaf of bread made from heels. When the bread sack is full I make Bread Pudding.

Grandma’s Bread Pudding with Butter Sauce

2/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk2 t. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Fill a 9 X 9 square pan to heaping with stale bread torn into bite sized pieces. Mix all ingredients and dump over bread. Mix well. (It works best to use your hands to really squish the liquid into all of the bread.) Bake at 325 for one hour.

Butter Sauce

¼ cup butter
2 T. sugar2 T. flour
½ t. vanilla1 cup boiling water

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Mix in flour and sugar. Add liquids, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over low heat and stir until thickened. Let cool and refrigerate.

The Bread Pudding and the Sauce are delicious warm, but even two days later the Bread Pudding will be soft and moist. The sauce will congeal in the refrigerator so you will need to heat it each time you use it.

For more great recipes head over to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-03-29T08:04:00.002-05:00

Hair-dos

2010-03-25T08:48:00.006-05:00

This has been a brutal winter for Kinley. Her hair is getting so long that it is a complete nest of static-y tangles. The screaming matches we go through every time I have to comb it are horrendous. I had to step in with an intervention!

That's when my friend Carrie introduced me to the blog It's a Girl Thing. This lady has two little girls and she does the most adorable, complicated, beautiful hair-dos on them all of the time. She then proceeds to post step by step instructions and pictures to illustrate how to accomplish each style. It's awesome!

I've been scouring the site for styles that will control Kinley's hair, keep it from getting all tangled and still look cute and girly. I was resorting to double inside out french braids or simple ponytails most of the time, but now I've got a whole repertoire of exciting new hair-dos. Here are three that I've done (and remembered to take pictures of):

This is the first one I tried. It is just two inside out french braids on the top half of her head. They then crossover into two messy buns on the opposite side. So simple and so cute.

Next, I switched up to three inside out french braids going in to one messy bun in the back. This time I left the braids in and just let them be a part of the bun as well. I really like this one.

Most recently I tried a "headband". It's basically making a head band out of hair instead of putting in some kind of fabric or elastic headband that will fall out all day long. This one consists of a puffy braid headband all the way around the head.Then at the bottom in the back it branches off in to two pigtails.
People keep asking me how I get her to hold still for all of these 'dos. It's simple: #1: She is a girly girl, so she loves getting new fancy hair-dos. #2: Dora is on TV 53 times a day. 'Nuff said.

When we get the styles finished she loves to use my hand mirror and check it out. Her reaction:

Beyond Lost

2010-03-24T12:48:00.003-05:00

Well, for the first time this season I have the time, opportunity and motivation to review last night's episode of LOST and I don't even know what to say. I am beyond lost. I am not even on the map...of course neither is the island. But here is what I think, as flawed as it may be:

The bad vs. evil theme is becoming more and more prominent. Richard's backstory last night (finally!) was proof enough of that. BTW, two great examples of priests, huh? Geesh! Anyway, I didn't believe The Man in Black story about Jacob being the devil for one minute. I knew he was just manipulating Richard the same we he has manipulated Ben, Whidmore, Locke and others. I don't think Man in black is the devil either though. It just doesn't make sense.

I think that it is more likely that Man in Black is the head demon and Jacob is the head angel. Neither one of them has enough power to be the actual Devil or God. And God is a pretty tough customer but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't beat some poor guy to a pulp and try to drown him. We haven't seen the end of this eternal battle on the island yet. It almost seems like a Garden of Eden set up or something. Weird.

So here is what I think. Jacob and Blackie are stuck on this island running their little original sin experiment and the Dharma Initiative people show up and start recruiting and bringing people to the island in droves. Great for the experiment. The Dharma people run their own human and animal experiments, not realizing the supernatural battle that they are participating in as well. It all goes to pieces when Ben murders them all and joins up with The Others and starts running the island. Jacob banishes Whidmore, for reasons that are still unclear, maybe just because he is "no longer a candidate", and lets Ben think he is in charge until Locke shows up and he uses him instead. However, it almost seems like Blackie has been using Ben and, obviously, Locke, not Jacob. I think Blackie was using Jacob as an excuse just like he did when talking to Richard. So confusing.

On another note, as a Spanish teacher/speaker it was fun to have an entire episode almost spoken in Spanish, and it was great to see Richard's heartbreaking backstory. I'm now waiting for more of Ilana's story. Why ask someone in a bodycast in the hospital on death's door to be a bodyguard for 6 other people? Once again...weird, but I'm sure there is a perfectly logical reason for it all, right? I also have no idea how the alternate reality where there is no plane crash fits in to all of this, if it does at all. Wow, they've got a lot to wrap up in just 7 little episodes. But I've got faith they can do it....I think.

What do you think?

Culinary Inspiration

2010-03-23T08:05:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately I have no recipes to share today. I haven't been very inspired lately and I haven't had many occasions to make anything impressive either. I need some culinary inspiration. When I need a good idea or a fun recipe I have several blogs that I go to. Maybe you'll find them helpful too.

I already mentioned 17 and Baking and Brown Eyed Baker last week, but here are the others I commonly search:

Annie's Eats: Her most recent posts feature Shrimp Scampi, Blueberry Scones, Island Spice Pork Tenderloin, Yeasted Doughnuts and Italian Bread.

Proceed with Caution: This blog features "Clean Eating" recipes. Recipes that use whole foods (not processed) and ingredients that provide lots of nutrition for your body. Her most recent posts include Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie Cake, Black Eyed Pea Stew, Jalepeno Poppers, Pumpkin French Toast and Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream. Nutritional information is listed at the end of each post.

Bake at 350: This lady is no ambitious home cook. She's a professional. Her cookies are phenomenal. She can make a cookie look like a computer, a shoe, a diamond ring or a mug of root beer. She is like the Ace of Cakes, um, but of cookies. I rarely make anything from her site but I love to look at them. If you ever need an idea for a party theme you've got to see this blog.

Baking Bites: is a very educational baking blog. It combines recipes with product reviews, cookbook giveaways and political (ban on baked goods in schools) discussions. You can go there right now and find out how to make your very own Girl Scout cookies. Yep, she's got the secret recipes for Samoas, Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, and Tagalongs right there on her home page. I've got to try some of those.

Dinner & Dessert: I've recently started following this blog. I have to say that it is more dessert than dinner, but that's just the way I like it. :) Recently she has posted recipes for Dulce de Leche cookies, Chocolate Bailey's Cheesecake, Black Bean Squash Burritos, Chocolate Chip Muffins and Irish Cream Truffle Fudge.

Joy the Baker: This site is a little more gourmet than the others I frequent and the photography is as impressive as the recipes. Recently she has shared her recipes for Broiled Grapefruit with Brown Sugar and Ginger, Homemade Caramel Corn, Poppyseed Cake with Blueberry Glaze, Little Lemon Hazelnut Cakes and written an ode to her box grater, oh, and moved. She is busy baking lady.

Now, I'm hungry. Uh-oh. I'm seeing samoas in my future. :)

Double Yum

2010-03-16T08:11:00.004-05:00

Last week I had to bring snacks for Sunday School. I couldn't decide what I wanted to make and a single recipe usually isn't enough to feed everyone anyway, so I stopped trying to narrow it down and just went ahead and made two new recipes that I had been wanting to try.

I made Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares, a recipe I found at Brown Eyed Baker, and Pumpkin Ripple Bread, which I found at 17 and Baking. I highly recommend both of these recipes and these blogs.

Brown Eyed Baker is crammed full of wonderful recipes. Bagels, coffee cakes, cookies, muffins, cakes, you name it. If you can bake it you can find a recipe for it (not to mention pretty pictures) at Brown Eyed Baker.

17 and Baking is the amazing blog of a high school senior in Washington state. Not only are her recipes totally delicious, and ambitious for such a young baker, but her photography and especially her writing are totally incredible. You'll be so impressed after just one visit to her blog that you'll be hooked. If you have a teenager you should definitely turn them on to 17 and Baking. Elissa writes so eloquently about the struggles of teenage life and the lessons she's learned about working hard, loving her parents, trying new things and the struggle for independence and the fear of freedom.

Now....on to the recipes. I didn't have time to take any pictures Sunday morning before church so these are from the original posts. Credit has been given to the baker/photographers.

Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares

Photo courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker

For the Cake:
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plus
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or ½ cup mini chocolate chips

For the Frosting:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2½ teaspoons of the cinnamon and 1½ teaspoons of the espresso powder together in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1¼ cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of the espresso powder into the milk and warm the milk in a microwave until it is hot enough to dissolve the coffee. Cool the milk. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogeneous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You’ll have a smooth, satiny batter.

4. Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.

5. Back for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.

6. To make the frosting, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it things out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. 9If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)

7. Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2½ inches on a side. Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days.

Pumpkin Ripple Bread

Photo courtesy of 17 and Baking

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounce package (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup (110 grams) toasted pecans or walnuts [optional, I leave them out]
3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 – 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9″x5″ pans.

For the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese just until smooth in a stand mixer or food processor. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

For the Pumpkin Bread: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the sugar and melted butter, then stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and (optionally) nuts.

Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over mix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it between the two pans. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into each pan, then top with the remaining half of batter. Smooth the tops and bake an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool loaves to room temperature.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Chocolate Praline Dessert

2010-03-09T07:48:00.004-06:00

A friend gave me this recipe from Taste of Home recently. It is an absolutely delicious torte/cheesecake dessert with layers of cookies crumbs, cheesecake, pecans, caramel and chocolate ganache. I made it for a dinner party and it was really great! It is a little time consuming to make because each layer has to chill before the next can be added, but it is well worth the wait. Warning: Slice it small because it is extremely rich!

Chocolate Praline Dessert

Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (i.e. Oreo)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with pecans.

Praline:

1 1/2 cups butter, cubed

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 8 minutes or until the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over pecans. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

NOTE: The first time I made this dish I over cooked the praline layer. It was still delicious but it was extremely hard...too hard to cut through with a fork. It was like a Werther's candy in the middle of a soft and creamy dessert. I never make it now without the candy thermometer and it always turns out fine.

Filling:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over praline layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

Ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

For ganache, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips with cream; stir until smooth. cool slightly; spread over filling. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-03-08T07:01:00.003-06:00

This picture didn't turn out great, but it says:

"Love is in the air...and it's pooping on my head."

:)

Recipe Swap

2010-03-03T10:09:00.002-06:00

I am still so far behind on LOST. We watched the episode from 3 weeks ago last night but I still have two episodes to catch up on. On a positive note, my DSL was repaired yesterday so I can actually watch an entire episode online without it kicking me off every 10 minutes. Thank goodness.

So...since I have no LOST review again today I will ask you a question. I am participating in a recipe swap this Friday at MOPS. Out of sheer laziness I want to print off recipes that I've put on this blog so that I don't have to type anything up again. So....

What is your favorite recipe that I have ever shared on this blog?

It can be any type of recipe from dessert to bread to main dish. If you can't remember them all just search under the "recipes" category on the sidebar. Leave a comment on this post and I'll swap the recipes that get the top votes.

Thanks for your help.

Tiramisu

2010-03-01T09:26:00.008-06:00

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Not only did we have to make our own tiramisu we had to make all of our own components to the dish. That means that I made, from scratch, vanilla pastry cream, zabaglione (egg custard), mascarpone cheese and savoiardi (ladyfingers). None of these things are difficult they are just time consuming. I made all of the components one day and let them chill overnight then I assembled the tiramisu the next day and let it chill overnight.

The flavor of the tiramisu was excellent. My only problem with it was the consistency of the cream layers. Even after chilling overnight it still seemed too mushy to unmold and cut so I stuck it in the freezer for about an hour. That seemed to do the trick, but as soon as we cut into it the whole thing kind of dissolved into a puddle of tiramisu soup. Still delicious but very messy to eat and not very appealing to the eye. I'm not sure what went wrong since each of my components sat up nicely in the fridge individually. My only thought is that the whipping cream was too soft.

Either way it was an adventure to make and a pleasure to eat. If you've got a couple of days you ought to try it. You won't regret it...and you just might learn something in the process, too.

The recipes for all components of the tiramisu are included below:

For the mascarpone cheese:

474ml (approx. 500ml)/

2 cups whipping cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

For the zabaglione:

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar/50gms

1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)

1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water. In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency. Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the vanilla pastry cream:

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth. Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling. Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.) Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

3 eggs, separated

6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar

3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)

6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.

Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.

Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.

Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

To assemble the tiramisu:

2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed

1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)

1/2 cup/110gms sugar

1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese

36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)

2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu. Working quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-03-01T09:19:00.002-06:00

This is just one of the wonderful products you can get at Despair.com. This is the Point of View Glass and it goes way beyond the pessimist.

Pragmatist: The glass is twice as large as necessary.

Sexist: The glass ain't gonna refill itself, honeybun.

Communist: The glass belongs to every single one of us in equal measure.

Capitalist: If I slapped a bunch of points-of-view on a glass I bet I could sell thousands.

Manic Monday

2010-02-22T09:07:00.002-06:00

This should be hanging in the waiting room at all of the American Idol auditions.

Where's a Hammer When You Need It

2010-02-18T08:50:00.002-06:00

I still haven't watched LOST. That just goes to show you how much I LOVE the Olympics. I've never missed an episode of LOST since it started 6 years ago!!! Anyway, I do have another cute kid story....which is probably more interesting to all of you anyway.

On the way home from church.....

Kinley: Ava's little brover (brother) had a hammer and he turned around and hitted me with it right on the head and I cried.

Brian: Well I'm sure it was an accident. Did you hit him back?

Kinley: No.

Brian: Good.

Kinley: I didn't have a hammer.

Priorities

2010-02-17T15:39:00.002-06:00

Sorry LOST. I know this is your day. The day I gush about the intricacies of your writing and the depth of your intrigue. But the Olympics are on and they take precedence. After all they are only on tv for two weeks every two years. I still love you but I will have to watch you online tonight (while waiting for my DVR to get far enough ahead in the Olympics that I don't have to watch commercials). So maybe tomorrow there will be a review posted here. Maybe not.

Sorry blog. I know I should post on you everyday. I was, and then.....FACEBOOK. It is so easy to just write a little one liner about the funny, odd, disgusting or cute things that happen during my day. I can whip out a status in just a few seconds, whereas it takes up to 10 minutes to post the same information here on you, blog. I recognize however, that you are permanent. You are a record of my life as a stay-at-home-mom (which may be over sooner rather than later) and I can return to your catalog of my life any time. Facebook is a passing flash, lost forever after a few weeks. So I will try to remember to put all my precious information right here where it belongs as well as on my Facebook status, and if it bores my readers who are also my "friends" then so be it.

With that in mind: Here is Kinley's take on our recent bout of snowy weather: "Some people don't like cold snow but lotta people like rainbows and unicorns."

Valentine's Day Yumminess

2010-02-16T08:06:00.003-06:00

We do Valentines Day up big at our house. I don't why, but we always have. I always make the kids handcrafted cards and they get a small gift and some candy. (In the case of the boys, they get Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which gives us days of amusement...or disgust depending which flavor you get.) Our menu always consists of heart-shaped pancakes and strawberry milk. Sometimes I add chocolate covered strawberries or homemade truffles as well.

This year Cainan wanted to try making some Jell-O hearts that he saw on the cover of Family Fun magazine. They looked simple enough so I told him we could give it a try.
They were even easier than I had imagined, AND they turned out exactly like the picture on the magazine, AND they tasted really good. A success all around! So I thought I'd share the recipe with all of you that don't subscribe to Family Fun. I know Valentine's Day is over but you can make these in any color and any shape you want and use them for other parties and events.

Layered Jell-O Hearts (Source: Family Fun Magazine)

Ingredients:

3 (3 oz) pkgs. red Jell-O
2 (1/4 oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Dissolve one package red Jell-O in 3/4 cup boiling water. Add 3/4 cup cold water. Pour into a 13x9 pan. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

Stir together 1/2 cup boiling water and condensed milk. In a separate bowl, dissolve all the unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water for 1 to 2 minutes. Thoroughly mix in 3/4 cup boiling water, then combine this mixture with the condensed milk and let it cool at room temperature. Add half the mixture to the pan of red gelatin, pouring it over a spatula to slow the stream, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Repeat to alternate layers, ending with red Jell-O on top, chilling each layer for 20 minutes. (Do not wait much longer than 20 minutes because the condensed milk mixture will start to set up even on the counter top.)

Create individual servings with a cookie cutter.
This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-02-15T08:43:00.001-06:00

The Games of the Winter Olympiad

2010-02-11T08:43:00.005-06:00

Did you see that counter on the right of the screen? You know, the one that's been there since the day the Summer Olympics ended two years ago. It now shows less than 24 hours until the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. I'm so excited!!!

I feel like this Olympics has gotten very little hype and publicity until just this week. I find that very disappointing but probably a sad indicator of the fact that we don't have a whole lot to be excited about in this country. Our medal hopes aren't real high this year, unfortunately. But I can't throw stones. My blog has been silent on the subject as well. But never fear, I have all of your 2010 Olympic predictions for you today....just in time.

I predict......

....that not a single American male wearing skis on his feet will medal. Our best hopes are Patrick Deneen in Freestyle Skiing and Bode Miller in the Downhill Combined. Bode is certain choke and cause a media circus in the process, that's just how he roles. Deneen can kill the moguls but I don't know if he can take out the awesome Aussie Dale Begg-Smith.

I thought we had a great chance of capturing gold in the new sport of Skicross until I saw Darron Rhalves carried off the course on a stretcher two weeks ago at the XGames in Aspen. I don't think he'll be up to snuff enough to contend.

I don't think we have any chance of beating the Nordic countries in Ski Jumping, Biathlon, or Cross Country Skiing. But that doesn't mean they won't be exciting to watch....well as exciting as watching men ski for 3 hours with frozen snot hanging from their chins can be. Remember Ole Einar Bjorndalen from Norway? He is the most dominant Biathlete in recent history. He is absolutely amazing and will likely win the gold for the third time in a row. I don't know much about Nordic Combined, since it is never televised outside of the Olympics, but I do know that it is a team event that is a combination of ski jumping and relay cross country skiing. Sports Illustrated says that the US has a good team this year and may medal in this event for the first time ever, but it will be a hard podium to top, I'm sure.

Pop off those skis and strap in to a snowboard though and US guys have a much better chance. Of course Shawn White is the favorite in the Halfpipe event but Americans Scotty Lago and Louie Vito may be on the podium with him. In the hazardous sport of Snowboardcross there are two very dominant guys wearing the red, white and blue: Nate Holland and Graham Watanabe.

On skates our men may bring home a little hardware. I'm really pulling for Evan Lysacek and Jeremy Abbott in singles figure skating (thank goodness Johnny Weir won't be an issue), but the real star of that show will be Evgeni Plushenko (Russia) who won in Torino, retired for three years and is now back, supposedly at the top of his game again. We'll see. For the first time in years, and I mean a lot of years, the US could have two, count 'em two, medals in Ice Dancing. Both Belbin and Agosto and Davis and White have won numerous competitions over the last several months and they are favorites to win in Vancouver as well.

In Speed Skating you can bet that Anton Apolo Ohno will be burning up the track, but he'll have a hard time getting past the always dominant South Koreans for the gold. As much as I hate to admit it the anti-establishment, anti-social, anti-authority figure of any kind distance skater Shani Davis will probably end up with a medal or two as well. I won't be cheering though. Hockey players wear skates but they just can't compete with the hometown Canadian boys (or the Russians or Czech teams).

Unfortunately we probably won't be able to hang with the big boys in 2 man bobsled, luge or skeleton either. Our only real chance for a medal on the sleds will be with driver Steve Holcomb leading our 4 man bobsled team. If he brings home the gold it will be the first time since 1948. We really need to break that losing streak!!

So, what about the women? Well, I had high hopes but they are growing slimmer every minute that passes and every news story that comes out. Lindsey Vonn was supposed to be the gold medal winner in two out of five Alpine Skiing events. Now she supposedly has a huge bruise on her shin that makes it too painful to even put on ski boots, let alone ski. I say supposedly because the day before this news broke I read two different articles about Vonn that portrayed her as the toughest and strongest and most physically fit woman on skis...in any country.

She trains more and trains harder than anyone else. They actually showed pictures of her standing on two jump ropes that were hanging four feet off the ground, simulating balancing on skis for 2 minutes while she visualizes the course at Whistler. Remember how she nearly broke her back in training in Torino and still got up to ski (with poor results, but still a valiant effort) the next day? I have a feeling that while she is truly bruised and battered she is mostly a) taking this opportunity to psyche out the competition and b) get more media attention now, and after she wins a couple of medals. (Just think of the drama that story would make. After all, she is the only really marketable athlete at these games. If she wins gold look for her to be the Michael Phelps of Vancouver.)

Maybe all of this is wishful thinking on my part, but women's skiing has had such a pitiful showing in the last couple of Olympics that I'm hoping Lindsey can help us redeem ourselves to some degree. If she can't at least we've got three great moguls skiers that might make it to the medal stand. Be watching for Heather McPhie, Hannah Kearney and Shannon Bahrke.

Once again we seem to be stronger on snowboards than on skis. Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler and Lindsey Jacobellis all have good chances of winning top spot....if Jacobellis can keep her ego in check and her board on the snow this time. (Her little stunt in Torino is still one of the worst moments in Olympic history in my opinion and a sad testimonial to the mindset of Olympic athletes since "professional" (paid and sponsored athletes) were allowed to compete.)

As with the men, the Nordic women will most likely continue to dominate Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon. But unlike the male Americans, our women's hockey team is supposedly very talented again this year and is predicted to meet up with the Canadians in the gold medal game. Sadly, we have no real contenders in women's figure skating or the pairs competition. Gone are the days of Michelle Kwan and Kristi Yamaguchi. Maybe 2014 will hold some special promise for us.

In speed skating the Chinese and Canadians will probably dominate all of the medal podiums and our women will be left in their proverbial dust. The only name I have heard mentioned in American women's speed skating is Katherine Ruetter. Of course speed skating is famous for spills, chills, disqualifications and upsets....so anything can happen. Don't blink, or you'll miss it.

On the sleds our women have a couple of slim hopes for medals. The driver of our two woman bobsled team won silver in Torino, but she has a different partner this year. We'll see how they do together. And Sports Illustrated predicts that Erin Hamlin has a good chance for at least Bronze in the singles luge. Skeleton will likely elude us and women are not allowed to compete in Nordic Combined or Ski Jumping.

So that's about it. Oh yeah, except for my new favorite Olympic sport. As a kid I always had Olympic dreams. First it was gymnastics and then figure skating, but by the time I got really interested in the Olympics (7 or 8 years old) I was already too old to get started in a sport and train long enough to be competitive on the Olympic level. Its sad to be too old to pursue your dreams when you haven't even hit double digits yet. But 8 years ago I fell in love with a new Olympic sport. One that I could still compete in today if 1) I trained every day for the next 4 years, 2) I moved to Minnesota and 3) I had even ever played it or watched a match in real life.

The sport? Curling. I love it. It is so competitive and interesting. It always comes down to millimeters on the final throw. The athletes are incredibly intense and yet.....OLD. They are like 40!!! It's crazy. If you haven't watched it before you really should. (It is usually on all night long on MSNBC or CNBC.) It is easy to learn and the skill and strategy are very impressive. The US probably won't have a chance at a medal but our neighbors to the north, the Canadians should be right up there at the top. And here is some behind the scenes drama for you. A Canadian curler went to China and got a women's team together. This will be their first Olympics but they are already so good that they will likely threaten the Canadian women for the gold.

Well, that's the summary. By all means watch the always entertaining, if rather long-winded, opening ceremonies. Admire the Canadian fashions (which are always the best at the games) and listen to the inspiring stories of the flag bearers. Rock out to Nickleback and stare in suspense as the lighter of the flame is revealed (my bet is on Wayne Gretzky). But don't stop there. Watch the events....even the obscure ones. (Trust me, biathlon will amaze you. You've never seen marksmen like this.) Cheer for the underdogs, the favorites, the lone skier from Ghana, whoever you like. Join with the world and celebrate athleticism, dedication and, truth be told, obsession. Enjoy this incredible festival of sports.

I'll be watching every second of coverage and sitting on the edge of my seat for most of the next two weeks. I'll be a sucker for all of the sad underdog stories and I'll be laughing at the wacky stuff Mary Carillo digs up. I'll be drooling over Bob Costas and rolling my eyes at Bode Miller and the Russian ice dancers (just on principle). We'll be humming the theme song all day long and letting Ryker stay up late every night just to watch "one more race".

It's the Olympics! It's only here every 2 years and we wouldn't miss it for the world.

P.S. The big story of course will also be the weather. Vancouver has a climate similar to Seattle. Yeah. Rain, rain, fog and more rain. It's altitude and proximity to the Canadian Rockies provide some nice snow, usually. This year it is warm, which is very bad for skiing in particular. Officials are actually hauling in snow from nearby mountains and dumping it on the slopes necessary for the competition. There isn't even a dusting of snow in the Olympic village or around the media center. On the Today show this morning, live in Vancouver, the reporters were sitting outside in long sleeved sweaters, no coats, hats or scarves in sight. According to reports I've read Vancouver was already the warmest place the Winter Olympics have ever been held and they are currently experiencing the warmest winter ever on record in British Columbia. That is not good. Not good at all.

What Kate Does

2010-02-10T06:53:00.000-06:00

My observations on last night's episode of LOST:

I think we all know how Kate plans to "make Sawyer stay" in the other Other's compound.....

Wow, housing Jacob's spirit is not an easy job. Ouch!

So far it appears as if everything that happened on the island will now happen in a similar way in this alternate universe where they are all living now that the plane didn't crash. Claire won't give up her baby and Ethan will be her obstetrician. Kate will run around with a gun. I assume Artz will soon die in a fiery crash of some kind.

Whoa....Claire has really gone downhill since last we saw her.

Questions:

Now that Jack doesn't work for Dharma anymore can he get rid of that ridiculous side part in his hair? Please!!!!

Best line of the night:

Hurley, "You're not a zombie, right?"

Next week:

I'm happy to see that we will be seeing more of Locke. Can't wait to hear his "explanation".

Moist and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-02-08T16:17:00.007-06:00

These are the absolute BEST peanut butter cookies I have ever eaten. They are very moist and chewy and not excessively peanut buttery. I made them for my LOST party, froze them for two days, let them thaw on the 900 mile trip cross country, and served them from a suitcase and they were still super delicious. They also looked spectacular.For years I have heard that you should scoop your cookies with an ice cream scoop to make them all look uniform like professionally manufactured cookies, but I had never really tried it. First of all, I've never cared much about what my cookies looked like and secondly who wants people to confuse your homemade goodness for some preservative laden store bought cookie?

But since it was for a party I decided to try the cookie scoop thing. It was wonderful. Every yummy cookie was a feast for the eyes. Perfectly round and sized exactly like his neighbors. I'm not saying I'll give up the two spoon scrape off method just yet but I'll definitely use the cookie scoop again. Especially if I really need to impress someone. :)

Peanut Butter Cookies (Source: King Arthur Flour Blog)

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup (4 3/4 ounces) peanut butter, creamy or chunky

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add the sugar, salt and egg, and beat until fluffy. Add the peanut butter, butter-vanilla and baking soda, and beat until well-blended. Stir in the flour, mixing slowly until the dough is cohesive.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheets; flatten the balls slightly. Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes; the cookies will be soft, but will become chewy as they cool. Be careful not to overbake them; they burn easily. Remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on a rack.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-02-08T12:31:00.004-06:00

I love the Bittersweets that Despair, Inc offers every Valentine's Day. Unfortunately (?) I don't dislike anyone enough to give them to....well almost no one.
They say things like "Infinite Agony", "Let's Fight", "Luv 2 Bug U" and Parole is up". Isn't that hilarious?

LOST in Colorado

2010-02-05T06:32:00.006-06:00

I attended the most awesome LOST party ever on Tuesday night....in Colorado! Our best LOST-watching buddies moved there 18 months ago. They have continued to host the same amazing LOST viewing parties that they did when they lived here but we haven't been able to attend...for obvious reasons.

But this is it. The final season. The beginning of the end. We had to go. So we acted like crazy college kids and took off on a road trip. We drove 13 hours straight through the night, stayed for two days, attended the party and then drove 13 hours straight through back home. I have to say that it was COMPLETELY WORTH IT.

Here are the 3 keys to having a great LOST party:

#1: The Atmosphere.

Last year the party theme was "Dharma". They all ate Dharma food and wore Dharma jumpsuits and labeled everything as if it were one of the Dharma stations on the island. This year the theme was Oceanic Flight 815. So an airport and plane crash theme ruled the day.

Piles of luggage (debris) adorned the front yard and inside the house.

We were greeted at the front door by an Oceanic stewardess and then ushered in to the "airport" where we had to present our boarding passes (invitations) and get our pictures taken in front of the Arrivals/Departures board (which unfortunately does not show up in this picture.)

#2: The Food.

You can make almost any food fit with the LOST theme if you give it a Lostie name. Serve pulled pork and call it Locke's Wild Boar, etc. That's what I did with the cookies I brought for the party. I made plain sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies and chocolate cutout cookies, printed out some signs to tie them to the show and served them out of a suitcase. The fish biscuits seemed to be a big hit.

One ambitious baker colored her whipped cream pie topping blue and her husband made a toothpick raft to "float" on top of the "water". Another party-goer made a lovely chocolate cake with a plane crash right on top.

#3: The Guests

Of course the best part of any party is the people. For this year's theme we were all asked to dress as someone who was on the original flight 815. People really got in to their costumes. Can you identify these characters?
From left to right they are: Claire, John Locke (remember he was still in a wheelchair on the plane), Jack (post crash), Kate and Libby.

I thought Charlie looked the most authentic of anyone that was there.
This was the whole crew. Can you spot Hurley and Sawyer?

The costume that stole the show was Christian Shepherd. The doorbell rang and we saw our stewardess open the door to reveal Christian's dead body laying on the front porch, white shoes and all. I almost fell over laughing.Look, he remembered his boarding pass, though. Ha Ha Ha!

Watching the 3 hours worth of episodes that night with a huge group of Losties was SOOOO fun. Everyone groaned when new Others were discovered in the Temple and everybody laughed when Hurley told Jacob he was sorry he got killed. We all understood the irony of Sawyer waking up in the custody of yet more Others and Charlie's line "I was supposed to die." It was great to sit around and discuss theories after the show and speculate about the future episodes.

When the party started I knew our hosts, my husband and two other people. By the end of the night I had had long involved conversations with 8 different people about good and evil, smoke monsters, slave ships, nosebleeds and time travel. Where else would that happen?

You've got 16 weeks to plan your finale party. Get to work!

LOST: The Final Season

2010-02-04T07:38:00.003-06:00

It's that time again. The greatest television drama ever written is back for its final season. That means I'll be watching with tense shoulders and sweaty palms every Tuesday night and spouting my theories and observations here every Wednesday morning.

This week I'm a little behind because I DROVE 946 MILES TO COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (AND BACK) FOR A LOST PREMIER PARTY and I just got home and had time to blog about it. More about the party tomorrow but for now here are my thoughts on the show.

Jacob now inhabits Sayid's body.

Smoke Monster/Man in Black inhabits Locke's body.

Ben has no idea what is going on and is utterly confused and demoralized.....and that makes me SO happy.

Juliette really is dead.

My Predictions:

In the end time will go back to a point before flight 815 crashed and everything will be reset. The inhabitants of the island will be able to choose what point in time they want to return to. Each will be able to correct, or avoid making their biggest mistakes. (The current situation with the plane landing in LAX may be a flashforward to that time instead of a co-existing alternate reality.)

Ilana is going to play a big role this season....as is Claire.

Richard was one of the slave rowers on the Black Rock (hence the "nice to see you without your chains" comment by Smoke Man).

Sawyer is not going to be nice anymore.

Sawyer and Juliette will meet up for coffee and "go Dutch". (Remember, nothing is ever said on this show that doesn't have meaning.)

That's all I've got for now. Of course all of this will change next week when half of what I thought is blown out of the water by new information, but that's just the way it goes. Tomorrow I'll post pics of our Flight 815 LOST Premier Party. You'll all be jealous. Just wait and see.

Manic Monday

2010-02-01T05:45:00.000-06:00

NOW it's Official

2010-01-28T08:42:00.002-06:00

I have said it aloud to a few people, but I don't feel like it is actually official until I put it in writing. So here it is....

I AM RUNNING A HALF MARATHON (13 MILES) ON APRIL 24TH

My friend talked me in to doing it with her. At first I thought she was crazy but I decided to start the training program anyway. After the first few miles (3-4) I still thought it was impossible to ever run a full 13 miles. But now that I've been running more than three miles 4 days a week it is getting easier and easier.

After almost 3 weeks of training I think of the 2 mile days as a complete breeze. Yesterday I had energy to spare after running 4 miles. I can see the light at the end of the tunnell and I think 13 miles might actually be possible.

Of course training during an Illinois winter isn't the greatest. In just three weeks time I have run through the rain once and the snow twice. I've splashed mud all over my pants and run in short sleeves because it was so warm (50). Its a roller coaster, that's for sure. I have learned a few things along the way.

#1: Running is 99% mental. If you think you can do it, and you train correctly. You CAN do it.

#2: Food is an essential part of running. When I run in the morning on an empty stomach I am dragging. I can barely make it. But if I run in the afternoon, about 3 or 4 hours after lunch, I have loads of energy. (Too bad the race is in the morning. Not sure what to do about that yet.)

#3: Running in a soft snow of big flakes is peaceful and fun. Running in a blowing snow of small sleet balls is not so great. My clothes were soaked and so was my hair. I was inhaling so much snow that I must have been super hydrated, but keeping it out of my eyes was another issue. I could barely see. I had to look straight down at my feet instead of up the road....oh well that kept me from seeing the "what an idiot" look on the faces of the drivers going by.

So this weekend I'll be running 5 miles. That will be the furthest I've ever run in my entire life and will bring my total miles for the week up to 12 miles. Amazingly I can't wait! I'm excited for the challenge, and I want to prove to myself that I really can do it.

I'll let you know how it goes.

If you are interested in training of any kind of race from a 5K to a Marathon you can find a training schedule if you Google "Hal Higdon Training Schedule".

Nanaimo Bars

2010-01-27T12:41:00.005-06:00

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and http://www.nanaimo.ca/.

Nanaimo Bars are a traditional Canadian dessert, featured because the world's eye will be turned to Canada in just 2 weeks for the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Nanaimo (pronounced nah-ny-mo) Bars are made with graham crackers in the crust so in order to make gluten free Nanaimo Bars we had to first make our own gluten free graham crackers.

The graham crackers were simple to make and actually very delicious....they just didn't taste like graham crackers. Made with rice, sorghum and tapioca flour the gluten free graham crackers tasted like a very crispy butter cookie. I would definitely like to make them again...maybe with less expensive whole wheat flour. The kids loved them and couldn't stop eating them and the crackers took no time at all to make once the dough was chilled. And they have 2 Tablespoons of vanilla in them, so what's not to like? I highly recommend making gluten free graham crackers.

The Nanaimo Bars were really tasty as well. The bars basically consist of three layers: 1) graham crackers, almonds, cocoa powder and coconut crust; 2) vanilla/buttercream icing filling; and 3) chocolate topping. They were a snap to make. The only complaint I would have is that they must stay refrigerated, but when you cut the cold bars the chocolate topping cracks all over the place and does not look very nice.
I enjoyed this challenge (and the food we made) very much, but the most rewarding part of the whole experience was the response I got from an acquaintance with Celiac Disease. When my husband heard what my challenge for the month was he asked if he could take the gluten free graham crackers and Nanaimo Bars to a (high school) student that he has who suffers from Celiac Disease. I agreed and after checking with his mother to make sure everything in the recipe was safe for Alex to eat, I sent the desserts off to school with my husband. That afternoon I got a message from Alex that said, "That was the best gluten free dessert I've ever had!" I promised him I would give his mom the recipe. It was great to bring culinary joy to someone on a very limited diet. Thanks Daring Bakers.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares.

5. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

6. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.

7. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar (Confectioners sugar)

Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. (This will thicken very quickly.) Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Keep refrigerated.

C ya Tomorrow

2010-01-26T08:46:00.002-06:00

There are no recipes here today for two reasons:

#1: Tomorrow is the big reveal of the January Daring Baker's Challenge so I will have two recipes to share tomorrow. Be sure to come back to see that.

#2: I'm kind of bummed about baking/cooking right now. First of all eating healthy puts a big damper in the fun baking projects, and secondly I accidently erased all of my recipe links. I had links to probably 50 recipes that I wanted try in my favorites list. All gone. It was devastating. So I'm starting over from scratch. *sigh*

Anyway, tomorrow's post should be very educational and will hopefully give you two new recipes to try on your family. In the meantime I'm sure they're all still baking over at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table. Check it out.

Manic Monday

2010-01-25T08:32:00.000-06:00

Some Thoughts on Pre-School

2010-01-21T14:09:00.002-06:00

I am thinking about preschool because I just finished signing Kinley up for a three-day-a-week class in the fall. This will mark the first time any of my children has ever attended preschool. I have mixed feelings about that.
On one hand I'm not really a big believer in the need for preschool, but on the other hand I have to go back to work and it's better than daycare any day.

When I tell people that I don't really believe in preschool they look at me like I'm crazy, but here are my thoughts on the subject.

#1: Neither Brian nor I, nor any of our siblings ever attended preschool, so it isn't something we were ever exposed to or familiar with.

#2: As a stay-at-home mom I kind of think, "Why pay someone to do what I can do at home anyway?" And after all the reason I chose to stay at home with my young kids is so that I could be the first and biggest influence in their lives. I really don't want to hand them off to anyone else.*

#3: Once a child begins school at age 5 the school system will control his/her/your schedule for the next 16 years. Why add two more years on to that? Freedom to travel and play and visit is too valuable to give up before it is mandatory.

#4: I make sure that my kids get plenty of social interaction and time in a classroom setting so that they are prepared for school. This week Kinley will have been in a classroom setting with her peers (and without me) for 12 hours just due to the programs that I participate in (MOPS, church, Bible study) which provide childcare and instruction as well. Now, this is an unusual week. But even on an average week she spends 5 hours in class. Next year in preschool she'll only be there 6 hours all week.

#5: I take my kids to preschool screenings offered each year to make sure that the instruction they are receiving from me is comparable to other children their age. My boys have always tested high for their age. Kinley will be tested for the first time in April. She already knows all of her letters, colors and number up through 20...not only by memory but also by sight. We are working on writing her name now.

So why am I sending Kinley for one year of preschool? Well, it looks like I will be getting a job this fall. I wasn't planning on going back to work until Kinley was in Kindergarten but the opportunities in my area appeared this year so I really can't wait.

It isn't that I think she won't like preschool, on the contrary I think she'll love it. It isn't that I don't like the teacher. Quite the opposite. I think the teacher is wonderful. I just wish it wasn't necessary for her to go. I know we'll adjust to the new schedule and she'll be thrilled with her school life, but I'm sad to see the end of the years of us together at home.

For everything there is a season.

*If I were a working Mom my children would have attended two years of preschool each, no doubt. I think it is the best alternative for working mothers.

Pizza Sfincione

2010-01-19T08:49:00.006-06:00

Have I mentioned I LOVE King Arthur Flour Baker's Banter Blog? There are sooooo many good recipes on that site and the writers/bakers are so talented and entertaining. Every recipe comes with very detailed instructions, pictures and tips for successful baking.

Most recently I wanted to try a new pizza recipe I found on the blog. It was for Pizza Sfincione, a traditional Sicilian pizza commonly served on New Year's Day, and also throughout the year in little roadside carts. It has a spongy chewy crust, a layer of yummy cheeses, a layer of tomato-ey toppings and then a layer of crispy breadcrumbs. Yum! Yum! It was as scrumptious as I had imagined.

If you are looking for a break from traditional wedges of thin crust pepperoni this is the pizza recipe you should try. The big beafy squares will satisfy your pizza cravings and give you a traditional taste of Sicily.

Picture courtesy of KAF Baker's Banter

Pizza Sfincione (Source: KAF Baker's Banter)

Crust
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water*

*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Topping
2 large sweet onions
28-ounce can chopped or diced tomatoes
1 large green pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 pound sausage, browned (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
4 ounces provolone, shredded
3/4 to 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cups coarse dried bread crumbs, such as Panko
6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
1) To make the crust: Combine all of the ingredients and mix and knead to make a smooth, soft dough, using a stand mixer, bread machine, or your hands.

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large 8-cup measure (or leave it in the bread machine), and let it rise till it's very puffy, about 90 minutes.

3) While the dough is rising, prepare the toppings. Start by peeling and slicing the onions and peppers, and frying them with a bit of olive oil till they're golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Midway through, add salt and sugar to taste, if desired; about 1 tablespoon sugar will heighten their flavor.

4) Add the tomatoes to the fried onions. Simmer and stir for a couple of minutes. If the sauce seems overly liquid, continue to cook till it's firmed up a bit. You don't want it totally dry, like scrambled eggs, but neither do you want it swimming in liquid. Use your judgment. Turn off the heat, mix in the browned sausage, and let the mixture cool while the dough rises.

5) Stir together the bread crumbs and oil. Set it aside.

6) Spray a large rimmed baking sheet (a 13" x 18" half sheet pan is perfect) with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Drizzle it with olive oil, tilting the pan so the oil spreads out a bit.

7) Gently deflate the risen dough, and stretch it into an oval in your hands. Plop the oval onto the baking sheet, and press it towards the edges. When it starts to fight back, walk away for 15 minutes. When you return, you should be able to press it to the edges and nearly into the corners. If you can't, give it another short rest, and try again. You want the dough to cover as much of the pan's bottom as possible (without making yourself too crazy about it).

8) Cover the dough, and let it rise till puffy, about 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. (Don't expect much rising here. A few bubbles was all I got.)

9) Uncover the dough, and sprinkle it with the shredded mozzarella and provolone. Then spread the tomato/onion sauce over the cheese.

10) Top with the Parmesan, then the bread crumbs.

11) Bake the pizza for 35 minutes, or until the crust and crumbs are brown. Remove it from the oven, and serve it hot or warm. Hint: to prevent a soggy bottom crust, cut the pizza in half crosswise, then lift each half onto a cooling rack. Cut individual slices with a pair of scissors.

For more great recipes head over to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays or Tuesdays at the Table. And if you're really hungry take a look at King Arthur Flour's blog too.

Manic Monday

2010-01-18T10:37:00.001-06:00

The Poison of Apple Pie

2010-01-14T08:50:00.002-06:00

This quote from John Piper has been on my mind ever since I heard it in a sermon several weeks ago. Are you turning any of God's gifts or simple pleasures into gods?

"The greatest enemy for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for the banquet of heaven but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the x-rated video but the primetime dribble of triviality we drink in every night. The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemy but his gifts. The most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable. These are not evil in themselves. These are not vices. These are gifts of God. They are your basic meat and potatoes, coffee and gardening, reading and decorating, traveling and investing, TV watching and internet surfing, shopping and exercising, collecting and talking....and all of them can become deadly substitutes for God."

Black Beans and Rice

2010-01-12T09:07:00.002-06:00

In an effort to drop a dress size by Easter I am back to my dieting ways. All of my exercising allows me to eat pretty much whatever I want and maintain my weight but I can't lose any weight (or inches) just by exercising. So it's back to counting points (Weight Watchers) and avoiding carbs....for the most part.

With this in mind I am posting one of my favorite Weight Watchers meals today: Black Beans and Rice. It is really delicious, easy to make and only 9 points per serving. That's pretty good for an entire meal.

Black Beans and Rice (Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)

4 tsp. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice

In a medium nonstick pan, heat the oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, oregano, pepper sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and season with the salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf. Serve over the rice.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table. Check there for more great recipes.

Manic Monday

2010-01-11T14:26:00.002-06:00

Snow Day

2010-01-07T14:58:00.002-06:00

Ah....the first snow day of the school year. A day of briefly using the whole fam to de-clutter the house and then sitting around doing nothing while the kids play. Well, not exactly nothing. I got to sit and read all of my favorite blogs.

Our DSL has been messed up for a month or so and it kicks us off every 5 minutes so reading blogs is so infuriating that it isn't even worth it. But today magically it has been working for hours. Maybe it likes snow as much as I do. I don't know, but I do know that I've missed all my bloggy friends.

I've found 10 new recipes, 3 new craft ideas, and 1 great joke today. I've also watched all 6 LOST previews and caught up with antics of my young nieces and nephews far away. What seems like a waste of time has really been a very productive morning....well, for a snow day anyway.

I had time to read the blogs because I finished my book last night. Gasp! I had nothing to read today. I was unmotivated to go to the library but when Brian decided to brave the weather and go get some milk (apparently we were the only people in town that didn't go get a gallon yesterday) I charged him with bringing me home some reading material. Boy, did he.

He brought me a biography of Teddy Roosevelt entitled "Wilderness Warrior". An 817 page biography of ole Teddy. Wow. I'm looking forward to starting it. Here's hoping I'm not looking forward to ending it 10 minutes later. I'll keep you posted.

So Many Books To Read, So Little Time

2010-01-06T13:01:00.004-06:00

Well, since it is a new year that means it is time for a new reading list. I feel like I didn't get much read in 2009 but when I look back over the list I certainly read a wide variety of literature. My new lisst for 2010 will be on my sidebar and you can still see reviews from everything I've read in 2008 and 2009 if you follow the links.

I ended 2009 with an excellent book entitiled, "Born to Run". The book begins with the author asking the question, "Why does my foot hurt?" and ends with him running in $10 shoes through the maze-like canyons of the Copper Canyons in Mexico as he discovers just how and why human beings were born to run. I highly recommend this book to anyone who run recreationally. It will change everything you think about running and convince you to run more....not less. But even if you aren't in to running this is a good read. The characters that McDougall meets along his journey are larger than life than extremely interesting. He writes with humor and skill and made the entire book (even the scientific explanations) a page turner. I give it a perfect 10.

My first book of 2010 was "The Constant Princess" by Phillippa Gregory. I've read several of her books and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. She writes about the British royal family of the 16th and 17th century. The constant princess refers to Katherine of Aragon and her 2nd husband King Henry the 8th. Their relationship is a stark contrast to the relationship we know that he had with his other wives and it is interesting to see how his life as a boy and the early days of his reign made him in to the deadly husband he later became. Of course the author guesses at many of the personal relationships of her characters but all the events of the book are based on historical fact. I recommend any Gregory book for readers who like to educate themselves while being caught up in a great story at the same time.

I'm currently reading "Healing Stones" by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn. I"ll have a review of that up soon. Just watch the sidebar.

Rollo Cookies

2010-01-05T06:45:00.002-06:00

I had some of these cookies at a Christmas party this year and had to find the recipe. They are a soft chewy chocolate cookie with a caramel center and a coating of sugar on the outside. The only thing I had to go on was a little girl saying, "My mommy made those. They have Rollos in the middle."

A short Google search revealed two basic recipes; one with peanut butter and one without. I made the plain chocolate cookie dough because my husband does not like peanut butter and my nephew is allergic. They were delicious and very easy. My kids did all of the Rollo unwrapping and cookie rolling too.

Rollo Cookies

3 cups flour, enough so dough is not sticky
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
48 rollo chewy carmels

additional sugar

Beat sugars and margarine until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, cocoa and baking soda and blend well. Cover and cool dough in fridge for about 1/2 hour.

Shape into1" ball around Rollo, covering it completely. Roll each ball in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a cookies sheet. They will flatten and spread as they bake. Bake 8 minutes at 350*, DO NOT OVER BAKE, they will look quite soft. Cool in pan slightly then move to a piece of waxed paper. Cool completely. You can melt white chocolate and drizzle over top or eat as is.

For more great recipes check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2010-01-04T10:04:00.001-06:00

2010 Reading List

2010-01-01T13:13:00.002-06:00

Here are the book reviews for every book I've read this year.

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean: was our most recent book club choice. This book was the inspiration for the movie "Adaptation" starring Nicholas Cage. It is a very interesting book about, well orchids. It may be a little too academic for some, but I loved the long descriptions of colonial Florida and the history of orchid hunting around the world. (As a matter of fact I suggested that Brian assign this book as one of his summer reading assignments for his Advanced Placement Biology class. It's that botanically centered.) The battles between the current orchid growers/collectors/thieves and the United States Government and Seminole Indians were fascinating to read about too. The book follows the real life struggles of John Laroche, an eccentric orchid lover, greenhouse manager, and lovable anarchist. He is one of the most bizarre characters you'll ever meet and the world of orchids is almost as strange. My only complaint about the book is that it has no pictures. The descriptions of the millions of species of orchids are wonderful but I was longing for some good pictures. I give this book a B.

Under Orders by Dick Francis: I've been reading Dick Francis books for years. There are dozens of them out there and they are all centered around the British horse racing world. As an ex-jockey, Francis writes wonderfully about the life he knows. In this book his ex=jockey hero, Sid Halley, is once again using his tenacity and private detective skills to solve a racetrack murder. I learned more about off track betting and online gambling in this book than I ever wanted to know. The Francis books are always quick, entertaining reads, perfect for an airplane or a beach chair. Grab any one of them and you'll enjoy it. A

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry: This was my pick for book club. Of the three books I've chosen so far, all of them have been complete snoozers. It's horrible. I chose this book because I read a review about it that compared it to Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, which I absolutely loved. This book was nothing like Gilead. The writing was very 'stream of consciousness' and it felt like the author was trying to get all of his political, religious and social views in to one book and he didn't care if there was much of a story there to move it along. The only redeeming factor in this book is that it is set in a rural farming community in the 1920s-1960s so it was a complete reflection of the lives of my grandparents and my dad. I really enjoyed all of the farming descriptions and the small town social dynamics that I've heard described by my grandpa hundreds of times in stories about "the old days". But if you weren't raised by a couple of farmers you probably wouldn't enjoy it much at all. I'd say this book barely gets a D from me.

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes: This is one of those books I grabbed quickly from the shelf because I was in between book club selections and it had an interesting cover. Turns out it was pretty good. The book is set in England in the 1960s, an era I know nothing about. Apparently this was the time when the aristocracy lost all of their social power because everyone realized that new money (made by actual work) was just as good as old money (inherited along with a title). The story revolves around a middle aged man that must go back and visit several of his friends from his past in order to investigate and event that took place when they were all running around together being irresponsible teenagers. I found the book to be informative, interesting and entertaining. B+

The Shack by William Young: I may be one of the last people on the planet to read this book so this review may be of no interest to most of you but.....I loved this book. It really challenged me to reexamine my relationship with God and my view of his attitude/love toward me. The expressions of love between God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and man in this book were so beautiful. I know that some people are bothered by a) the rape and murder of a child and b) the female personification of God in the book, but neither one of those effected my enjoyment of the book. If you have ever struggled with the question "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" then you should read this book. A+

Theodore Roosevelt: Wilderness Warrior by Daniel Brinkley: I absolutely loved this biography. It was LONG (as a matter of fact I didn't finish it because I had to return it to the library) and very slow in parts but the amount of information in this book, not only about Teddy Roosevelt himself, but about our country in the post Civil War and turn of the century days was truly remarkable. I really fell in love with Teddy and his off beat set of friends of enemies in the political realms of New York City and D.C. Reading about the beginnings of places I have been and loved (Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Badlands) was really awesome. I highly recommend this book for the serious reader. A+

The Camel Club by David Baldacci: This book was very slow in the beginning and I didn't really get into the story until at least halfway through. It was a typical legal thriller set in D.C., full of hidden murders, conspiracies that reach the White House and a socially inept band of honest detectives on the case. I give it a C.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. Click here for review.

Pottery Barn Knock Off

2010-01-01T09:28:00.003-06:00

Let's start the new year with a craft project, shall we?

I made these two adorable wall hangings for my nieces.

The pictures are atrocious but you get the idea. I made one for Kate too, but forgot to take a picture of that one.

It was one of the simplest projects (and quickest) I've ever done. I just printed out the letters in reverse on plain white paper. I then taped them on to the back of the patterned paper (which I had SO much fun picking out at Archivers) and cut them out.

I used punches and brads to make the flowers and stars that I adhered to a few letters and then attached the letters to the ribbon with more brads. I think the cutting took longer than everything else, but the entire project took less than an hour.

The best part is this was the perfect gift to ship. I just carefully folded the ribbon and stacked the letters on top of each other and slipped them in a manila envelope. Voila, they were in Florida two days later for just a buck or two.

I think I need to make one of these for Kinley's room too. I have some big paper maiche letters to decorate and hang on her wall but this is so much easier.

Cinnamon Crackles

2009-12-28T23:18:00.001-06:00

At 7 pm on Christmas Eve, after all the stores were closed, I realized that I didn't have any chocolate chips. This year Santa was just going to have to branch out and try a new cookie at our house.

I chose Cinnamon Crackles because they look so perfect. They all come out nice and round and perfectly cracked.....plus I had all of the ingredients. Lucky for Santa they were delicious too. These are a crispy cookie instead of a chewy cookie, which I usually prefer, but they have lots of great spicy flavor. They remind me of gingersnaps but without the strong molasses flavor.

Cinnamon Crackles (Source: Taste of Home)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. almond extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 T. cinnamon

2 t. baking soda

2 t. cream of tartar

2 t. nutmeg

2 t. grated orange peel

1 t. grated lemon peel

1/2 t. salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars. Add the egg and extracts; mix well. Combine the next eight ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: about 6 doz.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2009-12-28T09:08:00.002-06:00

Gingerbread

2009-12-23T06:05:00.001-06:00

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

They offered two distinct types of gingerbread recipes and I tried both of them. I made a full batch of the Scandinavian version known as Pepparkakstuga (right) and half a batch of the Spicy Gingerbread from Good Housekeeping (left).

I also made a template and made two identical houses out of each type of dough.

Here is the Pepparkakstuga after baking.

And here is the Spicy Gingerbread after baking.

This is the Pepparkakstuga house all decorated.

And this is the Spicy Gingerbread House with all of it's sweet decor.

You can tell that the Spicy Gingerbread is much thinner and much crispier than the Pepparkakstuga. I also found the flavor of the Spicy Gingerbread to be a little better. It has ginger and molasses for flavoring which make the flavor really strong. The Pepparkakstuga tastes more like a spice cake turned cookie and a little too dry. For me an ideal gingerbread for eating would be a molasses flavor in a slightly chewy cookie....which is neither of these.

The Spicy Gingerbread was also easier to build with because it was so flat and light weight. Overall I think the Spicy Gingerbread wins my vote. But here are both recipes so you can decide for yourself.

Pepparkakstuga

1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]

1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]

2 tablespoons cinnamon

4 teaspoons ground ginger

3 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ cup boiling water (I had to add extra to make it moist enough.)

5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
2. Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, gabled walls, chimney and door out of cardboard.
3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place.
4. [I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.]
5. Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Royal Icing:

1 large egg white

3 cups (330g) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. It will dry very hard once piped on to the house.

Spicy Gingerbread

2 1/2 cups (500g) packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups (360mL) heavy cream or whipping cream

1 1/4 cups (425g) molasses

9 1/2 cups (1663g) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon(s) baking soda

1 tablespoon(s) ground ginger

1. In very large bowl, with wire whisk (or with an electric mixer), beat brown sugar, cream, and molasses until sugar lumps dissolve and mixture is smooth. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and ginger. With spoon, stir flour mixture into cream mixture in 3 additions until dough is too stiff to stir, then knead with hands until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; flatten each into a disk to speed chilling. Wrap each disk well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until dough is firm enough to roll.
3. Grease and flour large cookie sheets (17-inch by 14-inch/43x36cm)
4. Roll out dough, 1 disk at a time on each cookie sheet to about 3/16-inch thickness. (Placing 3/16-inch dowels or rulers on either side of dough to use as a guide will help roll dough to uniform thickness.)
5. Trim excess dough from cookie sheet; wrap and reserve in refrigerator. Chill rolled dough on cookie sheet in refrigerator or freezer at least 10 minutes or until firm enough to cut easily.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (149C)

7. Use chilled rolled dough, floured poster board patterns, and sharp paring knife to cut all house pieces on cookie sheet, making sure to leave at least 1 1/4 inches between pieces because dough will expand slightly during baking. Wrap and reserve trimmings in refrigerator. Combine and use trimmings as necessary to complete house and other decorative pieces. Cut and bake large pieces and small pieces separately.
8. Chill for 10 minutes before baking if the dough seems really soft after you cut it. This will discourage too much spreading/warping of the shapes you cut.
9. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until pieces are firm to the touch. Do not overbake; pieces will be too crisp to trim to proper size.

10. Remove cookie sheet from oven. While house pieces are still warm, place poster-board patterns on top and use them as guides to trim shapes to match if necessary. Cool pieces completely before attempting to assemble the house.

The Big CO

2009-12-18T08:04:00.002-06:00

We're off for a week in Colorado!

The kids once again requested a ski vacation instead of gifts for Christmas and we were more than happy to oblige.

I'm hoping to post a little bit as I have time in the evenings (if I'm not too sore and tired) but things will be very quite on the blog while we're gone. After Christmas I'll have lots of pics and stories to share.

Merry Christmas!!

P.S. Be sure to stop by on the 23rd for the big reveal of the December Daring Baker's Challenge.

Pumpkin Scones

2009-12-15T09:57:00.005-06:00

I had friends over for breakfast one morning last week and needed something quick, easy and delicious to serve. I decided to try Annie's recipe for Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze. They were delicious if I do say so myself. The original recipe called for butterscotch chips but I had cinnamon chips and put those in instead. Yummy!

Unlike most scones I have tried, these were very moist...and they stayed that way the next day too. The pumpkin adds just a little bit of flavor and a whole lot of moisture and the cinnamon chips and the spiced glaze add just the right zip to the recipe. I rate these scones a 10 out of 10...and I think my guests would agree.

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze (source: Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3-½ cup cinnamon chips
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
2 tbsp. milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk just to combine. Add the cold butter chunks to the bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are no bigger than peas. Mix in the cinnamon chips. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together gently just until the dough comes together. If necessary, knead a bit with your hands, but be careful not to overwork the dough or you will end up with a tough scone.

Transfer the sticky mass of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. (If necessary, add a bit more milk to achieve a consistency good for drizzling the glaze.) Use a whisk to drizzle the glaze over the finished scones.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Manic Monday

2009-12-14T09:06:00.002-06:00

Line Please

2009-12-10T08:17:00.002-06:00

We are in full blown rehearsal mode around here. The annual Christmas musical starts tomorrow night and I have a small part in it as well as directing it. Brian is in the pit band and the kids are just along for the ride.

We've rehearsed several hours every night this week and tonight is our final dress rehearsal. I'm glad it's time for performances instead of rehearsals but I'm still a little nervous about whether we are ready or not.

Things went better last night, for the most part. There were still song lyrics that were mumbled and lines that were forgotten and poinsettias that got dumped on the floor, but overall it was good. One actor (and if you go to my church you know who it is) still has me a little worried. He has a tough time with memorization and tends to ad lib when he gets nervous. I never know what lines will come out of his mouth on any given night. Last night when he was supposed to say to his fiance during his breakup speech, "You are just too busy making money to make a life" instead he said,

"You are just too busy making money to make a baby".

Oh boy! I hope I don't get excommunicated for putting on an R rated show.

I'll let you know how it goes.