Confessions of a Tangerine Tart

TWD - White Loaves

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been a while since I blogged something I baked or cooked. But I am happy to be back on the bandwagon, baking, blogging and stuffing my face!

This week, Tuesday's with Dorie (the online baking group I joined in Feb 2008 and quit mid 2009) is starting over with a new cook book, Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. The recipes in this book range from moderate to are-you-kidding-me difficult. But, as with all Ms. Greenspan's recipes, they are clear, concise and full of helpful tips. It really as if Dorie is in the kitchen guiding you each step of the way. I'm looking forward to tackling the recipes twice a month and sharing the results with you.

Up first, White Loaves.

This is the first time I made a real loaf of bread. Sure, I've made sweet breads, quick breads, biscuits and even brioche in my last go-round of TWD. But, this was the first "slice off a piece or two and make a sandwich" bread and it was delicious, but I'll get to that in a minute. First, it was easy. Really easy. I kept double checking the recipe to make sure I hadn't forgotten some key step. But, nope. I had it down. The toughest part was holding my mixer down so it didn't jump off the counter while beating/kneading the dough. My little mixer sure got a workout!

The first rise went exactly as described in the book. I was worried about the second rise since I only have one loaf pan and it was not the recommended 8.5x4.5 size. My pan is 9x5 so I used that and then another random sized Pyrex dish that was slightly smaller and more square than a loaf pan. I split the dough 1/3 and 2/3 and forged on as directed. The second rise went just fine so into the oven they went!

The smaller loaf baked for 35 minutes and the larger loaf for 45. I wish I had taken the smaller loaf out of the pan to let the sides brown up a bit but I'd forgotten to set a timer and was worried I'd overdone it so I just let it be as it was. The larger loaf received the benefit of a little extra tanning time and the crust was just perfect (if I do say so myself!).

Overall, this bread was easy, inexpensive to make , made the MOST delicious toast and would the perfect partner to a fully loaded BLT. My little monkey even loved it, though she skipped the crusts. What is up with all kids not eating the crusts?! I NEVER cut them off for her. How did she get the idea to not eat them?

Anyway, first week down, lots more to go. I can't wait to grow as a baker with all my TWD friends. Head over to www.tuesdayswithdorie.com to find a link to the recipe and to see what all the other bakers made. I hear some made their bread fancy!

Until next time...

Is this thing on??

2012-02-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hello, is anybody out there? This is my first post in over 2.5 years. Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that my daughter is now 2.4 years old? Hmmmm.

Anyway, Tuesdays with Dorie is heating up and diving into Baking with Julia, another one of Dorie Greenspan's collections of amazing recipes. I have really missed blogging with the group so I decided to jump in again. Stay tuned for bi-weekly posts featuring my wins and losses while I bake with Julia (and Dorie).

I hope to throw in some other topics about my life since so much has changed since 2009 and I need a place to lay it all out there.

All the best to you all and thanks for reading!

TWD: Chipster Topped Brownies

2009-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Two words - Delicious Disaster.

This was supposed to be a layer of decadent brownie topped with chocolate chip cookies. Later, it would be covered two scoops of vanilla ice cream and smothered in hot fudge. But...

I heard tales of overbaked cookie/brownies so I shaved 5 minutes off the time. The result was gooey middle (part of which fell on the floor!). Oops. Oh well, the rest was YUM and got sent to school with hubs with a note that said "looks ugly, tastes great."

I think folks appreciated my hodge podge additions. I added all the random chocolate chips in the cupboard as well as half a bag of heath bits I had left over from something. I will make this again but will bake for the full time. Oh, the lessons learned...

I wish I had photographed it before I took it out of the pan. It was golden brown and gorgeous! Pay no attention to these photos:

Head over to TWD to see how all the other bakers fared. You can also find a link to this week's featured baker and the recipe for this gem.

TWD: Tartest Lemon Tart

2009-05-12T12:15:00.001-07:00

I made this week's lemon tart and man, the name is totally appropriate. You use the entire lemon (minus seeds) for the recipe. This was one tart tart! I've noticed that citrus things have tasted extra tart during my pregnancy so this was too tart for me. (Something that's never happened to me before.) But, I took the tart with me to Mother's Day dinner and it got eaten, burnt edges and all.

The recipe called for use of a fluted tart pan with removable bottom and mine doesn't have a removable bottom so I used my springform. I spread the crust too thin by pushing it too far up the sides and it got really burned. My sweet MIL claimed she liked things burnt. She is so good to me!

Head over to TWD and see how all the other bakers fared. Hope all the moms and moms-to-be had a great day on Sunday! I'll see you all next week with mango bread. Sounds fun!

Off-line

2009-04-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I'm giant stress monkey right now. Too much technology, too much stress. I'm going offline for a few days. No need to worry. I'll be back this weekend.

See you on the flipside!

Forgotten photos

2009-04-09T13:59:00.001-07:00

I realized I never posted the pictures of the Coconut Butter Thins from a few weeks ago. Man, they were really yummy!

TWD: Coconut Butter Thins

2009-03-31T09:00:00.001-07:00

EEK! I forgot to finish my draft write up for these delish cookies and I just realized I never posted my blueberry crumb cake. Write-ups are coming tonight after work. Thanks for your patience!

kisses!

TWD: French Yogurt Cake

2009-03-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'm too pooped to write too much but this week's recipe was very good. Apparently, every French person over the age of 4 knows how to make this cake so thank goodness I was able to get it done without any major issues. My pan wasn't quite the right size so my cake was shorter than some of my fellow bakers but it tasted amazing, especially after I trimmed the edges off. They were a little too done for me.

I used orange marmalade as the glaze since I couldn't find lemon. Next time, I might even skip the glaze. The cake is the really star of the combo.

Head over to TWD and see how all the other bakers did this week. There was a fancy option for this cake and some folks really did it up. I, of course, opted for the basic option. Hey! Sometimes simple is just better. But, you can judge for yourself. And if you want the recipe pop on over to My Cookbook Addiction and say hi to Lilliana.

I'll be making this one again!

Updates

2009-03-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

Wow! So much has been going on recently that I've really been neglecting my blog. Sadly, I don't think that will change anytime soon since things don't really seem like they will slow for a while.

I've gotten a lot of questions about the big announcement. The hubs and I are expecting our first child sometime around 9/28. We don't know the gender of the baby yet but we do hope to find out when it is time. I am now in the 12th week and feeling pretty good. I had about three weeks of morning (er, all day) sickness but thankfully, that seems to be gone. I still get pretty tired and when I can, I take a nap at lunchtime. If I get in a good 30-40 minutes of sleep, it really makes a huge difference for the rest of my day. I'm getting a tummy pooch but don't really think I am 'showing' yet. Though, my body is definitely changing (especially the girls). We are obviously super thrilled about the baby and just hoping for a happy healthy bundle in just a few months.

My sister is still moving out to live with us and should be here in late July. She's a great girl and I am so happy she'll be around when the baby is born though I've told her many times that we don't expect her to be a baby slave. It will be so nice to have some of my family nearby since all the rest live 1500 miles away. The hubs family is close by and I know they will be a huge help. I really do have the best inlaws.

We are in the house hunting process though I probably won't talk about it much online until the deal is done. I am preparing myself for a long and stressful journey so I don't get too disappointed when we don't get the first thing we love. Our agent warned us that the market now is tricky and patience is key. However, it is hard to have patience when I need a place for my kid to sleep in just a few months!

Anyway, we have some big changes afoot for 2009 and they are all good things. I'll try to keep you all posted with updates and if you have any questions, post 'em and I'll do my best to answer.

Hope you guys have a great week!

TWD: Lemon Custard Cups – Citrus Flan in disguise!

2009-03-10T10:21:00.001-07:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe was lemon custard cups. With just a handful of ingredients, this recipe was a cinch to whip up. However, there was plenty of opportunity for some good techniques to practice - whisking, straining, and baking with a water bath. I enjoy worked on my skills.

I LOVE lemon and citrus but this recipe wasn't my favorite. When many of the TWD bakers commented that they thought the taste was too eggy, Dorie responded by letting them know that custards are supposed to be eggy. I'm glad I read the posts or I would have been expecting lemon pudding and this wasn't pudding at all. The flavor was good and the consistency was flan-like and jiggly but it just didn't rock my world.

Growing up, my Mamaw and Poppy would take me to Luby's (or Furr's) cafeteria and my Poppy always got either flan or tapioca pudding for dessert. I think he would have liked this week's choice. I pretended I was sending it up to heaven when I tossed out the remaining cups. Hope you liked it Poppy!

Head on over to Tuesdays with Dorie to see how the other bakers fared and if you love citrus and/or custard, drop by The Way the Cookie Crumbles by Bridget and get the recipe! You can also find it in Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

My deepest apologies for not taking a photo!

Does a picture have to be worth a 1000 words?

2009-03-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Or is one word enough?
-Rachel

TWD: Floating Islands

2009-02-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

OK, I've been singing "Islands in the Stream" since I saw that this was the recipe for this week. (Man, I love Dolly!) Shari from Whisk: A Food Blog selected this week so I blame her that my coworkers are totally annoyed with me. Maybe they would have been less annoyed if I had made a treat for them this week. Unfortunately, I did not. The whole dessert seemed like a textural challenge for me. So, I'm passing.

If you want to see how Floating Islands are done, hop on over the Shari's site. She has the BEST photography.

Then, make sure and check out the TWD blogroll and show the other kitchen wizards some love.

Also, I have a totally 3rd grade joke that could go with this post. It's bad. But, if you want to hear it leave a comment and maybe I'll post it.

Amano y Amano

2009-02-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

A really long time ago, I was selected as a lucky duck winner of two amazing bars of Amano chocolate from Blake Makes (a totally awesome food blog). Amano sent me the bars and well I just had to tell you guys about them.

First, let me state that I am a complete moron and took no pictures of the actual chocolate. I figured the Superbowl was a perfect time to let the chocolate duke it Amano y Amano. So, I let our Superbowl guests share the goodness. I guess I picked an appropriate day to share because once I put out the 4 oz of dark deliciousness, it was like penetrating my own defensive line just to get a nibble, much less a photo.

Anyway, here's the summary of our analysis:

Handcrafted Madagascar Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)
Definite citrus flavors, smooth and buttery, tangy

Handcrafted Jembrana Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)
Sweet, mild coffee flavors, super yummy!

I would love to use this amazing chocolate in a recipe. But, I am glad that we were able to taste it just as it was in order to really savor it. Head over to Amano and order yourself some. It's worth it!

A lifetime of food memories

2009-02-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to visit the hub's grandparents, I snapped this quick photo of Grandma's recipe box. (Isn't it cute?!)

Doesn't it just look full of yummy-to-my-tummy home cooked recipes? I wonder what food memories are filed away in that box. Hubs and I have only been married since July 2007 but I hope as time goes by, I'll get to experience a good number of those food memories, too. So fun!

I'm such a sentimental sap!

TWD: You want a peace of this?!?

2009-02-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

This week's TWD recipe was selected by the lovely and talented Jessica of Cook Book Habit. She selected the most adorably named treat, World Peace Cookies. You can find the recipe on her site.

The cookies were a snap to mix up but I did have trouble forming the "log" required to slice and bake. I ended up forming said log with the help of wax paper lined drinking glasses and that worked OK but not great. It really didn't matter because the dough was so crumbly that I ended up smooshing it together between my palms anyway.

Despite the unique shape of my cookies – hey no one said Peace came in a perfectly round shape! – they tasted amazing and had that perfect salty sweet combination required by tastebuds the world over. The hubs felt that they went particularly well with vanilla ice cream and he did let out the most peaceful sigh once he'd scarfed his ice cream cookie concoction down. And if that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does!

Don't forget to check out the TWD blogroll and see how the other peace keepers fared this week.

Next week, floating islands. (Yeah, I don't know what that means, either!! Can't wait to give it a try!)

Bummer times, man

2009-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

This week, my work issued layoff notices to 14 people. I still have a job but I feel so bad for those who were affected that I don't really feel relieved.

I really hope the CA big wigs get their acts together soon so the cities don't become worse off. A $42 billion shortfall is beyond ridiculous, CA!!And by the way, I can't wait to get my IOU for my state tax refund. I bet if I owed CA a few hundred bucks, I would get into deep doodoo for sending Arnold an IOU. He'd probably terminate my a$$ or something.

Ugh. I'm cranky.

Still here!

2009-01-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten you all. No excuses, just no time. I will be back by the end of this week with some twd catch ups and some updates.

Happy humpday!
-Rachel

Shaky

2009-01-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

I think I just felt my first earthquake!

UPDATE: Yep! It was a 5.0 near San Bernardino. I hope no one was hurt but I am glad I finally felt one.

TWD: French Pear Tart - AKA the day my taste buds danced

2009-01-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

I hope you are wearing your Tuesday best, dear reader. We have company today. ::whispering:: You know, the fancy kind. ::clearing throat:: Now, go wash your face and put on a skirt. Dorie's in town!

Yes, Ms. Bakey McBakerson herself chose this week's recipe and leave it her to pick a gosh darn winner and one that is perfect to serve to company. You can find the full recipe on her site or in her amazing book, Baking From My Home to Yours.

This week, TWD celebrates one year of baked fresh weekly goodies. I joined on Feb 19 and have been getting my bake on ever since!

::TWD high five, ya'll::

This week's recipe, French Pear Tart, seemed pretty overwhelming at first glance: a crumby crust filled with fresh almond cream topped with poached fruit and baked until golden bubbly?! Whoa.

Then I remembered that I've made the crust before as well as the cream. The only new thing was poaching the pears which if I totally bombed, I could pretend I never tried and go with canned instead. Well, no fake-outs needed here. I poached those babies and they were delicious!

Poaching pears

The recipe did take a bit of time but hey, what are holiday weekends for? Between the tarts and the amazing tacos I made, I think I spent about 8 hours in the kitchen on Sunday. Well, it was all totally worth it!

I didn't have the right size tart pan so I used mini tart pans instead. I made four and had a bit of dough left over. I should have had some cream left over but I spooned it all in and the pans overflowed onto the baking sheet a bit. Oh well! I suppose that's why Dorie suggested using it. She is such a smartie.

After I made the crusts and cream and poached the pears, I was ready to assemble. I couldn't decide what design to make with my pears so I varied it on all four tarts. Like I mentioned above, the pans bubbled over but that part just came right off and no one was the wiser.

The final result was that the tarts all looked cute and the one I ate was really tasty - not too sweet, just a bit nutty, perfectly poached (if I do say so myself) and delicious!

I will most definitely make this one again. Now, head over to the TWD site, click the links and show my fellow bakers some appreciation. (They could use a foot rub, too!)

This week's song is T A R T (L-O-V-E) by Nat King Cole

T is for the way you taste to me

A is for the almond cream I need

R is really, really extraordinary

T is totally more than any tart that you've adored

treats are all that I can give to you

tarts are more than just dessert for two

tart in tummies (yum!) can make it

burn my tart and I'll hog the blankets!

tarts were made for me and you

Ok I changed my mind

2009-01-05T13:18:00.001-08:00

I decided I am making a new years resolution. I am going to unsubscribe to all the random email lists I have gotten myself on over the years. Once a week, I sort my inbox by sender and delete a frillion emails from bluefly, American airlines, old navy, the tyra banks show (never even seen it!!), bankrate, and about two dozen more senders that I never even open!

No more! I resolve to take a moment to unsubscribe and rid my self of junk email, once and for all!

Whew. That felt good. Now if only I could stop signing up for online contests...
-Rachel

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Howdy and Happy 2009!

Whew. The last few weeks have been busy, very busy. I've started about 10 updates but haven't finished them. Ugh. So much for starting a new year with a clean slate (though I am starting with a 'do!). Oh well, I'll get to the updates when I can. In the mean time, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

TWD: Cheesecake!

2008-12-29T21:53:00.001-08:00

This week's TWD recipe, chosen by AnneStrawberry was Dorie's Basic Cheesecake. I've never made a cheesecake before and I was really nervous. I mean, cheesecake is like the dessert, in my opinion. It is either really really good, or not good at all.

Thankfully, despite a few minor glitches, my cheesecake turned out amazing! (If I do say so myself.) Not too sweet, tall and creamy with a crumbly crust - a perfect blend of all things amazing. My most obvious blunder was wrapping just the bottom of the springform pan with foil instead of wrapping the entire pan with foil. Ooops! Thankfully my cake wasn't full of water - like some of the other TWD bakers who did the same thing. Oh, how I wish I had taken photos of the beautiful top and the suprisingly even crust level on the side!

Also, there is a huge hint in this photo as to one of my surprises under the tree this year. I nearly died from shock! I'll be writing a whole post on the holidays - so stay tuned.

Thanks a bunch to AnneStrawberry for choosing the recipe which you can find on her site. I've really enjoyed being a part of TWD this year and look forward to another year of "baked fresh weekly" goodies.

ANNND! Next week's recipe was chosen by our baking goddess. Yes, DORIE chose next week's recipe for us to bake. You'll just have to tune in next Tuesday to see what it is and if I mastered it.

(Click here for my explanation of TWD)

Now, I leave you with this week's song - inspired by my springform pan which didn't want to release my cheesecake:

Mercy (Cheesecake) by Duffy

i love you

and i gotta stay true

your aroma's got me on my knees

im begging please

stop playing games

i dont know what this is
cos you got me good

just like you knew you would
i dont know what you do

but you do it well

I’m under your spell

You got me begging you for cheesecake

why wont you release it

you got me begging you for cheesecake

why wont you release it

I said release it

Now you think that i

would drizzle something on the side

but you got to understand

that i need a treat

that can shine while plain

yes i do

i dont know what this is

cos you got me good
just like you knew you would

i dont know what you do
but you do it well
I’m under your spell

You got me begging you for cheesecake
why wont you release it
you got me begging you for cheesecake
why wont you release it
I said release it

Im begging you for cheesecake

why wont you release it

im begging you for cheesecake
you got me begging

you got me begging

Cheesecake, why wont you realise it

im begging you for cheesecake

why wont you release it
you got me begging you for cheesecake

im begging you for cheesecake

Why wont you release it yeah yeah

break it down

This made my day!

2008-12-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

This! (Though, I am not sure this is a real CHURCH choir...)

It reminded me of my favorite movie of the year, Young at Heart. It's in my top 5 of all time. You should see it!

TWD: There ain't no way!

2008-12-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Um, hi. I will not be able to blog about this week's recipe until at LEAST this weekend. Thankfully, we have a bit of leeway this month or I'd be in deep doo-doo with the TWD gods. ::waving at CB, Nikki, and Laurie!::

Anyway, I am making these cookies. You guys just won't hear about them until I have a chance to write up something special, mkay.

PS - I know I have a few new readers so in case you are wondering, TWD means "Tuesdays with Dorie." It's an online baking club where all the members (400 or so) all bake the same recipe and blog about it on Tuesday. The recipes chosen from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours. If you don't own it, you should get it ASAP. Even the most challenging recipes seem easy peasy coming from Dorie.

OK bye bye for now! Have a great rest of the week everyone. And just for kicks -- here's a little something for you - it's only the best non-religious Christmas song ever!

Do you believe in love at first site?

2008-12-11T23:23:00.000-08:00

I do.

You should know that I was very tempted. But, thankfully, I remembered that it is the time for giving to others. Well, that and the fact that I live in San Diego and could probably wear it for three weeks (or less) a year. Oh, but what a fabulous three weeks it would be!

Stop tempting me cozy knits!! Seriously.

Merry Christmas to me!

2008-12-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Look what arrived today!? I purchased this little cutie from Creative Jen and I love it! The monkeys are a lot bigger than I expected but I think I like it better that way.

Now my wreath matches some of my other Christmas decor:

This cutie ornament was made by my friend April. She's the craftiest person I know. Seriously.

Off to monkey around, ya'll!

I have a huge TWD follow up post coming but am not quite finished with it. Stay tuned!

Twd linzer sable

2008-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

Gorge!
-Rachel

Twd

2008-12-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Too busy to finish blog tonight. Song and scoop manana!xoxo
-Rachel

TWD: Linzer Sables

2008-12-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hi. If you are looking for Linzer Sables, you'll have to come back next week. I hoped to bake up the delicous cookies but I have a terrible cold and I am a big snotty mess. I figured no one would want to eat treats prepared by germy mcgermerson so I'll take a pass and hopefully double up next week, just in time for work holiday potlucks!

This week's selection was courtesy of Dennis from Living the Life, so go check out his page and see what he concocted. (He also has the recipe posted or you can find it in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.) Also, don't forget to visit the blogroll at TWD to see what sables the other 400 members baked up this week.

I'll be back next week with cookies and at least one new song!

Good night and ACHOOOO!

Door update

2008-12-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

The (farting) door has been oiled. I'll keep you posted on any funny business coming from the hinges.

Twd update

2008-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

My coworkers are raving about the pie!

And, apologies to Vibi for saying you live in France. I read your bio on twd site way too late last night!

Enjoy your day, everyone. I'm just working away and dreaming of stuffing.
-Rachel

TWD: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

2008-11-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

Rob Base was right! It does take two to make it outta site. This week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection is Thanksgiving Twofer Pie as chosen by the lovely Vibi. You have to check out her blog! She lives in France and you can read her blog either in French or English. How smart is that?!

Well, that's only the second most smart thing I know about Vibi. The first is that she chose this pie. This is now my most favorite pie ever. EVER. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

First the dough. Man, was it a pain in the arse. It took the two of us to make it right (catch the theme??) and get it into the dish correctly. But, once it was in the dish, it baked up gorgeously!

The pumpkin filling was a complete breeze, I actually thought I had done something wrong it was so easy!

Then I layered on the pecans, poured on the gooey topping and popped it into the oven. After the stated baking time, my knife wasn't coming out clean so I kept it in and checked every few minutes or so until it was done. I think I added about 15 minutes to the cooking time and never had to foil the crust or tent the top. This pie was a piece of cake!

When it came out of the oven, it looked and smelled amazing! I wanted to dive right in but myself wait until it had cooled to room temperature. The top of the pie looked like a caramelized candy coated dream.

The hubs ate his with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while I enjoyed mine with a (giant) dollop of home whipped cream.

Overall, the hubs and I could not believe how delicious this pie was. At one point, I looked at him and he was staring at the pie, shaking his head. I gave him a quizzical look and he just said "How? How can the flavors go together so perfectly?"

That's when I started dancing and singing :

It Takes Two - the Twofer Remix

(With apologies to Rob Base, lyrics by me!)

It takes two to make a thing go right

It takes two to make it outta sight

It takes two to make a thing go right

Pumpkin and nuts make it outta sight!

Bake it! I want some pie right now.

I'm Rachel B and I came to get down.

I'm not internationally known.

But I'm known to whip cream into foam

Cause I get tasty, I mean outrageous,

stay away from me, the calories are dangerous.
Cause I love dinner, you know I'm a winner

If you do the dishes, I'll give you a ten'er.

My hubby loves me, coworkers adore me

They eat right and they never bore me.

I make pie all day long

The reason why, man, I don't know

So let's go, cause

It takes two to make a thing go right

Pumpkin and nuts make it outta sight

It takes two to make a thing go right
Pumpkin and nuts make it outta sight

Cut it!

Check out the other bakers (but give them until Thursday) and show some thankful love!

Random Confession

2008-11-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

I don't care for cookies. They have to be really good and pretty much straight out of the oven for me to really like them. Even then, the chances are 50/50.

Apple Cranberry Cobbler

2008-11-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

Last week, hubs told me that he volunteered me to make a dessert for his work potluck. Normally, I would have just made my TWD recipe for the week but I wasn't really in the mood to make a pie. So, I searched online and found a recipe for apple cranberry cobbler. It looked easy and sounded DELISH.

I baked one up for his potluck and it smelled so good that I decided to make one for my office, too. It got gobbled up at my work but unfortunately, teacher related duties kept my hubby from his potluck and no one put my cobbler out. So, we ended up with an entire cobbler to eat by ourselves at home! But it was sooo good, the only one complaining is my waistline...

The sweet/tart combo and the amazing sweet biscuity topping was mouthwatering! It was one my favorite things I've made recently and I think it may become a holiday tradition. (PS It goes great with ice cream.)

Apple Cranberry Cobbler

(allrecipes.com/pictures by me)

5 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (I used Granny Smiths)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (I used fresh)

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine (I used butter)

Topping:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine (I used butter)

1/4 cup milk

In a large saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, cranberries, tapioca, cinnamon, and water. Let stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Cook and stir 3 minutes longer.

Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Dot with butter.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Drop dough by tablespoon fulls over hot apple mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until topping in golden brown and a toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean.

If you love sweet/tart things. Make this now. DO IT!

I swear, it was a squeaky door!

2008-11-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

In May, our city offices were moved around due to some construction. I lucked out with to a sweet new office which shares a wall with the city attorneys office. See diagram.

Since moving to this office, I have had many embarrassing moments as a result of the door to the attorneys office making a very interesting noise when opening or closing. Outside my office, it sounds like a squeak. But through the wall, it sounds like the world's grossest fart.

Anyone who happens to be meeting with me when the misfortune squeak happens thinks that I have digestive issues and I get strange looks, even giggles. I have tried saying, "gosh that door is loud," which only results in my office guest thinking that I am a huge liar. I can see them trying not to breathe through their nose.

So today, while delivering a contract for review, the door made its ridiculous noise and, thinking I was alone with the admin person, I said "Did you know this door sounds like toots through our shared wall?" She asked me to repeat myself. I said, " this door sounds like toots through our shared wall. I often have guests think I let a giant one rip. I don't have a husband or dog to blame it on around here."

She started laughing. Then I heard from the head attorney's office, a loud male voice say, "sounds like that door needs some oil." I nearly died! I've never even spoken to our City Attorney and now he thinks I am fart obsessed. Great, just great. But, maybe it will get oiled finally and stop freaking people out.

The only problem with fixing the door is ...what will I blame my actual toots on? I won't have a husband, dog or door to blame!

If loving dishes is wrong...I don't want to be right!

2008-11-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

OK, I admit it. I should join dish addicts anonymous. I've always loved kitchen gadget and dishes. Lately, I can't stop dreaming about these dishes!

They are Franciscan's Atomic Starburst and are from the 1950's. I've been in love with them forever and I think I may just have to start collecting them. I envision them proudly displayed in our future home next to the Depression Glass pattern my MIL got me hooked on (Ultra Marine Swirl). Won't they match perfectly?!?

Is there a such thing as dish rehab?

Do you collect anything? If yes, what is it? If no, what do wish you could collect?

TWD: Rice Pudding

2008-11-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

Excuse me waiter, there's pudding in my rice! That's how I felt about this week's TWD recipe selection (chosen by Isabelle). I don't know if I have ever had rice pudding before but I don't think it is my kind of dessert. I love rice, especially arborio rice (which is used to make risotto) but, I'm not a big pudding fan.

However, I know that rice pudding is loved by many many people so I figured I would give it try. Thankfully, I checked out the "problems and questions" post and found out there was a typo in the book. I needed to basically double the cooking time.

Overall, the flavor was delish but I just couldn't get past the standard rice pudding texture. Hubs agreed.

I know my cousin is anxiously awaiting the results of the recipe because she is looking for a good rice pudding recipe. I'll give this one a thumbs up for her since it is probably the best rice pudding could taste.

Now, go check out the other bakers. Some of them made a chocolate version!!.You know I'm all vanilla at heart.

PS You know I get inspired by cheesy songs. This week's was:

"Rice Rice Baby"

All right stop, collaborate and listen

Rachel's back with old time tradition

Pudding grabs a hold of me tightly

It flows like a harpoon daily and nightly

Will it ever stop? Yo I don't know

Turn up the amps and I'll go

To the extreme I rock the mix'r like a vandal

Plate up the stuff, serve it classy with candles

Chillin' with my apron low,
Got my do-rag on so my hair won't blow
Hubbys on stand by waiting just just to taste. why?
Do you let him? Nope, I just stroll by
To the extreme my pudding's all ricy
Stick it in the fridge but it's gonna taste dicy.

If there was treat, you know I baked it

Check out the hook, while I put my cake in.

Rice, rice baby!

and Beka makes three...

2008-11-18T09:57:00.001-08:00

My sister is coming to live with us. I am so excited! She graduates from HS in June and will probably move out in July so that she has time to get settled and find a part time job before school starts in the fall. I think this will be a very good thing for her (and me). I've been living 1,500 miles away from her for the last six years and I am looking forward to getting to know the (sort of) grown up version of my baby sister.

We still have some details to work out but the decision has been made. Hurray!

TWD: Kugelhopf

2008-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Pronounced: coo gull hoff

I don't know why but that song by Olivia Newton John "Physical" kept running through my head while I worked on this week's recipe. And changing the words to "Let's get kugelhopf, kugelhopf, I want some kuglho-opf, let me see your kugelhopf, your kugelhopf.Let me see your kugelhopf." Just sounded so fun to sing while mixing, rising, slapping, rising, and baking.

The results were OK but in my opinion, not really worth the effort. It was too bread for cake and too cakey for bread. I'm glad I made it and it turned out gorgeous (if I do say so myself) but ::shrug:: it was just meh.

I made mine in a bundt pan since I don't own the turban kind so my kugelhopf is a bit shorter than some people though it totally rose, a lot! I'm a fan of the oven light trick for getting yeasty dishes to rise. For those of you who don't know, you put your pan in the oven and turn on the interior light. The light heats things up just enough to facilitate an excellent (and timely) rise.

Head over to TWD and the results of the other 350 kugelhopf. Yes, we are now nearly 400 strong. CRAZY! Oh, and thanks a bunch to Yolanda for a fun a different pick.

A delicious trifecta

2008-11-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

I was looking for pork chop inspiration when I came across a recipe for Italian pork chops. Thinking along those lines, I figured that I might give risotto a shot. I rounded it out with some broccoli. A really long time later, I had one of the best dinners I have made in a while.

I've never made risotto before and I was nervous because I've heard it is a picky dish. It did take some time, but I was really patient with it and it was SO GOOD. Seriously, I might have eaten until I exploded but thankfully, the hubs staged an intervention and saved me from death by cheesy rice. Totally worth the nearly 40 minutes of constant stirring.

The pork chops were basically a version of garlic cheddar chicken but with crackers (not breadcrumbs) and pork. They also look giant because they had a bone in them. But, OMG were they good!

The hubs said this was the best dinner ever. And, I believed him.

Italian Pork Chops (allrecipes.com)

2 cups crushed saltine crackers
1-1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian-style seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup butter, melted
4 pork chops

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed saltines, Parmesan cheese, Italian-style seasoning and garlic powder and mix together well.
Dip the chops in the melted butter and then dredge each chop in the cracker mixture, coating all sides thoroughly. Place the chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Parmesan Risotto

5 to 6 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Salt and pepper

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring until the onion is golden but not brown--about 3-5 minutes.Add the rice and stir to coat the rice.

Turn the heat to medium-high, add about 1/2 cup of the stock and keep the mixture boiling, stirring constantly. As soon as the stock has been absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of stock and stir. The risotto must keep boiling, but it must not stick to the pot. The whole cooking process may take 25-30 minutes. Once all the stock has been absorbed, and the risotto is tender, remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the butter and Parmesan.

Steamed broccoli

Get some broccoli and steam it until it is tender but still crisp. Yum!

Rugelach - an update

2008-11-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

::sigh:: There is no rugelach. It won the battle and the war. I made the dough twice, following the instructions explicitly and I still had goo dough. It was ridiculous. No one else had that problem. Do you think it is too humid in SD for the dough? WTH?!

I'm wondering if it was my flour? I really really want to make this again but I'm taking a cream cheese dough vacation. I'll post about this again once I've succeed.

I'll get you next, Rugelach, next time!!

TWD: Rachel vs. Rugelach - Round 1

2008-11-03T21:58:00.001-08:00

My rugelach dough chilled in the fridge for 24 hours. I've been trying to get it to roll out for 2 hours and it's just a sticky, gooey mess.

Baking Battle Score:
Rachel-0
Rugelach-1

Stay tuned! This is going to be a nail biter.

(If you want to know what the heck I am talking about, visit the TWD site and get an education on life in the bake lane.)

Sad

2008-11-03T14:36:00.001-08:00

As someone who was very close to their grandparents, my heart breaks for BARACK OBAMA whose grandmother has passed away.

I know his grandmother will watch his acceptance speech with pride from heaven. Take comfort Mr President, you will need an angel with you as you lead our country.

Sad.
-Rachel

TWD: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

2008-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

This week's selection for TWD came from my BBB (best blog bud) CB. She's a cupcake freak and I knew this one would be a natural choice for her. I also wasn't surprised when she asked everyone to decorate their cuppys for Halloween since she's so timely and what not.

At first, I was stumped. Then, when watching the news, it came to me! Halloween = scary, right? What is the scariest thing right now? Check out my cuppies to see...

Seriously, I'm freakin' scared about our economy, housing market and stock market. My retirement account is the toilet. Thank goodness I don't need it for 30 years! And I can't even think about Prop 8 passing and a McCain/Palin administration.... ::shudder::

These cupcakes scared the bejebus out of me so much so that I had to hide under my desk, in disguise, so the scary economy monsters couldn't find me.

However, while taking solace in the delightful frightfuls, I was busted...

Oh well. I guess it was worth it. Now if only my IRA retirement account was as rich as these cupcakes, things would be allllll riiight.

About the cuppys: This wasn't my favorite chocolate cuppy recipe but I like it OK and the chocolate lovers at work thought it was delish. But, you all know I'm a vanilla girl at heart.

Check out my other TWD bakers and see all the boo-tiful treats.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

2008-10-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Excuse any typos; I'm typing with my toes. My hands are too busy shoving pumpkin muffin in my face to actually type out this blog. I pulled the muffins out of the oven 8 minutes ago and DANG they are delish. The recipe called for sunflower seeds on top but I couldn't find unsalted ones so I skipped them. Also, because my can of pumpkin was giant, I double the batch last minute which required a hodge podge. I used half walnuts and half pecans. I was 3 tablespoons short on the unsalted butter so I subbed 2 tables of regular butter and went 1 tablespoon short. The result? AMAZING, especially with butter on top. Yummola.

Head over to TWD to see how all my other baking buddies fared.

TWD: Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

2008-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hi. My name is Rachel and I ate way too much of this week's recipe. I mean, seriously. Wouldn't you want to eat this:

I'm not even much of a chocolate fan but D-A-N-G was this cake good.

The cake was easy peasy and I can't believe I actually made homemade caramel. I mean, hello homemade caramel! I should at least get some kind of award for this.

My hubs and I ate all we could without exploding. I gave a hunk to my neighbor and took the rest to work. It's another winner, for sure and WAY easier than it sounds. You should make this cake now. DO IT!

Major love to Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy for this week's selection. You can find the recipe on her blog. Also, make sure to check out the baked concoctions of my fellow TWD friends, all 300+ of them.

Side note about Tammy. She's is on the other side of the world from me and I remember when she first commented on my blog. I couldn't believe that anyone besides my Mom was reading what I wrote and I did a happy dance in my chair knowing I was connecting with someone so far away. She rocks!

PS I still have to write up last week. I'll do it when I can. TIA for your patience.

Pot Roast Disaster

2008-10-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I made my first pot roast. I wasn't exactly sure how to do it and nothing I found online seemed like the way my Mom made it so I called her up. I followed her directions to the "T". I browned the roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Then I put it in the slow cooker with pearl onions, baby carrots, the little potatoes cut in half, some garlic and a cup or so of water. Four hours later, it smelled heavenly and looked like this:

Too bad the meat was like leather. Seriously, it was very very tough. The veggies were delish, though. What did I do? Maybe it was the cut of the meat? Who knows! I may just have to wait until I'm in Big D again to have a decent pot roast. :'(

Twd rewind soming soon!

2008-09-30T09:01:00.001-07:00

I got home super late from work last night so my write up will be done tonight, just under the wire. Stay tuned!
-Rachel

TWD: Dimply Plum Cake

2008-09-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe was chosen by Michelle of Bake-en. You can find the recipe oh her site.

I have to say that I was really, really looking forward to this cake. I followed the directions perfectly, though my plums were a tiny bit large so I needed fewer of them.

I mixed and poured. I baked and tested. The knife came out clean. Time to cool... 15 minutes later, I unmolded and flipped onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

About 20 minutes later, I see that there is GOO underneath my cooling rack. I investigate and realize that my entire cake middle has goo'd out of the cake! It was totally raw in the center!!! WTH?!

I double checked all the steps, oven temp, etc and cannot figure out what I did wrong. I was so disappointed as the properly cooked corner tasted delicious and the plums were probably the best I've ever tasted.

What could I have done wrong? :( Here are the pics for your inspection.

before the oven

golden and delicious looking

mmmmm

boo! it's goo!

The only underneath photo I could get before being attacked by goo.

Boo. I hate wasting food, especially nearly $10 in plums! (I did eat some of the baked plums but they were a bit weird with out the cake).

Go check out the other TWD bakers and see how they fared this week.

Three cheers for cheese!

2008-09-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this?

Hey you -

2008-09-18T21:12:00.001-07:00

Things have been hectic for the last few day. But, thankfully... well, this song says it all.

Love you!

Oh man, I'm the worst

2008-09-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hubs took my car to get washed on Saturday because I was busy getting ready for house guests. He's such a sweetie. Today he asks if I noticed that the huge paint scrape down the side of my car had been buffed off. I didn't notice. *gulp* However, in my defense, I try not to look at that side of my car because the paint scrape made me feel bad about driving into the side of the garage. (oopsie!)

I feel terrible for not noticing. My car looks so purdy now. Isn't my hubs so sweet!?

An Irish Tale

2008-09-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

So, the hubs and I got back from our European vacation about a month ago and I still have so many stories to share. One of my favorites is the story of our first day driving in Ireland.

Hubs and I arrived at Cork airport and retrieved our bags by 5:30 pm. We had to pick up our rental car and drive about 10 miles to our bed and breakfast. We were supposed to check in by 7pm or else. Or else, what I have no idea. Needless to say, we were determined to make it there by 7 pm.

We get to Hertz counter and check out our car. We paid extra for the navigation system and additional insurance (hubs insisted),but decided not to put me on as a driver. In the US, spouses are included free as a driver but apparently that isn't the case anywhere else.

So, we get to our car - a lovely Fiat Punto, and hubs spends about 15 minutes giving himself a pep talk. I didn't blame him one bit since he had never driven on the left. Thankfully, his daily car has a stick shift so that part didn't seem to daunting. After a third damage check (and I think a tire pressure calibration) we were off!

As the navigator, I decided that the directions the B&B emailed us were rubbish and that we should use the navigation. A lovely British accent told us which way to turn and a "bing bong" signaled when do so. We got turned around a few times but didn't worry . We had plenty of time. We handled the highways pretty well and figured out how to deal with round abouts. Things were moving along.

We were with in a mile or so of the B&B when we things went awry. The navigation insisted that we turn left onto a ridiculously tiny road (driveway, more like). The problem was that the road was closed. Bummer. We figured we'd just turn around and try a different way.

Well..hubs shifted the car into reverse. Nothing happened. He tried again. We heard only grinding of gears. He pulled up, he pushed down. Nothing worked. Meanwhile, I'm getting quite nervous as we are in the middle of the street and could get smacked into at any point! After what felt like forever I very calmly said, " Honey, why don't we just turn right into that parking lot and figure out what's up."

He turns right into the lot and proceeds to spend endless amount of time trying to get the car into reverse. It will not go! I'm really starting to sweat (a rare thing for this laid-back lassie) and realize that it is now 6:50. We have to get to the B&B, we can't get into reverse AND we are sort of lost. This is not good. I mention how important it is to get to the B&B and that once we are there, we can call Hertz and let them know our reverse is broken.

I suggest putting the car in neutral and we push the car backwards so that we can turn around. Hubs agrees. I get out and walk around the front to get behind the wheel so hubs can push. That's when hubs reminds me that I am not on the driving account. I start to negotiate with him but can tell by the look on his face that I should just do some pushing.

So, he puts the car in neutral and I start pushing the car backwards so we can get out of the tiny lot. At this point I notice the elderly gentleman in a robe (and nothing else, it appears). I look around and realize that we have pulled into the parking lot of a mental hospital! The pantless gentleman says something about wanting to help us but being too tired. I silently thank the Lord for sedatives.

Finally, after a good work out, the car is facing the proper direction and we try to find our B&B. We turn and our moronic navigation screams "When possible, make an authorized U-turn." It says that about 20 times before I think I hear it sigh. It says "Recalculating route." I seriously want to tell this Mary Poppins lady in my navigation to shut the F up but I don't because I really want to get to the B&B and I think she might be my only hope.

Finally, we take a random turn and end up on the right street. Huzzah! Success at last.!We won't be sleeping in the world's tiniest hatchback tonight!

I can see the B&B. It is seriously the cutest ever. Hubs pulls up to the Fernroyd House. Damn! Parallel parking...I hop out and push the car into the spot. (Wish I had a picture of that one!)

Our hostess pops out and inquires "Are ye staying with us?" We say yes and explain our car issue. She hops in and in about two seconds, shows us what we've been doing wrong. Apparently, there is a tiny tiny ring that you must lift on the stick to get the car to go into reverse. Why the heck no one told us? Who knows! At least it makes for a good story and a good work out. :D

I leave you with a few pictures of Fernroyd House. It was so lovely and the owners Avril and Tony (and their dog, Chippy) were our favorites of the whole trip. It's no wonder they are rated #1 on Trip Advisor for Cork.

Our room

The garden

Chippy!

TWD: Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

2008-09-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Get a load of this:

Drooling yet?

You should be. It was my turn to choose for TWD and I spent hours flipping between a few key recipes before I finally decided on this one. I'm not a huge chocolate fan but I LOVE malt and thought this would be a totally different yet fun recipe to try.

I actually made these twice. The first time, I was determined to take amazing pictures so I could showcase my awesome baking skills, superb photography talents, and really clean (for the photos) kitchen. However, after the cookies were gone far, far away to a potluck in the sky, er, at hubs school, I realized that there was no memory card in the camera. I raised a fist and decided that I'd have to make them again. So I did. The second time around, I made a few adjustments:

1. I got to bake with a good friend I rarely see.
2. I was a little short on chocolate chunks (semi-sweet) so I supplemented with mini chips which gave a fun texture.
3. I used a bit more than 2 cups of whoppers chopped (by my pal) into halves and thirds. I figured, the bigger, the better.
4. I also used regular flavor malt powder and not chocolate like some bakers did. That would have been way too chocolatey for me.

I really liked these cookies. I thought the chocolate flavor was pretty mild and the malt ratio was perfect. However, I got mixed reviews when I took them to work on Monday. Some people said they were too malty. Others said they needed more malt powder. I guess it all depends on how much you like malt. Hubs didn't care for them. Apparently, he doesn't like malt. Yeah, that would have been nice to know 3 weeks ago when I chose the recipe. Oh well, I liked them and that's good enough for me!

I loved how some of the whoppers caramelized, some were in whopper-y and some were in between. They final results were chewy, with a slight crunch and that soda shop taste. DELISH!

Thanks to my fellow TWD folks for baking my choice this week. And a bigger thanks to the blogger who figured out the temperature was to be 350 due to an omission in the book. You rock!

Next week - Claudia from Fool for Food has chosen Chocolate Chunkers. I leave you with some yummy pics and the recipe. Have a great week, all!

Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops
1.75 cups all purpose flour
1 cup malted milk powder
.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
.25 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp.
.66 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
.25 cup whole milk
2 cups (6 ounces) chocolate-covered malted milk balls, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or 1 cup store-bought choc chips or chunks

GETTING READY: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned in the mixture looks curdled - it will even out when the dry ingredients are added. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear in the the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. The batter will look more like fudge frosting than cookie dough - and that's fine. With the mixer on low, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on to the sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between spoonfuls. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 6 minutes. When done, the cookies will be puffed and set slightly but soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before using a wide metal spatula to transfer them to the racks to cool to room temperature.
Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

La Palette's Tart - A TWD tale

2008-09-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

In June, the baking group I belong to, TWD, baked up a tart inspired by a restaurant in Paris. It was one of my absolute favorites that we'd baked so far. Later that week, Dorie blogged about the restaurant and my ears perked up. I decided that hubs and I absolutely had to visit La Palette on our trip to Paris.

It was our last full day in Paris and I was determined to eat lunch at La Palette. I'd found the restaurant the day before while on our bike tour. The group stopped for lunch just a few blocks from La Palette and when we rode by, I screamed "There it is!!" and got a few strange looks from the Parisians standing nearby. I was so stoked to actually eat at the restaurant where this tart was born.

The next day, we headed over to the 6th arrondissement to La Palette. Look how excited I am!

We ordered lunch. I had a croque monsieur (on farmhouse bread) and salad:

Hubs had some other sandwich but I can't remember what it was exactly. I could barely contain my excitement and when the waiter came by and asked if we'd like dessert. I grinned and said "strawberry tart, s'il vous plait." The waiter replied, "We don't have that today." I think I stared open mouthed and shocked for a full minute before he said he had a lovely peach pie instead. I wasn't too happy but I said OK.

But, what he called a peach pie was very similar to the strawberry tart. A crust, graham I believe, with a thin layer of jam, covered in perfectly ripe and delicious peaches with a glaze on them. Oh man, was it ever delish!

At the end of the lunch, I left with a happy tummy and a funny story. It was a great day. I really wish I had that peach pie recipe. It was super super good - just not as good as I bet the strawberry tart would have been. If I ever make it back to Paris, I'll have to try the strawberry, or anything else they serve. It's all yummy to me!

TWD: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

2008-09-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

This week's TWD recipe was easy peasy and super fun. I actually made these twice over the long weekend.

My brother was in town from Texas helping my stepsister (who lives in San Diego) move back to Big D. She's been out here for a few years and was ready to head back home. All our family is in TX and I don't blame her one bit for wanting to go back. Aren't we cute:

Anyway, back to cookies.

I made these treats for the sibs to eat and they enjoyed them so much that I packed up the leftovers for use as road snacks. I think I scored some awesome-ness points for that.

I also whipped up another batch Monday night to take to work and for hubs to take to his Tuesday night soccer game. I can't help it. I'm a giver.

With regard to the recipe made a couple of changes. I used less nutmeg and I used whatever choc chips I had in my cupboard. So I ended up with some milk, semi, and bitter sweet chips in my cookies. Next time, I may add heath pieces.

Overall, these cookies were super yummy and totally easy. Hubs game 'em A. That's pretty huge.

Thanks to Stephany for choosing this week's recipe. Yummy, chewy, chunky deliciousness. Head over to Tuesdays with Dorie and give our other bakers some love.

Next week, it's my turn to choose! Stay tuned. :)

What would you choose?

2008-08-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

I am invited to a special breakfast at work for service awards. I am getting my 5 year. I get to choose one of the following- Engraved glass mug, acrylic paper weight, letter opener, gold plated business card case,pen with walnut case, or logo key chain.

I'm leaning towards the mug. I wonder if I can have it engraved with "best employee ever"
What would you choose?
-Rachel

What have I been up to?

2008-08-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I went with a friend to see Les Miserables at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. It was really, really good. If you live in the San Diego area, you should check it out. One cool thing about the show is that hubs and I saw one of Victor Hugo's homes while in Paris. So, that was a cool tie in (picture is below).

Sunday's shower was for the same friend and it went really well. I made raspberry filled scones, spiked punch, and alcohol free sparkling raspberry lemonade. I also organized the games which turned out super cute, if I do say so myself. My two friends who co-hosted oversaw the remaining cooking/baking (mini frittata, mini cheesecakes, salad and cake) and coordinated the decorations. We also had some amazing roasted potatoes that looked as good as they tasted. Everyone seemed to have fun, especially the bride, which I think is the most important part. Plus, she got some awesome loot.

This weekend I am heading to San Francisco for the bachelorette party for the same friend. She actually introduced me to hubs and pretty much all the friends I made in SD, (except my knottie/nestie/foodblog buddies). Anyway, I am really looking forward to the weekend and celebrating her upcoming nuptials.

I've been promising some Europe wrap ups and I have several really good stories to share. I promise I'll get to them soon.

And to my TWD buddies, you'll want to know what happened when I visited one of Dorie's inspirations.

TWD: Grab & Grub.

2008-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

This week's TWD recipe was granola grabbers chosen by Bad Girl Baking. You can find the recipe on page 82 of Baking. I'm keeping this short and sweet. The cookies were SUPER yum. I substituted craisins for raisins and I will most def make these again. I have no pictures but trust me - mine looked EXACTLY like the ones Dorie made. (You believe me, right?)

Please head over to Tuesdays with Dorie and show my fellow bakers some love.

Thanks!

PS It is almost my turn to pick. What will I choose??

Impressive

2008-08-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am seriously impressed by this lady. I wish I could be more like her. However, I would have to draw the line at the toilet paper.

Help with drinks

2008-08-14T17:24:00.001-07:00

Help please. Anyone have a good and easy recipe for bridal shower punch that doesn't involve sherbet? I found several online but would love a personal recommendation so I don't make disgustingness by mistake. I need to serve 20 people. Thanks!

If you will it...

2008-08-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

All morning, I have been thinking about eating cheese. Then I went to drop off something to another department and the had a cheese tray! AND they offered me some!

Man I think Oprah's "Secret" lady was right. If you will it, it will come.

Yay cheese!
-Rachel

TWD - Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

2008-08-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Such a deliciously simple dessert deserves a deliciously simple write up. I give you:

Blueberry Ice Cream Haikus

Tuesday's recipe
has come to call. Thankfully,
it 's easy peasy.

Who can resist the
tasty freshly sweet burst of
delicious berries?

Sweet, yet tart. Creamy.

Tiny berry bits throughout.

Another scoop, please!

Thanks to Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity for this week's selection. Hop on over to Tuesdays with Dorie and show the other members some love!

My addiction to kitchen gadgets is getting ridic.

2008-08-11T09:46:00.001-07:00

I really want this.

Do I have room for it? Nope.

Will I use it often? Probably not.

Do I still want it? Yes!

It would go so great with this week's TWD recipe. Delish!

I suppose I should just buy some store bought waffle cones and let it be.

A terrible airport experience turned amazing.

2008-08-06T16:22:00.001-07:00

After being stuck for a zillion hours at JFK, hubs spotted this celeb and alerted me. I approached with camera. A very dorky exchange took place and the celeb's "smoking hot blond girlfriend" - hub's(accurate) description - took the picture. I figured that even if I was the dorkiest ever, I'd never see them again so I went for it. UM, except they were on our flight, standing next to us at baggage, the GF and I washed hands next to each other in the LAX toilet, etc. I was so embarrassed.

I've had a crush on Luke Wilson since 1997. In my day-dreams, our meeting never occurred at an airport when I had gone 24 hours since showering and brushing my teeth! But, I got the pic and well it was the best 7.5 hour layover ever! Thanks to Luke and his lady friend for being so cool.

CUPCAKE HERO: August

2008-08-04T03:44:00.000-07:00

Laurie over at Quirky [Cupcake] is taking a well-deserved vacation from Cupcake Hero for a couple of months. What does that mean? It means that Teri of The 90/10 Rule & I are co-hosting Cupcake Hero for August. Hurray!

Teri and I must have the same cupcake loving brain as we started to discuss our theme ingredient, we BOTH thought of the same thing at the same time. Whoa! August's theme ingredient is:

That's right, people. The Cupcake Hero theme for August is jalapeños! What a better way to say goodbye to the sweet heat of summer with a some sweet heat of our own. :)

How in the name of baking will you incorporate jalapeños in a cupcake? That's exactly what we want to know & we can't wait to see the fiery-sweet goodness you bake up. So here's the deal--

*You must incorporate jalapeños in your entry.
*You may use jalapeños in any form.
*Sweet cupcakes only, no savory. (sorry, Bacon-Cheddar-Jalapeño-Salsa-Cornbread variations)

Email your entries to both of us by August 31 before midnight EST.

Teri -> ninet10 at gmail dot com
Rachel is --> inluv4life at gmail dot com

Please include ALL of the following:

1. Name
2. Link to your Cupcake Hero entry
3. Picture of your jalapeño cupcake creation (250px by 250px is preferred) and/or permission to use the image from your blog.

If you have questions, send an email or leave a comment.

Good luck!

Sorry this post is late! For some reason the drafts I set to automatically post while on vacay didn't happen and are not saved any longer. Ugh. Thanks to Teri and Laurie for being quick on the draw!

Cheers from the road!

2008-07-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Just have a quick moment at an Internet cafe to say hello. Hubs and I are in Dublin tonight and tomorrow before we head out to Paris. We met the loveliest group of Dubliners last night while in Doolin (Coastal County Clare). They were all on vacation from Dublin and had left the kids at home with a grandma while they went out for a few pints. I gave them this website and wanted to give a quick hello and thank you to them. Hubs and I had such a nice time meeting you all. ::waves::

For all my other readers (hi Mom!) I'll be blogging about the travels (and tastes) of our two weeks in Europe when we get home on August 6. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Longest day

2008-07-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

If the clock were moving any slower, it would be going backwards! I am so ready to leave for the day and finish packing for our trip. We leave Sunday!

The ILs are staying in our place while we are gone. Who can blame them for wanting a free summer vacation near the beach? It is a zillion degrees where they live.
-Rachel

Tonight is the night!

2008-07-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

The new season of Project Runway starts tonight. I can't wait! Will you be watching?
-Rachel

TWD: Little white rabbit...

2008-07-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! Stay tuned...I might have a little WWD (Wednesday with Dorie) this week!

YAY!

2008-07-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

Question

2008-07-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hey married folks - when travelling, do you wear your jewelry (eg wedding rings)?
-Rachel

TWD - Double Crust Blueberry Pie

2008-07-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks since my last Tuesday's with Dorie post and I am super sad that I missed some good ones. We had back to back weddings and are getting ready for our big trip to Europe in a couple weeks so I've been slacking on baking. :(

But this week, I was able to get the recipe made and man was it delish! Thanks to Amy of South in your Mouth for choosing a winner.

Fiscal issues pushed me to use raspberries and blueberries. Using blueberries alone would have cost me over $15 just for the fruit! So I used about 2/3 raspberries and 1/3 blueberries and it tasted amazing. I think next time I'll cut the sugar down just a bit and add in a touch more flour since the raspberries give off more juice than the little blue guys.

I had some issues with the pie crust. This was my first homemade one! The bottom one was soft and wiggly after being rolled and I could not get it into the pie plate without it crumpling up into a ball. After about 10 attempts, I recruited hubs to help. I rolled the crust on parchment and we four-handed flipped the dough onto the pie plate. SUCCESS! So glad the hubs was around to help. The top crust was fine as it was in the fridge after being rolled and I learned that next time, I'll just chill both crusts post rolling in order to make them behave better.

Oh, one other crust-related issue. I created the most beautiful pinched top crust and it all fell off in the oven. I guess it was too heavy? The part that didn't fall off was burnt to all heaven so I used a sharp knife and cut it off. No one was the wiser. :D

Bottom line: DELISH! Another winner from Dorie.

Banana Pancakes!

2008-07-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

While catching up on my Google Reader subscriptions this morning, I found a post by Nicole at Baking Bites about banana pancakes. She says that if you have one overly ripe banana, that's the perfect amount for this recipe. Funny, I had exactly one banana to use. So, I whipped up some banana pancakes per her instructions though mine were larger than hers, yet smaller than regular size. Hubs and I really enjoyed them and this recipe is going in the rotation! I think I might have to add some Nutella next time and see what happens. :D

Thanks, Nicole!

Weekend recap - and why I was MIA.

2008-06-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Update: If you saw this post in the first hour, you got to see pics of hubs. If not, sorry kids! He shall remain a man of mystery.

Oh man, I just had the most amazing weekend. One of my dearest friends got married in Napa this weekend and hubs and I turned it into a mini-vacation. Whee!

We stopped halfway up to visit hubs 'rents for a couple nights. We had such a fun time visiting with the ILs. I know it sounds like an intro to a joke on Last Comic Standing, but I really love my ILs. They are just great.

Thursday night, hubs and I went over to his childhood friend's home and we had a blast visiting with him, his wife, their adorable 2 year old son and 5 week old baby girl. (I won't post pics of other people's kids. Trust me though, they are adorable!) We all went to the farmers market and brought back tasty veggies to eat for part of our dinner. I was quite impressed with the quality of their market. Very nice!

When it was time to go home to bed, I tried to steal baby S but hubs made me give her back. I couldn't help it. I was mesmerized by her little baby sleepy sighs. Hubs gave me that look...maybe... I will get that puppy I've been wanting for a while after all!

On Friday morning, we got up early in order to get to Napa in time for the wedding weekend festivities. We enjoyed a lovely tour and tasting at Saintsbury with good friends. I had never been to Napa before and couldn't believe how beautiful it was, even with the slightly hazy skies left over from recent fires.

Friday night, we had a super yummy dinner, margaritas, and a lot of laughs with my friends. I stayed friends with three ladies from high school and was so glad we were all there to celebrate. I especially enjoyed the groom's special surprise dessert - a giant Texas cake. Fun times!

Saturday was spent poolside and I now have one lobster-red shin. I swear I applied sunscreen evenly but apparently the wine took over and I just slathered it on willy nilly. A sad lesson to learn, especially for this Whitey Whiterson. (I will not post of picture of the leg, sorry.)

The wedding was Saturday evening and words couldn't express how beautiful it was there in a tiny clearing under the trees overlooking the vineyard. The sun was starting to sink and the ambiance was perfect. When my friend J came down the aisle, there wasn't a dry eye. The ceremony, vows and loving looks were so incredibly genuine, we all knew we were part of something amazing.

The reception was in another beautiful locale, on the deck of a private residence overlooking a vineyard. Again, breathtaking views. But, more amazing than the views, food (delish) and wine (not a drop left) was celebrating with such a wonderful group of people.

Sunday, the group met up again for a sparkling wine tasting and it was the absolute perfect send off. We left with a few purchases, grins, and a buzz - at least I did, hubs was DD.

It could not have been a more perfect weekend and I am so thankful that hubs and I were two of the 22 guests chosen to celebrate with the happy couple. It meant the world to be there to see my friend off into the land of Mrs.

Whee!

2008-06-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

It is officially summer, ya'll. Hurray!
-Rachel

I must agree with Natalie Dee.

2008-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's gonna be a long week, for sure!

nataliedee.com

Not so yummy in my tummy.

2008-06-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

I just ate half a peach yogurt before realizing that it was "best before May 30th."

EW!
-Rachel

TWD: Peppermint Pastry

2008-06-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

If you came looking for a tasty baked good, I'm afraid you'll have to head over to Tuesdays with Dorie. There are several dozen yummy treats to view there. This week's recipe was chosen by A Consuming Passion. Please head over and show some love.

I've been too busy with work and hubs end of school year activities to get this one done. I'm really bummed but am sure I'll make it sometime in the near future.

Have a great day, ya'll.

Getting so excited for Europe!

2008-06-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

So, hubs and I are gearing up for our trip to Europe. After reading Dorie's latest blog entry, I emailed hubs and said that we must go to La Palette while in Paris. I really want to see the place that inspired Dorie to write the recipe from yesterday's twd entry (and I want to eat some yumminess there, too). How cool would that be?

In addition to Paris, we are also going to London and driving from County Cork to Dublin in Ireland. I've never been to Europe. So tell me, what are some must eats while we are there?
-Rachel

TWD - Strawberry Tart

2008-06-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

This week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe was chosen by Marie at A Year at Oak Cottage and oh man was this recipe yumtastic. I love fruit, I love cream, I love cookie crusts. I was in heaven.

I was a little worried about my strawberries being a touch tart but I trusted the low sugar option and the sweetness turned out perfectly. My berries really came through for me. Oh, the joys of Southern California life!

The recipe for the crust came together pretty easy but I didn't have a tart pan with a removable bottom so I went for my 9" springform. I thought my crust might be a little thin and I was right. Round one = burnt.

After eating the unburned bottom like a giant shortbread cookie, I went for round two and used my 8" springform, making sure to get the sides nice and thick. This crust baked up perfectly.

Unfortunately, the sides were a bit high, but no one complained about the looks. I used Knotts' Berry Farm strawberry jam and it was a perfect complement. I piled the strawberries extra high and plopped on a giant scoop of just whipped cream. YUMMY!

Side view.

We had surprise company Sunday night and there were some impressed faces when I offered up dessert and served this tasty tart. Once they tasted it, they were REALLY impressed. With minimal preparation and the addition of fresh fruit, I really think this might be my go to summer dessert this year. Thanks Dorie for this delish recipe and thanks to Marie for choosing it.

Head on over to TWD to check out how all the other Dorie-heads fared this week.

Why?

2008-06-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Why did I just waste three hours of my precious Saturday watching Crocodile Dundee II?

Seriously people, WTH was I thinking? Ugh.

Welcome!

2008-06-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

Check out our cute little welcome mat.

It was a Target special so we'll see how long it lasts, but it was just too darn cute for this Mrs. Monkey to pass up!

I need this...

2008-06-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Isn't it adorable?!?!

I just want to bake a giant cupcake bottom and fill the top with (home made) ice cream like this:

The flavor combinations are endless.
chocolate cake - choc chip ice cream
vanilla cake - strawberry ice cream
lemon cake - vanilla ice cream
peanut butter cake - chocolate ice cream

caramel cake - butter pecan ice cream

I could make it this way for small children:

Item (and pictures) from William Sonoma.

::resisting urge to reach for credit card::

TWD - French Brownies

2008-06-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure what makes these brownies French. It could be that they are supposed to have rum soaked and flambeed raisins in them. Or it could be that they are super rich or it could just be that Dorie invented them and decided they were French. (They certainly aren't wearing berets!) However, you could tell me that these brownies were Arkansas and I'd still love 'em. (People originally from Texas make fun of Arkansas folk. It's the law, so don't get mad at me!)

I will say, I'm over raisins and subbed dried cherries instead. I also skipped the rum. Well, I didn't skip it but let's just say it didn't end up in the brownies. ;)

All went just as planned. Even my brownies were cracklemania on top, like most everyone else.

The dried cherries were a huge hit. Hubs coworkers said the brownies were "amazing" and the cherries were a "yummy surprise." Though they ate then with out the homemade whipped cream. But, I think the cream added just a little something extra.

Open wide!

Head on over to Tuesdays with Dorie and see how all the other Frenchies fared this week! Thanks to Di for choosing this week. Head over to her blog for the recipe or to show her some love.

Happy Tuesday, ya'll!

Life at my house...

2008-05-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Life at my house includes frequent serenades, often accompanied by smooth dance moves. Tonight's show - this song remixed and served with a shimmy.

I love this man.

Lemonade Iced Tea Sorbet

2008-05-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to kick off the start of summer than by combinubg some of the most refreshing parts of summer - ice tea, lemonade, and frozen treats.

This tasty treat makes up quick in an ice cream maker but must chill for an hour before serving. The taste is a perfect blend of citrus and tea and is a great way to beat the heat and quench your thirst. It's the perfect mix of tart and sweet. The best part is each half cup serving is only 78 calories. Can't beat that!

Recipe from Cooking Light, photo by me.

Lemonade Iced Tea Sorbet

2 cups boiling water

4 regular sized tea bags (CL recommends English Breakfast but I just used what was on hand)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used just a touch more as I strained out the pulp)

1 cup ice

mint sprigs for cuteness (I omitted)

Combine boiling water and tea bags in a large bowl; steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Add sugar to the tea mixture,, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Stir in juice and 1 cup ice water. Chill 1 hour. (I put it in the freezer for 15 minutes)

Pour tea mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer ; freeze according to manufacturer's directions (I used my KA attachment and it took 18 minutes). Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Garnish with mint sprigs if desired.

Yield: Eight 1/2 cup servings.

TWD: sticky gooey nutty messy- DELISH!

2008-05-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hands unstuck and could sit down to type this up.:)

Dorie does it again with the Pecan Sticky Buns, this week's Tuesday with Dorie selection by Madam Chow. I love Madam Chow. She was one of the first people to comment when I first join TWD and now I know we are friends from afar because I would have chosen this recipe, were it my turn. (Only 18 more weeks to go!)

Now, for the buns. The sticky buns are made from Dorie's brioche dough which I had the pleasure of experiencing a few weeks ago. I liked the raisin brioche snails but I think I like their sweeter, nutty cousin a lot better. Nutty cousins always make life more interesting. Just ask my cousins what they think about me and they'll confirm.

Anyway, my dough rose like a dream and this time I had the good sense to hold my KA mixer down so it didn't dance across the counter. A few slaps, more rising, and a few more slaps and the dough was ready to chill all night long.

The next day, I woke up and followed the directions for bun assembly. (Could there be any more butter in the recipe?) Everything worked just as Dorie explained and my buns we rolled, sliced and ready to rise. I followed a tip another TWD gave once and let my buns rise in the oven with the light on. It worked almost too well as my buns were doubled in just an hour. A quick confirmation IM to my buddy CB and I was convinced it was time to bake.

I popped the suckers in and just half an hour later, I was ready to devour these tasty treats. Did I mention that this was supposed to be breakfast and it was now almost 1 o'clock?

I'm taking these to work so I'll let you know what the coworkers think. Hubs and I gave it an A. So delish!

Head on over to TWD and see how all our Dor-ific bakers did this week!

Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Makes 15 buns
For the Glaze:
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces1/4 cup honey1-1/2 cups pecans (whole or pieces)

For the Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Buns:
1/2 recipe dough for Golden Brioche loaves (see below), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating it overnight)

Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan (a Pyrex pan is perfect for this).

To make the glaze: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Pour the glaze into the buttered pan, evening it out as best you can by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle over the pecans.

To make the filling: Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.

To shape the buns: On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the chilled dough into a 16-inch square. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months . . . . Or, if you want to make just part of the recipe now, you can use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder. Reduce the glaze recipe accordingly).

With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends of the roll if they're very ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. (Because you trim the ragged ends of the dough, and you may have lost a little length in the rolling, you will get 15 buns, not 16.) Fit the buns into the pan cut side down, leaving some space between them.

Lightly cover the pan with a piece of wax paper and set the pan in a warm place until the buns have doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The buns are properly risen when they are puffy, soft, doubled and, in all likelihood, touching one another.

Getting ready to bake: When the buns have almost fully risen , center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the sheet of wax paper and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed and gorgeously golden; the glaze will be bubbling away merrily. Pull the pan from the oven.

The sticky buns must be unmolded minutes after they come out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold them, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mate or buttered foil. Be careful - the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.

Unfair!

2008-05-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Dolly Parton performs in London the week before I go for vacation. She's in San Diego when I'm in London.

Dolly come back to me! I love you.

My self-made Dolly mix is good but I want to hear Jolene live.

-Rachel

Oh dear

2008-05-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dear kettle chips,

Why do I love you? Please, please stop tasting so good.

Thanks!
Signed,
The hips of...
-Rachel

TWD

2008-05-20T14:52:00.001-07:00

I'm glad I live in CA and still have 9 hours and 9 mins to get my item posted. Hint: it is not madelines.

Stay tuned!
-Rachel

Super fun weekend.

2008-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

My sides hurt from laughing so hard. I just spent the weekend with six friends; some old, some new. We were celebrating the upcoming nuptials of a certain fantastic friend. We had a great time! My only complaint is that the weekend went by way too fast.

Can't wait to see you all again at the wedding!

Thanks to CB for the super cute (and tasty) cuppys.

T.A.G.

2008-05-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

I think a TAG means, "to all groupies"...Yeah, I like that. So, for all my groupies ::waves at mom::, it's meme time! I was tagged by CB a while ago and am just now getting around to doing it. I won't lie. I'm a little afraid of CB so, here goes:

Five things found in your bag/purse:
1. Passport since my purse was stolen and I'm still waiting for the DMV to send me a new DL.
2. Two to do lists - one for work, one for life
3. At least 3 chapsticks. Love that stuff!
4. Ponytail rubberband thingy
5. Crackberry ::runs to check for the flashing light::

Five favorite things in your room:(It doesn't say what room so I'll choose kitchen, just like my hero CB)
1. Tangering Kitchen Aid Mixer
2. My small spatula. We are super good friends.
3. A room divider (as hubs calls it) which holds all my glassware and tea related cuties. Love that!
4. Knives
5. Salad Spinner

Five things you have always wanted to do:
1. Skydive - NOT bungy jump. Hello, it's a giant rubber band, people!
2. Be a mom
3. Finish my BA
4. Travel extensively
5. Grow 5 more inches.

Five things you are currently into:
1. Other people's weddings
2. Baking
3. Crackberry!
4. Knitting
5. Spending time with hubs

Five people you want to tag:
1. I think everyone has been tagged but feel free to do it if you wish! Let me know if you do and I'll make sure to read it.

Part 2: You put the lime in the coconut...

2008-05-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

and burn it all up!

Yep, I burned my meringue. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. While this recipe, chosen by the lovely Diane at Diane's Dishes, seemed easy I had some issues. Here is a list of things I learned:

1. If you decide to cheat and use a store bought crust, do NOT try to put it into your own pie pan. No one will think you actually made that crust and most likely, your crust will not fit into your home pie plate and will end up looking like this:

2. If you decide to be "authentic" and use key limes, for the love of all things citrus, USE a lime juicer/press thing. Do not think that you can use a regular juicer contraption. The limes are tiny, don't fit and you could end up squirting yourself in the eye (twice). Also, you could possibly spill all the lime juice and have to start over squeezing the tiny little suckers until they release their precious 1/1000 cup of juice. Don't ask me how I know this.

3. When you put the meringue under the broiler, do not let your husband distract you by singing his own version of MMMBop at the top of his lungs. You might just burn your meringue to all heck. Just a suggestion...

Overall, this pie was easy though I was trying to hurry and made some errors. Oh well, we all get busy and make mistakes. I'm also not a coconut fan. In fact, I hate it. So, I added the coconut to the the cream but skipped it in the meringue. I think it was the perfect compromise! The pie was yumola - even with the coconut. I realized I like the taste of coconut but the texture is what is weird to me.

I think I might use coconut milk next time instead of coconut, though hubs says I should make it just like that, again. He loved it and gave it a good solid "A".

Head on over to TWD to see what how our other bakers fared this week.

Yes! I made it in by midnight Tuesday. I rock!

You put the lime in the coconut...

2008-05-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Check back tonight for my TWD entry. I'm running just a tad behind.

Dress update.

2008-05-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

I decided not to sell my dress. After thinking about it further and talking to a few good friends, I realized that I just don't want to sell it. The hubs was sweet about it and we both agreed. Once it's gone, it's gone.

I emailed the interested party and let her know that I planned to keep the dress. I know she was looking at several other dresses so I'm sure she'll find something perfect.

Thanks for the comments and thoughts!

Wedding dress - WWYD?

2008-05-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

A girl wants to buy my wedding dress, today! Should I do it? Will I miss having it? WWYD?

TWD - Peanut Butter Torte

2008-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back! After a two week hiatus from my weekly bake-n-blog group, Tuesdays with Dorie, I'm back with a completed recipe and am ready to share. This week's recipe was chosen by Ugg Smell Food and boy did she pick a yummy one.

A few adaptions on the torte - I used a peanut/pecan mix for my nuts as I found them pre-hopped that way and I didn't feel like chopping up a ton of nuts. I also used semisweet chocolate for the ganache rather than bittersweet, like Dorie suggested. (She does love the bittersweet, doesn't she!?)

I can't decide which part I like best, the crumbly Oreo cookie crust, the fluffy peanut butter middle, or the gooey ganache topping with crunch. I think I may have to try another piece before I can vote!

The torte whipped up super easy and looked so pretty! Due to some upcoming construction my four person department just moved into a shared space with a hodge podge of other departments and let me just say, I think I made a few friends today when I walked in with the tasty treat.

Recipe by Dorie, pictures from my kitchen!

Peanut Butter Torte
1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (I used a peanut/pecan mix)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender ( I used 28)
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 ½ c. heavy cream
1 ¼ c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I used Jif)
2 tablespoons whole milk ( I used 2%)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (semisweet)

Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mouse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte: put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

DELISH!
Hubby gave an A-. He said it would only be an A if it had ice cream in it!

It was a bomb (not the good kind).

2008-05-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I made a chicken orzo dish from Cooking Light. While I thought it was OK, hubs said he probably would not want to eat it again. That's his nice way of saying "that was nasty!" He said he thinks it was the cheese which doesn't surprise me. Asiago cheese is for refined palettes. The boy was eating Kraft singles when we met!

Recipe here. If you like 'stinky cheese' you'll dig it. Next time, I'm adding some garlic and a different green veggie. The peas were my least fave part.

Hey knotties/nesties...

2008-05-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this?