My Two Year Anniversary - Thank you!

This morning, I decided to double-check what my two year Blog Annivesary is.  With a gasp, I realized that it's today!  The cake photo is a "Tuxedo Cake" that I made a year ago.  It's made with my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and filled with a white chocolate mousse.   I never tasted the finished product, because I donated it to a church function. I have no idea why I don't post more baked goods on my blog.  I even took a cake decorating class, but I just can't seem to find the patience time to make fancy schmancy cakes!  See what I mean?

I have at least a dozen recipes I've photographed, but little time to edit the photos and write a post. So much for my brilliant plans I had-- like to post my favorite cake recipe... to write an updated bio of myself and to announce a CSN giveaway.  Alas, I have 15 minutes to write a post, and so my fingers are flying.   In case you've wondered (or not), I spend about 1 1/2 hours per post, creating a photo tutorial.  It's a labor of love, but I work full-time.  I just wanted to share some thoughts:

Like so many other food bloggers, I started my own blog as a place to store and share recipes with family and friends.  Little did I know that my blog would teach me so many things, such as:

• There are countless food blogs out there, and I have collected more recipes "to make" than I'll ever live long enough to make.  I'm so thankful for those of you who visit my blog on a regular basis.  The odds are, if you're on my SIDE BAR Blogroll (left side, towards the bottom), you feel like family to me. I'm so honored when I see myself on someone else's blogroll, too.  It is such an honor and thank you!
• There are so many food bloggers I am still getting to know.  If you leave a comment on my posts, odds are that I am coming to visit your blog.  I feel like I'm finding a treasure trove of folks who love baking, cooking, writing about food and photography as much as I do.  You inspire me to try new things. I love it.
• I am thrilled when someone tries one of my recipes, and takes the time to tell me.  It means a lot to me. Just so you know, I've been told that someone has made a recipe of mine and they didn't like it.  Interestingly, they usually are anonymous.  Otherwise, I wouldn't take offense, but it would be nice to find out what might have gone wrong!
• As I look back to my earliest photos, I'm determined to take new shots.  They are awful-- I have learned that flash photography makes food look ugly less appetizing. I have come a long way from using my inexpensive Fujifilm Finepix Point-and-shoot camera!  I am the owner of a spanking new Canon Rebel T1i EOS digital camera.  I'm still playing around with learning about white balance, ISO's and the bells and whistles that goes with it.  I can honestly say that as much as I love making a new recipe, it's photographing the process that I really enjoy.
• If I could afford to make a living at teaching people how to cook, I would.  Still I am thankful for my job, my salary and the benefits that come with it and I'll have to wait until winning the lottery retirement so that I can  blog more often. For now,  I'm lucky to blog once or twice a week.
• My husband has finally learned that when I yell "Dinner!", he waits for when I actually turn off my camera and put it away before he comes to the table.   Most every dish you see on my blog, is the "trophy plate" shot that ends up being served to my husband.
• My husband and son are the driving force behind my love of blogging.  I pour so much love into each recipe, and their opinion of how it tastes and looks carries so much value to me.  
• I'd love to go to a culinary school.  One day.  When my ship comes in. 
• Being a food blogger has opened me up to trying new recipes-- and particularly, something that challenges me to try an ingredient, or process, that is new to me.  I am retraining my palate to try eating things I thought I hated, for most of my life. I am completely self-taught, but I've learned so many of my tricks and tips from recording countless Food Network and America's Test Kitchen episodes.

(I've set myself up for the perfect way of saying that I want to share with you one of my favorite things-- in a scaled down Oprah Winfrey moment..)

I want to give one lucky winner a set of America's Test Kitchen DVD' s from Season 10.  I love this show! But, I also want to give the same lucky winner a one year subscription to Cook's Illustrated Online!  I have subscribed to Cook's Illustrated for years, and their recipes never fail me.  With an online subscription, you can look up, store and print the recipes you'll see on the DVD (and more).  I've posted several of their recipes and have more to share (back to the lack of free time problem...)  GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!


I am paying for this myself, by the way. Nobody is sponsoring this giveaway! 

To enter, please leave a comment and tell me something most of us probably don't know about yourself-- that is,  tell me something funny kitchen disaster story, or about something that you've always wanted to learn how  to make, or even who is your greatest inspiration as a homecook or baker?  I'd like to get to know you a little bit better.  If you can't think of anything, just say hello, where you are from and why you like me. Okay, skip the third thing. Just say hello.  I'll give you an example about me-- something you don't know...until now... ready?

I have a habit of heating my dinner plates, in the oven, before plating food. Why? I don't like to serve lukewarm food! 

Okay, one more...

I alphabetize my spices.  Oh, c'mon, I know I'm not the only person who does that?! Am I?

Thank you for making these last two years so much fun for me. I have more giveaways planned, so if you don't win this one... there's more to come.

Back to work-- it's my 4pm to 8pm night shift.(Oh, and it took more than 15 minutes to write this, but under 30. Shhhhh)

Thank you for two years of friendship and fun,

****THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AT 7PM PST****  I will announce the lucky winner tomorrow.

Chocolate Cake Recipes From Scratch 2010

Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipes From Scratch

Cake flour, sugar, eggs and oil, including baked, is a rich dessert. It originated in Europe now can be found in all corners of the world. It's a baby shower, graduation party, birthday party, an important event such as today is important for all of the cake, not a huge amount of various kinds. However, since this is the first four are the most popular cake recipe.

Chocolate Cake Recipes Made From Scratch

Beginning at the top of the favorite cake recipe is a fruit cake selection. There is no doubt the fruit of its vitamins, fiber, minerals, good for health will thank you. Fruit cake, a delicious course and the time is not easy to consume. Strawberry, banana, pineapple, carrots, typically these will be selected to create the kind of cake.

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipes From Scratch

Then comes a funky cake. By cakes with cartoon characters on his sixth birthday, want to surprise your beloved child? Half of the 10th anniversary of your large heart-shaped cake, you want to give to it? Funky cakes do to help. In fact, the ideas and recipes can count on the kind of cake.

Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipes From Scratch

 Most of the selected cake recipe from scratch, and sugar free recipes, most are hunted. If you have diabetes or the recipe of this kind they are, sugar free cake with a delicious and healthy will help to create a different reason, they were keen to reduce intake of sugar.Finally, for dessert what could be better than chocolate cake? Is considered to be the king of chocolate cake. It is still delicious and elegant tradition. As a shadow of doubt, it's instinct, scent, taste and shiny brown fascinated millions of people around the world.

Best Amazing Cakes 2010

Amazing Grace Cakes

Some of the bridal wedding cake is one of the most important part. It is often a surprise guest operating out of the head table, the center of the GPA, or is. It is often the color for bridal gowns co , wedding flowers or wedding reception decorations, and wedding is a major feature of the photo - pictures can provide a good opportunity for the "cake cutting" for the rest of your life is precious .
Suffolk will be perfect, a fantastic cake, a number of manufacturers and suppliers, as all the happy day, ensure that your wedding cake, your requirement is more than willing to discuss.

Amazing Wedding Cakes

Order wedding cake here in Suffolk a few important things to remember when is the:
The design of your cake - these days, a wedding cake (the question how many layers,!) In all shapes and sizes, come back the traditional layer cake, more modern and unique design.
The size of your cake - often, wedding guests or enjoying a slice of cake during the wedding reception, along with their home a piece of cake, invitations, and the size of your cake so that invites guests to depend on the number of. Until the first anniversary of mind, save for the bride and groom-tier wedding cake tradition of taking home the top layer of the quote how could you do to keep the extra amount will be deducted from the cake, please.
Creating your wedding cake - it is definitely the choice of preference, you can plain sponge, fruit, chocolate wedding cakes, including in the more populated, select the type of sponge. For each layer, many people choose different types of sponges will. One of the guests plant or allergic to eggs or other ingredients to make sure.

Amazing Red and White Wedding Cakes

Depending on many New Jail Restaurant, New Jail Cake  love the  provide a wonderfully unique, custom-made - to order a wedding cake. They are all 25 years of experience in education and has a cake decorating and design your perfect cake for you to help you better prepare to take advantage of this experience I'll put it. Samples of wedding cake you created earlier, on display at the new detention center to discuss your obligation to invite to connect.
Cupcakes - a new trend is sweeping the nation! These are delicious little cupcakes come from  to treat their own league. This hand-finished materials created by the best cupcakes you will find a good selection. You can choose an almost infinite range of toppings and decorations, sugar, hearts, butterflies, flowers, and even including the bride and groom's initials spring, there she is! Cupcakes, wedding favors or so happy as the main wedding cake layer can be placed on display. Vanilla, chocolate, lemon, carrot out of the more traditional taste, the lemon meringue cupcakes, , strawberry cheesecake, Black Forest and the stem ginger is a luxury range. Always bake cupcakes to order a cake.

Amazing Birthday Cakes

In the most literal sense you home-made cakes, cake, are seeking to surprise the camp,  for you! Jin, and Bury St. , and her wedding from her home near other celebration cake with a name of all the amazing cake 'for the Gin cakes before her customers come from the many comments received from! Jean's Sponge exceptionally light and moist rich fruit of her, and she is very special for your wedding cake would be delighted to have the opportunity to create.
Still top-notch service and excellent value for exterior decoration and Bakery is your breath away with the end of the boom to provide a delicious wedding cake - for money option. All custom made wedding cake of a house - one hundred percent made with free range eggs, all the milk, butter, sugar, and the quality will be sourced from UK suppliers are. As well as the grand, multilayer cake crumble bumble also a small celebration cakes, wedding favors cake only £ 1 each to ! Berkshire, based in the pudding, but it is buzzing all over the UK are happy to provide.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Molasses & Vanilla Pecan Butter

If you despise the taste of Brussels Sprouts, I urge you to keep reading. Seriously, I am a convert of the I-Hate-Brussels-Sprouts Camp.  Actually, I think Brussels sprouts are kinda cute-- like miniature cabbages, don't you think?  To some palates, they can pack a very strong taste, I admit.  My conversion began when I made Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.  Bacon makes most anything taste good? Are you feeling me? Then, Bobby Flay changed my opinion of Brussels sprouts forever.  I think he changed a multitude of hearts when he made this recipe on a recent Thanksgiving Feast Showdown with the very popular "Pioneer Woman".  I watched the episode (and I won't tell you who won, lest I spoil it for you).  I was intrigued by the components that Bobby Flay used-- Pomegranate Molasses... interesting, I thought.  Vanilla Bean -Pecan butter... Bobby, you're really talking to me, now.  He then sprinkles the roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate arils (that would be the beautiful seeds) For a final Ta-Da, freshly grated orange and lime zest.  Count me in!

I've never had pomegranate molasses, so I decided to research how to make it. It's very easy to make yourself, and I show you how here.  You can buy it, though I've never spotted it where I shop.

You need to make this Vanilla Bean - Pecan Butter.  Truly, you do.  Only, I'm going to show you how to make it right. I'm also going to share you with a nice little shortcut to using real vanilla bean. It's a lot cheaper, too.  Ready?  I buy Vanilla-Bean Paste.   Trust me, there is nothing wrong with using a real vanilla bean.  I just find them to be very sacred because they can be expensive.  I've purchased vanilla bean paste online, and have only recently discovered Singing Dog Vanilla products. I love the company, and their commitment to using sustainable ingredients.  In fact, being on the look-out for a Giveaway Promotion that I'll be posting very, very soon!  (My second anniversary is coming very  close...like in days.)

Whatever you do, don't use vanilla extract!  It's too potent for this recipe. (If you do, you'll be part of the family of folks who reviewed this recipe and complained that it was too sweet.) You're welcome.  To unsalted butter, you will add chopped toasted pecans and some vanilla bean seed (or vanilla bean paste). Mix it together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  (I made something wonderful with the leftover butter, the next day. I'll post that later on.)

Now, you need to buy one Pomegranate.  Have you ever opened one up?  Neither had I!  But, I knew about the "under-water trick".  Why water?  Pomegranate seeds stain.  The water is a way to prevent the beautiful ruby-red juice from now staining your shirt, hands or anything else that's in the way.
First, put a couple of paper towels on your cutting board (unless you want a red-dyed cutting board).  Cut off the ends (I went a tad bit deep) and then score the sides, just until the pith (white stuff)...

In a bowl of water, begin to peel the Pomegranate.  The white stuff will float to the top, and the arils (seeds) will sink to the bottom.

Now, drain the bowl and pick out the white stuff that you missed.   That takes a little extra patience.
NOTE: It's a good idea to do this a day ahead of time.

I still had a little more picking cleaning to do....

Snacking on the pomegranate seeds brought back childhood memories of  my cousin's pomegranate tree.  These are so delicious and very healthy for you. Here's to Vitamin-C!!

I have a lot of arils left, but they are in an air-tight container, in my fridge.  They won't go to waste. 

Let's make Bobby Flay's recipe!  Let's begin with fresh Brussels sprouts.  Wash them, trim off the bottom end, and cut them in half.  You can use a baking sheet, but I like to use my cast-iron skillet. Add some coarse salt & pepper (to taste) and drizzle with a little canola (or olive) oil.  Your oven should be pre-heated to 375F.

Toss the vegetables and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Now drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses (and admire the rich color)...

...stir to combine and roast for about 3-4 minutes, more...

...let's get dramatic.  Add some Pomegranate Arils...

Look! Christmas Colors!

C'mon, doesn't that look good?  We're not through...

... add some pecan butter (go easy, you can always add more)

Sexy...colorful... want more?

...add fresh orange & lime zest.

VERDICT:  There is a good reason why Bobby Flay is a Food Network Iron Chef.  He has the gift of adding a variety of ingredients to create a symphony of flavor.  My taste buds worked overtime to process the zing of the pomegranate molasses, the sweet of the vanilla bean butter, the crunch of the pecans and the sweet-tart "pop of the pomegranate arils.  I truly loved this dish. Contrary to some reviewers who said this dish was too sweet-- I say that they took shortcuts that cheated them out of what Bobby Flay meant for this dish to be. It's colorful. It's flavorful. It's downright sexy.  I will make this for Christmas Eve dinner, for certain.  Brussels sprouts, you have arrived in my love life!

A printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.

Happy Holidays! One dish down and a few more to go!

Pomegranate Molasses - How to Make Your Own

 I have a very long and overdue post that pays tribute to the Pomegranate.  A year ago, the lovely folks at Pom Wonderful contacted me and asked if I'd like to try some of their 100% pure pomegranate juice.  No sooner did I respond "yes, please" than UPS delivered six bottles of their 8 ounce juice.  I admit that, at first taste, I wasn't as smitten with the flavor of the juice straight out of the bottle.  On the other hand, I did mix up a POM Cosmo for a dinner party.  We liked it!   Hidden in the back of my new (and very large) refrigerator, three remaining bottles were forgotten.  (Ahem.  I apologize, POM Wonderful, for my bad manners.) Months ago, I saw a photo of Pomegranate Molasses.  I was intrigued enough to bookmark Alton Brown's recipe and life got in the way...

I recently spotted a recipe that sounded like the perfect opportunity to use Pomegranate molasses, so I bookmarked it for one our Thanksgiving side dishes.  I can't say that I've ever seen it at the various grocery stores where I shop.  At last, an opportunity to learn how to make some new had presented itself!  I wondered if the unopened juice (in my fridge) was still good, so I cracked one open.  No scary odors were detected, when I sniffed it.  With Food Network's Alton Brown's recipe printed, I got three ingredients together:

 

4 cups of Pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of freshly lemon.  That's it!

Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.  This is where patience comes in.  The liquid needs to be reduced for at least  on medium-low heat.  The recipe said 70 minutes, but I suspect it varies because mine took about 90 minutes.

TIP: To a wooden spoon, I add a rubber band to the top of where the liquid level begins. This way, I can visually determine how much the liquid has reduced.  (I do this, often, when I am making a pan reduction sauce.)  Since I am starting with four cups of liquid, I know that I three cups of liquid needs to evaporate.  Once again, be patient!  90 minutes later, the liquid has become thick and syrupy.  I like to freeze a spoon, to test how thick a liquid has reduced (an old jam "canning" technique).  The color look like liquid rubies!

The heat is turned off and I let the syrup sit in the pot for 30 minutes.  As you can see (photo below, top left), the syrup has begun to "set".  Using a sterile and clean canning jar, I begin to pour the pomegranate molasses...

This is such a beautiful color!  I'm so pleased with the thickness of the molasses.  It's that easy!

This will store in the refrigerator for up to six months. 

VERDICT:  At firs taste, the molasses makes me pucker a bit (I am very sensitive to sour taste anyway).  This is not an unappealing kind of tart, though.   It's a very rich and very concentrated flavor of pomegranates.  I actually liked it!

I am smitten with the beautiful red color!

So, what does one do with pomegranate molasses?  It makes a beautiful glaze.  I've seen dessert recipes and savory recipes.  On my next post, I'm going to show you how I took Brussel sprouts to a new height.  I'm pretty confident I'm going to turn non-Brussel sprout lovers into believers that Pomegranate molasses (and a few other lovely ingredients) will have you spooning seconds on your dinner plate.

You will want to make this dish.  I'm that confident.  So, hurry! Buy some POM Wonderful juice and make this molasses. It will rock your Brussel Sprout World, as you've known it.  It rocked mine. I'm a changed woman. Come to think of it, I'm starting to see Pomegranates as the new sexy food.  There are so many recipe possibilties to come. (I'd love to have  a lipstick that color...or toe polish.  Never mind.  It's post-turkey tryptophan!)

Thank you, POM Wonderful.  I really do appreciate your product and I'm a believer in the health benefits and I'm plotting to try new recipes, from your website.  (Psssst, I'd sure love one of those aprons. They are hilarious!)

A printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.





Disclaimer: While POM Wonderful provided me with FREE pomegranate juice, have received no monetary compensation for my recipe or review. 

Best Birthday Cake Delivery 2010

Order Birthday Cake Online Delivery to WV

That everyone is excited about it: the star of every child's birthday party of 16 teenagers all the best wedding of all holidays, all,, the next anniversary. Everyone was fine, waiting for the perfect piece of decorated desserts. Sometimes, it is possible to eat the main party, too. Taste, appearance, size, and of course, deliver the cake - the cake is an integral part of every celebration, it is all about be perfect. Safe and sound to get a star party to verify the important task of all cake delivery service.

Order Birthday Cake For Delivery in Royersford PA

The most important thing, but certainly delivered the cake, make sure the plan to ensure that the toughness of the cake itself as well go. That it happens in toughness, and I eat it is not cake, does not move with the firm as a rock, not should not - in fact, in all it is a cake not. That part would fall off the balance at a slight pressure - toughness, tough here, shows the robustness of the cake. It does not slip, or fall, or worse, fall to ensure the base is also very important to prepare a cake for a flat sturdy surface. These bases will be wasting your time and money who buy enough material.

Order Birthday Cake For Delivery

Second, you need to prepare the cake according to cake box way too expensive. Boxes of different sizes from those little mini-tier cake are available from a cake decorating supply shops and more. Layer cake is the best finish will be provided to stack the three layers above number please remember it is recommended that they provide a separate box. To keep itself cake icing and decoration inside the ruined in order to provide the necessary space for a bit and decorated, please select a larger box. You can not deliver the cake is not as simple as boxing, it also bumps, dirt and dust distribution to protect the cake from damage that might appear during the course.

Birthday Cake Delivery to Fort Hood

You can also include a delivery problem icing the cake. Some components of the ice well, such as external heat, for example, is not inevitable adjustment factors. Then destroy the cake, icing melts in transit, whether or not colored, which made a number of cases. In some cases, ugly decorations effectively ice the cake to create a messy, you can get kicked for a bump in the road can deliver. The beatings, drive through traffic to help you avoid disaster ruined the cake icing and carefully heated resistance.
Cake delivery is a major problem in careful planning and execution should not be. If you're dealing with a cake stage is to maintain the level of the cake, use a cart to easily maneuver. Instead, remove the cake from the box to the haphazard, out of the cake before the slide, please cut out the other side. In the event of an unfortunate accident is ready and other tools to retouch some of the icing cake. Following the proposal of a simple delivery of these cakes, you can work hard to provide beautiful cakes and delicious whole.

 

Happy Thanksgiving and I am very thankful

Here's to wishing all of you the very best of family, friends, food, laughter and joy.

I am so blessed to have four days at home with my family.  

I'm so thankful for your friendship.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Best Cake Decorating Kits 2010

Baby Shower Cake Decorating Kits

When it comes to the birth of our rejoicing, the very first thing that comes to mind is the cake. But what could be better than a homemade cake for your child?
However, bread and cake is not an easy task, especially at home. Today we see a lot of incredible cakes in the shops decorated for different occasions. Sometimes one can not be called 'cookies, they are real masterpieces.

Wilton Cake Decorating Kits

If you are going to make a cake for your child, do not expect that you will be able to create such a masterpiece in the house because you do not have the necessary expertise. However, it is still possible to decorate a cake for your child with some groups. What is most important, the majority of these groups decorating you can make yourself.
For example, you can write on your cake for your child wishes of some assistance cream. Well as with the cream you can draw your favorite cartoon character of your child or anything else.

Circus Cake Decorating Kits

The other option is to choose to decorate the cake with marzipan groups. In this case you have two options to choose from - you can do Marzipan yourself or you can buy these ready-made garments. Can decorate the cake with marzipan in various forms. If we were talking about the cake for the child, it is best to use a different animal figures, cartoon characters and character and so on.

Professional Cake Decorating Kits

If you have a poor imagination, or you have no time just to create some unique collections of its kind to decorate your cake, you have the opportunity to purchase decorations in the store. Usually be made of these groups of decorating sweets and caramel can be in different colors and shapes. Can also find a wide variety of tools to decorate cakes children on the Internet, and here you can also find a lot of different ideas and recommendations.
People who like cake and candy making is always in search of supplies, cake decorating, and it is quite a big disappointment when you can not find something you need and you do not have time to make the round of all the shops. Fortunately, there is an online store cake decorating that can help in such cases.