tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28923884136247448952024-02-20T08:09:19.117-08:00Cooking The BooksTax accountant by day, baker extraordinaire by night.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-70292005113817631952011-08-27T11:03:00.000-07:002011-08-27T11:39:02.479-07:00Daring Bakers' - Candy Making!The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!
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<br />I'm back to the Daring Bakers! I missed last month's challenge due to getting settled in the new house, and I almost didn't think I would make this one on time, but here it is!
<br /><p>For my chocolate candy, I opted to go with a simple <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/irish-cream-truffle-fudge/detail.aspx">Irish Cream Truffle</a>. What better way to sneak some Irish Cream in to my coworkers than with a delightful chunk of chocolate and sugar, er truffle, first thing in the morning. It seemed to go over well since the empty plate was returned to my cube by about 10. I modified the recipe slightly based on the chocolate that I had in the house. Next time I might try using all white chocolate for the top layer to get a little more contrast between the layers and in flavor.
<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqI-GqgOJ0buPVNzQAJE4NoaypoToq7aqrEpyPgB17iw1N0VQgO_JQYwmqPQ6BsXux-kVgDMNMwHugCOghyphenhyphenM08N6UMnFsa0fqt1rrcVUvkoQogU9E_78Up7y64_8UuvPrafRRkfiv7U8/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645600162437743186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqI-GqgOJ0buPVNzQAJE4NoaypoToq7aqrEpyPgB17iw1N0VQgO_JQYwmqPQ6BsXux-kVgDMNMwHugCOghyphenhyphenM08N6UMnFsa0fqt1rrcVUvkoQogU9E_78Up7y64_8UuvPrafRRkfiv7U8/s400/IMG_0870.JPG" /></a></p>
<br />For my second recipe, I went with the Strawberry Pate de Fruit. After reading comments from other bakers about how long it took to get to the required temperatures, I decided to get comfortable and call the parents while continuously stirring.
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<br />After getting to the 140 degrees in the first step, I called my dad to chat while I got up to 200 degrees. He answered by asking, "What did you break now?". To be expected since my dad has been fielding calls of "How do I fix X?" for the past couple of months. Home ownership has taught me that I'm pretty much useless at being handy.
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<br />Anyways, we chatted while I stirred, and stirred, and stirred some more. While the recipe itself was straightforward and simple, I drove myself crazy watching the temperature slowly crawl up. And then drop by 5 degrees. And then go up a few degrees. And then drop 3 degrees. My dad is a talker and has no chatting endlessly. But I even lost him before I could get up to 200 degrees.
<br />An hour and a half later, I finally got up to the 225 degrees and was able to pour it and call it a night. </p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgS75qoFadcw5i9cM2pyxOhyDumon8r9QglT7nwTQjk4p3fT97WcXuIocjyNHJSwS3hbZZoXQhrA1oc34apliNc6D8vJzzlzUr1E_19cL3LmXm6oPXM7nhBsiD2ku96CKOi6K8BLzorQ/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645600159690948034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgS75qoFadcw5i9cM2pyxOhyDumon8r9QglT7nwTQjk4p3fT97WcXuIocjyNHJSwS3hbZZoXQhrA1oc34apliNc6D8vJzzlzUr1E_19cL3LmXm6oPXM7nhBsiD2ku96CKOi6K8BLzorQ/s400/IMG_0878.JPG" /></a>
<br />For all that effort, I actually really liked the final product. I cut the pieces and rolled them in sugar and couldn't stop eating them. I feel like it's pretty darn healthy though, and would even go so far as to call it a serving of fruit. I mean it's just pureed strawberries and a little(ish) amount of sugar. Clearly healthy.
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3I5Pu47-8K4vZ_IhIgunAiEzVFGusVe0Dkdq1GcYvEC11lg0GEEBQCJ7gzs5vTd6-xfot4nkCSInojkZsKMMDKr9hBFy-lE_hiGZkZfD5UFTxxCWEO_z8G4F2VxoKDr5Hxh8FR5wJ0_Y/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645600154126166754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3I5Pu47-8K4vZ_IhIgunAiEzVFGusVe0Dkdq1GcYvEC11lg0GEEBQCJ7gzs5vTd6-xfot4nkCSInojkZsKMMDKr9hBFy-lE_hiGZkZfD5UFTxxCWEO_z8G4F2VxoKDr5Hxh8FR5wJ0_Y/s400/IMG_0880.JPG" /></a>
<br />So candy making was fun, but not necessarily something I would keep making. I'm more of a <a href="http://cookingthebooks-rachel.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-muffins-and-apology.html">butter </a>and sugar girl, and there wasn't much butter going on in any of these.
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<br /><div>Until next month's challenge, I've got plenty to do around the house. I've discovered that my parents are way better at home ownership than I am. But I'm learning, one mistake at a time!</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-59428075453804747862011-06-26T20:45:00.001-07:002011-06-26T21:01:07.326-07:00Daring Bakers' - BaklavaErica of Erica's Edibles was our host for the Daring Bakers' June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then use that homemade dough to make Baklava.<br /><br />And so, I made baklava. I have to confess that I was less than excited about this challenge, partially because it seemed like a lot of work and partially because half my kitchen is in boxes. <br /><br />Most of you know already, but I bought a house!! The Cooking the Books headquarters will be moving into our new official kitchen within the next week or so. In the meantime, I've been crazy busy with paperwork, loans, wire transfers, packing, organizing, and lots of boxes. I think I've found a cat in every box I pick up, so I feel like the boys are excited about the move. <br /><br />That said, I've put minimal effort into this challenge. I made the baklava, swearing at the Greeks the entire time for coming up with such a difficult dough. I have to say that the dough rolling and stretching was not my forte. I had planned to use my 8 inch square pan, but after attempting a couple sheets I broke down and dug my 6 inch pan out of a box. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKfLiDRJCiDlRi46IgMwaDe3Vq1ecrkUzh1fke6a2fdWI0I9T6eEGErWDRzDytaAvSU9iIm8tImDw6As1pSfiQ6L4clKleDO7P5e2I7QpmYGvbnD1AZ4dZHu_gW8GcNH-QyD27YS6yak/s1600/IMG_0865.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622740978991379122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKfLiDRJCiDlRi46IgMwaDe3Vq1ecrkUzh1fke6a2fdWI0I9T6eEGErWDRzDytaAvSU9iIm8tImDw6As1pSfiQ6L4clKleDO7P5e2I7QpmYGvbnD1AZ4dZHu_gW8GcNH-QyD27YS6yak/s400/IMG_0865.JPG" /></a> For my filling, I used pistachios and hazelnuts with cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. The nut filling was absolutely amazing. I had a lot of filling leftover after switching to the smaller pan and I've been slowly using it up on yogurt, oatmeal, quinoa, and anything else that needs some tasty nutty goodness.<br /><br />I was disappointed in how tough some of the dough layers were, but I'm sure that was mostly user error on my part. My best guess is that I overworked the dough, but it still a tasty treat. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEils4tIvV08JhcsOkwnBwxZmIA3-uyerRlaSgNVbNwCArps977oPFcazlYQWJKjjg7ESzjJ4b9zflp2BQOjEUxiQRh1ZMy9eC_KPqIVgilHmsr0mD8ywoXd2FbqEz7MPlv5UaOPjk8aBeQ/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622740975081700034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEils4tIvV08JhcsOkwnBwxZmIA3-uyerRlaSgNVbNwCArps977oPFcazlYQWJKjjg7ESzjJ4b9zflp2BQOjEUxiQRh1ZMy9eC_KPqIVgilHmsr0mD8ywoXd2FbqEz7MPlv5UaOPjk8aBeQ/s400/IMG_0860.JPG" /></a><br />I would like to try my hand at baklava again sometime. Not anytime soon. But sometime in the future. I want to try the frozen pre-made sheets to compare to the dough I made. I also plan on hitting up the Greek Festival here in Reno over summer to perform a quality control check on the authentic stuff.<br /><br />In the meantime, I have plenty of packing, cleaning, and sprinkler repair to get busy on. I'm hoping to post more on the house in the near future, but I make no promises!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-71109251667888040922011-06-05T14:33:00.001-07:002011-06-05T14:43:51.429-07:00Guest Post - Cookie Dough Truffles<em>Today's post is my first of hopefully many guest posts - brought to you by my Quantity Control Expert, Lea! Enjoy!</em><br /><br />Ok, so Rachel has been encouraging me to write a blog for quite some time. This Memorial Day weekend I found myself venturing into a culinary endeavor that I was excited to share. <br /><br />When it comes to the production and consumption of baked goods, I excel at the latter of the two. (Hence my designation as Quantity Control Expert). While my cooking has improved, my confectionary skills leave much to be desired. <br /><br />My dog loved this recipe. Whether it was due to faulty equipment or my general lack of baking competence, he stood by ready to assist with clean up as the chunks of cookie dough mix exploded all over the kitchen. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2k6apS0j5lzDhcL_Digd6ZZDpTbodQXMgLD2f9ga9GazaVDZUW93czEy2gUeBsLJ8JeiAajYiaa8X5aZfmxn0kQTnniXSkJffWNxM-u2xtneiOLVdWQ1vc8mq5xOPiavnV3wOoFakwo/s1600/Lea+1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852584385106962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2k6apS0j5lzDhcL_Digd6ZZDpTbodQXMgLD2f9ga9GazaVDZUW93czEy2gUeBsLJ8JeiAajYiaa8X5aZfmxn0kQTnniXSkJffWNxM-u2xtneiOLVdWQ1vc8mq5xOPiavnV3wOoFakwo/s400/Lea+1.JPG" /></a><br />I stole this recipe from <a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/04/175/Chocolate+Chip+Cookie+Dough+Truffles+-+A+healthier+makeover">“The Yummy Life”</a> which appeared on my favorite food porn website (as recommended by Rachel) “Tastespotting.com”. I was looking for a dessert to serve at my Memorial Day BBQ and I had been craving sweets… It must be fate. <br /><br />The other attractive factor of this recipe was the opportunity to use some of my lifetime supply of flax seed, acquired the last time I attempted to bake. Despite its addition to my oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies, its volume has remained seemingly undisturbed. <br /><br />So, I started by “creaming butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.” My impatience did not allow for the butter to be very soft, which was further aggravated by the fact that my hand mixer has three speeds: too fast, out of control, and stuck. <br /><br />You’re then supposed to add vanilla, which I forgot. This probably would have helped minimize the flour splash that occurred as I slowly added the flour and ground flax seed. The mixture should by dry and crumbly, but mine just appeared to be dry. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YlTIttaHnPJ1U1wcwi3BcorqjuCAoYbAtROSnE3SmWeTMp771I2a4Ox1F0OWR0u6YKDdFkWSoNAJOSW-3MexQJscief3CBReMrUosOhQzB9gpr10fzJiR_PctUwgwhQ9b5Ls-v5sylk/s1600/Lea+2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852571759811730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YlTIttaHnPJ1U1wcwi3BcorqjuCAoYbAtROSnE3SmWeTMp771I2a4Ox1F0OWR0u6YKDdFkWSoNAJOSW-3MexQJscief3CBReMrUosOhQzB9gpr10fzJiR_PctUwgwhQ9b5Ls-v5sylk/s400/Lea+2.JPG" /></a><br />Then, I slowly added a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk with the mixer running, followed by the folding in of mini chocolate chips (couldn’t be found, so I used regular size). <br /><br />At the sight of what appeared to be a cookie dough type substance, I quickly began rolling the dough into balls until it stopped cooperating and the dough started to fall apart and refuse to maintain shape. I then had the brilliant idea of sticking it in the fridge for a while, only to check back at the recipe to realize I should have chilled it for 2 hours prior to forming it into balls. Whatever. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTcoDZC2ip29Ip0Og_oZweB6dlCRGGfNhX_k1iOpGfQpmTRjWxAmUaeW4u1VMrKz_8yrRtERmbdIGIPnRdY8FdyO5gGjrQKDX_Hyf_jNhKzDvGu_aNKoTQbFuQnYKwtAEgZG8ed5CJTM/s1600/Lea+3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852567548080434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTcoDZC2ip29Ip0Og_oZweB6dlCRGGfNhX_k1iOpGfQpmTRjWxAmUaeW4u1VMrKz_8yrRtERmbdIGIPnRdY8FdyO5gGjrQKDX_Hyf_jNhKzDvGu_aNKoTQbFuQnYKwtAEgZG8ed5CJTM/s400/Lea+3.JPG" /></a><br />Now the fun part (besides licking the dough off the mixer attachments and my arm). Microwave melting chocolate or chocolate chips and 1 table spoon of canola oil in 20-30 second intervals until it looks like you can dip your balls in it. Roll those suckers around and let chill. Voila. Cookie Dough Balls. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTyNf0ZQ5m5o_OPLbRRpun-srTQ4sU_0NoGYTdRaUfSdroK_6MGGDVdlSh_tDTw0is_I_hiRwM7g25YRZjTT8-T7HdL_evMe8TLICqGpTfSqmlu3xeVYDS0j01gvZ_CN7WGS1tVjHlTY/s1600/Lea+4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614852557451296178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTyNf0ZQ5m5o_OPLbRRpun-srTQ4sU_0NoGYTdRaUfSdroK_6MGGDVdlSh_tDTw0is_I_hiRwM7g25YRZjTT8-T7HdL_evMe8TLICqGpTfSqmlu3xeVYDS0j01gvZ_CN7WGS1tVjHlTY/s400/Lea+4.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div><br />Reviews were mixed, and it generally depended on whether they liked cookie dough in general. Anyone who did, loved them; anyone who was not as big of a fan was hoping for strawberries inside. Overall, a delicious treat but I’ll probably move on to bigger and better things.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-66033173234336721292011-05-27T18:32:00.000-07:002011-05-31T20:59:49.813-07:00Breakfast PieI love breakfast. And I love pie. And I also love that it's socially acceptable to eat breakfast or pie for any meal of the day. <br /><br />So this breakfast pie is basically awesomeness in pie form. Really. There's just no other way to describe it. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWeteiwe6P2B_fjKfXaDCfGYdAIStu94-30rZ03XLBb5TqTNhaR-bNzPu0wi21aC0AR4ObmZe0d9SwXkd1ySEUy1n6K1D9JaJ52Ufq74NvE40RbNxGsHh4HhgBpTDL7awm-41ILX6iM4/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611574615014293762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWeteiwe6P2B_fjKfXaDCfGYdAIStu94-30rZ03XLBb5TqTNhaR-bNzPu0wi21aC0AR4ObmZe0d9SwXkd1ySEUy1n6K1D9JaJ52Ufq74NvE40RbNxGsHh4HhgBpTDL7awm-41ILX6iM4/s400/IMG_0805.JPG" /></a><br />The original recipe called for bacon and an onion. As much as I love bacon, I really wasn't up to cooking bacon. So I bought Italian sausage and browned and crumbled that instead. I also bought the onion fully intending to use it, but completely forget it when I was cooking.<br /><br />When I make this breakfast pie again, I'd like to try rolling the pie dough a little thinner. It was just a little too thick for my taste (that's what she said), and I felt like it still had somewhat of a raw flour taste. The Resident Taste Tester disagreed and seemed to like it as is.<br /><br />I also think that some cheese would take this breakfast pie from awesomeness to orgasmic, but I leave that choice entirely up to you.<br /><br />Also important to note, the cookbook that I used for this recipe is some wanky pastry cookbook with all the measurements and ingredients in British. Since none of us speak British, I have helpfully translated everything into English. You're welcome.<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611574618701327666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQNZEMmyUuOKn8HKTXISNDy7FHwIDDwIBst5UyDkB_wsARvtsNhS2UbCuYWiKgLjUATzN1uZPqbq6phzCVXIEEXnDLrzA8MGDyiNUmVAyDKs19EJiFjubK3nAPnPnS7jCiVWxpvy_DKg/s400/IMG_0811.JPG" /></p><br />Breakfast Pie<br /><em>adapted from Greatest-Ever Pastry Cookbook</em><br /><br />For the Filling<br />2 tbsp oil<br />1 lb Italian sausage (mild or regular - your preference)<br />1 small onion, finely chopped (but no worries if you forget it)<br />5 eggs<br />salt and ground black pepper<br />a little milk, to glaze<br /><br />For the Pastry<br />3 cups all-purpose flour<br />pinch of salt<br />3/4 cup butter, diced<br />5-6 tbsp chilled water<br /><ol><br /><li>For the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over most of the water and mix to a pliable dough. Maybe it was me, but mine was super dry and I ended up adding extra water. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.</li><br /><li>Butter an 8-inch pie pan. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line the pan. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.</li><br /><li>Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a pan and add the sausage. Cook and crumble with a spoon until browned and cooked through. Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes.</li><br /><li>Cover the pie crust bottom with the cooked sausage and onion mixture. Break the eggs on top, spreading them evenly apart. Tilt the tin so the egg whites flow together. Season with salt and pepper. </li><br /><li>Roll out remaining pastry, dampen the edges and place over the pie. Roll over the top with a rolling pin to seal the edges and remove excess pastry. Carefully cut curved lines from the pie's center to within an inch of the edge. Glaze with milk (be liberal on this or else it won't brown as nicely).</li><br /><li>Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more. </li></ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-84907931970514984492011-05-21T21:12:00.000-07:002011-05-27T08:40:22.856-07:00Daring Bakers - Chocolate Marquise on MeringueThe May 2011 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.<br /><br />So holy crap! When they call these Daring Bakers things "challenges", they do in fact mean to challenge you.<br /><br />Because I had no idea what a marquise is, and I'm still slightly hazy on the whole concept, I clung desperately to the original recipe with no real variation. Ok, so really no variations except to half it. The end result was delightfully delicious, but getting there made me thankful for the leftover tequila that didn't go into the dessert. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF-DTyEsP9-GkTTApDKtvpf2PSE0XLrgwFPDYM5KKjUutTMntx27jW2IH7NcGLurneSgnR3poKAB_wMnXGXw0mBu0o3zg9g0aa_zWjix9_dGiVxEFmosNZ_yDPywIIdP1iai6sY4zURw/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609390128531955234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF-DTyEsP9-GkTTApDKtvpf2PSE0XLrgwFPDYM5KKjUutTMntx27jW2IH7NcGLurneSgnR3poKAB_wMnXGXw0mBu0o3zg9g0aa_zWjix9_dGiVxEFmosNZ_yDPywIIdP1iai6sY4zURw/s400/IMG_0817.JPG" /></a><br />What you see in the picture is a chocolate marquise under a torched meringue with a tequila caramel sauce and spiced almonds. <br /><br />More in depth, the marquise is an intensely rich pillow of soft chocolate with hints of cayenne and tequila. It is then softened in the fridge after freezing. It's not as hard as ice cream, but can't quite be called a mousse. Really, it's soft, sexy, and chocolate-y. <br /><br />I can't take credit for coming up with the complimenting garnishes since they were the suggestions. But I enjoyed that the flavors in the garnishes, tequila in the caramel sauce and cayenne in the almonds, matched the flavors in the marquise itself. <p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609390125635173826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJk2iDZlU97nZpIFu-zwZY0saSY-lC8Cjjfr_0tdAZI3UdiK0h1-thjTdWpn6Vo2Tn-Z1azUYPHdCm_9JawJ752OYDJuScYxwq3ehpZJzqo5chYx_TDSs3FSkCEJiX-PTxmwkxEBmqrg/s400/IMG_0815.JPG" /><br />I appreciated that this challenge really took me outside my baking comfort zone. <br /><br />I played with hot boiling sugar not once, but twice, and lived to tell about it! I learned that I should probably invest in a candy thermometer instead of using, er, trying to hold a 4-inch meat thermometer in a pot of hot boiling splattering sugar as it reaches 235 degrees... <br /><br />I borrowed a torch from a friend, which taught me that playing with fire in the kitchen is beyond fun and that I also need to invest in my own torch. Expect to see more fire coming out of my kitchen, preferably in the form of skillfully torched culinary masterpieces and not the kind that requires a fire department visit. Although that could be fun too...<br /><br />And most importantly, this challenge emphasized the idea of fully reading through the entire recipe at least once before starting. I think I read this one at least 10 before starting. It took at least 3 tries to begin to understand what I needed to do, and another 5 times before I felt like I had a plan in place. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnvESIdX8o7mPiZ1KAb5XBhyphenhyphenfw-EmgRRNVh24joIEo5pmOvqJzoKqqWPCQO1vQZx3ZRR61Fn5dswMK1-wYvtZZsKSqw_nU06AsSP-C8JslSKud3JFAXFMzC1rl_yAtJxC2NepLZ55R9M/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609390122229569618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnvESIdX8o7mPiZ1KAb5XBhyphenhyphenfw-EmgRRNVh24joIEo5pmOvqJzoKqqWPCQO1vQZx3ZRR61Fn5dswMK1-wYvtZZsKSqw_nU06AsSP-C8JslSKud3JFAXFMzC1rl_yAtJxC2NepLZ55R9M/s400/IMG_0812.JPG" /></a> <br />And to those of you Daring Bakers who casually mentioned that you did all your mixing by hand because you don't own a mixer, God bless you. The thought of whisking until soft peaks form makes my heart hurt. My little Kitchenaid earned its keep a million times over for this one challenge alone. So I salute you, hand mixing champions. <br /><br />It would be a lie to tell you I fully enjoyed making this dessert. I used many swear words and was glad to finally serve it and be done. But I give massive props to any recipe this challenging that can withstand my blundering through it and still turn out so well. Thanks for the challenge ladies! Next month's challenge certainly has some big shoes to fill...Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-32659618310731065982011-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-27T08:33:11.901-07:00Daring Bakers' - Maple Mousse and Edible ContainersThe April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog <a href="http://www.cheapethniceatz.com/">Cheap Ethnic Eatz</a>. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">http://thedaringkitchen.com/</a>!<br /><br />Time for another Daring Bakers challenge! This is my second challenge and I promised myself that I would get it baked and blogged well ahead of time.<br /><br />Well... It's now Sunday night and my blog is due Tuesday, so technically it's not quite last minute yet. But not quite as early as I wanted it to be done. Oh well. Third time's the charm!!<br /><br />So this month we had to follow Evelyne's maple mousse recipe and use it in an edible container. Her suggestions for containers were either a bacon cup or a nut cup, both of which looked great. While I'm not one to turn down bacon in any form, I really wanted to see what I could come up with on my own.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MExtnrwjO6eYe5xfuzTYZeCnBYU72av-VSYjNJbmBgMn6KXySzkuKEUNB5FeQPZqkQoT4P6QxHNi-amEmsKw5bCKh_C4tDn3R9l2NabhAAZ9VqOdJUuj77kERJzfvKyDxzjhtOrttbo/s1600/photo+3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599344876488833042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MExtnrwjO6eYe5xfuzTYZeCnBYU72av-VSYjNJbmBgMn6KXySzkuKEUNB5FeQPZqkQoT4P6QxHNi-amEmsKw5bCKh_C4tDn3R9l2NabhAAZ9VqOdJUuj77kERJzfvKyDxzjhtOrttbo/s400/photo+3.JPG" /></a><br />The maple mousse on it's own is delicious. This was my first time making mousse and it went much easier than I thought it would. I have to confess, I've been eating the leftover mousse with a spoon all day. It's just that good!<br /><p>My original idea for the edible cup was a spicy polenta cup. I wanted the sweetness of the mousse to balance the spiciness of the cup. I ended up really liking the flavor combination and getting a subtle kick from the cayenne pepper.<br /><p>I tried two different ways to bake the polenta into cups, and neither way was very user friendly for me. For my first batch, I filled a mini muffin pan with polenta and tried to mold it to the sides of the pan. They looked pretty good going in, but expanded in the oven. I ended up having to push them back down a couple of times.<br /><p>The second batch I spread on a baking sheet to about a half inch thickness on a cookie sheet and chilling it in the oven. I used a circle cookie cutter to cut out circles and indent them with the round end of a spoon. Like the first batch, they expanded in the oven and didn't quite cup like I saw it going in my head.<br /><p>Sadly, I wasn't so much a fan of the polenta cup itself. I didn't really like the texture of the polenta, but I feel like it was more user error on my part. Having never cooked or eaten polenta before, I was sure what I was aiming for. Good learning lesson though.<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599344873585055586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaY-jvy3f7QRj0JgI-ABwptTBOlHAjr3qM61p59l-2IXnwuuUOtHUfncVyfwkAn8EEeACsyhq1gOGMH8eIURpNApgTuGsxpD7ZnlhXfUadAn8X0X3onBexRKy4I6vPZwmuA-ej50ntC8/s400/photo+2.JPG" />Because my polenta didn't make as many cups as I thought I would need for a dinner party, I started searching my kitchen for what else I could turn into an edible cup. I had some graham crackers in my pantry, so I crushed them in with butter and cinnamon and tried to make crusts in a mini muffin pan. They baked and they baked and they baked, but they just wouldn't turn into a cup that would hold together.<br /><p>So I turned to my freezer and found two sheets of leftover puff pastry and decided to make some puff pastry cups. I cut about 20 2-inch circles and then cut a smaller circle out of half of them. I stacked them and added my failed "toasted" graham cracker cups to the inside to make a graham cracker filling. After they baked, they turned out to be nice little cups and perfect for my filling!<br /><p>I plated both types of edible cups with a cinnamon maple glaze garnish on the plates. I was really happy with how they looked when plated, and my guests seemed to really like them too!<br /><p>I personally ended up liking my last-minute puff pastry cups much better than my spicy polenta cups. The graham cracker filling below the maple mousse gave it a nice crunchy texture and buttery flavor that went well with the maple.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAel5YNXmBZIFtYcHvXjIqju25Vwkbk0-yTdFPNpSsrNHhk2vzuWSMm1mrGuLJS1fDLZvVMaPjGibTVKlh6miL-ccbv9PY8nvMr6h-_eoLWjq_5MfjHQ_bpq8vNsX3FrsKEmnlyg5daA/s1600/photo+1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599344865405514370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAel5YNXmBZIFtYcHvXjIqju25Vwkbk0-yTdFPNpSsrNHhk2vzuWSMm1mrGuLJS1fDLZvVMaPjGibTVKlh6miL-ccbv9PY8nvMr6h-_eoLWjq_5MfjHQ_bpq8vNsX3FrsKEmnlyg5daA/s400/photo+1.JPG" /></a><br />Overall, I was really happy with how it turned out, especially the maple mousse! I'm looking forward to next month's challenge!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-31447400788804433842011-04-13T19:50:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:11:33.054-07:00Banana Muffins and An Apology<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3tzVQUcZtAfUF9XyNUs9mVrElcGClYieu-kC7IxAg1-u6aZsiBU1UEk_VMikqDtuoZu1B6GcVNGDwS9_2oBxhrEFS9-_4pbKH31ahMbuKw8mnM1RTmioqaUiTmcjirEz7V1Qm1ue3iY/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595267471432403138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3tzVQUcZtAfUF9XyNUs9mVrElcGClYieu-kC7IxAg1-u6aZsiBU1UEk_VMikqDtuoZu1B6GcVNGDwS9_2oBxhrEFS9-_4pbKH31ahMbuKw8mnM1RTmioqaUiTmcjirEz7V1Qm1ue3iY/s400/IMG_0755.JPG" /></a> <br /><p>Dear Butter, <br /><p>I know, I'm sorry. I turned my back on you and walked away. I betrayed you. All I can do is ask your forgiveness for what might have been the biggest mistake of my life. <br /><p>I know it's not an excuse, but all I could think of was my recent Beer Fest comfort eating. I just wanted to eat healthier. Which was why I turned to a banana muffin recipe that called for flax seed and no butter. <br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck4gEdrGC5I06yIBQOnldvEmw4c-tHpr_p3xhrpRcpbw3Wg-kt6dR8WcM7OpQ6he3sGj4N8WCFwm4llW7wpzfmvgocHjDL9lhYe0WBhMX3e19qS2tVwKdAov9mE92n5pSRItRnRLtpjE/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595267463431571202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck4gEdrGC5I06yIBQOnldvEmw4c-tHpr_p3xhrpRcpbw3Wg-kt6dR8WcM7OpQ6he3sGj4N8WCFwm4llW7wpzfmvgocHjDL9lhYe0WBhMX3e19qS2tVwKdAov9mE92n5pSRItRnRLtpjE/s400/IMG_0751.JPG" /></a> But before you dismiss me forever, dear Butter, will you remember the years we've spent together? You haven't been just some Buttery booty call I make at 2 in the morning. Oh no, you've been so much more to me. We had a commitment. <br /><p>Do you remember how many chocolate chip recipes we went through before finding The One? Do you remember the cakes we've created together? Think of the pies! <br /><p>I know I betrayed you and I know it was wrong. I knew from the minute I tasted the "healthy" muffin that I would be begging you to take me back. I mean, did you see the crumb on those muffins?! Flax seed can't even compete with your sweet crumb. <br /><p>Oh Butter, all I can say, from the bottom of my heart, is if lovin Butter is wrong, I don't wanna be right. <br /><p>Eternally yours, <br /><p>Rachel <br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPRSxR5twL2ec-1FpFMg_61DrZLC8DqRF_2TjzPor8Def5-vIbWSjhpqzkBF3beUpFqQ0YsB0urVqlEUPfmIyNiOEBEdwj9kJH0yUxQ4n-aQwcgAQ75OqrDeD0Amakda0UqneGH4BZOA/s1600/IMG_0749.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595267455640710066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPRSxR5twL2ec-1FpFMg_61DrZLC8DqRF_2TjzPor8Def5-vIbWSjhpqzkBF3beUpFqQ0YsB0urVqlEUPfmIyNiOEBEdwj9kJH0yUxQ4n-aQwcgAQ75OqrDeD0Amakda0UqneGH4BZOA/s400/IMG_0749.JPG" /></a> <br /><p>I'm not one to judge you if you try this recipe. We all make mistakes, and sometimes you have to be away from something before you realize just how much you need it. Just know that you'll be begging for your butter back. <br /><p>The original recipe called for dried dates, but who really keeps those in their pantry? I had dried cherries, which were probably the only saving grace of these muffins. <br /><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">"Healthy" Homewrecking Banana Muffins</span></strong> <br /><p>from <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/banana-date-flaxseed-bread/Detail.aspx">Allrecipes </a><br /><p>Ingredients 1/2 cup flax seed 3 bananas, mashed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup flax seed 1/2 cup cherries <br /><p>Directions <br /><ol><br /><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a standard 12-muffin pan. Use an electric coffee grinder or food processor to grind 1/2 cup flax seed; set aside.</li><br /><li>In a large mixing bowl, beat together banana, oil, sugar and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground flax seed and 1/4 cup whole flax seed. Gradually stir flour mixture into banana mixture. Fold in cherries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. </li><br /><li>Bake in preheated oven for 20-30ish minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. </li></ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-380647249446350712011-03-27T14:44:00.000-07:002011-03-31T14:04:16.478-07:00Burrito FridaysEvery other Friday since the beginning of time, or maybe only a couple of years, the two tax managers in my department and a guy from revenue have held Burrito Fridays. The revenue guy lives by the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/super-taqueria-reno">Super Taqueria</a> on Damonte Ranch and picks up breakfast burritos for the group on his way into the office. <br /><br />Now, you’ve probably gotten to know me well enough to know that if there’s some form of food group, I want to be part of it. And this was a group I wanted into. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_mEqU1EYFtqibjWHExSXMw9R_p-EilYAskZEV3hzWwyw8_nzbZ6jAb6Y7nS8NnqXCrx8x1REgoxMLacVWyw6xjjkq_vLAEm4e0u-nmH7rS8gOgI6HyRZmytcnpfOXUzYDTrKw-HxEX4/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG"><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588879759263830546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_mEqU1EYFtqibjWHExSXMw9R_p-EilYAskZEV3hzWwyw8_nzbZ6jAb6Y7nS8NnqXCrx8x1REgoxMLacVWyw6xjjkq_vLAEm4e0u-nmH7rS8gOgI6HyRZmytcnpfOXUzYDTrKw-HxEX4/s400/IMG_0582.JPG" /></a></p>I started with the chorizo burrito, but I discovered that it was rather spicy. Even for my growing tolerance for spice (thanks to the Resident Taste Tester). So then I moved on to the machaca burrito, which tasty shredded beef in a breakfast burrito. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZlO2mISkw15rhsrRr1uYc2wI5mSLbEgEQgUeyTERjgynLye7E1fzlrMw2BSLdukYE_45uo_yvVYXOH82vA2M-LRhlmp__SqoXvIBz6Ik3Jj9rB3Zk6pORZroQvcW2lNcu843QdQkezk/s1600/IMG_0584.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588879754519587474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZlO2mISkw15rhsrRr1uYc2wI5mSLbEgEQgUeyTERjgynLye7E1fzlrMw2BSLdukYE_45uo_yvVYXOH82vA2M-LRhlmp__SqoXvIBz6Ik3Jj9rB3Zk6pORZroQvcW2lNcu843QdQkezk/s400/IMG_0584.JPG" /></a> Usually the revenue guy will get the chorizo and I’ll get the machaca so we can hedge. That’s just enough spicy chorizo for me to handle. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0Bn7xgAyocTjxwlRKkjPjJBi_NHngAkWwkD8Gm0C5eew9gTWvpR9EcXz24ux6VwdptsZ5_I3v07vPIFj1xbP8_k2zlB2omBRUO6xNhIucu5KLWbTHkKZqiNMRzUpR7BLgZaKhY-pdH0/s1600/IMG_0585.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588879745069175858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0Bn7xgAyocTjxwlRKkjPjJBi_NHngAkWwkD8Gm0C5eew9gTWvpR9EcXz24ux6VwdptsZ5_I3v07vPIFj1xbP8_k2zlB2omBRUO6xNhIucu5KLWbTHkKZqiNMRzUpR7BLgZaKhY-pdH0/s400/IMG_0585.JPG" /></a> And so you don’t think I’m overindulging, I usually eat half for breakfast and save the rest for my lunch.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-43279989297184299782011-03-24T18:25:00.000-07:002011-03-27T09:19:31.250-07:00Daring Bakers' - Meringue Coffee CakeThe March 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. <br /><br />Well friends, I made a commitment. I know. I try not to do that too much. But, this was something that I think is going to be a good thing. I joined the Daring Bakers! <br /><br />For those who may not read as many baking blogs as I do, you should probably start. I can recommend some great ones. But let me tell you about my commitment. <br /><br />The Daring Bakers are a group of online bakers who blog together to test their baking skills. Each month, a new challenge is posted on the first of the month and all bakers are required to post their challenge blogs on the 27th. Bakers can share their tips, troubles, and finished goods in an online forum throughout the month. <br /><br />I learned about this group maybe a year ago and was interested in joining then. But this time a year ago, I was up to my eyeballs in tax returns in Satan’s Workshop. I barely had enough time to cook dinners and go to the gym, let alone bake a challenge and then blog about it. This year, now that I’ve escaped to private accounting, I actually have the time and energy to really take on these monthly challenges. This, my friends, is awesome! <br /><br />So enough rambling. Let’s talk challenge. <br /><br />This month’s challenge was a filled meringue coffee cake. Sweet yeast dough rolled up with meringue and a filling. <br /><br />Individually, the elements weren’t overly difficult to work with. I’ve been conquering my fear of yeast this year and thought that the dough came together nicely. I actually even hand kneaded the dough; no Kitchenaid dough hook attachment on this one. As promised by the recipe, my kneaded dough was soft, smooth, and sexy. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-jf4XJK1kV28vzkDTcccv4l5ULgD22Kv4fvEqFj7sQxjOa5h53PDUvKfwRa9Gn5irha1Ur7Erm04Hr_nQxC0ds9kR6SQY9NxO5oZiU8WchjLJ6jIDc2m9I2JKKBC0a7sLeEh0khoAR0/s1600/IMG_0670.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825450713868354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-jf4XJK1kV28vzkDTcccv4l5ULgD22Kv4fvEqFj7sQxjOa5h53PDUvKfwRa9Gn5irha1Ur7Erm04Hr_nQxC0ds9kR6SQY9NxO5oZiU8WchjLJ6jIDc2m9I2JKKBC0a7sLeEh0khoAR0/s400/IMG_0670.JPG" /></a> <br />The dough is then divided and rolled out into two rectangles. A meringue of whipped egg whites, vanilla, sugar, and salt is spread on top of the rectangles. <br /><br />Out of the entire challenge, the only real swearing came from trying to separate the egg whites. For some reason, it took about 6 eggs to get the 3 egg whites I needed and at least couple egg whites ended up on my countertop. Filling is then sprinkled on top of the meringue. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisExB1F4GmYn4E0tVxygHbx9P0pQHOEDrXi_q8ZMIa3-LHWLDrUX2BOB250QmcTRq_qg45qKyhiQoj1MBcG2vivXZVkzMhDRaVUuLgZkXqVPLdhJ9-TGj3KBHALnahGs5rCjUSpXNVHFg/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825459733589266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisExB1F4GmYn4E0tVxygHbx9P0pQHOEDrXi_q8ZMIa3-LHWLDrUX2BOB250QmcTRq_qg45qKyhiQoj1MBcG2vivXZVkzMhDRaVUuLgZkXqVPLdhJ9-TGj3KBHALnahGs5rCjUSpXNVHFg/s400/IMG_0668.JPG" /></a> <br />The dough is rolled up lengthwise and the ends are brought together to form a ring. I discovered a couple things while rolling up the dough. First, don’t spread the filling all the way to the long sides of the dough. If you do, you’ll end up with a mess of filling trying to overflow out of your rolled up log. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmwtHG3mVXh55qvHBxASe8IwX2rzd2mmMZNI3dnFkL61696QaIXellVczMqCE1xwU5x2lsOeyvH8qdc_QS2ISyZA_Tjjjna-NzsW45o6TF2xm8LC6KARg0gWMlIQDCm8j1nga650ceKQ/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825465234815410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmwtHG3mVXh55qvHBxASe8IwX2rzd2mmMZNI3dnFkL61696QaIXellVczMqCE1xwU5x2lsOeyvH8qdc_QS2ISyZA_Tjjjna-NzsW45o6TF2xm8LC6KARg0gWMlIQDCm8j1nga650ceKQ/s400/IMG_0676.JPG" /></a> <br />Second, you should spread the fillings all the way out to the short side edges of the dough so that there’s filling throughout the whole ring. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a piece of cake at the seams without any filling. Not to worry, I ate that piece so no one else would have to… <br /><br />Since the dough made two coffee cakes, I chose to make one filling with Jamie’s All-American filling of cinnamon, sugar, and chocolate chips. I opted to leave out the pecans because I’m still unsure of any nut allergies in my new coworkers. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dAwERgRqakwPrTFMRdqJ5SeBeY7p2g95hyphenhyphen4DY4hyKpXOBH8QE1paFPbNxxQ4ayByzHcycRWk_eh_0ibH7okxvKsnYy_JkjhDYtZYKG-To_nje63hmy-xpAxPCeHDpLDv2ZdQmEfT5uw/s1600/IMG_0681.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825472254107282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dAwERgRqakwPrTFMRdqJ5SeBeY7p2g95hyphenhyphen4DY4hyKpXOBH8QE1paFPbNxxQ4ayByzHcycRWk_eh_0ibH7okxvKsnYy_JkjhDYtZYKG-To_nje63hmy-xpAxPCeHDpLDv2ZdQmEfT5uw/s400/IMG_0681.JPG" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXdAZRlH7_DMFWPgssKMTolJ0c-doWaQa6sfO7vDsq3tIoYDsyaBZ20WHNqls0fxIHFaJ2JS_oy-6mrk_UOHXz47yTOXi5VSLOJd7Cp8_YzR0VZ-k13SoRd2p9vi0OLZTkrqabbH1sV4/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825475718677554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXdAZRlH7_DMFWPgssKMTolJ0c-doWaQa6sfO7vDsq3tIoYDsyaBZ20WHNqls0fxIHFaJ2JS_oy-6mrk_UOHXz47yTOXi5VSLOJd7Cp8_YzR0VZ-k13SoRd2p9vi0OLZTkrqabbH1sV4/s400/IMG_0687.JPG" /></a> <br />For my second coffee cake, I wanted to go with one of my favorite flavor combinations: sharp cheddar and apple. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxlmfBneE3jAs1YwwPr6QBJu7UjX8hP4FTHLLOFNl_jTsHNq-wZayLmHi8Ew8AMD1tdF-cbcWnkTqCjC7vEsdiZzw37wrdtmAZLc23M28-syDGjzyIxiN0R6wr-ZzXwsoImf_ulXnKEE/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587825812989842434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxlmfBneE3jAs1YwwPr6QBJu7UjX8hP4FTHLLOFNl_jTsHNq-wZayLmHi8Ew8AMD1tdF-cbcWnkTqCjC7vEsdiZzw37wrdtmAZLc23M28-syDGjzyIxiN0R6wr-ZzXwsoImf_ulXnKEE/s400/IMG_0691.JPG" /></a> <br />I took my coffee cakes in to the office to share with my coworkers. The chocolate chip one was gone within an hour or so, but everyone that tried the cheddar and apple one stopped by my cube to tell me how good it was. The meringue melts into this tasty sticky goo that went well with both the sweet and the savory fillings. The rolled up dough looks incredibly impressive and makes everyone thing you’re way cooler than you are. I’m totally ok with faking coolness through baked goods. <br /><br />For Mission #1, I’m going to call it a win. I’m actually really excited to be part of this group and see what we do next month!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-29982548785296268702011-03-24T04:43:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:44:59.992-07:00Irish Car Bomb Cake - Day 2So after my evening of baking, cooling, and buttercream transferring, it was time to put my cake together.<br /><br />I made the chocolate ganache with a generous cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and about 2/3 cup of heavy cream melted together over a double boiler. The recipe I read online suggested 1-2 teaspoons of Irish Whisky. I started with this amount (off the heat so the alcohol wouldn’t burn off) and realized that a couple of wimpy teaspoons were not going to achieve the St. Patrick’s Day buzz I was hoping to give my coworkers.<br /><br />So I added a couple more. And then some more. And then I lost count. But, you could taste the booze in that ganache when I was done with it. Oh yeah.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKluQKdPlc-aTS_ZfGl8xDerpY_ZAjB5dqxzuArvFMzzzi6_Dwc3TbmbPrVLr9nDGNhWMT60E0_HiD78yas2Pnt7h0ha8hHFscqtQE89nj0oa73KxfbwAEXEkOaDYHa8tm2QgpzsYcMyM/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587817191151120754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKluQKdPlc-aTS_ZfGl8xDerpY_ZAjB5dqxzuArvFMzzzi6_Dwc3TbmbPrVLr9nDGNhWMT60E0_HiD78yas2Pnt7h0ha8hHFscqtQE89nj0oa73KxfbwAEXEkOaDYHa8tm2QgpzsYcMyM/s400/IMG_0700.JPG" /></a><br />Then I got started on the Irish crème cream cheese frosting. The recipe I saw suggested I add a couple of tablespoons to the frosting. Well friends, I tried that. And maybe it was all the whisky from the ganache, but I could barely taste the Irish crème.<br /><br />So I added some more. And then some more. And then I lost count. Hmm. Anyways, by the time I was done with it, you could taste the Irish crème in it. How else do you know when it’s done?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwIhkvJjPhYJR6EwAMsQqGvlsEN8kHcoKevMBLGicP44_klYVvqk8hq_3_Q6t9BbGUuExRU2Xz1w8s_qUdydxDH99iMP9u-8o3K7rjJRP7i30Rzw9TSwKAf2KPEFQtAydYji-xDfMucI/s1600/IMG_0702.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587817189150709250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwIhkvJjPhYJR6EwAMsQqGvlsEN8kHcoKevMBLGicP44_klYVvqk8hq_3_Q6t9BbGUuExRU2Xz1w8s_qUdydxDH99iMP9u-8o3K7rjJRP7i30Rzw9TSwKAf2KPEFQtAydYji-xDfMucI/s400/IMG_0702.JPG" /></a><br />So around this time, my little brown life coach showed up to get me through the evening. She was under the belief that she was there to make cupcakes for her guyfriend, but came bearing chocolate and coaching skills.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WFYc1ovh6fTXKKQU-p0W4_GPW76x3f2GlXKAKHTWAd1TfjaohBa5PLrLBKLhqEXlPIhGEYoEitGQ6gAeM7uzQxf7vLhNObs53nHb6M32VZiVssN5dZJ3aFdG_2z4t1Ox5tVxhUYwuyI/s1600/IMG_0706.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587817183713458738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WFYc1ovh6fTXKKQU-p0W4_GPW76x3f2GlXKAKHTWAd1TfjaohBa5PLrLBKLhqEXlPIhGEYoEitGQ6gAeM7uzQxf7vLhNObs53nHb6M32VZiVssN5dZJ3aFdG_2z4t1Ox5tVxhUYwuyI/s400/IMG_0706.JPG" /></a><br />When the life coach came in, I had her taste the ganache and the frosting to get her professional opinion on the potency of my components. You should probably know that the life coach does not drink much. I’ve seen her get all cute and tipsy on a couple sips of wine. So when she tasted the spiked ganache and frosting, her reaction to both was, “Yeah, there’s definitely alcohol in there.”<br /><br />While the life coach got set up to frost her cupcakes, I got my cake frosted with the Irish crème cream cheese frosting. Because of all the extra liquid in it, it didn’t quite crust and I wasn’t able to really smooth out the frosting like I wanted. But I got it reasonably smooth and figured no one would notice after they consumed the alcohol.<br /><br />Well friends, now came the moment of truth. The time when my will to finish the cake came into direct conflict with my desire to drink Irish whisky straight out of the bottle. The time when the skills of my life coach would be tested.<br /><br />It was time to flip the transfer.<br /><br />I took my transfer out of the freezer and cut away the excess wax paper. I took a deep breath. The life coach took a deep breath. And then I flipped it and started pulling away the wax paper.<br /><br />And then I started using every bad word I could think of, several times each.<br /><br />As I pulled the wax paper away, much of the black outlining that I had so patiently outlined stuck to the wax paper. But the worst part was the bigger yellow area. As you can tell, the yellow did not transfer very well. Or pretty much at all.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSQkaI4N6_wiQJ7eZMlA7N90Lwi18aKA4gyRfpVQGUsk1vFj0pJSyTRFaHdYKOPiPGLj19KROPY8H5SyX9-0KISDrli6rMv89WK_FiXkGXpFXmEfXvGO_VZKvbxsddnMFE_Ub6oaS38M/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587817176449860002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSQkaI4N6_wiQJ7eZMlA7N90Lwi18aKA4gyRfpVQGUsk1vFj0pJSyTRFaHdYKOPiPGLj19KROPY8H5SyX9-0KISDrli6rMv89WK_FiXkGXpFXmEfXvGO_VZKvbxsddnMFE_Ub6oaS38M/s400/IMG_0709.JPG" /></a><br />Yup, the yellow area pretty much tanked.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexW9BBzp9UCcuLNSN0lJtlBSmJahWlXSj37QPaGHdaq0Lh23AT3G3uxH3lrj5m3_Yf4O1FSIrOhpE3wMKFFl714F6YqBCNrUmXDxKwCVjaAIFx5m3TDAygA573gLhvjVPjksNgNoAHi4/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587818147016109090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexW9BBzp9UCcuLNSN0lJtlBSmJahWlXSj37QPaGHdaq0Lh23AT3G3uxH3lrj5m3_Yf4O1FSIrOhpE3wMKFFl714F6YqBCNrUmXDxKwCVjaAIFx5m3TDAygA573gLhvjVPjksNgNoAHi4/s400/IMG_0710.JPG" /></a><br />Once I had all the wax paper off and could really see the extent of the damage, there was a moment when the life coach just watched me, waiting to see what my reaction would be.<br /><br />I stood there staring for a minute and briefly thought about the nearly full bottle of whisky sitting just a few feet away from me.<br /><br />And then I decided that this was fixable.<br /><br />Thank God, I still had all the colors mixed up and in bags ready to go. I sat down and started to re-draw the outlines that had stuck to the wax paper, and the fill in the missing colors. My sweet little brown life coach stood next to me, encouraging me and telling me that I could do it. It was like a Rocky moment in cake decorating. I should have started singing Eye of the Tiger...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v5TZFvZa2CHiIp9BOsWrlKdDzoP4xKvYv80vmuvVp5jRCeM4EoZrIPTGeUimprjLrPhAk_lQ6ftF33FclKMFUekng_Z4I5HnREfwGx3FB95Kt8EKCwu9SB3tLOND2HqkfnFoj-x9e0w/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587818143318178114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v5TZFvZa2CHiIp9BOsWrlKdDzoP4xKvYv80vmuvVp5jRCeM4EoZrIPTGeUimprjLrPhAk_lQ6ftF33FclKMFUekng_Z4I5HnREfwGx3FB95Kt8EKCwu9SB3tLOND2HqkfnFoj-x9e0w/s400/IMG_0712.JPG" /></a><br />And then it was done. I had re-filled the missing areas and even had enough frosting left to add the borders.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzcWN9yJiZ8Tw9874cKMz7AQrBguVLsqHa54rTCKo8w6_iDUJIrjyb2PChWNx1k3q2vffHfu8t-I1Qd2A18mH6t0SWIBusghszjE9mifzJQ0wIqpOcMPi9cTURKItYfOsFQGKtXEYgE/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587818137865123074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzcWN9yJiZ8Tw9874cKMz7AQrBguVLsqHa54rTCKo8w6_iDUJIrjyb2PChWNx1k3q2vffHfu8t-I1Qd2A18mH6t0SWIBusghszjE9mifzJQ0wIqpOcMPi9cTURKItYfOsFQGKtXEYgE/s400/IMG_0715.JPG" /></a><br />You may not be able to tell, but the top border got a little away from me and I realized it was totally lopsided. The life coach took one look and reassured me it was perfect. I agreed because there was no way I was going to try to fix it.<br /><br />Do you see those frosted green cupcakes behind that awesome looking cake? Those are virgin cupcakes I made for a couple of pregnant and nursing coworkers of mine. Even though I may not agree with a zero-alcohol policy, I’m just nice enough to be supportive of it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMTSZIdgVGFkHmmIzWv9LRw0kcmNrU3W6NVZnkDRYU1KkKjJFSy1qpD95D4UG1OzY1dmzAoZ3nMgNHI-vMnAbWHJUNL_aEAKvx6t9Ln2ZeNdcw3MYLtTI4fNAQe4jdM1K1wA82ZWYY7I/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587818130717852738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMTSZIdgVGFkHmmIzWv9LRw0kcmNrU3W6NVZnkDRYU1KkKjJFSy1qpD95D4UG1OzY1dmzAoZ3nMgNHI-vMnAbWHJUNL_aEAKvx6t9Ln2ZeNdcw3MYLtTI4fNAQe4jdM1K1wA82ZWYY7I/s400/IMG_0714.JPG" /></a><br />So now after all this exciting cake talk, you’re probably asking how the contest turned out. Because surely I have maybe a couple of readers who aren’t already my facebook friends…<br /><br />Well friends, it was tough. The competition was stiff and the baked goods were boozy. In sampling the other entries, I could tell there was some Irish crème in a couple of them. One claimed to be a Guinness and orange cake.<br /><br />But in no other entry could you smell the alcohol wafting than in my cake. My cake screamed booze. And it made me proud.<br /><br />We sat near the judges to eat our samples. And I’m not proud of it, but I desperately tried to listen to what they were saying.<br /><br />I also may or may not have given a cupcake to a coworker who subsequently rounded up our entire accounting department to go down and vote for People’s Choice…<br /><br />And then they posted the winners.<br /><br />In the words of the great Charlie Sheen, “Winning.”<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSTh_AnGHRQSJ_2vInLcyumIBeLv__WKrvb3oBwlDic42X8sbWqYNQ7_bdfaQBSCi_Ek_7No4PtE3Jc9eM4B9doDD8UuY_WxdAR-z9gnduwEM6snw9cLyCANrrSG6-wo8OIjYYrpwl6w/s1600/Irish+Car+Bomb+Win.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587818122018288994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSTh_AnGHRQSJ_2vInLcyumIBeLv__WKrvb3oBwlDic42X8sbWqYNQ7_bdfaQBSCi_Ek_7No4PtE3Jc9eM4B9doDD8UuY_WxdAR-z9gnduwEM6snw9cLyCANrrSG6-wo8OIjYYrpwl6w/s400/Irish+Car+Bomb+Win.jpg" /></a><br />That’s right friends; I won both First Place and People’s Choice. I won $75 to Williams Sonoma and $50 to Nothing To It!<br /><br />But credit needs to go out to the little people who made this cake happen, especially the little brown life coach who knew just when to bring her encouragement and her chocolate. It also goes out to my awesome coworkers who went down to vote for my cake. And finally, to the judges for not firing me for bringing an alcohol soaked cake to a zero-alcohol company function. Thank you.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-59863050082954934432011-03-24T04:31:00.000-07:002011-03-24T04:43:13.059-07:00Irish Car Bomb Cake - Day 1I entered my first ever baking competition. And there’s so much to show and tell you about this that I had to break it into two posts to really get it all in.<br /><br />Without giving away the ending, just know that it was intense. Like, Food Network Challenge intense. Except without that annoying girl who replaced Keegan as the host. She’s really just obnoxious.<br /><br />Anyways. My company did a St. Patrick’s Day baking competition. The only specifics they gave was either St. Patrick’s Day or green themed baked goods.<br /><br />Maybe it’s the public accountant still left in me, but my mind went straight to baking with alcohol, specifically Guinness. So when my Google search, er, research, led me to <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/">Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes</a>, I knew I hit jackpot. Guinness chocolate cake, filled with Irish whisky chocolate ganache, frosted with cream cheese frosting spiked with Irish crème.<br /><br />I followed the Guinness cake recipe pretty much as written, except I was short on cocoa powder by maybe ¼ of a cup. I read in one of the reviews that this recipe makes a lot of batter. Let me confirm this by saying this make a crap-ton of batter. I filled two 9-inch cake pans, 12 cupcakes, and an 8-inch cake pan. Dear Lord, there was Guinness cake batter everywhere.<br /><br />So while the cake was baking and cooling, I got started on my second attempt at a buttercream transfer, which is a design made in reverse on wax paper that is frozen and then transferred onto the cake. I’ll get around to telling you about the first one sooner or later. This one was way more detailed and larger than the first one I tried, but the first one went so smoothly I wasn’t overly worried.<br /><br />I started with the black outlining on the hat, clover, and yellow areas so that it would appear as the top layer when I flipped the transfer over.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7mDhpFTMpPCR81DXkHDMTCbQzua3wopS8vvr2k-V9UCaS1GWnHVtSvcmUCBfvfPKIoSZI66hBJsn1vSI7heuWcjP7dA12YXIM6WAyO1M91pgFTC1LtNEapZulcp2jyjKlcjcCVqsYek/s1600/IMG_0692.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587608227353653330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7mDhpFTMpPCR81DXkHDMTCbQzua3wopS8vvr2k-V9UCaS1GWnHVtSvcmUCBfvfPKIoSZI66hBJsn1vSI7heuWcjP7dA12YXIM6WAyO1M91pgFTC1LtNEapZulcp2jyjKlcjcCVqsYek/s400/IMG_0692.JPG" /></a><br />Then I filled in the yellow areas, starting with the smallest detail in the bottom area and then working across the buckle.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vN3Makz3vhCM1YLTpOHfEogCDAG3FsR7Z58qo2lfHObVUDLeG9Dx9oSd_fMRm2YmU0NaRo7ZKGhXxrh_bpzZ-Kh9do6FlU9rd3hiFWBep3MKjuVPyMqNhYENaC6hsGGQDYotm8u09Vk/s1600/IMG_0694.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587608227736446194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vN3Makz3vhCM1YLTpOHfEogCDAG3FsR7Z58qo2lfHObVUDLeG9Dx9oSd_fMRm2YmU0NaRo7ZKGhXxrh_bpzZ-Kh9do6FlU9rd3hiFWBep3MKjuVPyMqNhYENaC6hsGGQDYotm8u09Vk/s400/IMG_0694.JPG" /></a><br />Then I filled in the green areas on the hat. My hand was shaking by the time I finished the hat. Baking is not for the weak.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qhP83sAydO3K3g1E49M6sTC1J38FGbw_j6ilV3dyOYb3G0Ghr8j_n24Ir1ylXwf4EmEgvb1JiM8MJ6cE-OrUP49NGuaFn97zUZtA7tjN_QJu-4ZhfhEzS3qunt2L1OevS_yEr6TlgIk/s1600/IMG_0695.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587608234398041282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qhP83sAydO3K3g1E49M6sTC1J38FGbw_j6ilV3dyOYb3G0Ghr8j_n24Ir1ylXwf4EmEgvb1JiM8MJ6cE-OrUP49NGuaFn97zUZtA7tjN_QJu-4ZhfhEzS3qunt2L1OevS_yEr6TlgIk/s400/IMG_0695.JPG" /></a><br />I wanted to use a different shade of green for the clover, but I don’t think I added enough of the hunter green to make it really stand out against the hat. Oops.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwPe5Gv6YjFY0n7MpXGjQT7RuEu9-CbU8jk6sKPhaJ8ViGZgAndfFtRR4wm864Kh9siZCSm-oGMQNnU_z7k1GJws09x4xtLC2Jn-zGRMJ_XhAgpP540Av8WOpZM6pr7TrLiWy5W6FknQ/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587608238641755554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwPe5Gv6YjFY0n7MpXGjQT7RuEu9-CbU8jk6sKPhaJ8ViGZgAndfFtRR4wm864Kh9siZCSm-oGMQNnU_z7k1GJws09x4xtLC2Jn-zGRMJ_XhAgpP540Av8WOpZM6pr7TrLiWy5W6FknQ/s400/IMG_0696.JPG" /></a><br />And then throw the entire thing into the freezer while I cleaned up my mess of a kitchen. This was only the kitchen table. You should have seen the counter behind me…<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EjP5GkPJ4lB_WLeskDxnS9uGkTHzrRSZktp6DxchEg3Ke8DH_k3RNzjhrEW2I7r0R-SBPes4uoRx6DHsei4YRv9mTyQqXbwXcLveXSUP89XPbNvqUSJJI3xmKNMb3eWNy1-T1jjD2Zs/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587608241929687074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EjP5GkPJ4lB_WLeskDxnS9uGkTHzrRSZktp6DxchEg3Ke8DH_k3RNzjhrEW2I7r0R-SBPes4uoRx6DHsei4YRv9mTyQqXbwXcLveXSUP89XPbNvqUSJJI3xmKNMb3eWNy1-T1jjD2Zs/s400/IMG_0699.JPG" /></a><br />Since the baking contest was on Thursday, I did my baking and buttercream transfer on Tuesday and then put the whole thing together on Wednesday. As much work as it was on Tuesday, just wait till you hear about Wednesday...Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-42502038496650592602011-01-27T15:28:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:51:24.262-08:00A FairytaleOnce upon a time three months ago, there lived a beautiful accountant princess who longed to escape the evil horror known as public accounting.<br /><br /><div align="left">So our little public accountant interviewed for a private accounting position. And in this interview, she let it slip that she loved to bake and would love even more to bring goodies in to her potential new office if she were to be hired. </div><br />"Why would she do such a thing?" you might ask.<br /><br />Well friends, in an attempt to do whatever it took to get out of public accounting, our current little public accountant just might be willing to use this tasty little personal tidbet as leverage to get this job.<br /><br />You might say, "Dear public accountant, don't you think you would be hired based on technical skill and background?"<br /><br />And our little public accountant would most certainly and wholly agree with that. "But...", she might say, "what if someone else has my level of skill and background? Couldn't I just try to give myself a more personable appearance? Just to have a little advantage?"<br /><br />You might nod your head in agreement. <br /><br />Now in our fairytale, our favorite baking accountant is hired for the job. She starts at her new job that's full of friendly faces and non-public accounting happiness and a 401(k) plan subject to audit. And she remembers that there is, in fact, good still left in the world.<br /><br /><div align="left">But then she realizes that she will now need to bake something for the office.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">But this can't just be any little something!<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">I mean, you, er, our little public turned private accountant was possibly hired under the premise that she bake wonderful little somethings to share with her soon-to-beloved coworkers! She must wow them in order to keep her job, or risk going back to the fire and brimstone of public accounting.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">So, dear friends, our little private accountant decided to pull out the big fairy tale guns: Chinese Cinnamon. </div><div align="left"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7mrszRON8lJb7hLQfnESFelrmHBNMtF7XxkX7oZdfn2YW_q8vVm0JTAHhZKk_ImChMbG5tQvl5i60yAwK09ZsboidkZP5udNLzvAZE0juLCwiO1Sdt8IQifKhMKlKLkgU20xoTjfLRg/s1600/IMG_0559.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568591207107892962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7mrszRON8lJb7hLQfnESFelrmHBNMtF7XxkX7oZdfn2YW_q8vVm0JTAHhZKk_ImChMbG5tQvl5i60yAwK09ZsboidkZP5udNLzvAZE0juLCwiO1Sdt8IQifKhMKlKLkgU20xoTjfLRg/s400/IMG_0559.JPG" /></a><br />And she turned to a recipe she hoped could wow them all. A recipe so wonderful that they gave her a promotion, a raise, and a new corner office with many windows. But they built her the new office so no one else would have to give up their office.*<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1JpuwpJy-FuQZMkXjVG2MPkqoCLZ6Twzcn3wAVOLjB1ZygpC12dwmp_u3G0OfYmylBVfzvHkXu8nbPrIDJHc2oy7N0J7kGp0M4X2I5pTJ4I7BZ7EGpSA9TVqzAjFXiKZcgssBnIz1W0/s1600/IMG_0579.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568591208887946530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1JpuwpJy-FuQZMkXjVG2MPkqoCLZ6Twzcn3wAVOLjB1ZygpC12dwmp_u3G0OfYmylBVfzvHkXu8nbPrIDJHc2oy7N0J7kGp0M4X2I5pTJ4I7BZ7EGpSA9TVqzAjFXiKZcgssBnIz1W0/s400/IMG_0579.JPG" /></a><br />Cinnamon Cookies</div><div align="left">from <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-cookies-48241">food.com</a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butter<br />1 large egg<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 1/2 cups flour<br />1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />cinnamon sugar<br /><br />Directions:<br /></div><div align="left"><ol><li><div align="left">In a mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter; beat in egg and vanilla. </div></li><li><div align="left">Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. </div></li><li><div align="left">Add to butter mixture and blend well.</div></li><li><div align="left">Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or till firm enough to roll into balls. </div></li><li><div align="left">Shape dough into small balls about 3/4-inch in diameter and roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.</div></li><li><div align="left">Set cookies 1-inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. </div></li><li><div align="left">Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or till the edges are lightly browned.<br /></div></li></ol></div><p align="left">*Note: This recipe does not guaranteed the baker a raise, a promotion, or a new corner office with many windows. </p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-64149116371519322282011-01-25T20:47:00.000-08:002011-01-27T15:27:45.335-08:00Christmas in January!So, by telling you that this blog is about the Christmas cookies I made, it's clearly an incredibly late blog entry since it's now about a month after Christmas.<br /><br />And I know that I'm kinda sorta half-assing (yes Mom, I know you don't like that word) this blog anyways because I'm not giving you all the recipes and details for each cookie.<br /><br />And I'm also aware that I still can't seem to take a picture without getting weird shadows in different parts of it. You would never believe that I took two years of photo in high school. Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. P.<br /><br />But the bottom line is it's my blog and I'll do what I wanna!<br /><br />So here is the unveiling of the cookie platters that were given and consumed more than a month ago!<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3hEqxCwZjphf16s2dGqGO9qaHkf0N2WCYut29eTjBP7R34MYrlXZ5ZtDjwcjtX26qmLdxUV5ox3I-C_ScRwetaq0muqKNDNhcDO7XICZIuNm9UKaSDkdB_lvhsLOVECdgcP-DCxvMio/s1600/IMG_0531.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566352198413731362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3hEqxCwZjphf16s2dGqGO9qaHkf0N2WCYut29eTjBP7R34MYrlXZ5ZtDjwcjtX26qmLdxUV5ox3I-C_ScRwetaq0muqKNDNhcDO7XICZIuNm9UKaSDkdB_lvhsLOVECdgcP-DCxvMio/s400/IMG_0531.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p>From the top left and working clockwise:</p><p>Expresso Chocolate Shortbread (recipe by Dorie Greenspan)</p><p>Salt and Black Pepper Cocoa Shortbread (recipe also by Dorie Greenspan - the woman knows her shortbread)</p><p>Chocolate Chip Cookies (my favorite chocolate chipper recipe, also found <a href="http://cookingthebooks-rachel.blogspot.com/2010/11/can-we-chat-for-second-about-bacon-i.html">here</a> less the bacon this time)</p><p>Rolled Sugar Cookies with Royal Frosting Icing (cookie recipe by Dorie Greenspan) and hand-drawn Christmas decor by yours truly (I love edible markers!)</p><p>Butter Rum Cookies (recipe by Martha Stewart)</p><p>Maybe it's just the drunk in me, but I personally liked the butter rum cookies the best. At some point in life, there will be a repeat of those coming from my kitchen!</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-9306077416145569902011-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:002011-01-25T20:40:42.978-08:00Peanut Butter Chili<span style="color:#000000;">Isn't it weird how things just happend to fall in place?<br /><br />I spent all weekend on my sofa nursing a cold with the two tubby tabby cats who also apparently have either colds or allergies, according to the vet. We all seem to be doing better now, except for a very angry Toby who seems to have developed yet an ear issue now.<br /><br />There will be an even angrier Toby when he realizes he'll now have to go back the vet.<br /><br />Anyways, if I wasn't sick over the weekend, I would have made this oddly delightful peanut butter chili on Saturday for Josh's Chili Cook-Off. But because I was sick, I didn't end up making it until Monday. Then today I realized that Monday was National Peanut Butter Day. </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Clearly it was fate that helped me to unintentionally celebrate one of the best food holidays of the year!<br /><br />Anyways, I read online that there are people who always eat chili with peanut butter or peanut butter sandwiches. I've mentioned this to several people now, and our question is always, "Huh?".<br /><br />Well friends, it's time for a little learning lesson. Apparently this is somewhat of a craze, if you will, with those crazy Mid-Westerners. They have typically used peanut butter as a thickener for chili, and also because (according to them) it compliments beans and paprika. Due to the peanut butter flavor in the chili, eating the related sandwich is clearly the only way to go.<br /><br /></span><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566340176813382354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnForV4OtoHv2TOA2cQd5YK09BqCyr9p3HXJ_zP5Tbsz8k4gYB9rNZPZ_TsfUX_rT1zIYPGuXgbs7mYq5TYOq9usaBH1uSBPlBtrKA3pxRtbOFahyr1kjA3f8oomjDXa8vRJ2KXbFCig/s400/IMG_0548.JPG" /><br /><br />That all said, I made the peanut butter chili on Monday. I would agree that it definitely helped to thicken the chili and the peanut butter taste was subtle but good. Had the chili and I made it to the cook-off, I don't know that it would have won, but it could have held its own.<br /><br />The recipe as originally written is vegetarian, and I would have left it that way for the cook-off because so many of my friends don't eat meat the way the Quantity Control Expert and I do. But because it was for the Resident Taste Tester and myself, I threw in some ground beef and enjoyed it. </span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">Also, the original directions have a couple of steps that involve adding half the ingredients for a little simmer and then putting more in for another simmer and maybe something else. But I'm more of a throw-it-all-in-and-let-it-simmer type girl with chili. I threw the ground beef in first to let it brown, but then I just added everything else all at once and let it simmer for about a half an hour. I think I also added some cinnamon, but I don't know how much. </span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">(It was probably on the shorter side of a half hour. But I was hungry, don't judge me.)<br /></span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Peanut Butter Chili</span></strong></p><p><em>adapted from </em><a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/peanut-butter-chili/Detail.aspx"><em>Allrecipes.com</em></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Ingredients<br />1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes<br />1/2 cup water<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 bay leaves<br />1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste<br />1 teaspoon chili powder<br />1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />1 teaspoon Italian seasoning<br />1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained<br />1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained<br />1/3 cup creamy peanut butter<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)<br />2 cups tortilla chips (optional)<br /></span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">Directions<br />(as interpreted by Rachel)</span></p><ol><li><span style="color:#000000;">Brown the meat (if you're using it) in a large pot over medium heat. Add all the other ingredients, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until you finish the other chores you tell yourself your going to do. Seriously, go put your clothes away.</span></li></ol>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-87293556817248680782010-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:002010-11-20T18:20:42.431-08:00Rachel's Bread Co.My original title for this post was going to be "Yeast Infection". I also tossed around the idea of "I've Got A Yeast Infection." But I could already hear the voice of my mom saying, "Oh Rachel, I don't like that." So I chickened and went with the safe title.<br /><br />Anyways. Like I <a href="http://cookingthebooks-rachel.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-pizza-stone-fiasco.html">mentioned before</a>, the Resident Taste Tester got me a pizza stone for my birthday. She also got me this book, <em>Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. </em><br /><br />I'm not going to lie to you, yeast scares me. I mean, anything that is going to double in size and then needs to be punched down is a little intimidating to me.<br />My only previous experience with yeast was some bread dough that I had left in the oven to rise. I'll never know if it worked or not because a roommate came home and turned the oven on to make some cookies. FYI - a plastic bowl with bread dough in it will melt in a pre-heating oven. Just a helpful little tip for my friends.<br /><br />Anyways. This little guy is my first ever loaf of bread! Isn't he cute? Yes, I see that he's a little lopsided and uneven. But so are babies when they're born. The point is, I made bread and I'm darn proud of it!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsgvatnEyZ-38aFxAALsGNHWJp0Aicr5p3LAP_tExnH8sOMdCgnxlzqb9i05BNI8vQuRq2930M2GDclSEdLADRHlMq6Cc5VrkQ5WzhKLip-l_who7DizSnzD2IfFw1HMjxKZXT4NnIYw/s1600/CPA+Photo+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538754479531849378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsgvatnEyZ-38aFxAALsGNHWJp0Aicr5p3LAP_tExnH8sOMdCgnxlzqb9i05BNI8vQuRq2930M2GDclSEdLADRHlMq6Cc5VrkQ5WzhKLip-l_who7DizSnzD2IfFw1HMjxKZXT4NnIYw/s400/CPA+Photo+028.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And then I cut it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBQe5n0woGZ_eWtWFYao-xu99WAlBRW3kIJMuVTsplLPFRZe-OqeYfXumwjcyXTO6sZ_mpAShk0v-Le1Sjg_cSImVLGigjz51oVXHvO_9KnAdg1RXDn-vO0cl-_TCPoJbnVcQfyjfc1s/s1600/CPA+Photo+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538754490949610034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBQe5n0woGZ_eWtWFYao-xu99WAlBRW3kIJMuVTsplLPFRZe-OqeYfXumwjcyXTO6sZ_mpAShk0v-Le1Sjg_cSImVLGigjz51oVXHvO_9KnAdg1RXDn-vO0cl-_TCPoJbnVcQfyjfc1s/s400/CPA+Photo+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And here I am like a proud mama, cutting her... bread? I don't know. I just remember saying, "I made bread! And it even looks like bread, and it smells like bread, and I'm going to eat it!"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXZ1pnK4UxWqbfY09ZIw9JrKd5JiLhm9tvSdk1Bb2N2HnOGsKDWvivIj7-guLvRZm0qdtmCGI0KbH8O8Bm-XITZTbyRrQGBWugfFRKtV954sV5ZR7WRaYBJipTsThpsfpkoz2JyECs3A/s1600/CPA+Photo+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538754510584215858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXZ1pnK4UxWqbfY09ZIw9JrKd5JiLhm9tvSdk1Bb2N2HnOGsKDWvivIj7-guLvRZm0qdtmCGI0KbH8O8Bm-XITZTbyRrQGBWugfFRKtV954sV5ZR7WRaYBJipTsThpsfpkoz2JyECs3A/s400/CPA+Photo+035.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And then I ate it! I put some of the blackberry jam that I made on it. It was delightful! My whole apartment smelled like freshly baked bread!</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvzhXuEsLlaIrfjm2Rcl8nwBnlvoYFsHB-FOIv7IFTCaxV_6PPfLvFFBN6EJQzokhq8jysy8X_V8gcuh-pW2WzK9yR1Gm1sLRVNUXDtAieoB1bWnamcJfPULHLSchN3few7svwErThp4/s1600/CPA+Photo+042.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538754519843804658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvzhXuEsLlaIrfjm2Rcl8nwBnlvoYFsHB-FOIv7IFTCaxV_6PPfLvFFBN6EJQzokhq8jysy8X_V8gcuh-pW2WzK9yR1Gm1sLRVNUXDtAieoB1bWnamcJfPULHLSchN3few7svwErThp4/s400/CPA+Photo+042.jpg" border="0" /></a> The best part: it was so incredibly easy! The book is based on the concept of mixing a large batch of dough once, and then using portions of it when you want it. There's a lot of rising time involved, but the actual hands-on part of it is very minimal. I've since been practicing my shaping and stretching of the dough to get it more even, but the overall idea is very simple.<br /><br />The bottom line is that there will definitely be more bread coming in the near future!<br /><br />On a completely different topic, I've officially left the glamorous life of a staff accountant for a public accounting firm. This past Monday, the 15th, I started my new life in private accounting as a Senior Tax Analyst. Doesn't the title sound sexy? I feel more important already!<br /><br />To say that I'm excited about this is an understatement, but I'm looking forward to it as being an overall healthy move for me. As an added bonus, the accounting staff is roughly 6 times bigger than my previous office, so I'll have a way bigger audience to bake for!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-28170059220091633792010-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:002010-11-23T08:35:59.158-08:00Why I Like My BoyfriendWell, there are many reasons why I like my boyfriend. But pretty darn close to the top of list is his cooking. Get this: he knows how to cook and he likes to cook. And he doesn't just make the same old boring things for me. He comes up with crazy ideas and we try them out.<br /><br />Take Exhibit A: A grilled cheese bacon cheeseburger.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX7FoajvJlbMU2I6s4xuMVztMjO_saHdfa-310dDac-X8XJS3jUWrBpU6v9CnDWMYc4hP0EMuYg6fDVL2lcLHq1XDLeoqsuWldUfvZOOFVG9C-tIFisy57ncTSUiiDQEE7PoO_T3aycg/s1600/CPA+Photo+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538750958634762258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX7FoajvJlbMU2I6s4xuMVztMjO_saHdfa-310dDac-X8XJS3jUWrBpU6v9CnDWMYc4hP0EMuYg6fDVL2lcLHq1XDLeoqsuWldUfvZOOFVG9C-tIFisy57ncTSUiiDQEE7PoO_T3aycg/s400/CPA+Photo+020.jpg" border="0" /></a>Oh yeah! It's like the KFC Double Down of grilled cheese and burgers! Let's examine the evidence a little closer in Exhibit B:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiOgVl950o1plX1fiZlKWOi1mEAAax4SHGguKHCknt-Tmdgl8xaZ55UeQsnlbaMyHJH85q8duZsgr1VWSFaSBKGVSouZ4gelHzO_C-dcYiRsaBRvpjGsruXGkT7egOpla-cmYPSH-PKE/s1600/CPA+Photo+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538750937885324402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiOgVl950o1plX1fiZlKWOi1mEAAax4SHGguKHCknt-Tmdgl8xaZ55UeQsnlbaMyHJH85q8duZsgr1VWSFaSBKGVSouZ4gelHzO_C-dcYiRsaBRvpjGsruXGkT7egOpla-cmYPSH-PKE/s400/CPA+Photo+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, so we have a grilled cheese sandwich. Followed by a moist and flavorful all beef patty. Topped with bacon and more melted cheese. Finished off by, wait, what's that you say? Yes, another grilled cheese!</div><div></div><div><br />Clearly this was a day where I fell off the diet wagon.<br /><div></div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-21365191062000141932010-11-12T11:14:00.000-08:002010-11-12T11:37:44.258-08:00A Discussion on BaconCan we chat for a second about bacon? I think that we should. I feel like this is an important topic that we really need to discuss.<br /><br /><br />Bacon is amazing!<br /><br /><br />That's all. I mean, seriously, what more could I tell you about it? It's good stuff.<br /><br />Oh! You wanted me to tell you what to do with it? Gotcha. Well friends, I like to put it in chocolate chip cookies!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTm3gsFTMkuot0YW8EI3SZlTR5XejKLFGbpKGOu0hits5WhbKNhr8v1MRIvAosSSmvSEqPbUq8wHjXIcF9VP6vdh8wXLNpIgMtx50he6ngHkCxFBTTsNgagSqA8tLbUPMLwE3ieam8LQ/s1600/CPA+Photo+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538744649526457890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTm3gsFTMkuot0YW8EI3SZlTR5XejKLFGbpKGOu0hits5WhbKNhr8v1MRIvAosSSmvSEqPbUq8wHjXIcF9VP6vdh8wXLNpIgMtx50he6ngHkCxFBTTsNgagSqA8tLbUPMLwE3ieam8LQ/s400/CPA+Photo+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Do you see that? Yup! That's what we in the biz like to call a "bacon chocolate chip cookie." Let's take a closer look at this.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBWCxKoi12yQpasHMH-cPAlmzGk3TEI8dnXS6WM9UYIf79lHzklRn2mDydLLltf48ErZy4od3WbYVy4z6gZGokpAd16NMqbX2zXBvUImoap8W2Q-xiLjN5Gxvq6f9DWB4jML5LZbvMN0/s1600/CPA+Photo+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538744458701085298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBWCxKoi12yQpasHMH-cPAlmzGk3TEI8dnXS6WM9UYIf79lHzklRn2mDydLLltf48ErZy4od3WbYVy4z6gZGokpAd16NMqbX2zXBvUImoap8W2Q-xiLjN5Gxvq6f9DWB4jML5LZbvMN0/s400/CPA+Photo+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Uh huh. Those big chunks of goodness are none other than crispy pieces of bacon. I just cooked about 5 or 6 slices of thick bacon and then crumbled it into my usual chocolate chip cookie recipe.<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br />Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies</span></strong></div><div></div><div><em>adapted from Pillsbury Best Desserts</em></div><em><br />5-6 slices of bacon<br />1 1/4 cups sugar<br />1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar<br />1 1/2 cups butter, softened<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />3 eggs<br />4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips<br /><br /><ol><li>Cook bacon until crisp. Cool and crumble into pieces.</li><li>Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and bacon pieces. </li><li>Drop dough by rounded tablesppoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. </li><li>Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Be careful not to overbake them.<br /></li></ol><br /><br /></em><em></em>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-47938576724915441722010-07-29T08:37:00.000-07:002010-08-03T12:34:32.185-07:00That's How I Roll!They see me rollin'<br />They hatin'<br />Patrollin' trying to catch me riding dirty!<br /><br />Ok, just one more, I swear.<br /><br />A little rock and roll!<br /><br />Do you get it yet?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3fVG4MBA2d9ad0juslAdtsTAUYqFRIzw_dAMRaE-9hz8lRaJlpdIfeESPR2hE8AyoB7MfKT8Exyd30GliDCTN7HuojAzxkhwJOY36wcHG5GXrd3O2ilKNmbqI5LEm2Mzf9N3Go21Pms/s1600/June+2010+069.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500638873612812546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3fVG4MBA2d9ad0juslAdtsTAUYqFRIzw_dAMRaE-9hz8lRaJlpdIfeESPR2hE8AyoB7MfKT8Exyd30GliDCTN7HuojAzxkhwJOY36wcHG5GXrd3O2ilKNmbqI5LEm2Mzf9N3Go21Pms/s320/June+2010+069.jpg" /></a> I'm in a fondant class!<br /><br />Cause we roll out the fondant!?<br /><br />Well I thought it was funny.<br /><br />Anyhow, my adventures in cake continue with my awesome teacher, The Gum Paste Lady, and my new cake making friend, The "Other" Martha (which was her choice of nickname).<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HpUjEbqcxn7OjYde8F7IZXomASi5DcGCrnQSAgkGCp7demrEITI9nXAPRBSFKWIW8Dbs64QKGtjqjjsq1HxbYiG0yktYkLel51cMEYCuK_ad2_eiyKBC3mGr35IxykSkOJJrVYzeOn8/s1600/June+2010+076.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500638908578768114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HpUjEbqcxn7OjYde8F7IZXomASi5DcGCrnQSAgkGCp7demrEITI9nXAPRBSFKWIW8Dbs64QKGtjqjjsq1HxbYiG0yktYkLel51cMEYCuK_ad2_eiyKBC3mGr35IxykSkOJJrVYzeOn8/s320/June+2010+076.jpg" /></a> So for our first class, we learned how to cover a round cake and make gum paste daisies and leaves. Maybe it was having the Gum Paste Lady standing next to me while I was putting the fondant on, but it really wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBHf9QHIyc9LOufZ-sqdYPsjlwe_xytmhlPv6TyoZRLik5V91BmWejHN_TZCr0eXQ9k6NrTvp1_4kD11sRKA-XWM96kQpSY9jGGK3R3VxBIqtvL_VFjvPzN5uWbv2Wtj1Fhx_f8Rmh84/s1600/June+2010+074.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500638897232556130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBHf9QHIyc9LOufZ-sqdYPsjlwe_xytmhlPv6TyoZRLik5V91BmWejHN_TZCr0eXQ9k6NrTvp1_4kD11sRKA-XWM96kQpSY9jGGK3R3VxBIqtvL_VFjvPzN5uWbv2Wtj1Fhx_f8Rmh84/s320/June+2010+074.jpg" /></a> Or maybe it was just beginner's luck and my next cake will be a cracking mess of a cake worthy of Kerry Vincent judgment. But seriously, much love and shout-outs go to the <a href="http://www.thebiggestlittlecakeshoppe.com/">Biggest Little Cake Shoppe</a>. Without them, I couldn't have made my own birthday cake!</p><p>Truthfully, I can't even remember what kind of cake this was. I'm fairly certain that it was a plain yellow cake with plain old canned frosting. It's easy enough that I can throw a cake together when I get home from work. I'll get more creative when work slows down.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSjWUnVqaautPYJWA_cfbEgQLUXgNjNhEQbLtICPyJzB7N-wmcvcUWHjz5-9Y8GsptD0ipotWL2G9YPFqWmQIIT7z4xh2t6RDZisYttdYxi4arz-oQsmNg3dlx3K31zQXYoYo8wot3KQ/s1600/June+2010+070.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500638885085298386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSjWUnVqaautPYJWA_cfbEgQLUXgNjNhEQbLtICPyJzB7N-wmcvcUWHjz5-9Y8GsptD0ipotWL2G9YPFqWmQIIT7z4xh2t6RDZisYttdYxi4arz-oQsmNg3dlx3K31zQXYoYo8wot3KQ/s320/June+2010+070.jpg" /></a> Not too shabby for my first fondant cake! I know you've been seeing a lot of cakes lately, but that's really all I have time for these days. But I've got plenty of cool stuff on the way for you!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-6159406486741199852010-07-28T16:45:00.000-07:002010-07-28T16:53:07.996-07:00The Great Pizza Stone FiascoThe following exchange occurred between the Resident Taste Tester and myself after a commercial for Pizza Hut:<br /><br />RTT: I love pizza.<br /><br />Me: I bought us a pizza stone and peel! It should be coming next week.<br /><br />RTT: No!<br /><br />Me: Yes?<br /><br />RTT: No!!<br /><br />Me: Yes?!<br /><br />RTT: No!!!<br /><br />Me: Seriously, yes!<br /><br />RTT: I bought you a pizza stone and peel for your birthday. I'm just waiting for the stone to arrive next week.<br /><br />Me: No!<br /><br />RTT: Yes!<br /><br />Me: No!!<br /><br />RTT: Yes!!<br /><br />Moral of the story: I'll be reviewing Amazon's return policy this week when I send the ones I bought back! Also, apparently my roommate and I don't like to use complete sentences when repeatedly saying "yes" and "no" can be used instead.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-38165402530486233052010-07-26T21:31:00.001-07:002010-07-27T11:26:23.220-07:00Happy Birthday to Me!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb-bb2l-itqs8I1_Z8E8CilsgVtpymoAKdA0G-160S0_SMGnPuzagzKZzIIl18hhtk8J23dX5wv7jhnj28JEuQaxKXwm2_8ITId78D0rQrXmv4EcrVsgE17L3nFT2sGUop2pRm-tnf58/s1600/June+2010+061.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 205px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498440273281751586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb-bb2l-itqs8I1_Z8E8CilsgVtpymoAKdA0G-160S0_SMGnPuzagzKZzIIl18hhtk8J23dX5wv7jhnj28JEuQaxKXwm2_8ITId78D0rQrXmv4EcrVsgE17L3nFT2sGUop2pRm-tnf58/s200/June+2010+061.jpg" /></a> Happy belated birthday post! Well, I'm officially over the hill now that I'm the big 24. In fact, I just told my financial advisor that I'm just waiting on him to give me the ok for retirement. His laugh leads me to believe that he thinks I'm only kidding. Ron, I'm not.<br /><br />For my big 24th, my darling Quantity Control Expert threw me a fabulous pizza potluck party! I was surrounded my some of the best people I know: people that come over bearing food and drink for my party!<br /><br />The QCE had the brilliant idea of buying pizza dough and having people bring over different toppings to throw on the pizzas. We had sausage and chicken and artichokes and pine nuts and sauces and cheese and veggies of all kinds! The man-tern (man intern) lent us his pizza stone and peel, which turned out pizza so well that I felt the need to get my own afterwards. But those pizzas definitely went much smoother with the Designated Bowl Licker's pizza making expertise!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498440264365895554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvTcXxMFPeYyoC_sTjl_gGfooJlQrLWEe48WkLUn6NP9vu4ja_nAKiboH2sYNvSiwEJOrIQxLvPcrRWADWfkG7UPbAyOUeaB1zjblr8WbIDziYt7WVhR1DpOXzYyeUCvViRADDg6ZhHE/s200/June+2010+060.jpg" /><br /><p>I was so busy in the kitchen, I hardly got to see the pizzas before they were snatched up! This one had pesto sauce, chicken, peppers, onions, pine nuts, and artichokes, and that's just what I can easily identify. Plus, the man-tern recommended that we mix up olive oil with minced garlic and Parmesan cheese, and then brush it onto the crust straight out of the oven. Oh dear lord, was that ever tasty!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTuSKvINzLF_DsrR6NW5s_Lz51iaeQClXdDDrzQhwVKEXWDTbmE5fe8qSQv8T0jaMLlEGRdsxqGUiji-KIVnBICFM_rdFXP-HG2fxD1VuTs2ePqihnH_2PmhkJdZW2JyWWHfT0YoIuc4/s1600/June+2010+054.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498440244767557890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTuSKvINzLF_DsrR6NW5s_Lz51iaeQClXdDDrzQhwVKEXWDTbmE5fe8qSQv8T0jaMLlEGRdsxqGUiji-KIVnBICFM_rdFXP-HG2fxD1VuTs2ePqihnH_2PmhkJdZW2JyWWHfT0YoIuc4/s200/June+2010+054.jpg" /></a> Here's my Director of Food Output, hard at work on a slice of pizza! Sadly, my Director will be working remotely since he's moving to fabulous New York City for work. This just means more care packages!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498440255117424386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskevdU7aiDB4JOBLA4O-GazH-A-WUIhPcBgtHedTeWRZVTbiIHUQCMdDN4inYD2sEVvQRpGWx3V9UrW-mYH6P8bkcYNUWYiDiPJy8GKcmMDihVOkAKS49P_ICu6FkXte1aC_AfZa5OTk/s200/June+2010+056.jpg" /> <div>My fellow food friend Mike brought over a trout dip that was amazing! He also introduce us to an incredibly simple but fabulous appetizer: fresh radishes dipped in butter and sprinkled with fleur de sel. This guy is so awesome, he even left the rest of the appetizers for the QCE and I to munch at work the next day!</div><div><br /></div><div>There was so much food! We made five pizzas with all sorts of different toppings. There was salad and appetizers and all sorts of wines and beers that my dear friends brought! </div><div><br /></div><div>And, of course, there was cake! The QCE pointed out no one could make a cake that lived up to my standards, so I should therefore make my own cake. Since I took the day off work, I had plenty of time to make my very first birthday cake!</div><div></div><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498440286352145714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VePKucj9jk0zXgu_wG1dJpu_05f6MrESycf2OYG9fbUcBYI5B1ZmYsTGM_GYjdLMIahePTtnxH9MHpPF8qfJQm1pFHOmSGK2URUG-yKGyIZru_YQ176g7XxcgNoW2kAQRrTGGRrJS10/s200/June+2010+063.jpg" /></div><div><br /></div><div>You may be thinking how weird it is to make your own cake. But I figured that if I'm going to screw up someone's birthday cake, I should probably do it on my own cake instead of someone else's! Maybe I should say practice. I should practice on my own instead of someone else's!</div><div><br /></div><div>But I was really happy with how it turned out. It was really clean and not covered in crumbs like they usually end up. And, bonus, I had tons of fun slacking off from work and making a cake! </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBafTV89bwWSylBqaixkqPr6KaUfv6-5UnUJaJRsd3y2oFT3KXNojB9ViHeqzllZ_rr0dQ-eOe3B2QBWO5ZQ6nV-69Ohl2nrFQlS1AiTmkiI9nHdVKSokI526L2226DYzFCh4JKQ8_jg/s1600/June+2010+065.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 316px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498441182176233426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBafTV89bwWSylBqaixkqPr6KaUfv6-5UnUJaJRsd3y2oFT3KXNojB9ViHeqzllZ_rr0dQ-eOe3B2QBWO5ZQ6nV-69Ohl2nrFQlS1AiTmkiI9nHdVKSokI526L2226DYzFCh4JKQ8_jg/s200/June+2010+065.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center">Oh no! Cake on fire!!!!</div><div align="center">And look at how much better that writing is!<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76bqmV93NSQITPeTW2ulPbaCYKPvbvItzdo5fkvYLsxDWN7a7Srpij7TQZHw9xAgEVKtsq_fGgDTFHrMEArDr4U7GectoEhzjG2ztWGqevfjIDKZ7DjZCjXbxhRh8gixNcc9xQ2gMeQ0/s1600/June+2010+067.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 218px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498441190436697298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76bqmV93NSQITPeTW2ulPbaCYKPvbvItzdo5fkvYLsxDWN7a7Srpij7TQZHw9xAgEVKtsq_fGgDTFHrMEArDr4U7GectoEhzjG2ztWGqevfjIDKZ7DjZCjXbxhRh8gixNcc9xQ2gMeQ0/s200/June+2010+067.jpg" /></a> Blowing out the candles and making a wish that 24 is even better than 23!</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-52064223961987150962010-06-26T19:37:00.001-07:002010-07-26T21:22:45.758-07:00My Royal Icing Final Exam<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbs21edJNSg_CMabMS_iVJvcqS2mb1i2IslyyoCUKqxGS034yYVVCZ2lTZI-PW80xOhyUqsSXwV6_GphNJt8jwExnRUeyMTePb2MqYwYO9O0P7UZAS6XNHG-HehqZ14zE8REMmbYm0aU/s1600/June+2010+002.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 336px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498432719935484354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbs21edJNSg_CMabMS_iVJvcqS2mb1i2IslyyoCUKqxGS034yYVVCZ2lTZI-PW80xOhyUqsSXwV6_GphNJt8jwExnRUeyMTePb2MqYwYO9O0P7UZAS6XNHG-HehqZ14zE8REMmbYm0aU/s200/June+2010+002.jpg" /></a>For five weeks, I spent my Thursday nights at the Biggest Little Cake Shoppe learning how to make royal icing flowers. I showed you my <a href="http://cookingthebooks-rachel.blogspot.com/2010/05/im-addicted-to-white-stuff.html">first attempts at flowers</a> and how poorly they started. But I am actually rather proud to show you the end product of those five weeks.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD667fgG0hxuWSHjd-hgpws64nlrk-XBs7l4PKZnV0b6mYDnGZ_ho24TQ-90jtk-vAsoxQNOEv5EdU-YwdoS0_uUGux0EkGNszTRdyJXXSAlMVolz7wyxNd-hZ4fk1FppivU6dupYuX4/s1600/June+2010+021.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 370px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498432735677892850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD667fgG0hxuWSHjd-hgpws64nlrk-XBs7l4PKZnV0b6mYDnGZ_ho24TQ-90jtk-vAsoxQNOEv5EdU-YwdoS0_uUGux0EkGNszTRdyJXXSAlMVolz7wyxNd-hZ4fk1FppivU6dupYuX4/s200/June+2010+021.jpg" /></a><br /><p>That's right friends, I made that cake. All by myself.</p><p>I know there's still plenty for me to work on and lots of things I need to practice, but look at how much better it is from my <a href="http://cookingthebooks-rachel.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-adventures-in-cake.html">very first cake</a>!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNESqWtrsTvS5GzBXT7H5bBS5_C0qVlggcQ_xSR0vw3A1sCcqJUv70IrvXtPPA0bPLHNxu1zb-QWl3LqD4GDmiZ0hgXXeYchBFYEMoZtE5Pw_94lQ3LSt_EUWeP5CGxGbLwbY3s-Nkao/s1600/June+2010+022.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498432740587413810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNESqWtrsTvS5GzBXT7H5bBS5_C0qVlggcQ_xSR0vw3A1sCcqJUv70IrvXtPPA0bPLHNxu1zb-QWl3LqD4GDmiZ0hgXXeYchBFYEMoZtE5Pw_94lQ3LSt_EUWeP5CGxGbLwbY3s-Nkao/s200/June+2010+022.jpg" /></a>There's basket weave on that cake! A little crooked and a little runny at times due to my experimenting with canned frosting, but at least it wasn't more of that buttercream stuff.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCmM2wIjYyCiuP0EZD8pDBHxMuQUBUXX7FTVMyeH4P0KmanODgHxewrWSSNWJVlfMm7ysdR0RXUcVj2O24PI_5GaHHS3y7WRkWDyzhlFPDrJlV_nQz2moS_RfHFOA2CUTH-gCDzJjYWs/s1600/June+2010+031.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498433094463585842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCmM2wIjYyCiuP0EZD8pDBHxMuQUBUXX7FTVMyeH4P0KmanODgHxewrWSSNWJVlfMm7ysdR0RXUcVj2O24PI_5GaHHS3y7WRkWDyzhlFPDrJlV_nQz2moS_RfHFOA2CUTH-gCDzJjYWs/s200/June+2010+031.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoa3jwdtDtRFsePbQ-4KXKxTufX1ZqIHD8irfyes5cvhgc3uQf_sr7ZOkv5X00AhxVVHfKr4XRobdnBN7Jqpvb8yo2NOioJ0T4NH6x8g3EB30bb2zj4cJgLjT4sK0Ke406W_Nl0uEcug/s1600/June+2010+030.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 299px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498433083997726162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoa3jwdtDtRFsePbQ-4KXKxTufX1ZqIHD8irfyes5cvhgc3uQf_sr7ZOkv5X00AhxVVHfKr4XRobdnBN7Jqpvb8yo2NOioJ0T4NH6x8g3EB30bb2zj4cJgLjT4sK0Ke406W_Nl0uEcug/s200/June+2010+030.jpg" /></a><br />My favorite flowers are the yellow ones above and the purple heather below. But those purple flowers are god-awful time consuming to make. I kept trying to count how many stars went into one flowers, but I kept going cross-eyed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffmFxtMOCjUZ4kpAX1tp0UbFwg_AXH7GycTxSwpjP3FxDoYhEaSjizin1XYumu-gSyDQ3VYhqzSdI6xoeHc4VpaxHhx92EDXwGIth5C4OUlc9FG0ykXvpEHbSJ6oFxm_JPzQSvRrFw70/s1600/June+2010+028.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlibYYPv9Rkw6Qw8-uwk-P_fm-0uspV2xO2sGfG9WfTzTbuJ_h6Vf1bfdig8VB9us9-pFqIkMTaiAf8J80v1nSYzN9-DmPxv68Vk74Z1eMofJlzCQ7rRTpbt1tD6U_VOw0Uhmq4STKKY/s1600/June+2010+025.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 247px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 325px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498432752766423250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlibYYPv9Rkw6Qw8-uwk-P_fm-0uspV2xO2sGfG9WfTzTbuJ_h6Vf1bfdig8VB9us9-pFqIkMTaiAf8J80v1nSYzN9-DmPxv68Vk74Z1eMofJlzCQ7rRTpbt1tD6U_VOw0Uhmq4STKKY/s200/June+2010+025.jpg" /></a> </p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-3534951280970893192010-06-26T19:36:00.001-07:002010-07-26T20:52:23.429-07:00These Boots Are Made for Walkin'<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmCU6vyuidynWzbFuxflob8e8pTXNfXsQ6fKjTVmoxFAgdE_hzJlo55rh9FchbFDkQgjFBau9iTq775mesQUkWuNuP1MTKf4uAD5Ud3-iSkWnHzWAauoJRn8rAMsoQwpTe4zCVIgufOs/s1600/June+2010+011.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498424376351914290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmCU6vyuidynWzbFuxflob8e8pTXNfXsQ6fKjTVmoxFAgdE_hzJlo55rh9FchbFDkQgjFBau9iTq775mesQUkWuNuP1MTKf4uAD5Ud3-iSkWnHzWAauoJRn8rAMsoQwpTe4zCVIgufOs/s200/June+2010+011.jpg" /></a><br />Well dear friends. I thought long and hard about lying to you. Taking the cowardly way out and telling you that I wanted to blog about rodeo food and its heart-clogging goodness.</div><div> <br /></div><div>But then I thought, "No, I will not tell you lies." </div><div> <br /></div><div>So dear friends, here's the truth: I wanted to show you my boots.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWsrB_nFMewpHBHbR1-AGpb7wF4bjup0vnpQmAkb-vKk7wgd91YrD8LFiHKcGt5WUKef2rPYkAe2pHI2mS3AGVr_R-9SPa1aoSibep5R8uPqTkTlzqndhC0M-KnHDqd11br7voRD22sA/s1600/June+2010+104.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498426010668603858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWsrB_nFMewpHBHbR1-AGpb7wF4bjup0vnpQmAkb-vKk7wgd91YrD8LFiHKcGt5WUKef2rPYkAe2pHI2mS3AGVr_R-9SPa1aoSibep5R8uPqTkTlzqndhC0M-KnHDqd11br7voRD22sA/s200/June+2010+104.jpg" /></a><br />Don't get me wrong, the Kick-Ass Fries at the top were amazing and put me in a pork coma reminiscent of last year's Rib Cook-Off fiasco. And I'm pretty sure that plate of fries, pork, cheese, and barbeque sauce weighed as much as my head. But I would be lying to you if I told you that's why I'm writing this blog.<br /><br />I love these boots! I bought them in Nashville from a rather effeminate man who let me try on at least 10 pairs of boots. And I spent way too much money on a pair of shoes that I'll only wear here and there.<br /><br />But I love them! They make me smile and feel more fun and brighten my day! All from a pair of shoes. I know, silly. But so much fun!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpky7AGRXRfX22RroNdCtYTf-N7gTRoZmyDlLWEj6MZVUSKz30iS-40HGI0HrDVqjHxsyLakfcGE2LFL71U46nlyvVFb86DAgm4exvRBuZlD88u0itWUnsoQP5iU1Jemzne_CV_bWXEw/s1600/June+2010+101.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498426004824689906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpky7AGRXRfX22RroNdCtYTf-N7gTRoZmyDlLWEj6MZVUSKz30iS-40HGI0HrDVqjHxsyLakfcGE2LFL71U46nlyvVFb86DAgm4exvRBuZlD88u0itWUnsoQP5iU1Jemzne_CV_bWXEw/s200/June+2010+101.jpg" /></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-56063217578429311222010-06-26T19:35:00.002-07:002010-07-25T14:08:02.931-07:00Eating and Drinking My Way Through Nashville!Oh Nashville! You were so ungodly hot and humid. Except for the occasional breeze, I'm pretty sure that is what hell feels like.<br /><br />But Nashville! You were so much fun! So full of music and culture and people who were gracious enough to point us in the right direction when we looked like stranded tourists. And the food and drinks! Dear Lord, the food and drinks we had there! I tried my darnedest, but could not find a piece of bacon that I didn't fully enjoy!<br /><br />So, since we don't see enough of each other in the average 10 hours a day that we work together, the Quantity Control Expert and I went on vacation together to fabulous Nashville, Tennessee for the CMA Music Festival! A week of country music and more country artists than I could count!<br /><br />When we weren't listening to country music, the QCE and I were eating. And then eating some more. Followed by dessert.<br /><br />Here are a few highlights of what we ate!<br /><br />As soon as we were checked into the hotel, it was time for dinner. Our first meal in Nashville definitely set a high bar for the rest of our meals, but we were not disappointed. At <a href="http://www.westendrestaurants.com/Dinner.pdf">Bricktops</a>, we started the meal with tasty watermelon margaritas, deviled eggs, and carpaccio. But when I say deviled eggs, I don't just mean a regular old deviled egg. I mean a deviled egg with, are you ready for this?, sugared bacon! A thick cut of savory bacon, baked with brown sugar so it's sweet and carmely. All on top of a deviled egg. Oh Nashville, you rock.<br /><br />And here's the margherita flatbread we had for dinner. A thin, crispy flatbread crust with incredibly fresh tomatoes and basil. Tasty!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvWYe_-OUsCpnGHTJR2SMLEtlt3iwfveQxV7rgWCB17-H7ao4oymrV5sJa5UACfIXsP9PlQKvSUWUNR4axhuiqhUMneScTPCP5yh-UlNkTDBUSWW8EL-BC0Z3LVs2F6rlq10ix9hJYtI/s1600/Nashville+-+Bricktops.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487300831067305666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvWYe_-OUsCpnGHTJR2SMLEtlt3iwfveQxV7rgWCB17-H7ao4oymrV5sJa5UACfIXsP9PlQKvSUWUNR4axhuiqhUMneScTPCP5yh-UlNkTDBUSWW8EL-BC0Z3LVs2F6rlq10ix9hJYtI/s200/Nashville+-+Bricktops.jpg" /></a><br /><p>The following night, we found ourselfs across the street from Bricktops at a tapas places called <a href="http://rumbanashville.com/menu.php">Rumba</a>. I absolutely love eating at tapas restaraunts for the experience that goes with it. It's not like a regular restaraunt where you order your food and then eat it. It's about the socializing with your party and trying smaller portions of many more foods and then, of course, ordering more food! </p><p>Rumba introduced me to sweet-tea vodka, which I'd never heard of before but have since heard about everywhere. I would highly recommend the Sweet Tea Caipiroska, but be warned that these potent little drinks go down rather quickly!<br /><br />This place is known for their satay, which we couldn't pass up. But we also tried spring rolled quesadillas, which combined Mexican with Asian flavors and techniques. Amazing!</p><p>But the part of this trip that I will never forget, the part where I announced that I could officially die a happy person, were the Chivitos. These burger sliders which were in fact the moistest and most flavorful burgers I have ever eaten. Hands down. I have no idea what they do, and probably don't want to know, but my mouth starts watering every time I think of those sliders.<br /></p>Another hit with us was the BCBG Flatbread. Blue cheese, bacon, grapes, and honey on a flatbread. If you're a fan of sweet and savory together, this was great. The sweetness from the grapes and honey offset the "funk" of the blue cheese, as our waitress called it. <p></p><p>I have to confess that we went all the way to Nashville and ate gyros twice. From a dinky little place near the river front with questionable health ratings. But these were so good! </p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNO_d784hvpvTHfYEW0vCs7B8rRp8khSWwyVAR3NE7scW3QoOACOnDfx1JyS2TfMIGLnlMRp6sbwkl1mQyfMoF6SZ93ACfRRmDNKWD72wFR0LbSaa_h7GT80ht0QunFapy8UQNlSfZx9M/s1600/Nashville+-+Gyro.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487300841640334818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNO_d784hvpvTHfYEW0vCs7B8rRp8khSWwyVAR3NE7scW3QoOACOnDfx1JyS2TfMIGLnlMRp6sbwkl1mQyfMoF6SZ93ACfRRmDNKWD72wFR0LbSaa_h7GT80ht0QunFapy8UQNlSfZx9M/s200/Nashville+-+Gyro.jpg" /></a> Still noshing on my gyros!<br /></p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0dS4_37-znoKr1Fg5Lo_Z-EUF8QoFR6Ytks9rz_GCpjJVj9C4rYRta_TnSMmVB00CVBMJ9M_I-3F4Ida9NTaRpC99UgXTDXc1YJAkCDS0XJEmtjih_-5LSVT_yGFos9qhV83erQ5GYc/s1600/Nashville+-+Gyro+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487300847091747058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0dS4_37-znoKr1Fg5Lo_Z-EUF8QoFR6Ytks9rz_GCpjJVj9C4rYRta_TnSMmVB00CVBMJ9M_I-3F4Ida9NTaRpC99UgXTDXc1YJAkCDS0XJEmtjih_-5LSVT_yGFos9qhV83erQ5GYc/s200/Nashville+-+Gyro+2.jpg" /></a><br />I learned that no trip to the South is complete without stopping at a Pancake Pantry. From our hotel, we were told that the Pancake Pantry was around the corner, walking distance away. So, troopers that we are, we started the death march of heat and humidity to the Pancake Pantry. Thirty minutes later, we arrived. To find the 45 minute wait.<br /><br />The death march and wait were well worth it though! I do applogize for showing you my half-eaten stack of pancakes, but I past the point of rational thought by the time we were actually served that I forget until about here that I should take a picture.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKJOQAsB-5lHa5syDOBuElbbil755PFHkzxgp-rD2Upnk-7I3an9ORSTE5wfcoYAOICvvQwRgS5PykINigOx5G0ZFGAV1fxQ_WCUAnuGXIaSaiQXkSoWHjJjPuEd6ZGVDCRPx59hV9hc/s1600/Nashville+-+Pancake+Pantry+1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487300859950683074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKJOQAsB-5lHa5syDOBuElbbil755PFHkzxgp-rD2Upnk-7I3an9ORSTE5wfcoYAOICvvQwRgS5PykINigOx5G0ZFGAV1fxQ_WCUAnuGXIaSaiQXkSoWHjJjPuEd6ZGVDCRPx59hV9hc/s200/Nashville+-+Pancake+Pantry+1.jpg" /></a><br />But these pancakes, the apricot-lemon delight, were heavenly. The tartness of the lemons and the sweetness of the apricots, all on top of fluffy pancakes! This renewed my faith in Nashville after the death march!<br /><br />I fully intend to return to Nashville at some point. You'll find me bouncing between Rumba and Pancake Pantry, probably about six sizes bigger than I am now! But next time I might try to hit up Nashville when it's not 90 degrees and 110% humidity!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-38397218788660684182010-06-26T19:35:00.001-07:002010-06-26T21:02:04.004-07:00Good Old Fashioned Bachelorette Party!It's actually summer here in Reno! I finally put my ice scraper away a few weeks ago, after being teased with the promise of summer and then slapped in the face with yet another snow storm. I don't really appreciate Reno's weather humor when I'm scraping ice off my car windows in early June.<br /><br />But what a crazy summer it's been so far! I'm so far behind in posting all my latest adventures, as it was less than graciously pointed out to me by the Quantity Control Expert and the Director of Food Output (who is in fact the founder of the one and only Beer Saturday event). But I'm working on getting caught up, so stay tuned for lots more bloggage to come soon!<br /><br />My friend Misty got married last night to a great guy. They had their wedding at a working ranch and really made it reflect them as a couple. It was down to earth and showed how creative they both are. Congrats to both of you guys, and I can't wait to see what's next for you!<br /><br />But more importantly, there was a Bachelorette Party. A three day, two night kind of party so crazy and wild it had to be moved out of town and up to beautiful Truckee! I mean, we're talking about a ridiculous amount of female accountants gathered together to eat and drink!<br /><br />Ok, maybe not quite that crazy. I mean, we're talking about a bunch of accountants here.<br /><br />But eat and drink we did!<br /><br />Everyone had kitchen duty for a meal over the weekend, and good Lord was there some good food going in that kitchen! The Quantity Control Expert and I showed up Friday night just in time for these fabulous tacos.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 277px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 159px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487284493729004642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OJhFzyIxIN-ry_61WIHhyL-A6jKWHwmuTmJcSIhai7fuOOzslw8cLL_Bm5es6Zr6xln-azzpWA27V8nN0HM4wvgodeBfHrSmFGMqR1IzwHSRTC-SgR35tz9SXCmVgZJzW6ltLmmr65s/s200/BP+-+Taco.jpg" /><br />And then the cocktails started flowing! Misty brought Cranberry Granita to make <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fresh-cranberry-cosmo-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown's Cranberry Cosmos</a>, which were delicious and potent, as seen in Lea's glass below.<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 219px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487284502007382850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7ZvgOfZCzWLaPIXFGZFwjzJ4k4QtdmY3tUzIvGyBz_QQykWSF1fjurwb8URTUGeCWqV5lCSfTdFTlg4kkw59nUZ556Amt0B0YkMI4DiFhw5iHd9Rqb5tr-jDs8GUzqA_Jf_6RhOBZU0/s200/BP+-+Cosmo.jpg" /></p><p>But then the blender was brought out and the QCE and I learned of something that can only be described as Summer in a Glass.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N2NoPQgBFu8Y4ovI-psI8uty-OYVNBdKKL98ckwwR8n3z73TtoP4nqUbazouvdTYTQwOSAr1AHrV6atWIhPZCrmMkNEEVePX3Repr-dZYVaeZ2BYt60YeS5T2KCYl9D9nTq4OaytvDk/s1600/BP+-+Summer+in+Glass.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 219px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487284510778589986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N2NoPQgBFu8Y4ovI-psI8uty-OYVNBdKKL98ckwwR8n3z73TtoP4nqUbazouvdTYTQwOSAr1AHrV6atWIhPZCrmMkNEEVePX3Repr-dZYVaeZ2BYt60YeS5T2KCYl9D9nTq4OaytvDk/s200/BP+-+Summer+in+Glass.jpg" /></a></p><p>This innocent looking concoction was in fact so good, it prompted the QCE and I to rationalize packing a blender to Nashville solely for the ability to drink these in Nashville.</p><p>What is this fabulous drink, you might ask? Well dear friends, it's simply limeade (or you can use frozen limeade concentrate), fresh mint, vodka, and ice. It's refreshingly light and minty and reminds you of sunny Saturdays sitting by the pool even when Reno is still in the 60s and there's still snow on Peavine. We may have enjoyed more than one of those, but that's all I'm saying since my mom reads this and this is a family friendly place. </p><p>And then the cakes were brought out. Nothing I made, but two lovely ladies had made cakes. The first was a tasty strawberry cake with real strawberry filling. I'm slightly concerned by Misty's knife in this picture... </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 237px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487284513909293794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceghSa4aV6Xmf0LFVbM8BsMhDv0Kq4Ya6at1fJYHKcxwh1jmS6ERfuFzt2Wh4Iv3dSdVkAk3PoSM8-NUOa4Qw_EGRorz38lU0GQRPz0gdBpwJPDey7DGrn1-Z4crOoVYutm47YLMeQtk/s200/BP+-+Strawberry+Cake.jpg" /></p><p>So remember what I said a second ago about family friendly? Well. Scratch that for a second. Or maybe a few seconds. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 195px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487285930227602082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKz4bdCvrpzIZ22NhKa_enpzRBsv-vCszbFgZEf1ebNHP5r_LrgLmUzF8GXbYoEJzl1TJNGm836orTo0GRiPzoEAD2n5X0eIYwYt3bUDnR2CXdR4bApG17F-jc_-WuDP5rRAkPV7ZiiH0/s200/BP+-+Penis+Gift.jpg" /></p><p>I thought the chocolate sprinkles were a nice touch. </p><p>The QCE and I being the thoughtful friends that we are decided to give Misty a gift that she could use on her wedding night. Surely there are some guys who find this attractive.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487284525762729026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LtASPgO_hQpBT6e1seQiVBkxBLfyYrHapZgo8wR33HUrKZj2ICN77Es7nuW7Zg3EuDXv1g5ps-FpBkCxXo9cT2td4GU06gssSWtFbbPaWNQeFl8m9sRrycT7esISKwOaavpEe3ahisU/s200/BP+-+Misty%27s+Giftr.jpg" /></p><p>Just so you know that we aren't the worst friends ever, there was a Macy's gift certificate in there too!</p>On Saturday, with the QCE's assistance, I served up rather tasty breakfast burritos with eggs, sausage, and hash browns. Sorry, too busy cooking to take any pics.<br /><br />Then we headed out for an awesome hike through Truckee. It was actually warm and sunny out, which my skin noted as the first time it's seen the sun since last summer. FYI: put sunscreen on your neck too.<br /><br />We made a stop at <a href="http://jaxtruckee.com/">JAX at the Tracks </a>for lunch, a diner that was featured on the Food Network. We made Misty wear her veil, which got her the VIP treatment from the staff. They filled her Bachelorette Cup up with Electric Lemonade!<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487285919483589170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1HBKmcEQd3rKJSuQ312j16vbVtrLIYcMs0apR8o8UPKU8YxhqaBY8Ua2T9TNHsefo4l8kLwNaK6R-23w-M6zaGploY-b1CDaH8zMZbaKxLSUPfv81lCxq1Z00xFOYRNM1SL1uKWyqNo/s200/BP+-+Misty%27s+Cup.jpg" /></p><p>The rest of the afternoon was spent in hot tubs and then making more drinks, including Summer in a Glass, back at the house. There was some Twister action going on until early morning... Also, I learned that Twister is way more fun if you completely ignore what the spinner says and just give directions based on what would be the weirdest combination. Just remember to keep spinning the spinner so it looks like you're playing it right!</p><p>We had a great time at the party and were sad to have to leave early Sunday morning. But on the plus side, we left early to start getting ready for our Nashville trip! More on that soon!</p><p>Congrats again to Misty and Arlo and thanks for all the dinners at your place that I've been to! You two are awesome!</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892388413624744895.post-24784444052263141142010-05-30T11:13:00.000-07:002010-05-30T12:03:01.164-07:00I'm Addicted to the White Stuff"Hi, my name is Rachel and I have a problem."<br /><br />They say the first step is recognizing that you have a problem. I fully recognize that I am addicted to the white stuff.<br /><br />I thought I could just experiment with it. You know, have a little fun, enjoy myself, and then walk away from it. But I can't just walk away from it.<br /><br />I am addicted to frosting.<br /><br />It started innocently enough. I went to a buttercream frosting class and got my first taste of the stuff. And when the class ended, I found myself signing up for the next one. It's true, I have enablers.<br /><br />Yes friends, I signed up for Royal Icing Flowers. Six more weeks of the white powdery stuff.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 219px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 254px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477129986059148434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9GNUBgfKWhyphenhyphen6FSiW1EoITFB4Zbg58XCiQhU3brHVa-HG43gAaHF-F49OUvxs5uDtt7RaLF3PwGGeI7d-BLZkSEB_za0jQpED4dkRF-6W6sAmM1PtmhufQxiNS-YsjcUIWxJ08itQ3Z4/s200/Royal+Icing+1+A.jpg" /><br /><br />The first class had a rocky start while I was getting the hang of coordinating piping the flowers while turning the flower nail and moving the bag, all at the same time. But then it got a little easier. <p></p><p>The pic below shows my gradual improvement in the first flower that we made, the wild rose. As you can see, I didn't quite grasp the concept of connecting the flower in the center. And then I kept moving the center in the next couple of flowers. But by Take 5, I actually had a keeper of a wild rose flower. </p><p></p><p></p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 346px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 257px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477129995014393298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg7aeBWELuWmLx2ziqLDy86WQtwQCMci5Zn8ui6PrDaG9uVCU45E5cwYLLuWSHe9Zf9RwSPQVKBQys3i9HB0gK1LCcCgbq-7hCx6JgrtMGatRojB_Hnzd2D4bvc5F1dypo0un7wMZUfM/s200/Royal+Icing+B.jpg" /></p><p></p><p>We learned five flowers in this first class, all of them using the same basic petal movement. </p><p>In the pic below: Top row: three primroses and one wild rose. Middle row: four apple blossoms, Bottom row: two daffodils, two pansies. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 354px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477130006799964530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp8xN_GSdV-W03UJ8rbIT_tEKlVibN9flazRC1sBtDfCrPGAIt1pLpRhyhMXzQtvC7x_3zjzFBXWlWf_yk3QWbgKPSix51i8g3B73YQXockkQQryLWYaVsXLvR3vbzVkuzOS_6uj1NK4/s200/Royal+Icing+C.jpg" /></p><p>I apologize for the quality of photos, but my poor camera is old and on its way out. I'm in the market for a new one, so hopefully better photos to come soon!</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 361px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477130009633203666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnYK4KYJAJXfAw6ngrSviIv3_I3SkHyNnqKPNPv5oXydn8LloNViBBR7U9haDK8NRyxsodwOJWjJHHTNvkR-ieOSU2x7eaL750yqgxbw11IcE89tsPmshEV2ubx9KI6CJ7xe694AKuBE/s200/Royal+Icing+D.jpg" /></p><br /><p>The daffodils have really cute details that the photos don't show, but they are pretty darn good! These were definitely my favorite flowers of the night, although the apple blossoms were tiny and fun to make as well.</p><p>So yes dear friends, I have a problem. I hope you'll continue to support me as I work through this issue over the following weeks. If you need me, I'll be the girl at the grocery store with the cart full of powdered sugar.</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02694465043892843304noreply@blogger.com1