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| NOOO! They are my treats!! |
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| I'LL GET THEM! |
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| MINE!! |
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| OK...It's V-Day...I'll share...I guess |
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| Would you like one? |
Monday, February 14, 2011
PP's Valentine Treats
Instead of doing the traditional Valentine's Day cards for school, we decided to make special treats. I got an email with these meringue cookies. They looked good...I know I can make meringue...so we decided to make them. Making the cookies wasn't a big deal but the baking was a pain. I was not sure exactly what consistency they were supposed to have. It seemed they were either too marshmellowy or too cookie-like. We used them anyways...me because I didn't want to go to Wally World and PP because she said they were delish! PP used some of my scrapbook stuff to make tags. Hopefully the kids at school will agree...
After the bag was loaded with treats for her classmates, PP decided to have a little fun!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Winter Weather
We have had a considerable amount of cold weather. We have had two snow storms and one ice storm. PP and I headed out of town on the morning of the ice storm. Here are a few pictures from inside the car. The ice created an amazing sight.
The ice was thick enough to maintain itself when I rolled down the window. It was so neat to see!
PP decided she wanted to get out and scrape the ice off of the windshield. Then she decided it was too hard. Plus, her hands were FREEZING!
The ice was thick enough to maintain itself when I rolled down the window. It was so neat to see!
PP decided she wanted to get out and scrape the ice off of the windshield. Then she decided it was too hard. Plus, her hands were FREEZING!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Adventures of Angel Food Cake
On Friday (at work), I decided to make an angel food cake pineapple upside down cake thingee. PP's Mimi made something like it and my sister had one too. I didn't have a recipe exactly so I kinda made something up. I used Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake recipe but I tweaked it just a bit. Here are the ingredients I used.
The first thing I had to do was to put the sugar in the food processor to make it super fine. My brother gave me an immersion blender for Christmas. It came with several attachments, one being a food processing attachment. As you can see I used it to make my sugar SUPER FINE. Note: the words super fine make me think of high school when girls described boys as fine. Strange thought...I know.
Once the sugar was super fine, I sifted half of the sugar with some salt and cake flour. I actually had cake flour on hand...again strange...I know...but I imagine you could use all purpose flour that has been made SUPER FINE.
Next I used a whisk to combine the vanilla, pineapple juice, almond extract, and egg whites. Since I was going for a pineapple upside down type angel food cake, I drained the crushed pineapple and used it instead of the water listed in the original recipe.
After hand whisking for a couple minutes, I used my handy dandy immersion blender again. It also has a whisk attachment...the thing is really fun and useful! I whisked the egg white mixture until medium stiff peaks formed.
Once the peaks formed, I added the rest of the flour mixture gradually. Alton says to sprinkle the top with flour then fold it in. So like a good girl I did as I was told. It got a little messy but was ultimately a success.
Lastly, I foled in the drained crushed pineapple and spooned it into the bundt pan.
Side note: Please actually follow the directions because I did not. Alton says not to grease the bundt pan but in my impatience I didn't read that part. You are supposed to turn the baked cake upside down on a heat proof bottle or funnel. I did not have anything that fit the bill...except a FULL wine bottle.
So I naturally had to empty it. I do enjoy a glass of wine but I can't manage a whole bottle in one night (usually) so I ended up doing this. I promise I am NOT a red neck.
After all that trouble, the bundt pan did not fit on the wine bottle. Plus, the cake slide right out of the pan. You have to leave the cake inverted INSIDE the pan until it cools almost completely. If you don't the cake with collapse on itself. I just left it on the counter to cool. I know this isn't the best picture but its what I got! I'll work on presentation ;)
If I make this again, I will not drain the crushed pineapple. You can't taste much pineapple flavor. I may even use more pineapple juice in the egg white mixture. But the cake was yummy. The outside is caramelized while the inside is light and fluffy. Overall, it was a success.
Now I am going to have a piece of cake and drink my jar of wine :)
The first thing I had to do was to put the sugar in the food processor to make it super fine. My brother gave me an immersion blender for Christmas. It came with several attachments, one being a food processing attachment. As you can see I used it to make my sugar SUPER FINE. Note: the words super fine make me think of high school when girls described boys as fine. Strange thought...I know.
Once the sugar was super fine, I sifted half of the sugar with some salt and cake flour. I actually had cake flour on hand...again strange...I know...but I imagine you could use all purpose flour that has been made SUPER FINE.
Next I used a whisk to combine the vanilla, pineapple juice, almond extract, and egg whites. Since I was going for a pineapple upside down type angel food cake, I drained the crushed pineapple and used it instead of the water listed in the original recipe.
After hand whisking for a couple minutes, I used my handy dandy immersion blender again. It also has a whisk attachment...the thing is really fun and useful! I whisked the egg white mixture until medium stiff peaks formed.
Once the peaks formed, I added the rest of the flour mixture gradually. Alton says to sprinkle the top with flour then fold it in. So like a good girl I did as I was told. It got a little messy but was ultimately a success.
Lastly, I foled in the drained crushed pineapple and spooned it into the bundt pan.
Side note: Please actually follow the directions because I did not. Alton says not to grease the bundt pan but in my impatience I didn't read that part. You are supposed to turn the baked cake upside down on a heat proof bottle or funnel. I did not have anything that fit the bill...except a FULL wine bottle.
So I naturally had to empty it. I do enjoy a glass of wine but I can't manage a whole bottle in one night (usually) so I ended up doing this. I promise I am NOT a red neck.
After all that trouble, the bundt pan did not fit on the wine bottle. Plus, the cake slide right out of the pan. You have to leave the cake inverted INSIDE the pan until it cools almost completely. If you don't the cake with collapse on itself. I just left it on the counter to cool. I know this isn't the best picture but its what I got! I'll work on presentation ;)
If I make this again, I will not drain the crushed pineapple. You can't taste much pineapple flavor. I may even use more pineapple juice in the egg white mixture. But the cake was yummy. The outside is caramelized while the inside is light and fluffy. Overall, it was a success.
Now I am going to have a piece of cake and drink my jar of wine :)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Re-Decorating
I am not much of a decorator...but I try. PP and I both received Christmas presents that prompted some redecorating at our house. I quite frequently move furniture around but given the layout of our new place, I haven't been able to do that. I did move a few things around but mostly it was cosmetic. I received this lamp for graduation and PP got the picture frame (that is lacking a picture) for Christmas. The painting was done by my little sister a few years ago and the cross was a gift from a good friend.
I had to move the things on the bookshelf so I could put the lamp, cross, and picture frame there. That prompted me to move this table into my room. I have been waiting to hang this mirror but now I have found a place to put it without having to put holes in the wall...yay!! I am not completely satisfied with it but its a start :)
All the moving made me want to begin a project I have been thinking about for a little while. I have had this canvas but I am not a painter/artist. I was going to have GBE do something on it for me but I decided I would give it a try. I have never been concerned with decorating the kitchen but my kitchen is so boring. There is a big blank place above the stove. I decided I would paint something there. "Cocina" means kitchen in Spanish. Overall I think it turned out okay. PP helped with some of the color selection but it mostly came from the rug in the kitchen and the colors in my living room. The kitchen and living room open to each other so they need to at least coordinate
I had to move the things on the bookshelf so I could put the lamp, cross, and picture frame there. That prompted me to move this table into my room. I have been waiting to hang this mirror but now I have found a place to put it without having to put holes in the wall...yay!! I am not completely satisfied with it but its a start :)
All the moving made me want to begin a project I have been thinking about for a little while. I have had this canvas but I am not a painter/artist. I was going to have GBE do something on it for me but I decided I would give it a try. I have never been concerned with decorating the kitchen but my kitchen is so boring. There is a big blank place above the stove. I decided I would paint something there. "Cocina" means kitchen in Spanish. Overall I think it turned out okay. PP helped with some of the color selection but it mostly came from the rug in the kitchen and the colors in my living room. The kitchen and living room open to each other so they need to at least coordinate
Snowapolooza
The weather people were saying that we were going to get between three and five inches of snow this week. Let's just say I was skeptical but hopeful. Since we came back from Christmas break (six weeks ago), we have only had one full week. One four day week was a scheduled holiday but the others were due to weather. I was excitedly awaiting the snow on Wednesday. They said it would begin snowing around noon and guess what...they were right. By 1:00, there was a decent dusting of snow covering the ground. I left work and went to get PP from school. (That's right...the awesome school district waited an hour and a half AFTER it started snowing to officially release school). When we got home we just laid around...it was freezing out there!
As the afternoon continued, the snow fell harder. You can see how the ground becomes whiter and whiter. These pictures were taken from our balcony over about a three hour period.
We watched all of the snow fall over the next hour. Eventually, we just HAD to go play...and take pictures ;)
PS - I measured 4 inches but PP measured 4.5 inches...either way that's a bunch of snow for the South!
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