guess who got to play with a one week old baby this weekend?

ME! See her over HERE

Almond Jam Drops

As I look into the biscuit container I see that the jar is almost empty. Two days ago I had a nice baking afternoon on a rainy Saturday. I felt like eating almond jam drops. I also tried another choc chip cookie recipe. The kids and Hubby preferred my regular choc chip recipe however there were no complaints and the bikkies are almost all gone. There is something so warm and homely about baking your own biscuits. In a strange way I feel 'powerful' that I can do this. Strange. For all the recipes out there, for all the cooking shows, for all the celebrity chefs, for all the magazines and books out there, I see very little evidence of people baking biscuits. Too hard? I am not sure what people think, perhaps it has all become too intimidating and I guess baking biscuits can be a little time consuming.

As for me, I cannot walk away while they are baking. I care too much. The trays need to be changed over half way through baking. I don't like a dark colour. They need to be watched. I transfer them onto a rack and then return them to the oven to crispen underneath. It all takes time. But the love and care taken to make them well and truly shines through. The house becomes filled with wafting sweetness and warmth. It is inviting and it makes everyone feel good. Everyone has a comment to make. And in the case of The Borb who was working on his car brakes outside all day, it was a welcome relief. The smells of baking bikkies had him striding in several times for a quick pop-in-the-mouth escapism.

There are certain times when these bikkies are called for. I can't have too many of them as they are truly rich, 'shortbready' in texture and oh so comforting. This comes as a result of using a fair amount of butter. On the up side, they are delicious and I know exactly what I am eating, unlike the bought biscuits of today with loads of 'ingredients' in them.

If you can, make them in cool, dry weather as they will retain their crispiness for longer. I broke those rules. I made mine in humid, wet and hot conditions. They softened the very next day as a result. However I had my fix immediately after they cooled down on the tray. Softened or not, they are still a treat with my coffee as I write this very post. What's that? I just heard the opening of the biscuit jar as Issy works on her assignment at the kitchen table. I love being a mum that can make bikkies. I just love it.

Almond Jam Drops
(adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly)

185gm unsalted butter, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
165gm caster sugar
2 egg yolks
60gm ground almonds
225gm plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup apricot jam

Beat the butter, extract, sugar and yolks in a bowl with electric mixer till just combined. Stir in nuts, sifted flour and baking powder; mix well.

Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls; lightly flour your hands as you go to prevent mixture from sticking. Place about 5cm apart on a tray lined with baking paper. Press a hollow into each ball about 1cm deep and 1.5cm wide with the handle end of a lightly floured wooden spoon.

It helps if the jam is slightly runny so you may need to loosen it up a little in the microwave. Carefully spoon a little apricot jam into each hollow. It is best to do a little at a time and add to it rather than try to heap it into the hollow and end up with too much that will spill over.

Bake in a moderately slow oven for about 25 minutes or until very slightly browned. I swapped trays over half way through baking time. I also placed wire rack with bikkies back into a fan forced oven to help crispen the underside. Do this for no longer than five minutes with the temperature turned off and just the fan force going as the remaining heat should do the trick.

friday love

It is no secret the we LOVE peanut butter.....so we decided to make our own!
I ordered my organic peanuts from Shop Organic. (I cannot find bulk organic peanuts anywhere local--Whole Foods doesn't even have them)
You just dump them in your food processor and let-er-rip! I was really nervous at first.....when I had a whole bowl full of peanut powder....but you just have to let it run for a LONG

Perfectly Iced Sugar Cookies

Here it is! The sugar cookie recipe (if you can call this a recipe) and a great way to ice them.  I have to giggle at all of the nice, but firm comments that have been left about wanting the recipe, but  you are going to giggle when you see how easy this is.  I have to thank my friend Katie's mother, Mrs. McAfee, for sharing this with me.  All through college, Katie would receive the most darling sugar cookies and I was just sure they were from a bakery, but it turns out her mom would whip them up all the time.  After several attempts of making sugar cookies that wouldn't keep their shape and canned icing that you would have thought a kindergartner schlepped on them, I got up the nerve to ask Mrs. McAfee for her secret recipe.  She was more than happy to share with me this "secret" recipe, which turned out to be a bagged cookie dough.  I could hardly believe it... they were so tasty and seemed so special.  Although this is basically a mix, I look at it as simply pre-measured ingredients.  You are still adding your fresh eggs and butter so there is a distinctively different taste from the refrigerated cookie dough. It turns out there are slightly different directions for "cutout cookies" on the back of the bag, which helps the cookies keep their shape and make that thin perfect cookie.  So here you are, get yourself a bag and get crackin.

I am by no means am a great baker, but I have found success with royal icing and the more times I have tried it, the better it gets so I will share what I have learned.

From my little kitchen to yours... enjoy.

Cutout Sugar Cookies
Recipe Notes
The technical term for this icing that goes on liquid and dries hard is royal icing.  It allows you to get that smooth glossy look.  Mrs. McAfee told me she just uses powdered sugar and milk with a pinch of salt.  You just mix in milk to the powdered sugar till you get a thick, but liquidy mixture.  After researching royal icing, I found that a lot of people used meringue powder.  I decided to use this in my icing and loved the results.  I purchased it from Michael's craft store, but you could also get it at specialty baking stores.   So if you are just experimenting, you could start with milk and powdered sugar or delve into the world of meringue powder and follow the directions below.

More on the icing...
Start with the ingredients below, but then make adjustments according to how your icing looks.  You want a liquid substance, but not thick enough to hold when you outline the cookies.  You can easily change the consistency by either adding a few drop of water to make it more runny or more powdered sugar to thicken it up.
Equipment
small squeeze bottles or a piping bag fitted with a small tip
small bowls or tupperware, one for each color icing you would like
Ingredients for dough
Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Dough
+ Ingredients listed on the back of the bag under Directions for Cutout Cookies
Ingredients for Icing
3 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
3 tablespoons meringue powder
4 tablespoons water or milk
a pinch of salt
Step by Step
Follow directions on back of bagged cookie dough and allow to cool completely.
*A note about the cookies... when these cool, they will actually be on the crispy side.  Do not throw them away! They magically become soft again when you ice them and let the icing soak into the cookie.

Mix all icing ingredients on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes or until the icing loses its shine.  To test the consistency, pick up some icing with a spoon and let it drizzle back intot he bowl.  The drizzle should disappear back into the bowl in about 6 seconds.  If icing is too stiff, add a few drops of water. If icing is too liquid, add a bit of powdered sugar.  Optional: If using different colors, divide icing into separate bowls.  Add color to icing and cover until ready to use.

*If you will be using a lot of different colors or will be icing for a long time, make sure and cover any icing that is not being used because royal icing dries and hardens when exposed to air.
Icing A Sugar Cookie

Outline the cookie with a piping bag fitted with a thin tip or a small squeeze bottle. 

Allow the border to dry slightly.

Flood the cookine by spooning icing into the middle and smoothing it out with a spoon or knife.

If adding sprinkles, do so before icing hardens.  Allow icing to harden for at least a few hours.  If adding another layer, wait until first layer is completely dry and hardened.  

Kinda fun to do half with sprinkles to switch it up a bit...

friday feet

from last week...erin: unfortunately erin's computer crashed, so her feet were a little busy crying (and I cried for her too).....so this photo is from Thanksgiving in California last fall.sheena: sledding feet.love the contrast.

outside in

It's cold. and its windy. and its trying to snow.

It just makes me mad.
So today, we brought a little outdoors, indoors.
I have been wanting to make some little terrariums for a while now, and just never got around to it. Today's forecast of snow was just what I needed.
What you will need:

containers: they sell beautiful containers specifically for terrariums, but I am a lover of glassware

something to chew on...

I can't tell you how much I appreciated all your comments on my food post! I'm so happy to know that so many of you are on the same page.....we can do this together!! I just want to take a minute to talk to those of you who think that you CAN'T do it. Maybe you think you're too far gone?? Let me tell you about a girl I used to know. She could eat a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger meal (um, that's

found today

-two dainty little flowery shaped bowls-one little spice-ish looking jar-"all about birds"-a very cute children's book, with equally cute illustrations-a HILARIOUS book on housekeeping (published in 1947)....boy am I feeling behind in my housekeeping skills. or lack there of. I will be sharing a few pages out of this one soon!-one chair for our chairless table. I plan to paint it....someday.the

breakfast (for dinner!)

Whole Wheat Waffleswith mixed berries and warm maple syrup1/4 c oil1/2 c applesauce2 eggs1 1/2 c milk1/2 tsp vanilla2 cups whole wheat flour1/4 c ground flax seed1/3 c old fashioned oats2 TBS sugar4 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt1/2 tsp cinnamonMix oil, applesauce, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, and stir until everything is incorporated. Batter will be thick.Ladle into preheated (

small town....

photos from Bedford, Thayne, and Afton Wyoming.

In a small town you can...




...walk down the street pulling your kids in a sled. Right down the main street of town! The locals will wave, and you will all wave back.



...eat at Jaun's House of Tacos. It is literally, Jaun's House!



...or, maybe you're craving small town diner food?? (good, run down your arms greasy!)

You have to try Hubs

Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta & Tomatoes

This little pasta salad seems to be just what almost any party needs.  It comes together so quick, which is essential for you, but it seems to be a star.  Yep, a real star.  There is something addicting about the combo.  Almost like a pizza, but fresher.  Yeah, that's it... fresher pizza.  All of the flavors, but none of the grease.  Who wouldn't want the flavors of pizza served in a dainty form?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta & Tomatoes
Adapted from Dave Lieberman
Recipe Notes
Marinated mozzarella balls from Costco are amazing in this dish.  Feta provides a great kick if you do not have that option. To make this extra quick, you can use store bought pesto.  The pesto can make or break this pasta so you want to use a good one if you choose to do so.  Two fresh ones that I like can be found at Central Market on the fresh dip and sauces aisle or Costco has a great pesto as well.
Ingredients
1 pound bow tie pasta (also called farfalle)
3/4 cup pesto
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or 1 cup marinated mozzarella balls, cut in half
1/2 cup pine nuts
kosher salt and pepper
olive oil, as needed
Step by Step
Toast pine nuts. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread pine nuts in a thin layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Watch carefully so that they do not burn. Shake the baking sheet if necessary to get them browned evenly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming. Drain the pasta well to remove all excess water.

Dump the pasta into a large serving bowl. Stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and the crumbled feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can make the salad up to about 1 hour before you serve it. Check out the salt and pepper just before you serve the salad. If it's looking a little dry, add some olive oil and stir it around.

To do more prep work in advance, you can make the pasta the day before. Follow the directions on cooling the pasta and draining. Drizzle with olive oil and toss so that the noodles do not stick together. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Pesto:
5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches
1/2 cup pine nuts or 3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt
About 20 grinds freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and blend. Gradually drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

If you have any leftover ingredients, you could make this tomorrow night for dinner!

burried

the end.

a little something...

recipe from Food Network's Ellie KriegerIt happens at about 4:00.....I'm starting to think what/why/when/how to make dinner.And I'm hungry. And the kids are LOUD. The house has been destroyed, cleaned up, and re-destroyed. I need SOMETHING. And if I don't have something on hand, I usually go through about half a bag of chocolate chips.....And then I found this little recipe and I am in LOVE. They

city mouse......country mouse....

.....which one am I??



I get so confused. Like my brain has been shook up and twisted around--the part that tells me which direction to go is no longer functioning.




It happens every time I go home, and just this last week when I ran away to sister's.




Until I was 11, I grew up in a neighborhood. In a little town, with little houses side by side, kids up and down the street to ride

Purple flowers!

Igår gjordes chokladcupcakes med vit chokladfrosting gjord på Åsas recept som finns i nya numret av Cosmopolitan. Det var fantastiskt gott och konsistensen var underbar att spritsa. Tack för receptet Åsa!


Klicka för större bild!

In English:
Yesterday I made some chocolate cupcakes and a white chocolate frosting made from Åsas recipe, which I found in the magazine Cosmopolitan. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe Åsa!

HOME!

We made it back! Now only a few more hours until Robby is home too, (away for a work trip....boo), and we'll be back to normal(ish).




We have lots of catching up to do before then:

-laundry

-laundry

-unpacking

-shaving of legs (hey, I needed the extra warmth)

-naps (for everyone)

-we have no food, and we are hungry

-running off all of sister's amazing chocolate chip cookies



I'll be

Pesto Pizza with Feta & Tomatoes

This right here makes me very happy I discovered homemade pizza.  I looked in the fridge and saw a few leftovers here and a few leftovers there.... and voila, the creation of this pizza.  I didn't buy a darn thing.  I had half a block of feta, half a bag of grape tomatoes, some leftover toasted pine nuts and some pesto in the freezer.  Sadly, I had no crust in the freezer or this would have been a cinch.  But after making up a batch, the pizza only took about 10 minutes.  So enough about me, let's talk about you... go look in that fridge of yours... come on, there is got to be something you could throw on a pizza.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Pesto Pizza with Feta & Tomatoes
Recipe Notes
As I mentioned before, this was all leftovers and I just took stuff out of the fridge and started throwing it on.  I tried to estimate about how much of each ingredient I used, but you will be able to judge that based on what kind of pizza you like... whether you like a lot of cheese or a little, just a bite of tomato or a ton... you get the point.
Ingredients
1 recipe of basic pizza dough, or store bought
3/4 cup pesto
3/4 cup feta
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half longways
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Step by Step

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Heavily flour a clean surface.

3.  Roll out pizza dough on floured surface into a rectangular shape that will fit a baking sheet.

4.  Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.  Transfer pizza dough to parchment paper.

5.  Spread a thin layer of pesto on entire crust.

6.  Sprinkle with an even layer of feta cheese.

7.  Top with halved tomatoes and pine nuts.

8.  Bake for 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

My first cake!

För ett par veckor sedan köpte jag min första bok om tårtor, "Dekorerade tårtor till fest" heter den på svenska. Jag blev så inspirerad till att börja göra tårtor och i helgen gjorde jag min allra första! Jag är faktiskt nöjd med resultatet även om jag behöver öva endel, men det här blir inte den sista kan jag lova.


Sockerkaksbotten, fylld med mörk chokladganache, hallonmousse, hallonsylt, spacklad med smörkräm och täckt med sugarpaste.


In English:
A couple of weeks ago I bought my first book on cake decorating. I was so inspired that I ended up making my very first cake this weekend! I'm actually pleased with the result even though I need some practice. This will definitely not be my last cake!

This cake is filled with dark chocolate ganache, raspberry mousse and raspberry jam. Covered with buttercream and fondant/sugarpaste.

Heart Cookie Explosion

First of all, I would like to apologize for another Valentine's post.  You either a.) like Valentine's Day, but already celebrated and have moved on or b.) you hate the day to begin with and would rather be spared for at least another year.  But I just had to share...
Our home was invaded this weekend  with pink, red and white icing and lots of sprinkles.  I was hired to make 300 valentine's cookies and while I just had a ball making these, they kind of took over our sweet little 900 square feet that we live in.  I am pretty sure the bed is the only surface that was not drying cookies on Saturday (and if Mr. Hungry had not been taking a nap, I do not think it would have been spared).  I ended up with 3 sizes... a teeny mini heart with pink icing, a medium sized heart that I adorned with different sprinkles, and a fairly large heart, which I made into conversation hearts.
I share these because I have picked up a few tricks on how to make that perfectly iced sugar cookie that I thought only existed in magical bakeries.  I realize some bakeries can still blow these out of the water with their precision, but I thought these hearts turned out pretty darn cute.  Just thought I would share and I will be back soon with the tips I picked up on how to ice a sugar cookie.

see you soon....

Well my friends, by the time you read this, I will have (fingers crossed) successfully drove myself, two children, and one big yellow dog all the way to the great state of Wyoming. To visit sister, who lives on top of a mountain where there is something like 27 feet of snow........but we are so excited to play and explore small (we're talking very very small) towns!we'll be back soon.....enjoy

this weekend we......

...put the kids to bed early for a nice salmon dinner for two, courtesy of chef Robby....built a fort...dined on chocolate and orange tortes from our favorite bakery, in that very fort...watched the Time Travelers Wife which was booooooooooooooor-ing. The book was 5 bazillion times better...slept in (hooray!) ...glued sequins and lace and other sparkly bejeweled thingamabobs to Valentines...had a

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day.  For more about the little candy cane heart sussies, click here. 

Tiramisu cupcakes!

Jag fick Martha Stewarts cupcake-bok i julklapp och tyckte att det var på tiden att använda ett recept därifrån. Tiramisu cupcakesen såg ju så goda ut att jag var tvungen att testa! Jag kan säga att de var precis lika goda som de såg ut. Dessa kommer jag definitivt göra igen! Jag använde kahlua istället för marsalavin i kaffesirapen och det blev verkligen bra.



Tiramisu cupcakes
Ingredients
Makes 18

1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup sugar
Coffee-Marsala Syrup
Mascarpone Frosting
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.

3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

5. To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.



Coffee-marsala syrup
Ingredients
Makes enough for 18 cupcakes

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)
1 ounce marsala
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.



Mascarpone frosting
Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions
With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

In English:
Since I got Martha Stewarts book on cupcakes for christmas I felt it was about time to try one of the recipes out. The tiramisu cupcakes looked so delicious that I couldn't resist them! And they were just as tasty as they looked. I will definitely make these again! By the way, I used kahlua instead of marsala in the coffee syrup and it worked just fine.

lovey dovey love love

Dear Robby,Remember our first Valentine's Day? You wrote me a song about the bubble gum stuck on my pants.Remember when you proposed in San Francisco? I liked that. Remember how you didn't care that my hair looked like this?Remember how I was 19? whoops.Remember how I didn't know how to cook.....anything?? Thanks for sticking it out.Remember how we've kept the same inside jokes for 8+ years (ding

Friday Feet

erin: even cute shoes must do dishes. sigh. sheena: concert going feet (captured by the instax)

a simple salad

note: many of my "recipes" are just quick little things I literally throw together.....I am not a measuring type of girl (unless I'm baking of course). So this salad, as well as alot of my other recipes, can be adjusted to YOUR liking, and you can make as big (or small) of a salad as you want. Perfect by itself for lunch, or with a piece of chicken or salmon for dinner.a simple saladyour favorite

vote for allison...

Hey everyone! Can you take 12 (TWELVE!) seconds and watch Allison's little film?? She's trying for a spot in Jose Villa's photography workshop (in Mexico!), and her film made the top 4. Vote for her HERE.

Rolo Pretzel Bites

I had quite a few people tell me they loved the pretzel bites and many told me of other sweet and salty treats using the same square pretzel.  Many of you mentioned the Rolo Pretzel Bites and I just couldn't wait to try them!  I have to say my heart still belongs to the Pretzel Bites with peanut butter M&M's but if you are looking to change it up a bit you should try these too! 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Rolo Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Square Pretzels (I used Snyder's brand)
Rolo's (one per bite)
Parchment Paper
Step by Step
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3.  Place a single layer of pretzels at least an inch apart.
4.  Place a Rolo on top of each pretzel.
5.  Bake in oven for about two minutes.  When Rolo's are slightly melty, remove from oven.
6.  Place a pretzel on top of each and push down slightly.
7.  Allow to cool in refrigerator until completely hard, about 30 minutes.
8.  Before serving, bring pretzel bites back to room temperature.  Make sure and do this or the center of the Rolo's will be quite chewy.
9.  Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

and speaking of swimsuits....

....a favorite from last summer....missing my polaroid film, sigh.

today I am.....

dreaming of spring and obsessing over vintage swimsuits......hmmm..... and which one for Robby?images courtesy of Millie Motts and Life Magazine

Raspberry Sandwich Cookies!

Raspberry Sandwich CookiesThe cookie part of this recipe comes from Martha's Cookie Book.1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature1 large egg, room temperaturePreheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

See me over on Kelli's cute blog today! (here)

get your thrift on....

......at Abode!It is by far my favorite little thrift store in the area......overflowing with goodness! You will find yourself wanting everything, and there is no way you're leaving this place empty handed! ( I picked up a few books (sister you will laugh so hard when you see!) and old blue jars:)There is a new sale every week--stop by this week for 20% off anything "flowered". Follow their blog

A Lovely Ladies Luncheon

I find it quite ironic that the busier the little kitchen is, the quieter this site is.  But that's just the way it goes when the cook, photographer and writer is yours truly (who also has a little thing called a full time job).  And when I say busy, I mean real busy... I catered a luncheon for eighty women on Friday and three hundred finger sandwiches later, I lived to post about it.  I thought I would give you a little sneak peak with the pictures and promise the recipes to follow.  This doesn't really give you an idea of how much food there was because there were two servers that were refilling the trays, but this was the menu...

Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Feta & Pesto

Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Fresh Berries and Melon

Oh yeah, and these aren't the greatest pics, but I tried to snap a few shots with my phone when I went to the party.  Another problem, the busier with the cooking, the less time I have to document with photographs... my apologies.  So instead, I creeped around the party trying to get a few quick photos.  The women at the party who did not know I made the food probably thought I had a weird obsession with tea sandwiches as I shot them from all angles. 

I also have to give a very big thank you to my wonderful mother and sweet friend allison for helping me with all those teeny little sandwiches!

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!!

look at what we saw today!! spring is right around the corner!

How to Build a Farmhouse Table

(the anti-climactic big reveal)So I had hoped to have a grand ribbon cutting for the big reveal of the table....complete with chairs around the table filled with happy guests, new (old) furniture in the room, our bookcases painted, art and photographs neatly hung on the wall......but come to find out, all that takes more than a few weeks! I'll keep you posted as we add to the room.....so for now,

Semlor!

Nu börjar ju fettisdagen närma sig, så då har man ju en bra ursäkt att baka semlor! Detta var min första gång, och det kändes som allt gick helt fel. Men skam den som ger sig, det blev ändå semlor till slut, och godare än jag trodde dessutom! Ett tips är att ha vaniljsocker och lite florsocker i grädden, då blir semlorna ännu godare enligt mig!






Receptet kommer från Leila Lindholms bok "A Piece of cake", men jag har gjort några små ändringar.


Vetebullar
Ingredienser
ca 18-24 bullar

-1 msk kardemumma
-3 dl mjölk
-50 g färsk jäst
-1 1/2 dl socker
-1/2 tsk salt
-150 g mjukt smör
-1 ägg
-11-12 dl vetemjöl

Fyllning
-400 g mandelmassa
-1 skvätt mjölk
-8 dl vispgrädde

1. Värm mjölken och kardemumman till 37 ° C.
2. Smula ner jästen i en bunke och lös den med mjölken, strösocker, salt, smör och ägg.
3. Tillsätt lite vetemjöl i taget och arbeta samman till en smidig deg.
4. Jäs degen under bakduk i 45-60 minuter.
5. Stjälp upp degen på ett mjölat bakbord och dela den i 18 bitar (eller fler om du vill göra mindre bullar). Forma till runda bullar.
6. Lägg bullarna på plåtar med bakplåtspapper. Sätt ugnen på 200° C. Jäs under bakduk i ca 40 minuter.
7. Pensla bullarna med uppvispat ägg. Grädda dem i mitten av ugnen i 6-7 min. Låt svalna
8. Skär av toppen på bullarna och gröp ur innanmätet.
9. Rör innanmätet krämigt med mandelmassan och en skvätt mjölk.
10. Fyll semlorna med mandelmasseröra, spritsa över vispad grädde och lägg på locket. Pudra med florsocker.



In English:
This was my first time making "semlor" and it felt like everything went wrong! I didn't give up though, and they turned out better than I could have wished for! A tip is to put vanilla sugar and some powdered sugar in the whipped cream for an even better taste!

The recipe is from Leila Lindholms book "A Piece of Cake", but I've made a few adjustments.

Wheat buns
Ingredients
Makes about 18-24 buns

-1 tablespoon cardamom
-3 deciliters milk
- 50 grams fresh yeast
-1 1/2 deciliter sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-150 grams soft butter
-1 egg
-11-12 deciliters all purpose flour

Filling
-400 grams almond paste
-A dash of milk
-8 deciliters heavy whipping cream

1. Heat milk and cardamom until 37 ° C.
2. Crumble yeast into a bowl, pour the milk over and stir until dissolved. Add the butter, sugar, salt and egg.
3. Add the flour, and knead the dough until shiny and elastic.
4. Leave to rise under a cloth for about 45-60 minutes.
5. Turn out onto a floured board and knead in a little more flour. Shape dough into 18 (or more if you want smaller buns) smooth, round buns.
6. Preheat oven to 200° C. Put the buns on a baking sheet and leave them to rise under a cloth for about 40 minutes.
7. Brush the buns with a lightly beaten egg. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 6-7 minutes. Let cool.
8. Cut of the top of the bun and make a hole in each bun. Mix the inside bits of the buns with the almond paste and a dash of milk until smooth.
9. Fill each bun with the filling, pipe whipped cream over the filling and put the lid on. Dust with powdered sugar.

Friday Love

We love Black and White Chili!(I posted this recipe before on my old daily blog, but we love it so much it's worth the re-post. )1 small onion, diced.3-4 cloves garlic, minced1 can of black beans (rinsed & drained)1 can of white beans (rinsed & drained)3 cups chicken broth2 cooked chicken breast, dicedjuice of 1 lime1 tsp-1 TBS ground chipotle pepper (depending on how spicy you like it...we like

Friday Feet

erin: a quick meeting at the bleachers in between busy schedules. husband covered in clay, like any good artist should be :)sheena: my hippie shoes and I head to yoga

just because...

Pretzel Bites

In the land of taste, the combination of sweet and salty is the bee's knees as far as I'm concerned.  Sometimes, you taste the salty first, and just when you've had enough, you get the perfect balance as the sweet kicks in.  Sometimes the sweet comes first, but no matter which way it comes, you end up with the perfect satisfying treat.

These little nuggets are my new favorite in the salty and sweet combo.  And the best news is they couldn't be easier.  The largest time commitment is unwrapping the Hugs and if you have a Mr. Hungry of your own or maybe a few kids, you can give them this task while they watch TV.  And once Mr. Hungry had a couple of the finished product, he is always more than willing to do the unwrapping. 

I have to thank my friend Rachel for passing on this wonderful recipe.  They make a great snack or dessert for any group.  I would also dare you to try and find a treat that is so adaptable to any holiday.  Valentine's Day?  Only use red M&M's... Christmas? Use red and green M&M's... St Patrick's Day?  Use green M&M's... okay, hopefully you get the point.  And the combinations are endless... At certain holidays,

{read the recipe note below if you want to know why I didn't use a bunch of these little guys}

Pretzel Bites
Recipe Notes
You might be wondering why I don't suggest the obvious Hershy Kisses for this recipe.  They will work, but I find them to be not as pretty if you are making them for company (or in my case, a catering job I did over Christmas).  The white chocolate Hugs melt really well and the chocolate Kisses tend to crack and not melt down quite as well.  I have also decided that I definitely prefer peanut butter M&Ms over the regular, but you will have to find out for yourself which one you like better.
Ingredients
Square pretzels (Snyder's makes a great square pretzel)
Hershey Hugs, unwrapped
M&M's or Peanut Butter M&M's
Parchment Paper
Step by Step
1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees f
2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3.  Spread pretzels in a single layer about an inch a part.
4.  Place a Hug on the center of each pretzel.
5.  Place in the oven and watch carefully.
6.  Remove from oven after 4 to 5 minutes of being heated.  To test pretzels to see if they are ready to come out of the oven, place an M&M on top of one Hug.  If it melts down, they are ready.  If just the tip melts down, continue to bake.
7.  Place one M&M on top of each Hug.  Place baking sheet in the refrigerator and allow to cool and harden completely; at least 30 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.