DutchBitch over at The Dutch Files has nominated us for "Best Food Blog" at the Blogger's Choice Awards!
Please click over and cast your vote for us! I can't vote myself because I had already voted for someone else before I learned of the nomination.
You can vote here. You have to register, if you haven't already, but registration is quick and easy.
Thanks for your votes, and thanks, Dutchy, for the nomination!
Cake decorating can be a lot of fun if you're in the right mood. I guess you could say that I'm "self-taught" when it comes to decorating. When I worked for a catering company a few years ago, I started out by piping small flowers onto brownies after watching a co-worker do it. The more I watched, the more I picked up, and once I finally got around to taking a cake decorating class at one of the hobby stores, I already knew how to do everything in the beginners' class.
I thought about going on to higher cake-decorating education, but I didn't have any plans to make a career out of making party or wedding cakes, and we don't eat enough cakes at home, so I decided that what I can do now is enough.
This was my first single-layer decorated cake. I have to say it's much easier than the multi-layer cakes, simply because I could tilt the plate to get the sugar on the sides. Had I done that with a double-layer cake, the entire thing would have landed on the countertop.
I "cheated" this time around and used 1-1/2 cans of prepared frosting in a tub. This is NOT the ideal frosting for decorating. It's far too soft and drastically limits what can be done with it (no roses, for example). But for the design I made and the limited time I had, it worked just fine. The cake will have to be refrigerated until serving time, though, because the frosting is so soft.
There's no recipe, but I did take step-by-step pictures:
1. Start by baking a cake in an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan. I used 9-inch, but wish I'd used the smaller so it would have been a taller layer.
2. If you use parchment paper, don't forget to peel it off the bottom. Let cake cool on a wire rack.
3. Place cake on serving plate, with strips of parchment under edges to keep frosting off plate.
4. Cover with a very thin layer of frosting, to seal in moisture and to also seal down any crumbs. Chill for at least two hours.
5. Cover with a moderately thick layer of frosting.
6. You can smooth out the top by dipping the offset spatula in room temperature water and running it lightly over the frosting.
7. Sprinkle colored sugar on sides.
8. Color a small portion of frosting a deep shade of lavender. I use Wilton gel coloring. Pipe concentric circles of this frosting onto cake using a small round decorator tip.
9. Using a wooden skewer draw through the frosting from center to edge to create spider-web effect. Or draw from the edge to the center to create a similar, yet different, effect.
10. Add remaining white frosting to whatever is left of the deep lavender frosting. Stir very well to achieve a paler lavender color. Pipe large rosettes onto top of cake using an extra large star tip.
11. Carefully remove parchment strips from under cake and using a small star tip, pipe a chain of shells around edge where cake and plate meet. You're done!
Hey, all! This is Violet! I'm feeling rather honored that Blogarita asked me to come over and post some of the recipes that I try at home... I have only recently begun cooking foods other than Easy Mac and toast, because I've spent so many years working so much that I haven't had time to cook. But, with Dave around to sample all my experiments, I've become rather adventurous and like to try things out of the ordinary.
This is a recipe that I found in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. When I decided to make it at first, I thought it would be just for Dave and me. Then it was us plus two friends. By the time I was cooking, we were having a dinner party for eight people... Luckily, I had enough food to double the recipe.
I was a little bit nervous that the citrus flavor of the dish wouldn't go over too well and that we would end up ordering pizza instead, but in fact, the flavor gave just enough kick to it to make it unique, but not overpowering. The orange slices also really brought out the flavor and the shrimp really complemented the whole dish quite well. I think one of the tricks is not to overcook the veggies; they were tender but not mush. I've also been on a health food kick recently, and I replaced the regular penne pasta with whole grain pasta, which worked well. Everyone liked it so much that I didn't even have any leftover to bring to work with me for lunch the next day!
Citrus Shrimp with Penne Pasta
12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
4 cups (uncooked) penne or bow tie pasta
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (set aside)
2 medium oranges
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules (I just used one of those little cubes)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 red or green sweet pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares (Since I double the recipe, I used one of each)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 1/2 cups fresh pea pods, ends trimmed and halved diagonally
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
Meanwhile, shred the peel from the oranges and remove remaining peels. Set oranges aside. In a small bowl, combine orange peel, orange juice, water, cornstarch, bouillon granules, sesame oil, salt, and ground red pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet cook sweet pepper in hot oil over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove sweet pepper from skillet. Add shrimp to skillet; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet.
Stir orange juice mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return shrimp and sweet pepper to skillet; stir in pea pods. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Gently stir in orange sections. Gently toss shrimp mixture with pasta.
Nutritional Info: Makes 4 large servings! 384 calories, 7 grams total fat, 2 grams of fiber
Running a kitchen is hard work, so I've asked Violet to join me here at Blogarita's Kitchen.
Violet writes about food occasionally on her blog, The Lemonade Stand. At my request, I've asked for...and posted...some of her recipes here. I figured, why not cut out the middle man (me!) and have Violet post recipes whenever she finds one she'd like to share?
I've been treading water here in the Kitchen for a couple of weeks now. My goals have been not so much to try new things, but to use up some leftovers from our freezers and get meals on the table as quickly and easily as possible. I thought I had next week's menus planned, but found out earlier this week that we'll be having company for Easter, and ended up switching from grilled chicken to baked ham for Sunday's meal. That, in turn, caused the rest of my week to change, as I make meals to use the leftover ham. Simply put, I've been busy here, but not necessarily with interesting meals.
I hope to have some new recipes by the weekend, but meanwhile, I'm hoping that Violet will post her recipe for this scrumptious looking Citrus Shrimp.
Welcome Violet!!
Here's a recipe I came up with by combining and changing two other recipes. The great thing about smoked salmon is that a little of it adds a lot of flavor!
I really enjoyed this, but Spouse Guy said it isn't one of his favorites. Why? Because he doesn't like Parmesan or Romano cheeses. I cut the amount in the original recipes back considerably, but the prepared pesto I bought had a STRONG flavor of both cheeses, while most pesto sauces we've tried have been much milder. I will probably make it again, but I will try a different brand of pesto, or will make my own.
Pasta With Smoked Salmon In Pesto Cream Sauce
1 lb. any dry, chunky pasta, such as penne or bowtie (I used spiralini)
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup prepared pesto sauce
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
5 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
salt to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil to keep butter from burning. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic; saute until onions become translucent and mushrooms are tender.
Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. Stir in Parmesan cheese, pesto sauce, broccoli and tomatoes. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in salmon and heat through, stirring often. Should sauce get too thick, add a little more milk. Add salt to sauce according to your own taste.
Drain pasta and serve with sauce.
Makes 4-6 generous servings.
There's some disagreement from website to website on just what a galette is. Right or wrong, I don't know what else to call this dessert, so I'm calling it a galette.
I had some strawberries in their juices in the freezer -- about a pint or so, I'd guess. Not sweet enough, these berries, so I added about 1/2 cup of sugar and brought them to a boil, then simmered them down to about 1-1/2 c.
I used a ready-made refrigerator pie crust (because it's just that kind of day) and placed it flat on my baking stone. I spooned about 3/4 cup of the cooked strawberry mixture into the center, then folded the dough up over the filling, leaving a 4- to 5-inch circle of filling exposed in the center and letting the dough pleat naturally.
I brushed the dough with just a little bit of water, then sprinkled the entire galette with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Then I baked the pastry in a pre-heated 375° for about 20 minutes.
I let it cool before cutting it into wedges.
I saved the remaining 3/4 cup of strawberry filling to use later, maybe as a topping for ice cream or spooned over some cake.
This morning Sparky and I made the cookies I wrote about yesterday. We followed the recipe to the letter, taking them out of the oven when they were just barely done (they continued to brown a little on the pans). I even opted to use use the traditional oven -- something I haven't done since we got our convection/microwave.
Patience is key while waiting for them to cool on the baking sheets, but it's worth it. These cookies are really good! They are soft and chewy inside, with just a little crunch around the edges.
The trick now will be finding out how they fare overnight. Once Spouse Guy gets home, I'm going to have a hard time making sure there are any left to try tomorrow.
By the way, we made both large and small cookies. The smaller (1/8 c.) cookies were done in 14 minutes, and the larger ones (1/4 cup scoop) took 16 minutes. All told, the batch made 24 small and 9 large cookies.
Bluepaintred emailed me to ask if I had a recipe for soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies. Well, yes...and no.
I have a tried and true recipe that makes cookies that stay soft, but they are more cake-like than chewy. It's the final recipe of this post, and can be made with either semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips.
I also have a recipe that I've never tried before that is supposed to make chewy-gooey cookies.
My understanding is that the secret to chewy cookies is as much in the method as in the ingredient list. Apparently, using melted butter instead of room temperature butter will help make the cookies chewy, as will the addition of a second egg yolk and the use of brown sugar. Don't over-bake the cookies; remove them from the oven when they are just starting to brown around the edges and the tops have just lost their wet appearance -- don't wait for them to look brown on top. Cooling the cookies on the pan, rather than moving them off the to a cooling rack, will help them stay chewy. Finally, when you store your cookies in a cookie jar or other airtight container, try putting a slice of bread in with them. It helps keep the cookies moist.
Here's the untried recipe. I don't think I will have time to make a batch today, but maybe Blue will, and will let us know how they turn out. I'll try to get to them myself within a few days.
Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (if using salted butter, you can omit the 3/4 t. of salt)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat the oven to 325° F (165° C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Cover dough and chill for about 45 minutes.*
Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool completely on baking sheets.
Makes about 1-1/2 dozen large cookies. For smaller cookies, use smaller amount of dough and reduce baking time by a minute or two.
*If your cookies are too flat, next time try chilling longer. If they aren't flat enough, next time omit the chilling step.
The past few days I've been able to try some recipes that other bloggers mentioned on their blogs and/or submitted here.
1. Pixie submitted her recipe for Meatloaf Muffins a while ago and we had those earlier this week. Just like she said, they were tasty and popped right out of the muffin pans easily.
2. Granny Geek mentioned this wonderful Chocolate Tres Leches cake on her blog recently. I had to try it, and I'm glad I did. I'm not a big fan of chocolate...a little goes a long way for me...but this cake was gone within a couple of days. The link to the recipe is in Granny's post.
3. Not long ago, Violet wrote about taking a Waldorf Salad to a shower she attended. (Sorry, Vi, I can't seem to find that post on your blog.) Anyway, it had been a long time since I'd had Waldorf Salad and I thought it sounded good. But I didn't have the typical celery and raisins that usually go in it. So I made up my own version using dried cranberries, instead. As an aside, I tried using mayonnaise. It was a brand new jar, but for some reason, it didn't taste fresh, but I didn't figure this out until after I had it in the salad. No worries...I just dumped all of the salad into a large colander, rinsed off all the mayo with cold water, let it drain a little and started over. This time I used Miracle Whip from an open jar in the fridge, and it turned out much better, without having to through the whole thing in the garbage.
Here's my version:
Blogarita's Cran-Apple Waldorf Salad
3 large apples, cored and chopped (leave peel on)
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice (to keep apples from darkening)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
pinch of ground allspice
pinch of celery seed
Toss apples with lemon or lime juice. Stir in walnuts and dried cranberries.
Add mayonnaise and stir until all pieces are coated well. Add allspice and celery seed and stir well.
Chill before serving.
Makes about 4 servings.
When Artsy Girl was about 16, she worked in a Lebanese cafe that served this rice with every dinner. She was able to get the recipe from them and I reduced the amounts to a workable family size. It's a great side dish with just about any meat.
The tilapia recipe is more of a non-recipe, but I've included the directions below.
Mediterranean Rice
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup vermicelli or broken angel hair pasta
1 cups converted (parboiled) rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoons chicken base (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Brown vermicelli in butter. Add rice and saute until aroma is nutty. Add remaining ingredients; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Broiled Tilapia
Italian-seasoned bread crumbs or corn flake crumbs
Dried thyme leaves
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil or melted butter
Tilapia fillets (1 per person)
Heat broiler.
Season the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Spray a baking dish or shallow pan with non-stick pan spray. Brush one side of fish fillets with olive oil or melted butter and press buttered side into seasoned crumbs. Lay un-coated side down in baking dish or pan.
Place fish under broiler and broil until fish flakes easily and crumb coating is beginning to brown.
