Birthday Cakes and Camping

It's been a busy weekend so far. On Friday I took the day off from work and made birthday cakes. It was nice to take the day off, especially knowing I have another one off Monday!!

Hannah and Michael had a combined birthday party so I made the ballerina cake and had the train circle around it. I think it turned out cute. Just my biased opinion though.

Joe and Nutmeg were pretty tired that night after they saw all the work I did so they crashed on the couch.
OK- I did not really make those cakes all by myself. Joe had to put on the pink edging on the ballet cake for me. I couldn't really figure it out, but in my defense, I was super distracted by Nutmeg who was crying for a nap but wouldn't sleep unless I held her!
Also, earlier when I was cutting the cakes in 1/2 to make layers, I totally sliced my fingers. It is clear that I can't be trusted with knives yet.


Saturday morning we got up and got ready. Joe made some really delicious smoothies. Our AWESOME neighbors, Jason and Kimber, invited us to go camping with them up in Kamas so we then got everything together and drove up. The trip was not too bad and when we got there, it was beautiful and cool (weather). Suddenly we realized that we were invaded. Bees were everywhere! They wouldn't stop buzzing around us! So we set up the tent that Joe and I brought (a 6-man tent belonging to my parents) and then we all played Apples to Apples for a while. The boys got bored I think and went out to shoot Joe's new gun (.22 rifle) and then Jason shot his gun once (.45 handgun). They made up a bullseye and did pretty well. Kimber and I just hung out in the tent longer talking and avoiding the bees.

Finally as darkness came the bees were gone so we just sat around the campfire for hours. It was SO relaxing and what I've really been needing lately. Then someone just had to mention bears before bedtime. So I was a little bit nervous. We put all the food inside the cars and went to bed. I don't know how long into the night it was, I know I wasn't asleep yet because I was having trouble falling asleep, when suddenly Joe and I heard something walking around outside. I froze and squeezed Joe's hand. I whispered "what is that?" and Joe said "I don't know but it sounds like it is gone." I knew it couldn't have been Jason or Kimber because I didn't hear their zipper on the tent open for them to come out and the sounds also came from the other side than where they were. It was totally some wild animal walking right up to the tent and sniffing around. I was afraid it was some ferocious creature that wanted to eat Nutmeg! To add to the scariness, we were under a tree and whenever there was the slightest breeze a pine cone or small branch would fall onto our tent and make me jump! Then... the rain started pouring down. Needless to say, my relaxing evening was gone and I hardly slept that night. Luckily we didn't get wet or eaten by bears.
For the record, I did get stung by one of those mean bees! It wasn't bad at all, but it made me not like them even more! So I got stung by a bee, was covered in dirt (thanks to Nutmeg) and my fingers were bleeding all within the first 30 minutes of our camping trip. I don't know what my deal was - I'm normally a blast to go camping with!! :) Don't let this deter you from inviting us to go camping with you in the future! :)

The next morning was beautiful and it really was such a great camping trip with great company. Nutmeg is a little hot pocket. She slept right next to me in the tent and I know I would have been freezing without her there! So when you go camping next, take a dog with you for warmth!

Thanks, neighbors, for inviting us!!





Nutmeg slept more than anyone else that night, but the next morning she was tired again, of course. This is how she wanted to sleep on the drive home.
What a cutie.
And finally, for your entertainment, more pictures of the pupcake:

the wedding cake

Joe and I made a wedding cake this week for my sister's friend, Charlotte. It was her wedding I attended in Texas. The cakes turned out pretty good.

The wedding cake was white with raspberry filling.

The grooms cake was lemon cake with a lemon filling, in the shape of Texas in honor of Justin.

the oatmeal cinnamon chocolate cookies

The Albertsons near my house is closing permanently so everything that is left is on sale. Joe and I stopped by there between conference sessions on Saturday and stocked up on some things for our food storage like shampoo, deodorant, and body wash.
We also got some good food items. Even some of the things that were on sale were not that good of deals, but we did manage to spend more than we should have.

One item I bought were some cinnamon chips (like chocolate chips, but cinnamon). I had never seen them before, and we are pretty big cinnamon fans. So last night I made some oatmeal cookies with mostly cinnamon chips and some chocolate chips as well. They are very good!

using up the peaches

I decided to make a peach tart. I saw that all those peaches we bought at the farmers market weren't going to last much longer, so I had to make another dessert...sigh... :)

First I made a crust of flour, ground pecans, butter, and water, and baked it for about 15 minutes.

The filling was cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. Then we (joe helped me - as usual) topped them with sliced peaches and nectarines.

You have to bake it again to cook the egg in the filling.

Then I topped it with a syrup of peach jam and couple slices of plum from my neighbor's tree.

These are not rich or too sweet, so I feel like I am being healthy when I eat this dessert!

Salt Lake Farmers' Market

What to make when you get home from the Farmers' Market??
Ingredients:
Yummy Bread
Creamy Swiss Cheese
Sweet, Ripe Tomatoes
Parmesan Balsamic Vinaigrette
Kosher Salt
Basil


Joe and I were going to drive up to Peach Days today in Brigham City, but the activities they had posted online didn't look as fun as we thought they would. Instead we headed over to the Farmers' Market in Pioneer Park.
Everything looked so great, but the produce looked the best. We got some tomatoes, peaches, apricots, green beans, pumpkin blossom honey, and 5 grain bread. The weather was a little bit overcast, so not hot at all. It was a really fun time!

Baby Shower and Fruit Pizza

Monday was a baby shower for my sister, Missy. It was really fun with some really yummy food. It was nice to have quiche, lemon muffins, and fruit. My sister Steph made a great sparkling peach drink. It was a really good brunch for the end of summer.

I made a fruit pizza that Joe helped me put together. I used a chocolate chip cookie dough, minus the chocolate chips, for the crust. The filling was cream cheese and sugar, and then we covered the top with bright fruit. It was pretty and delicious!

New Camera and a chocolate cake

I bought a really cute cake stand about a year ago. I didn't want to put it away, nor did I have anywhere safe to store it without it maybe getting broken. So I put it on the table and started making cakes. When we decided that was not such a good plan for our cholesterol or our waistlines, Joe brought me some styrofoam rounds and I can now display a delicious looking cake for as long as I like. No calories attached.

Yesterday we bought a new camera. I'm really excited because our old one had some issues and wouldn't really work at all eventually. So the first picture I took, using the "food" setting, was of the chocolate cake I "made" yesterday. Here it is!

Salsa

Joe made a half batch of some delicious, fresh salsa over the weekend!








Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
5# Peeled and seeded Tomatoes - rough dice
2 Med/Lrg Yellow Onions – small dice
3 Anaheim Chilies \
3 Yellow Chilies \
2 Pablano Chilies -----} seeded, small dice
10 Jalapeno Chilies /
2 Habanero Chilies /
1bunch Cilantro leaves – fine rough chop
Juice of 2 Limes
1 Tbs. Salt

Directions:
Stir to incorporate. Leave as is or puree half and mix together.

Prize

I won second place in the dessert contest at work today. I made a peach cobbler this morning. There were only 6 desserts so the competition wasn’t too tough. My prize is a Marie Calendar’s pie.

Peach Cobbler
2 regular cans of peaches, 1 of them drained.
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cake mix
1 cup of crumb topping

Spray/Prep the baking pan. Pour in the peaches and cinnamon. Mix a little juice with the cornstarch then stir it all around. Spread out the peaches evenly in the pan. Make the cake mix and spread over the peaches. Sprinkle the topping. Bake a little longer than the mix directs.

That’s it! And I won! :D

New Favorite

I've been a snow patrol fan for a few years now. I just read the lyrics to their new song, "Signal Fire." This is definitely my new favorite song. Apparently it is on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack, but I have not seen the movie yet.

So listen to the song. It's great!

http://us.video.aol.com/player/launcher?ar=us_en_audio_748x541_full&mode=0&pmmsid=1872439

The recent apple recipe

It's hardly an apple recipe at all. It was very good though. This is a recipe of my mom's that I hadn't had in years. I remembered it when thinking of apple ideas and called her up for the details. I think I've eaten 1/2 the cake myself!
















Apple Cocoa Cake
Mom

3 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c butter
1/2 c water
~~Cream until fluffy

2 1/2 c flour
2 T cocoa
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
~~Sift together, then add to creamed mixture

1 C chocolate chips
2 apples grated to equal 2 cups
1 tsp vanilla
~~Fold in until evenly distributed.

~~Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes

Good when frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Sunday Dinner

Today as we were making a dessert, Joe suggested that we take a picture and then we could post it on our blog. I was happy that he liked my blog enough to want to post on it and also enough to stake a claim to it. :) I love my husband!

As I mentioned before, we got a whole bunch of apples from our friend. Besides eating a few, the first thing we made with them was

Apple Cobbler Crisp


















We actually made dessert first, but for dinner we made Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile and Lime. It was a delicious recipe from Everyday Foods. Thanks, Martha Stewart!














Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile and Lime
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon butter, at room temperature
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 piece (2 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeño chile
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 ½ pounds)
2 large onions, thickly sliced
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
1. Make the ginger-chile butter: In a small bowl, using a spoon, mash together 2 tablespoons butter, shallot, ginger, jalapeño, lime juice, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Using fingers, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. With a small spoon, insert butter mixture evenly between skin and meat; pat skin back down. Tie chicken legs together with cotton kitchen twine; tuck wing tips underneath. Rub chicken with remaining ½ teaspoon butter; season generously with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange onions in a single layer; place chicken on top.
3. Roast until chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh (without touching bone) reads 175°, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and tent with oil; let rest 10 minutes (the temperature will rise by about 5 degrees).
4. On baking sheet, stir onions together with pan juices. Carve chicken; serve with onions and, if desired, lime wedges.

Per serving: 557 calories; 34 grams fat; 50.4 grams protein; 10.3 grams carbohydrates; 1.9 grams fiberNote: After taking it out of the oven, let the chicken rest at least 10 minutes. This will make the meat moister and easier to carve.

No-bakes

I really have come a long way since when we were first married two years ago. I mean - I created the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe all by myself. But I still have not been able to perfect a chocolate/peanut butter no-bake cookie recipe.
We used my sister's recipe before but we must have done something wrong because they turned out gooey. I found one online and it actually worked really well. I still want to improve on it a little, but they weren't very dry or too runny. Yay!

Our friend gave us loads of apples today, so now it's really time to get creative and see what we can come up with. My husband as the chef, and me as the taster. It works best that way.

No-bakes - The best so far
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
1/2 C butter
1/4 C cocoa powder
Bring to a rolling boil, then boil and stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 C peanut butter and 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Add 3 C Quick Oats, and mix all together. Drop quickly to parchment or waxed paper.

I should try making just one big cookie - see how that goes. :)

Snow - Cold! Muffins - Warm!

It snowed today. Yes, it's April 18th, in Salt Lake City, and it snowed. It made me wish for something warm and sweet. So here is a recipe I modified for

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
15oz canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter - melted
6 ounces chocolate chips
Toasted Pecans (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl - mix well. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin and the butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix gently, just to combine everything. Add chocolate chips and mix lightly until just combined. Divide into muffin cups; top with pecans if desired. Bake a 12 cup muffin pan for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Test w/toothpick. They should still seem a little underdone when removed from the oven.

I'll see if I can post a picture when they come out of the oven. Since it makes more than 12 regular size muffins, I just put the extra in a mini loaf pan.

Medicine

On the news this morning I saw a report where a woman helps out the elderly by having laughing sessions with them.
So here is your laughing session for the week.
Even if you pretend to laugh, it still has the good effects on the body as real laughing.

Product Warnings
Dumb and Funny Warning Labels On Products:
Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant - Use only on underarms.

Zantac 75 - Do not take if allergic to Zantac.

Sleeping Pills Warning: May cause Drowsiness

Christmas Lights Warning: For indoor or outdoor use only.

Bic Lighter: Ignite lighter away from face.

Komatsu Floodlight: This floodlight is capable of illuminating large areas, even in the dark

Earplugs :These ear plugs are nontoxic, but may interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe

Mattress Warning: Do not attempt to swallow (My personal favorite)

Matches Caution: Contents may catch fire.

Pepper Spray Caution: Never aim spray at your own eyes.

Auto-Shade Windshield Visor Warning: Do not drive with sunshade in place. Remove from windshield before starting ignition.

Fix-a-Flat WARNING: Do not weld can to rim.

Rain Gauge: Suitable for outdoor use.

RCA Television Remote Control :Not Dishwasher Safe

Pine Mountain Fire Logs Caution: Risk of fire

Triops Fish Food Warning: Not for human consumption

Home Depot Treated Lumber : Do not consume

Hair Dryer Warning: Do not use while sleeping.

Road Sign: Caution water on road during rain.

Camera: This camera will only work when film is inside.

Road Sign Cemetery Road: Dead End

Church Parking Lot Sign : Thou shalt not park

Children's Superman Costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

Air Conditioner Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.

Rowenta Iron Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.

Slush Puppy Cup: This ice may be cold

American Airlines Peanuts Instructions: open packet, eat nuts.

Nabisco Easy Cheese: For best results, remove cap.

Swanson TV Dinners: This product must be cooked before eating.

Hershey's Almond Bar Warning: May contain traces of nuts

Heinz Ketchup Instructions: Put on food

Two Blogs Today

I just realized that it's gone.
The request to write this made me think of it.
It looked great when we first got it.
I think it needed more sun or fresh air so Joe put it out on the balcony.
We forgot about it.
For a week.
I don't know where it is now.
"To the lazy gardener a bonsai may often unintentionally be that plant in the pot that should have been planted into the garden 10 years ago and has had to survive on total neglect."
I don't know about that.

English Toffee

Being married to a chef, I am always learning new things. But the interesting part is how I can take those things and use them in life.
For example, I tried to make english toffee for the holidays with my mom. We tried twice and we couldn't get the recipe to take. We stirred constantly and everything, but the toffee ended up really chewy and separated, with butter oozing out of it.
When I tried another recipe later in the week, this time with the aid of my chef, we figured out the problem. My mom and I weren't letting it cook long enough. We panicked and pulled it off the flame before the toffee could reach the right stage. Standing over my chef's shoulder and watching him stir the toffee, I kept stating how it looked like it was going to burn! He told me to just wait and see. Sure enough, the toffee needed more heat and more time.
It is so interesting to see how many people will give up on the things they really want in life because it is not so easy to get. Maybe it will take some sacrifice or a lot of time, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve it or should stop trying for it. God loves us and wants us to be happy, and He knows that happiness comes when we are obedient, faithful and enduring, and through success in overcoming trials.
Next time I am faced with a challenge, I hope I can remember this lesson from my chef and stick it out through the heat, because I know I will get something really great at the end.
The toffee is nearly gone and we still have 5 days until Christmas!! It was that good!