Jam Exchange!!

::steph chows:: is holding her 2nd annual jam exchange and I'm am so excited to participate this year! I started venturing into canning last summer when we had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with. Since then, I've made lots and lots of types of jams (they make great Christmas gifts!). If you are interested in participating, here are the rules straight from ::steph chows:::

1.You do NOT need to have a blog to participate! Everyone is welcome to join in!
2.You must be willing to mail 2, 1/2 pint jars of any kind of jam your little heart desires to your given person. (yes they can both be the same kind of jam)
3.You must sign up with me so I can make sure to pair you with someone! Email me at stephchows (at) gmail (dot) com with the following:
Your name and address
Blog URL if you have one (see rule 1... you DO NOT need one)
If you would be ok with mailing internationally or if you want to stick domestic (USA) (totally ok either way you choose) I know we have a few peeps from Canada who are in to do this... I checked with the post office here and they said we can ship jam to our Canadian neighbors! I know we have a bunch of AUS readers too... and the post office says no issues with shipping jam to you either! All my other international friends... email me and I'll check and see if it's allowed to your country or not :) As for your country to here or somewhere else... I'm not sure about that one...
I figure if you agree to ship international, I'll pair someone international to send back to you so it's a fair trade. (I know the USPS has flat rate international boxes... probably the cheepest way). 4.If you would like your jam included in the final roundup email me a picture of it and a link to a blog entry if you have one up, or just email me to let me know what you sent/received.

Deadline to send me your info: August 11th (my birthday!)
I will contact you with your jam partner by August 22nd
You have until September 7th to mail said jam to said person. You can mail as early as you like though, so if you have your jam ready to go on the 22nd when I email you... go for it and mail it! Or if you are a procrastinator... wait till the 7th to mail it... either way works :) Just please make sure to mail it so no one is left out!

Happy Endings

This past weekend, we found a wandering dog in our neighborhood with no collar or tags. He was such a well-mannered dog, it was so hard to take him off to the humane society even though we knew it was the right thing to do. We made sure to post an ad on Craigslist that we found a lost dog and had dropped him off and made sure to leave contact information for the humane society we took him too. Today, I was browsing the Craigslist ads and ran across one that said something along the lines of "thank you, thank you - to the lady that took our boy to the humane society, I just can't thank you enough". Totally made my day! I just love happy endings!!

anniversary shoot

It's amazing how fast one year of marriage went by. So for our anniversary gift to each other we thought it'd be neat while we were in Seattle to meet up with our rad wedding photographer, Jenny Jimenez, to document the special occasion with an anniversary photo session! We had so much fun eating cupcakes, hanging out at the park and playing at Alki Beach! She sent us an email earlier this week that included a few teasers and got so excited about the photos she actually finished our gallery! One week turn around? HOLLA!

all photos by Jenny Jimenez

Strawberry Ice Cream

My sister-in-law knows I love ice cream and recipe books, so for Christmas 2007, she thoughtfully gifted me the Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book! So many wonderful recipes in this little treasure include everything from their famous Cherry Garcia to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to Kiwi Sorbet. We had bought some strawberries at the farmer's market this weekend and I decided to give the strawberry ice cream a try, and believe me it did not dissapoint! Thanks Aubrey!


Strawberry Ice Cream
from Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
makes 1 generous quart

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
*Sweet Cream Base (see below)

1. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare the Sweet Cream Base. Mash the strawberries to a puree and stir into the cream base.

3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

Note: For a chunkier ice cream, drain the juice from the strawberries and whisk it into the cream base just before transferring it to the ice cream maker. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it's done), add the mashed strawberries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

*Sweet Cream Base
(I chose the 1st of 3 options)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Makes 1 quart.

mariner's game

Thank you all so much for the sweet anniversary comments - totally melted my heart when I read them! My husband and I had a great weekend celebrating the milestone over in Seattle. While we were there we hit up a Mariner's game, my hubby's first time in Safeco Field!
And get this, I got sushi while I was there - an "Ichiroll", get it? :) It had spicy tuna and cucumber. Totally weird to have sushi from a ballpark but I figured since they are right on the Pudget Sound, can't be too bad, eh? I was also told I had to have their garlic fries and although they are very tasty, they aren't kidding with all that garlic! He was very excited to be sitting so close to the action! My mom scored us some awesome seats right behind 3rd base!
It was a fun game, especially since the Mariner's beat those Reds, 5-1 WOOHOO!

one year

one year ago today, i married my best friend.

marriage - what a sacred and beautiful commitment.
i'm falling in love with him more and more each day.

Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Here is one yummy salad I made for us a few weeks back. So light and refreshing - and I had to seriously refrain myself from licking my plate because the vinaigrette was so tasty!


Shrimp & Avocado Salad
from Simple and Delicious Magazine, May 2010

1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. olive oil
5 cups hearts of romaine salad mix
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 cup froze peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

cilantro vinaigrette:
7 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine romaine, corn, peas, and red pepper; divide among four serving plates. Top each with shrimp & avocado. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over salads.

My First 12k!

That's right, my first race ever! A group of friends (my girls I've known since kindergarden!) ran in Bloomsday this weekend! 50, 661 people crossed the finish line, the biggest turnout since 1996. It was so much fun and so exilerating! Our official time was 1:55 but that included a detour to a friend's house in the neighborhood for a potty break and a medical stop when I totally wiped out at mile 3, haha! I brought my Garmin FR60 along, and I started/stopped it during those two detours and it's time said 1:36.We jogged nearly the entire route, except Doomsday hill. I can't wait to do it again next year, sans the road rash!

green monster

I had my first green monster today and all I can say is oh my gosh it was delicious!!! What is a green monster you might ask? Read more about the movement here. Angela's other site, Oh She Glows, is awesome too if you are interested in healthy recipes and fitness tips. Anyway, I found this recipe on she-fit.com and had all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a shot. Wow, you can't even taste the spinach! It was very filling and I can't wait to have another one tomorrow!!

Also, my husband saw it he kept saying, "GROSS!!" so I convinced him to have a drink so he at least had the backup to say it was gross. It wasn't his favorite but he did say had I put it in a solid colored cup where he could not see the green smoothie, he would've liked it! And that's coming from one picky eater!

Recipe from she-fit.com via Green Monster Movement

2 cups of spinach

1 cup of almond milk

1 frozen banana

6 cubes of ice

a dash of stevia to taste (I used raw sugar)

lemon blueberry scones

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, gimme some oven, and have been wanting to try it for some time now. This was the first time I'd ever used whole wheat flour, and I was very pleased that I couldn't really taste the difference. My only advice is if you're looking for a sweet scone, be sure to add the glaze :) I didn't have buttermilk on hand so I used the old make your own trick!

Healthy lemon blueberry scones
from gimme some oven

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

3/4 cup milk or buttermilk

1 cup fresh or frozen berries (don’t thaw them)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor or into a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and oil and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk and berries and stir gently just until the dough is combined.

Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the cookie sheet. (If they are sweet and you want a brown, crunchy top, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.) Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a knife or pastry cutter and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least an inch apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven.

If you would like to add glaze, stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until well-blended. (Feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to make the glaze your desired consistency.) Brush or drizzle glaze on top of cooled scones (or if you’re impatient like me, brush while they’re warm), and serve.

Ali’s Tip:

If you end up opting to pass on the glaze, feel free to add in an extra teaspoon or two of lemon peel to the scones to give them an extra kick of lemon. You could also sprinkle a bit of raw (turbinado) sugar on top of the scones before baking to give them a little extra flavor if you’re going glaze-less. :)

these mice are so nice!

My uncle's mom (my grandma-ish?) book club lady friends threw her a "birthday tea" yesterday. One of the gals from the club made these absolutely adorable mice. I thought they were just toooo cute not to share! They are basically made with maraschino cherries with stems (cherries dipped in chocolate), sliced almonds and Hershey kisses!

cherry macarons

Our aunt is coming to visit this weekend so I thought I'd bake up a batch of festive macarons for her to send back to our uncle for the upcoming holiday. Which makes me wonder - what are your thoughts on Valentine's Day? Do you and yours go all out with dinner, gifts, flowers the whole shabang? Do you think it's just a commercialized holiday? Do you fall somewhere in between? Did you forget this weekend is Valentine's??

My husband and I like to get each other little gifts, usually setting a limit of $25, and either make a nice dinner together, or head out to one of our favorite restaurants. Since our aunt will be here this weekend with her granddaughters, we will likely stay in and do some cooking and baking, which I'm very excited for :)

And to you I wish, a Happy Valentine's Day!

Festive Cranberry & Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Vanilla Cream

via Cherrapeno (be sure to check out the link, she has quanities for just one egg white!)

Amounts for 4 egg whites

125g ground almonds

225g icing sugar

110g egg whites brought to room temperature

30g granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

3 teaspoons of dried sweetened cranberries that have been minced or chopped finely

Couple of drops of red food coloring

Handful of pistachio nuts, finely chopped (I omitted this time :)

White Chocolate Vanilla Cream

150ml double cream, whipped until stiff

150g white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Mix the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a bowl and put to one side.

In a large clean, dry bowl, whip the egg white with a pinch of salt until it becomes foamy and stiff. Gradually add the granulated sugar, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture is stiff and shiny.

Gently fold in the almond mixture and the minced dried cranberries using a large spoon or spatula, until incorporated. The mixture should be shiny and firm, but with a bit of 'flow' to it. Don't over-mix it or it will be too runny.

Fill a piping bag with a 1cm round tip and pipe the mixture onto Silpat or baking parchment. Tap the sheets gently to remove air bubbles and sprinkle a few chopped pistachio nuts onto half of the macarons. Let dry at room temperature for about an hour or so before baking.

Bake in a preheated oven, 160º/325F for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

Remove from the oven and leave to go cold. Peel off the Silpat or baking parchment.

Whip the cream until stiff and gently fold in the melted chocolate and vanilla bean paste. Pipe or spoon onto half the macarons and top with the other half before serving.

Shrimp Pasta

This was a delicious, fun, quick, and easy recipe to make on a weeknight. I used whole wheat pasta I had on hand. I think I might modify this sometime as a shrimp scampi by omitting the tomatoes and adding more garlic and tons of lemons. Also, this could easily feed a crowd. Like today, the unofficial holiday, Super Bowl Sunday.

PS - The Pioneer Woman rules.

Shrimp Pasta
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

1/2 cups olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole 14.5 oz cans diced or whole tomatoes
1/2 cups white wine
2 lbs jumbo or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parlsey, minced
1 lb linguine, uncooked
red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

french onion soup

Please excuse my brief hiatus. I have been very busy in the kitchen continuing to bake my little macarons! Be still my heart. There have been over-cooked ones, under-cooked ones, beautiful ones and very dry ones. This has been a fun little adventure, although my husband is getting tired of being the guinea pig and really wants me to go back to baking his favorite cookies!

Here is a yummy french onion soup recipe I made the other night after a long night of baking. I don't really have a lot of experience with onion soup - I've only had it one other time at a restaurant. But this recipe was cheesy and definitely fulfilling! I used mozerella instead of gruyere and I also omitted the parmesan rind because I didn't have it on hand. FYI - we bought those cute little soup bowls at World Market!

French Onion Soup

recipe from Food Network

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow or Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup port wine
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan rind
Reserved bread from bread bowls or 4 slices sourdough baguette, about 1-inch thick and lightly toasted
8 slices Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and preheat broiler.

Melt butter and oil together in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook 10 minutes, until onions are tender and golden brown. Add thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper and stir to coat. Cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add port and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Add broth and Parmesan rind and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and Parmesan rind and ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place reserved bread rounds or a sourdough round into each bowl and top bread with Gruyere cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

must've been beginner's luck

I had a feeling before putting these babies in the oven that they weren't going to be the beautiful little cookie I had baked only 12 hours before.

I haven't gone completely mental (I don't think), but I have to ask - does your food talk to you? You know, have personality? Maybe it's just me. I imagined my little cracked, feetless macarons telling me, "we tried to be perfect, like our predecessors. Please don't hate us, we still taste delicious".

See, told you I'd become obsessed.

Made these macarons, using the same shell recipe as last time, but a few things I did different (which I don't know if they had any effect on them) were:

• I used vanilla sugar, which is finer than granulated sugar. Oh, but does it ever smell delish.


• I started to sift the ground almonds and powdered sugar, got bored and dumped the rest in. Seriously, who does that?
  
• The first time I made macarons, I "aged" the egg whites in the microwave for 10 seconds separately. This time I dumped them all in a bowl and microwaved them.

There I was thinking I was a natural macaron baker. I need to learn about macarons' finicky nature before I begin experimenting, eh?

For the buttercream, I beat unsalted butter until creamy, added sifted powdered sugar until it was the consistency I wanted and then added orange extract to taste and a splash or two of milk (1 tsp?) as well.

They disappeared in less time than it took me to pipe them.

Chocolate. Carmel. Banana. Strawberry. Coffee. The ideas for the next batch are swirling around in my head. I don't know how much more of this I can take - I need some sleep!

walking for a cause

There are two organizations that are very dear to my heart: Susan G Comen for the Cure and National Multiple Sclerocis Society. I try to get involved with both in any way I can but so far, it has only been through donations. All that changes in April when my husband and I, along with our aunt, uncle and a few close friends will be participating in the WALK MS 2010.

We've chosen to do the 5-1/2 mile route through our scenic local park and are having t-shirts made in honor of our loved one affected by MS. We are all very excited to get the details ironed out and are really looking forward to the actual event. I imagine it is going to be a fun walk for all of us. Plus, one of our team members is going to have those yummy lemon bars we had served at our wedding baked and ready for us to enjoy at the finish line!! I simply can't wait!

What are some causes or organizations that are important to you? How do you get involved in movements that are important to you?

we finally meet

A few weeks ago, I was looking through our local guide for all the hotspots in town and saw a feature of the 12 best local cookies - and that's where it was that I saw it. #11 - Best Macaron at a downtown French Cafe I'd never heard of. For days, I fantasized about picking up a dozen cookies for myself. Finally on Friday, hubby and I put on our nicest cowboy boots and headed down for my first taste of a Parisian macaron.


I was so excited.


When we got there I quickly scanned all of the display cases - eclairs, tarts, maple bars, crossaints....but no macarons. I asked the waitress about them and she told me they were usually gone within hours of shipment and they can never predict when to expect them.


My heart sank.


It wasn't a failed mission though. Our breakfast was DE-LI-CIOUS. And I was even more determined to have a taste of that little crisp cookie.


I picked up a few of the remaining ingredients I didn't have and got to work in the kitchen. I had prepared myself with lots of research beforehand, with My Tartlette, MacTweets, Canelle et Vanille, etc.


I ended up making these Candy Cane and Eggnog Macarons. I took a peek in the oven and started jumping up with thrill "I'VE GOT FEET!! I'VE GOT FEET!!" Btw, yes my husband already knows I'm crazy :)

Once they were piped and ready to be devoured, I remembered this tutorial on how to eat a macaron.



Oh my.


They were just as I'd read - a thin, crisp layer on the outside and a cake-like, almost chewy texture inside. I could've eaten 5 more right there. But I thought I'd share with hubby, since he did indulge me in my journey earlier that morning. He wanted to put the hole thing in his mouth, but I had to remind him, they were meant to be savoured. Two words came out of his mouth "Deliciousness. Heaven."


The rest of the evening, I thought of many other macaron variations I could make. Strawberry and vanilla. Chocolate and Kahlua. Vanilla and Orange. The possibilities are endless. And so my little macaron obsession begins...

I got feet!!!!

I survived my first attempt at macarons today - details to follow....

guinness bread with molasses

I'm a bad girl. My husband found my gym membership card a few weeks ago (which, btw was my excuse for not going) and I still haven't made it to a single one of my favorite classes. Oh well, maybe tomorrow! I have been trying to make a conscientious effort to be more active, and have been doing so with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and the Wii Fit Plus (which are totally kicking my butt!!). So, it's the second week of the new year and decade - are you keeping up with your resolutions? Or have you let them slip (I'll admit, I am having a hard time with the sweet tooth :).

Speaking of sweet tooth, for Christmas gifts this year we sent out care packages to our family and friends with homemade goods. Since I knew SIL loves dark beer, I tried to find a recipe she might enjoy - and when I saw Guinness Bread with Molasses on Simply Recipes, it instantly made me think of her! Of course, I had to bake a test bread before sending one to her and though hubs didn't care for it (he's not a fan of beer) I thought it was very moist and pretty tasty (especially with butter or jam). Hope she and her Mister enjoyed it!!

Guinness Bread with Molasses
from Simply Recipes

This is fantastic eaten fresh, and nearly as good the next day toasted with some more butter. Do not use stale beer for this recipe, you want the carbonation.


* 3 cups self-rising flour*
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup molasses
* A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
* 12 ounces of Guinness beer
* Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour. Have made both ways though and got better results from the self-rising flour.
Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan well with butter.

2 Pour the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Slowly pour the Guinness into the flour mixture. (The “pub cans” are larger than 12 ounces, but they have better carbonation, so I pour most of it out and leave a swig to drink. This has never failed me, but if you are a stickler, use a 12-ounce bottle of Guinness instead.) Start stirring the beer into the dry ingredients, and when you are about halfway done, add the molasses. Mix well, just to combine. Don’t work the heck out of the batter – because that’s what it’ll look like – but you don’t want lumps, either.

4. Pour into the loaf pan to no more than 2/3 full. Pop into the oven immediately and bake for 50 minutes. Since ovens can vary, check the bread after 40 minutes and see if a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the loaf comes out clean. If it does, you’re done.

5. Let the loaf cool a bit, maybe 5 minutes, and then turn it out onto a rack. Paint it with lots of soft butter, which will melt as you go.

Conchas (or in this case, Conchitas!)

Pan Dulce is a wonderful sweet bread often served with a morning cup of coffee. It was always a treat when I was able to go to the panederia (bakery) with my mom or Welita first thing in the morning for some fresh, warm pan dulce. One of my favorites has always been the conchas, which translates to shells, due to the the shape of the bread and its topping. I was so excited when I saw a recipe on Joy the Baker for conchas that I had to make them for my family on Christmas morning (which they were absolutely thrilled about!). These are not hard to make at all, but a little time consuming since you have to let the dough rise twice. The topping is absolutely spot on! I made 24 mini conchas and since they freeze really well, I packed some away and also enjoyed them on New Year's morning!

Conchas

Recipe by Joy the Baker

DOUGH

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup water

3 2/3 cups white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons shortening

5 large eggs, beaten

TOPPING

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

For Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let stand 6-8 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups bread flour, salt, sugar and shortening and blend thoroughly. Add yeast mixture and 2 eggs. Mix completely. Add remaining eggs and mix. Add remaining bread flour and mix until the dough forms a loose, soft, and elastic dough. It should be a little sticky but firm enough to shape easily with buttered hands.

Butter the work surface into a 4×6-inch rectangle, 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 16 medium or 24 small squares.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and let dough rise. Shape each dough square into a dome-shaped circle. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, place rolls 2 inches apart.

For Topping: In a food processor using a metal blade, add the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, 1 cup flour and vanilla. You can also use a stand mixer for this process. Process until smooth, then divide into 2 equal parts. Leave one part plain and shape into a log. You can use a bit of pink or yellow dye to color this potion of the dough before shaping into a log, wrapping in wax paper, and chilling. Add cocoa and cinnamon to the other half of dough and wrap in wax paper. Chill the 3 logs until ready to use.

Cut off 2 tablespoons of topping from the log and flatten with palms into a circle. Place topping circle on top of dough circle. It should completely cover dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a crisscross or shell design on top. Let rolls rise again in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Bake for 12- 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

parting is such sweet sorrow

Taking down the decorations is always a bittersweet moment for me - it's nice to have your space back, but sad to realize the holiday season is over.

See you in 11 months Christmas.

resolutions

January 2, 2010. Twenty ten. Two Thousand Ten. It sounds so unrealistic and futuristic. With the start of every year, naturally it feels like a mark in the line for a fresh start. I haven't made a resolution in years but since it is the beginning of a new decade, I want to start it off by being a better habit-keeper; better about telling my husband I love him everyday, better about exercising, better about walking our dogs, better about eating healthy, better about reading the Bible, better about calling my long-distance friends, etc.

Do you have a resolution? Or do you think resolutions are silly?

None of this, of course, has to do with this recipe but it was so good I had to share it! The orange zest and cranberries compliment each other so well; yum, yum, yum!!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread
recipe from Honey & Jam

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, almond extract, orange zest and dried cranberries and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter beating at a low speed until blended.

Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350.

If frozen, let the logs stand at room temp for 10 minutes. Remove parchment. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

blessings to you and yours

Here's to joy, laughter, and cheer in twenty-ten.photo source

Happy New Year.

ruffly apron

Boy, the holidays are just flying by! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I've been enjoying some time off of work by baking, shopping and dusting off the sewing machine. I found this tutorial for an apron and after putting my sewing machine into submission a few times, I finally completed it. I'll be sending the apron to a friend with a mix of hot cocoa in the mail today!

birthdays and cookies

Thanks to SplurgeBakery and Jersey Bites, I won a set of personalized cookies and had them sent to my dad for his birthday! They were 12 individually wrapped sugar cookies and tied with a choice of color ribbon. SplurgeBakery was really great to work with, and extremely patient while I had my sis find and scan the photo in for me when my dad wasn't around! These cookies were tasty and looked beautiful! They were a hit with my family and I bet would be great for wedding favors, holiday parties, or even company logo cookies!

This is the picture I sent (circa 85 or 86, so not a very good quality photo):

And this is how the cookie turned out!