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| check them out on RoverDog's Etsy Shop! |
2.24.2011
thoughtless thursday 2-24-11
For the last couple of days we have been getting blizzard warnings and when we woke up this morning, the snow finally came - almost a foot of it. So when I saw this article, I thought the pea coat would be so cute for Riley, Chloe and Bailey!
2.18.2011
Tiramisu!
I am co-hosting a bridal shower this weekend and the bride has requested tiramisu! I've made this recipe a few times and it never fails to please. Enjoy!
Tiramisu
from Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder
6 shots of espresso (about 3/4 c; Love Note 1)
1/3 c brandy
1/4 c Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
4 large eggs, separated (Love Notes 2 and 3)
2/3 C granulated sugar, divided
1 lb mascarpone (two 8-oz tubs)
1 cup heavy cream
40 savoiardi ladyfingers (about two 7-oz boxes; Love Note 4)
Unsweetened cocoa powder and shaved chocolate, for garnish (optional)
1. In a small bowl, combine the espresso, brandy, and Kahlúa. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk at high speed until very fluffy, pale yellow and stiff, at least 7 minutes.
3. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the mascarpone. Continue whipping until very stiff, another 2 minutes. (If the mixture starts to look curdled, stop mixing. If you continue to beat, you’ll end up with butter.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator while completing the remaining steps.
4. Wipe out the bowl of the electric mixer and add the cream. Whisk at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and sprinkle in half of the remaining sugar (you don’t have to be precise). Continue whipping until the cream holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and return the bowl it to the refrigerator.
5. Thoroughly wash and dry the electric mixer bowl and whisk attachment and add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high (don’t scrape the bowl or you could deflate the whites) and sprinkle in the remaining sugar. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks.
6. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture (folding in a small amount of the whites at first lightens the mixture and makes it easier to fold in the remaining whites without overmixing, which would deflate the whites). Fold in the remaining whites and return the mixture to the refrigerator.
7. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers briefly (make sure they’re submerged) into the espresso mixture and place side by side in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish until the bottom of the pan is covered. (Make sure you dip for only a second – you don’t want the ladyfingers to be soaked to the center or your tiramisu will end up mushy.) Depending on how you arrange the ladyfingers, you should get 19 to 20 in the dish; you may have to trim a little off the ends of the ones in the corners.
8. Spread half the mascarpone mixture (about 4 cups) over the lady fingers.
9. Repeat another layer of dipped ladyfingers, followed by the remaining mascarpone mixture.
10. Cover with plastic wrap and wrap the dish in the refrigerator to chill overnight before cutting.
11. Cut the tiramisu into thirds lengthwise and crosswise to make 9 portions. Use an offset spatula to lift each portion onto a serving plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder and top with shaved chocolate, if desired (Love Note 5), and serve.
LOVE NOTES
1. If you don’t have an espresso machine, I highly recommend stopping at the nearest café to pick up the shots rather than using instant espresso. The flavor is far superior.
2. Separating eggs require care and caution. If just a drop of yolks gets in the whites, they won’t whip up. That’s because the yolk has fat, and just a little fat, oil or soap (even residue on plastic containers) can keep the whites from whipping. To ensure the whites stay pristine, crack an egg into a small bowl, scoop out the yolk with your (clean fingers, and place it in a separate bowl. Then dump the egg white into its own bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This way if a yolk breaks during cracking, you’ll only have to toss out one egg, not the whole batch. By the way, whites whip best when they are at room temperature.
3. This dish is made with uncooked eggs. Although the risk is very low (about 0.005 percent according too the American Egg Board), substitute pasteurized eggs if you’d prefer.
4. The best ladyfingers for this recipe are very dry and crisp. They’re often called savoiardi and are imported from Italy. If you can’t find these and your supermarket only has soft, cakelike ladyfingers, you will need to let them dry out in the oven first. Moist ladyfingers will soak up too much liquid and the tiramisu will be mushy. To dry them out, arrange them on a baking sheet and place in a 250F oven for about 20 minutes, until brittle, flipping each one over halfway through.
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| weheartit.com |
Tiramisu
from Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder
Follow the directions exactly, use the thickest mascarpone you can find, and make sure you keep everything cold and in the refrigerator until mixing together, or it will be runny and won’t hold up on the plate.
6 shots of espresso (about 3/4 c; Love Note 1)
1/3 c brandy
1/4 c Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
4 large eggs, separated (Love Notes 2 and 3)
2/3 C granulated sugar, divided
1 lb mascarpone (two 8-oz tubs)
1 cup heavy cream
40 savoiardi ladyfingers (about two 7-oz boxes; Love Note 4)
Unsweetened cocoa powder and shaved chocolate, for garnish (optional)
1. In a small bowl, combine the espresso, brandy, and Kahlúa. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk at high speed until very fluffy, pale yellow and stiff, at least 7 minutes.
3. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the mascarpone. Continue whipping until very stiff, another 2 minutes. (If the mixture starts to look curdled, stop mixing. If you continue to beat, you’ll end up with butter.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator while completing the remaining steps.
4. Wipe out the bowl of the electric mixer and add the cream. Whisk at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and sprinkle in half of the remaining sugar (you don’t have to be precise). Continue whipping until the cream holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and return the bowl it to the refrigerator.
5. Thoroughly wash and dry the electric mixer bowl and whisk attachment and add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high (don’t scrape the bowl or you could deflate the whites) and sprinkle in the remaining sugar. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks.
6. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture (folding in a small amount of the whites at first lightens the mixture and makes it easier to fold in the remaining whites without overmixing, which would deflate the whites). Fold in the remaining whites and return the mixture to the refrigerator.
7. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers briefly (make sure they’re submerged) into the espresso mixture and place side by side in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish until the bottom of the pan is covered. (Make sure you dip for only a second – you don’t want the ladyfingers to be soaked to the center or your tiramisu will end up mushy.) Depending on how you arrange the ladyfingers, you should get 19 to 20 in the dish; you may have to trim a little off the ends of the ones in the corners.
8. Spread half the mascarpone mixture (about 4 cups) over the lady fingers.
9. Repeat another layer of dipped ladyfingers, followed by the remaining mascarpone mixture.
10. Cover with plastic wrap and wrap the dish in the refrigerator to chill overnight before cutting.
11. Cut the tiramisu into thirds lengthwise and crosswise to make 9 portions. Use an offset spatula to lift each portion onto a serving plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder and top with shaved chocolate, if desired (Love Note 5), and serve.
LOVE NOTES
1. If you don’t have an espresso machine, I highly recommend stopping at the nearest café to pick up the shots rather than using instant espresso. The flavor is far superior.
2. Separating eggs require care and caution. If just a drop of yolks gets in the whites, they won’t whip up. That’s because the yolk has fat, and just a little fat, oil or soap (even residue on plastic containers) can keep the whites from whipping. To ensure the whites stay pristine, crack an egg into a small bowl, scoop out the yolk with your (clean fingers, and place it in a separate bowl. Then dump the egg white into its own bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This way if a yolk breaks during cracking, you’ll only have to toss out one egg, not the whole batch. By the way, whites whip best when they are at room temperature.
3. This dish is made with uncooked eggs. Although the risk is very low (about 0.005 percent according too the American Egg Board), substitute pasteurized eggs if you’d prefer.
4. The best ladyfingers for this recipe are very dry and crisp. They’re often called savoiardi and are imported from Italy. If you can’t find these and your supermarket only has soft, cakelike ladyfingers, you will need to let them dry out in the oven first. Moist ladyfingers will soak up too much liquid and the tiramisu will be mushy. To dry them out, arrange them on a baking sheet and place in a 250F oven for about 20 minutes, until brittle, flipping each one over halfway through.
2.17.2011
thoughtless thursday 2-17-11
I have Maui on the brain. We are really hoping we can fiNaLLy go on our honeymoon this spring.
I finished the Old Testament last week and now that I'm in the New Testament I can't seem to put it down! Wow, wow wow!
I am going to an 80s themed bachelorette party next month and I need some serious help with my outfit! The only thing I know about the 80s is the awesome music from that decade! This is one of my favorite songs, which coincidently was the song my parents for kissed to according to my mom:
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| weheartit.com |
I finished the Old Testament last week and now that I'm in the New Testament I can't seem to put it down! Wow, wow wow!
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| weheartit.com |
2.14.2011
2.08.2011
Go Red for Women
I have this awful fear of wearing the color red. It dates back to when I was in 8th grade, we had a Christmas band concert and were told to wear Christmas colors. I wore a red sweater and while I was backstage, a fellow band member started singing "KOOLAID" while waving his hands back and forth. I was MORTIFIED! From that point forward, I didn't dare wear the color until last year when our company sponsored the women in our region to attend the Go Red for Women convention. I had a minor meltdown before the event, dreadfully wore my red top for the few hours and immediately took it off and happily gave it to my aunt.
This year, we are fortunate enough that my company has sponsored us to attend the event again and rather than have another breakdown, my husband suggested I wear red, but tone it down with a sweater or vest. He went shopping with me and helped me put this oufit together - gray slacks, a red sequened top and a white cardigan. For once I actually feel great wearing red!
Also, I wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful comments on my last post! The doctors were pretty confident the mass was benign, but I opted to have it removed because it was starting to get uncomfortable. Just a reminder that if you see something out of the norm, be sure to have it checked out!
2.05.2011
Happy List 2.6.11
I am so thankful this weekend. I had a biopsy done on Friday morning and everything went very smoothly. Aside from feeling like I was punched in the surgical area and a few side effects from the pain meds, I feel so blessed. My husband has been absolutely wonderful in taking care of me and I seriously could feel the power of all the prayers and well-wishes from our family and friends!
I must be super duper excited for the Super Bowl because as I was waking up from the surgery, my conversation with the nurse went like this:
Me drowsily to the nurse: "Is it over?"
Nurse: "Yes, we're all done!"
Me: "Oh my gosh, I was dreaming about what appetizers I was going to bring to the Super Bowl party!"
Nurse: "I know, you were telling us about this artichoke dip - it sounded delicious!"
Ha!
What's on your happy list this week? Be sure to grab the Happy List button and link up!
2.03.2011
thoughtless thursday 2-3-11
I received this in an email this morning and thought it to be very inspirational! Happy Thursday folks, the weekend is almost here:)
Carrots, Eggs & Coffee!
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.
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