5 Faves

I've been squee-ing about a few things lately (except for the fact that I'm pretty sure I've never actually squee-d in my life). Here are some of them.

1.

The Book With No Pictures

by B.J. Novak

If you have a child roundabouts the ages of 3, 4, or 5, get a hold of this book somehow and be ready for adorable belly laughs. Cora is in love with it, and has been asking to read "Booboobutt" every night. (Read it, you'll understand.)

2.

Vests

Where have these been all my life? Or at least the past 2 winters I've lived here in Snowtown, USA? I can't zip them any more, but I throw one of these puppies on immediately when I get home and my arms are happy and my core is happy and momma is happy.

3.

"Wood of the Cradle"

Yeah, yeah, Christmas season is over, I know. But we sang this a few times at church during the season (perfect communion song, no?), and I just loved it. Not sure if I've just never heard it before, or if I've just never paid attention. And now it's stuck in my head.

4.

fruit and veggie muffins for my picky toddler

These Fruity & Veggie Muffins have been a big hit around here, at least with the little one. This is the second time we've made them (and frozen half the batch to use later). Cora even helped me make them, telling me how she doesn't like broccoli during it. (My response: "That's okay, you don't have to like everything.") But of course Little Miss Picky scarfed them down once they became actual muffins.

5.

this photography book

My BIL knew I was getting a DSLR camera for Christmas, so he got me this book as an accompaniment. It's fabulous! (I had been trying to learn some stuff from schmucks on YouTube, which was seriously hit-or-miss. Mostly miss.) I still have a loooong way to go, but now I've at least heard of metering patterns and figured out how to change my white balance. Also, it's a photography book that includes lots of pictures and tells you the settings used to achieve them. Thank God.

Linking up with Jenna's #5Faves

5 Favorites

1.

Target Cartwheel

Finally, an app-type of coupon clipping thing that you don't actually NEED a smartphone for! You just clip what you want and can either show the barcode on your phone at the register, or simply print it out. Plus, you can stack the Cartwheel savings + Target coupon + manufacturer's coupon + 5¢ off per each reusable bag. (And if you have the Target credit card, you get another 5%!)

I would also like to point out just how similar the font they used is to the one on my blog. It's kinda freaking me out.

2.

Brown Sugar

Why is this stuff so good? I could probably eat spoonfuls of it straight-up.

And a little tip: I prefer the light brown over the dark brown for chocolate chip cookies. Easier to tell if they're burning, too.

3.

my Danskin running shorts

Mine are an obnoxious shade of purple

I don't like the inner liners on most running shorts (um, I'm already wearing underwear!), so I had to search a few places for new shorts.  I eventually got a pair of Adidas ones from Dick's Sporting Goods, which are okay. But then I decided on a whim to buy this $7 pair from Wal-Mart, and they turned out to be my favorite! I mostly just like the hidden pocket, which perfectly holds my scan card to get back into the Y. (It would probably fit my car key, but I leave that in a locker.)

4.

Gallery Walls

I put one in our apartment that you see right when you come up the stairs from the entrance. It's so fun to look at all the pictures, and I love seeing them in other houses. But now I need to figure out where exactly to put ours in . . .

5.

Our New House!

So we're buying a house, and this is it! Offer has been made and accepted, and the inspection will be happening next week, and closing will happen the week after we get back from Virginia in mid-August. The back yard is HUGE, and I think we're inheriting the herb garden as well. I'm kind of excited, but also overwhelmed. It was under our budget, so we'll be making some big updates before we move in. I will be talking much more about this house on the blog, including before-and-after pics, of course!

Late Night Chocolate Craving Recipe: the BEST Chocolate Mug Cake

Today I'm sharing the best microwave chocolate mug cake I've ever had.  I've tried a TON of mug cake recipes, and most of them are nasty.  I've discovered that if a recipe calls for an entire egg for a single serving, your cake is going to be the consistency of rubber.  I had one other chocolate mug cake recipe that I thought was decent, but it made way too much and always left me with a stomachache.  It didn't actually fit into a normal mug either--I had to make it in a bowl, as I don't own or have any need for an oversized mug.

Perfect dessert for one.  No stomachache included.

But after searching high and low, I have found THE ONE.  I have made this recipe almost ten times now.  And I don't make recipes more than once if they're yucky the first go'round.  I have even printed this one out and added it to my recipe binder!

After mixing, before baking

About 50 seconds in our microwave.  Cool whip adds an extra touch!

I usually make it in a mug, but I've also made it in a ramekin, just for kicks and pics.

Make sure to grease the cup really well if you want it to come out!

One-Minute Chocolate Cake

2 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 tablespoon + 2 tsp sugar (that's just a bit less than 2 tablespoons; 3tsp=1Tbsp)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional ingredients:
chocolate chips
whipped cream or cool whip

Combine dry ingredients (the first 5 on the list) in a mug and mix very, very well. Add all of the liquid ingredients and stir well. Feel free to add some chocolate chips into this if that sounds good. Microwave 40-60 seconds (you'll have to mess around with your microwave a few times to find its 'sweet spot). If you want to make it in a ramekin, mix it in a bowl first and spray your dish well before adding the mixture. Let cake cool before removing from ramekin.

Top with whipped cream and chocolate chips for an extra-fun treat!

Adapted from this recipe at Chocolate-Covered Katie.

You should definitely check out Katie's blog.  It has become one of my favorites, because it's mostly desserts!  She's vegan, so a lot of her ingredients are on the "offbeat" side, but she tells you which things you can sub for them.  I made this with all "traditional" American ingredients (and an extra pinch of sugar).  I'm sure it's great her way, but I just use what I have on hand.

Blueberries and Babywearing

Unlike last year, I made sure to remind myself that berry-picking season here in Florida comes pretty early!  We already missed strawberries, but luckily blueberries are in full swing now!

Don't mind my stupid hair that never stays put.

The friend I went with also has a baby about Cora's age.  She brought her in her stroller, which was fine, but I wanted to try a long carry with my Boba 3G.  It was pretty great!

That was the first time I used the sleeping/sun hood, and Cora pretty much slept the whole time.  I kinda take forever to pick berries, so that was very nice of her.

My half-gallon of berries

As much as I didn't want to get up really early, we definitely should have.  It was HOT!  We started around 9 and were out there until almost 11.  Luckily, I usually have a change of clothes for both baby and myself, so we were out of our sweaty clothes in no time!  The carrier actually stayed cool and sweat-free (and odor-free) though.  I was quite impressed.  And since I used all of my Amazon gift cards for it and paid about $20 out of pocket, we'll call it money well spent!

I guess you're wondering what I did with all those blueberries, huh?

I totally screwed up my first-ever attempt at streusel topping, but it tasted great anyway.

Big fresh blueberries are amazing in muffins!  However, these hardly put a dent in the amount of blueberries I picked.  I froze most of the rest!

Next month is grape-picking around these parts, and that will be a new one for me.  I can't wait!

satiating my sweet tooth

When my mom was here the week after Cora was born, she decided to make some chocolate chip cookies for us. She had also brought a bag of Oreos that she had bought on a whim a few days earlier and had in her car. I had seen something on Pinterest a few weeks earlier that had piqued my interest, and I knew this was my time to try it!

Yes, a chocolate chip cookie with an Oreo stuffed inside!

The Pinterest version:

Source: The Picky Palate

I've had too many duds with Pinterest recipes, so I make sure to read through lots of comments before attempting stuff now.  A lot of people had an issue with all the cookie dough sliding off the top, resulting in a cookie pancake with an Oreo on top.  One person suggested just pushing it in a muffin tin to lock the sides in, so I went with it!  I also only wanted to make about 6 of them, so this worked well to limit it.

My version:

They look like muffins, but they're all cookie!  (And they are HUGE.)

Gooey and yummy!  Make sure you have a glass a milk handy.

If I made these again, I would definitely use the Double Stuf Oreos.  However, eating just one of these was the equivalent to eating 3 or 4 cookies at once.  As much as I loved them, they totally gave me a stomachache!

 

a big meal for just us two

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't really like to cook all that much. And this pregnancy obviously hasn't helped. Most nights, B is lucky if there are two options on the table. It's usually an entree and some veggies from the freezer. Sometimes no veggies at all, just a cut-up apple.

But then I decided, at 35 weeks pregnant, that I could and would make Thanksgiving dinner.  Well, actually it was Christmas dinner, but it mostly resembled a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner.  I didn't get too ambitious, but it was definitely a bigger meal than we've been eating lately!  The best part?  I didn't even call my mother for help.  Thus, fulfilling . . .

✔ 37. Cook Thanksgiving dinner with minimal help from my mother

Yes, I even busted out our wedding china!

The menu:

• Roast chicken.  I decided this was more practical (and quicker) than a giant turkey.  One of my aunts had given us some homemade rosemary-garlic olive oil for Christmas.  I opened the present in the morning and decided it would be perfect for coating our chicken!  I then added a few extra herbs.  It came out so tender and delicious.  I mostly just followed the directions on the chicken's packaging and then basted it occasionally.  (My digital meat thermometer is awesome, by the way--it beeps when the meat is the correct temperature!)  Of course, we're still eating this bird 4 days later since it was still a lot of meat. Less cooking for me, so I don't mind one bit.

• Stuffing (box mix).  I only like the stuff that comes out of the bird, so I froze the leftover dressing for later.
• Buttermilk mashed potatoes.  Betty Crocker recipe.  I wish I had made more; these are always a fave of mine.
• Rolls from a box mix.  Hawaiian sweet rolls, to be exact.  They didn't rise as much as they should have, but they were really good.  I had found this in my mom's pantry on a trip home (she lets me go "shopping" when I'm in town), and now I want to find another box so I can try again.

This was before they went into the oven, obviously.

• Steamed broccoli.  I needed a green vegetable, what with all the starches running around.
• Gravy.  This was my nemesis.  I almost forgot about it, too.  I have never actually made gravy before (to be honest, I don't generally like it) and was trying to follow Betty Crocker's recipe for Pan Gravy.  I usually do very well with Betty, and I would probably jump off a cliff if one of her recipes called for it, but this one just didn't make sense to me.  I read and re-read the thing at least 3 times.  I figured out we were going for a roux, but I was a bit rushed at this point and my roux never bubbled.  I added some liquid and tried to bring that to a boil and then everything separated on me.  It went to the table anyway because B was finished carving the bird.  The good news was that the gravy tasted amazing (and even I liked it!), but it was definitely nowhere close to the correct consistency.  I told B that it was "homestyle" gravy because I've decided you can get away with a lot of flubs if you just give it a pretty label.
• Apple pie.  This is only the second time I've made it (see this post for the first).  I followed the same recipe (thanks again to Betty) and had the exact same problem with not being able to get the crust off my work surface.  Sigh.  I cursed at it a bit and then re-rolled it.  I decided on a lattice top so I wouldn't have to deal with that issue more than once.  I am so glad I decided to make my pie the previous day.  We just popped it in the oven for a bit (foil on top) on Christmas night and added some ice cream!

So my Christmas day was spent mostly in the kitchen.  I told B that I was so glad we have an open kitchen/dining/living room area, since otherwise I would have felt like a slave (and very lonely while B played on the Wii).  I think an open area like this will be a requirement for any future house we buy, since I don't like cooking enough to be content in one all by myself while fun stuff is going on in another room.

That was basically my "Thanksgiving in training," and if I ever do anything bigger, I better have some extra hands to help!

  

 

adventures in champagne cake

I have a quest. It might even turn into a lifelong quest, but I'm hoping it doesn't.  See, my husband and I had an amazing wedding cake.  And not just amazing in its decoration, but amazing in its taste.  Speaking of husband, he just looked over my shoulder and saw what I wrote and called it "a little dramatic."  It's the best cake I've ever had, so I'm allowed to be dramatic.

The cake even kept so well in my parents' freezer that after a year, I was still in love with it. Yeah, most people HATE their year-old wedding cake, but I was begging for more.  Obviously, I need to figure out how to make it.

The cake: champagne cake with strawberry mousse filling (and buttercream icing).  Here's a picture of it after a year of freezing and then thawing.

It was actually even better the next day--it somehow got fluffier.

I decided that I'd try to make it for our anniversary this year.  I asked around on a few message boards and got a whopping ZERO responses.  So much for that.  I found a recipe that sounded decent and committed to it.  It included both the cake recipe and the strawberry mousse recipe.

The night before our anniversary, I made the frosting from my Wilton books, so that was easy.  Then I decided to tackle the mousse.  The mousse recipe had a few jobs in it that I'd never done before.  The first was whipping heavy cream.  I have a handheld electric mixer (no room in this tiny kitchen for a fancy stand one), and whipped the cream like a pro.  I was feeling pretty confident at this point.

Then I had to separate eggs and whip the whites.  I didn't do any research on this, and the recipe was just very bare-bones about it.  I've never separated eggs before, but I do have a tool for that.  It fit nicely over a cup, so I just kept adding them to the cup.  The yolk broke on the fourth one (out of six), so I now learned why this method is a bad idea.  (Pro tip: dump each egg white into the bowl right after you separate it.)  I couldn't get all of the yolk out, so I just moved on.  Once I got my 6, I tried to use my whisk attachment for the mixer to whip them.  Twenty minutes later, I still didn't have stiff peaks.  I've sorta watched my mom make meringue before, so I knew something was wrong.  But it was past bedtime at this point, so I said screw it.  And so I mixed my soft-peaked egg whites into the rest of it.

The result?

That's a 5-quart bowl, about 4/5 full of runny mousse.

The next day, when I tried to put it between my cake layers.  Major FAIL.

Even if I'd gotten it all right, I'm pretty sure this recipe would have still made at least eight times the amount of mousse needed.  There was a frosting recipe included too, and I'm glad I stuck with the one I already knew.

The good news is that the next day, when I actually made the cake layers, the recipe called for another six egg whites whipped to stiff peaks again.  I was definitely not gonna screw this up a second time!  I turned to YouTube and found an informative video about doing it by hand.  I decided that was the way to go.  Of course, I had already done a full workout that morning, including dumbbell activities, but I didn't let that stop me.  Boy, was it another workout!  I had to take a few breaks.  But in less than 5 minutes, I had my stiff peaks!

Then I had to open a champagne bottle for the first time by myself.  There were directions on the bottle that made me think this thing just might go everywhere, even though it was a screw-top Wal-Mart variety champagne.  The sink was full of cake stuff, plus I'd rather not have to clean the floor if it came to it.  After giving it a bit of thought, I decided to do it outside on the patio.  That was a good call, since it ran all down the bottle.  We'll call that a success.

All in all, the cake did NOT turn out anything like our wedding cake (which is also why I refuse to link to the recipe here).  The cake was way more dense--almost like a pound cake.  And the mousse obviously didn't pan out, but the taste wasn't even that great.  I shouldn't be eating raw egg whites anyway, so maybe that's a good thing?

At least those Wilton classes I took last year paid off!

The decorating was the best part.

We're still eating it, but I'm definitely on the hunt for a better recipe to try next year!

The list of firsts I experienced with this cake:

• First time whipping cream to stiff peaks (success!)
• First (and second) time separating eggs
• First and second time whipping egg whites (failure and success)
• First time opening a bottle of champagne (it was a screw top, but still)
• First time baking a cake without using a box of cake mix

Have you had any mousse mishaps?  Or are you on a quest for the perfect recipe for something?

B's birthday weekend

My husband was born on Mother's Day.  And it hit this year on Mother's Day again (sidenote: the 8th is the earliest date Mother's Day can fall because it's the second Sunday in May).  However, I am not a mom yet (except to some plants on our patio), so there was no conflict of interest.  I let my wonderful husband choose all the activities for the weekend, and I think he chose pretty well!

On Saturday morning, we went kayaking on base (renting from the same marina where we took the sailing lesson).  Kayaking was also on my list (unbeknownst to B), so I'm happy I got to check it off!  I convinced him that we should get a double kayak just in case I had a panic attack again.  It was such a beautiful day here in Pensacola, and we spent a lovely two hours paddling around the Bayou Grande.  On our way back, we even saw some dolphins and paddled up near them.  That was definitely the highlight of the weekend!  In addition to the fact that it only cost us a whopping $4 to rent that kayak!  I would definitely love to go again--and maybe even get a waterproof camera along in case of more dolphin sightings.



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Saturday night, B chose a restaurant to go out to (more of a mom-and-pop diner near the Alabama line), and then we went to check out the Greyhound races they do here.  I know some animal lovers will probably get on me about supporting this, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it was interesting to see.  I kind of have a "when in Rome" mentality sometimes, which is why I went to watch a bullfight when I was in Spain.  I had also been to horse races up at Colonial Downs in Virginia and actually enjoyed it a lot.  The Greyhound track here had the same kind of betting system, but the place was a freakin' dump.  It was a beautiful night, so I wanted to watch the races outside, not from behind the big window.  Well, the overhang from the roof was leaking and there was nowhere to sit outside near where the finish line was (most people were just out there to smoke), so we just stood there by our lonesome.  A poker room took up half of the building--which is apparently open 24 hours a day on the weekends--and there were tons of cars in the parking lot.  I guess most of them were playing poker because the people watching the dog races seemed to be few and far between.  We stayed for 6 races, placing dinky $2 bets on each.  We ended up spending a whopping $10 and leaving with half of it.  When we got in the car to leave, I commented, "I felt over-dressed in that place . . . and over-educated also."  Come to think of it, I feel like that a lot in this town.

These things were huge!

On Sunday, we did our usual church thing and then took B to get his birthday present.  A new suitcase, which he had to pick out himself.  After that, we came home and I made his birthday "cake": homemade cream puffs!  (and 2 eclairs).  I had apparently stumbled upon and bookmarked this tutorial online, which inspired me (don't know how I found it--I still don't follow that blog).  This blog doesn't actually give a recipe with measurements though, but I found this one in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and I highly recommend it (Betty didn't have one--shocker, I know!).  Yes, I mixed it by hand, and yes, it was a workout.  But it wasn't terrible.  I did use the pudding/Cool Whip combo for the filling and chocolate frosting for the top, because it was just plain easier and tastes just as good.

28 isn't too old for blowing out candles, right??

big yummy check mark: a pie from scratch!

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

Okay okay, so I'm definitely not God, but I did make this apple pie with everything I already had except the apples!  Of course it was on my 101 list, so I had to do it.

✔ 15. Bake a pie (including the crust) from scratch

I used my Betty Crocker book to guide me through.  I used her recipe for a buttermilk crust because she said it was easier to handle (sorry, I couldn't find that recipe on her site, but it's in the book).  Well, I've learned now that crusts are easy to make--especially now that I own a pastry blender--but the hardest part is moving the crust from the counter to the pie dish.  So frustrating!  I had to do it a few times for each crust.

The top crust looked awful before it was actually baked.

The apple prep was so easy.  All I really had to do was peel some apples and then throw some cinnamon and nutmeg in them.  It came out sooooo good!  Here's the recipe I used, except mine only called for 6 cups of apples, not 8.  I also brushed the top crust with water and sprinkled sugar on top (hey, Betty told me to!).

Wish I'd made more!

I'll definitely be making more pies from now on!

a bandwagon! a bandwagon!

Yep, I've become a BALLER.  A cake baller, that is!

Sprinkles were definitely the easiest decoration

 I was inspired, of course, by Bakerella (the gal who made it trendy and put them on a stick), and also this blog which saved me from taking pictures of the process for you because she already did!  I even made the exact same kind, strawberry cake, mixed with strawberry frosting, dipped in chocolate almond bark.

My mom reminded me that these are nothing new, though.  Anyone ever had petit fours?  Yeah, cake balls are basically those, just a lot less fancy (and thus, in my opinion, way more American).

And it makes a mess the size of Texas!  Or maybe that's just me?

One thing I will warn you, if you attempt this, just one box of cake mix makes a TON!  I think I had about 80 cake balls for a potluck that was then canceled.

Luckily I was invited to another potluck a few days later.

muffins that taste like doughnuts

I love making dessert.  I would hazard to say that I'm more of a baker than a cook.  I like the precision and I have a major sweet tooth.  I tried this new one a few days ago, aptly titled "Muffins That Taste Like Doughnuts."  I'm a fan already because of the versatility.  These can be a dessert, a breakfast, a quick snack, whatever.  I love those "old-fashioned" doughnuts, and the texture of these muffins is similar. Kind of a dense cakey feel (have a glass of milk handy!), and they sorta taste like the cinnamon-sugar doughnuts.  But I haven't had one of those in a really long time, so that's a guesstimate.  Next time I make them, I'm think I'll do a side-by-side doughnut-to-muffin comparison.

What's great about a muffin is that you don't have to fry it -- automatically healthier than its doughnut doppleganger.  To do the topping, you dip the muffin in melted butter and then roll it in cinnamon sugar.  I found the recipe on Tasty Kitchen, although really I only found it because your friend and mine The Pioneer Woman mentioned it on her cooking blog last week.  I think what really inspired me to make these is the fact that I already had every ingredient on hand.  (I was surprised that I actually own nutmeg, since this is the first time in my memory I've ever used it.  I might've inherited it from a roommate or maybe even B owned it?)  Check out the full recipe and go make your own.  Stat!  If anything, it will make your kitchen smell amazing.  It cleared out the smell of my attempt at Indian food in a pinch :-)

I have to really love a recipe to type it up and add it to my recipe book, and this one made the cut!  So easy and soooo delicious!

bestest brownies ever

Before I got married, I had this great roommate here in Virginia Beach. One of the best gifts she ever gave me (besides affordable rent and a stable living situation) was her recipe for the most amazing brownies I have ever had. And that is what I am sharing with you today, Pioneer Woman-style with pictures and all!

Ingredients:

• 4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 12oz (regular-sized bag) chocolate chips
• 2 cups mini marshmallows (best if fresh, so you don't have to pull them apart -- learned from experience on that one)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Melt chocolate squares and butter over medium heat on stove.

Eventually, it'll start to look like this:

Once it is all melted (including the butter, unlike in that picture above), remove from heat.
Add sugar and then each egg.  Stir after each egg.  (Sorry, I don't have a picture of that step because I was too busy fishing an egg shell out of the batter.  Maybe I'll just stick to Egg Beaters from now on.)

Add vanilla and flour:

Fold in the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows.  (The marshmallows will mostly melt in the oven, so you won't be eating chunks of them, I promise!)  If it looks like a dirty diaper, you're doing it right:

Drop that beautiful mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake it at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

Don't forget the most important step--I call this 'Clean Up Part One':

Test with a cake tester/toothpick.  Yes, your brownies will look like they have some type of skin disease when they're done and ready.

Mine came out slightly undercooked, so they didn't cut as easily.  They were still delightfully delicious, and the brownie crumbs make a good ice cream topping so I'm not complaining!

 Enjoy!  And let me know how your attempts come out!