Duchess of stories, food and creations

The Anyone Can Do This Series- Bountiful Basket helpers and a recipe-Tabbouleh

2012-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

I'm tying this post in with the Bountiful Basket posts I do because it can fit both types of readers. There are tips in this particular post that can help anyone, but it also deals with those who just bought their produce. So win win for everyone! Hooray.

So first I will get the tips out of the way and then end with the recipe.

Tip #1: The picture above is of a head of romaine lettuce and fresh green beans in zip lock bags. Fresh vegetables are great, but if they aren't stored well they go bad before you even get a chance to use them. I put a paper towel in with the item which wicks away the moisture and keeps it fresh longer. I can't even count how many times I have killed produce because I was to lazy to baggie and paper towel them. Herbs like cilantro and parsley keep particularly good this way and last way longer than if you just throw them in the fridge with the grocery store bag over them.

Tip #2: Bags of potatoes-When I came home with my produce the bag of potatoes that were included were quite wet. DO NOT put a wet bag of potatoes under the sink or out in the garage. I want to barf just thinking about what happens. They rot and it smells horrible. We have searched for some dead animal in our garage only to find out it was a bag of potatoes. So I leave them on the counter and turn them every so often and they seem to dry fairly quickly. Then I can store them with no problem. And by the way, DO NOT store potatoes next to onions. When they are close together they create gases that spoil them both.

Tip #3: Tomatoes-so you also got a bunch of tomatoes in your basket. What is the best way to store them? Not in the fridge....I know, how inconvenient. Tomatoes are very delicate and refrigerating them actually damages the membranes inside the fruit walls, causing them to lose flavor and they tend to get a mealy texture. Sounds yummy..not. The best way to store them is at room temperature on the counter.

Enough tips...lets get to the recipe.

For those of you with cucumbers and tomatoes to use from your baskets this will help you eat those up. And for those of you looking for something healthy but very delicious...this will help you too! If you've never heard of this then it may seem a little odd, but it is ohhh so good. I would never lead you astray!

TABBOULEH

via Foodnework

Copyright 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved

Yeild 8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup bulghur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boilingwater, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, thenallow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or coverand refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

*NOW: This recipe makes and excellent side dish, salad or you can stuff it inside of a pita with greek yogurt. It is really very good.I recently had company and served it along side roasted salmon and it was a hit. If you have ever prepared cous cous it is very similar.

*Variations- It calls for cherry tomatoes but plain diced tomatoes work just fine. It also calls for mint and parsley. The last time I made it I just added a cup of chopped cilantro and it was great.

*Bulghur wheat can many times be found in the bulk section of your grocery store. Winco has it for super cheap. This recipe only calls for one cup of dried bulghur wheat but prepared makes enough for 8 people.

PLUS-my kids gobbled this up, and lately I can barely get them to eat anything that doesn't have cheese on it.

Moral of the story? You can do this! It's healthy and takes no time.

xoxoxo

Heidi

Chapter five: Ugly cries aren't that pretty

2012-01-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

via pinterest

Time was at hand for my easy breezy first official appointment. Official meaning in wasn't a blood test, it wasn't a who beats you, you can tell us appointment. This one was real, like with a real doctor. Baby Loving Man came with me expecting it to be easy breezy too seeing that we had done this three times before. We were pros. We had this under control.

My name was called and guess what? I was on my way to steppy up on that stupid freaking scale. But this time she wasn't pushing the top nob all that far right this time. "Looks like you lost 4 pounds" the nurse says. Hell yes! I smiled knowing that my healthy freaky eating plan was in full gear, but at the same time I thought it was odd. I could see staying the same weight but not loosing it. Oh well, I'm sure it didn't mean anything and so I went into my appointed room.

"Put this on and the doctor will be right in." We both sat there. Looking around at our feet, making our way around the room, fixating on all of the strange sterile equipment. The pictures framed on the wall were there to make you feel a little more relaxed, but I hate to break it to you...swishy lines in watercolor don't do that for most people. Doctor's offices are funny. Even if you've been in them one hundred times before you never feel totally comfortable. I'm sure it usually has something to do with you sitting there half naked waiting for a semi-stranger to come in and say hi. It's like being invited over to someone else's house for dinner and then knowing at some point...you know what, I'm going to stop that analogy dead in it's tracks. You get the point right? It's just not the funnest most inviting thing ever but you know you have to...that's all I'm saying.

The doctor finally comes in with the knock that they do only after they've already started to open the door. I to this day can never figure that out. If you're going to come in...then just commit to it. Don't knock after you're half way inside. If you were trying to warn me I'm pretty sure I could figure it out by the door actually opening. Just saying. So we chit chat about my due date, questions that I have, previous pregnancies and all that jazz. "Okay, are we ready for the ultrasound?" she says. Umm lady, I was born ready. Lets do this.

The machine she's working with has the screen the size of an ipod. From the angle I'm at I could barely see what she was looking at and even if I could see I'm pretty sure I'd have no idea what any of it meant, or what it was to be honest. All I could tell was that she had a perplexed look on her face and kept saying "Hmmmm, let's see, hmmmm." This struck me as a bit odd and I looked over at Baby Loving Man who just shrugged his shoulders. He was in the same boat as me and had no flipping idea what he was looking at. My eyes are still looking at his face waiting for him to give me some sign that he had figure it out when she says "Well there's two sacs" I immediately retort "What does that mean? What does that mean two sacs?" I for sure was under the impression that it was some kind of deformity. I honest to goodness had no idea what the hell she was talking about. "Two sacs...babies...twins, you're having twins" she says.

I am ashamed to repeat what I said in response, but I'm pretty sure it something like "What the eff did you just say, oh sh$@, NOOOO!, what the hell, oh..." and lets just say I made in through the alphabet of ugly words, probably ones in different languages that I've learned along the way. And then...as the thought of what "two" really truly meant, then came the ugly cry. I can only describe it as a half human, half moster kind of sobbing panic. Between the snarrling cries and cussing I was having a out of body experience. There was now way this situation was really happening. I was being punked...Ashton? Where are you?! I seriously thought I was dreaming and I'm not just saying that, I was hyperventilating and going into shock while Baby Loving Man had the dumbest grin plastered across his face. Of course you would be smiling wouldn't you! Stupid man that loves babies!

The doctor probably in fear of her own safety...life even, excused herself. I'm pretty sure she'll be knocking next time. There was nothing I could do to come out of this heart stopping coma cry. This inhuman whale/wolf cry. I am positive packs of wild creatures were forming to come and rescue this beast they thought was beckoning them in dire need of support. It was howling not fit for the human ear. It was primal and it was bad I tell you. Bad.

I finally was able to breath without the snarling sounds, it sounded much more human now, which I think was my doctors cue to knock before she opened the door deciding that the threat of being ripped apart limb from limb had maybe passed. I apologized perfusly repeating "I just wanted one, I can only handle one...not two" It was the only words I could form and became a mantra I just said over and over as I rocked myself. Oh man. Everything was a blur and I couldn't figure out what was up or what was down. I had cracked.

This little life, these silly dreams didn't stand a bleeping chance. The train had come, squashed it, reversed itself dead on the tracks and managed to smashed it to smithereens all over again. I'll Fly Away wasn't even going to cut this one. It would be like high fiving someone that just picked up a tank and hucked it across a football field...a high five just won't do for something like that, and I'll Fly Away wasn't near dramatic enough for what had just happened. I needed Mozarts Requiem in D Minor. It was the only thing that would do this justice. The daunting choir and the violent strings almost scolding it's audience.... it was the only music that would work. I'm pretty sure it was playing during my ugly beastly cry performance too. This was now the theme song to this whole entire nightmare. It was the end. Le fin as the french would say. The curtains were drawing the faster and faster the strings climbed up and down their arpeggios, the choir crying out it's warning to all who would listen until it all just comes to an abrupt stop. All is quiet. What am I going to do.....with two.

The Anyone Can Do This Series-a mission statement

2012-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

With one foot firmly planted in your life of mac and cheese...yes the one you make out of the box, take your other foot and just like a lovely ballerina extend it out and dip it into the world of what you may not understand but could if you were just taught. A world of pastries, breads, meat braising, unusual spices and techniques that will bring you happiness....if all you did was just extend your foot out of your comfort zone. I'm not saying you have to spend hours in the kitchen to do so, or cook up beetles...nothing like that! But sometimes what we don't understand can hold us back...yes?

I have been there. I have stayed away from recipes and ideas that seemed just to daunting. Not even giving them a real look. But I realized one day that failure, if anything can bring knowledge and it was a risk I was willing to take.

A lot of people ask me the same questions. Where did I learn to cook? What school did I go to? How come I just know what to do? etc. Well I didn't go to a school per say. I went to the Heidi Academy. I rolled up my sleeves, dove in and poured over book after book, made recipe after recipe. I made up my own curriculum for free and it has payed off (so far). Having the passion and love of food always helps. Even as a little girl cooking was very special to me...so was food, I was a chubby monster. I am always learning....always and probably will continue until my very last breath.

With a catering company it is hard in that I want to share a lot of my recipes but those recipes are also part of my job. It's hard to know what to give out and what to keep to myself. The more I realize my catering days are over for a little while (now that I'm having twins) I can maybe be a little more generous with what I know, and here's why I want to be....

Joy. One of my favorite things in the whole world is to feed people. To watch their eyes roll back in their head because of the bite they just took. Food brings people together, good food makes everything better. There is something magical about it. I want this for my friends and for my readers. To make a magical moment even it it's with the best chili con carne topped with big bits of thick bacon, jack cheese, avocados, cilantro and the creamiest sour cream. It can happen, I've been there. Even chili can bring everyone together. Now if I could only eat this amazing chili while riding a unicorn...that would truly make it magical...but I digress.

There might be things I throw at you that are a little bit different but it doesn't mean you can't do it or you won't like it. We will cover pastries and work with butter. Sometimes the things that seem the scariest are actually the easiest to make...surprise! There might also be tips, like where to by things, how to pick the best items that fit in your budget and how to stock your pantry. You will see how breezy it can be to make something wonderful and bring joy to those around you...um and yourself, lets not forget that part.

I would love suggestions. You that replied to my FB post, thank you! If you have a certain term you don't understand, or things that have failed in the past and you just don't know why, leave a comment and I will help you. You are probably not alone. This is for you, so you can learn and be even better in the kitchen. May it bring you oodles of joy.

xoxoxo

Heidi

Easy Entertaining - you can do this!

2012-01-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

We recently had house guests and I wanted to make sure they had a yummy snack after their flight and long drive. This was the perfect arrangement of easy to set out food but something delicious that made an impression. Even if you aren't an extravagant cook, you can totally do this. It's beautiful to boot!

What are we looking at here: (left to right)
Grapes-separated into easy to handle small clumps
English Cucumber Slices
Peppered Salami
Chevre-goat cheese (I like Trader Joe's silver label, but costco has some good chevre too)
Slices of prosciutto
Fuji apple thinly sliced and tossed with lemon

I served this with a medley of crackers on a plate next to this one.

I placed things in groupings that compliment each other. The French often eat cucumber slices with salami and prosciutto pairs nicely with fruit. I normally would do melon along side the prosciutto but due to them not being in season I opted for apples. Most of you probably know this but tossing apples in lemon helps lessen the browning process.

Since I can't see myself catering anytime soon, I will share a trick I have discovered. Anytime you are serving a hunk of cheese where people may help themselves, whether it be a wedge of Brie or a big piece of Point Reyes Blue, you want to take your cheese knife and dig into it a little. This invites people to go for it. No one ever seems to want to be the first one to dig the knife in, so its just easier if you do it for them. As you can see, I did this in the picture above, it wasn't for show, that's just how I do it because I know better.

The only work this involves is slicing the cucumber and apples and maybe cutting down the grapes into smaller clusters. I just use my kitchen scissors and snip them up. See anyone can do it, and your friends will be impressed.....and you just say "why thank you".

You are welcome!

xoxoxo

Heidi

Chapter four: Hello pounds, goodbye dream

2012-01-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

image via http://vintagegal.tumblr.com

I finally made it past where I had with the last pregnancy. Shew, but not shew completely. I knew better than to high five myself at this point. No ma'am. I scheduled my blood test again and hoped I would make it until then. Once I reached my appointment I was able to breath a little easier. The nurse called me later that day "Well miss, congratulations, you're pregnant". Yah, thanks...I'm pretty sure that's why I scheduled the appointment, good thing you told me though. You guys, I'm really not a nice person. I didn't actually say that to her, she was nice enough, but in a perfect world I would have. See?..not nice.

My next "paper work" appointment was up next. If you've ever been to one of these, they disguise it by calling it a "paper work" appointment but you are only to come alone. What it really is, is..does your boyfriend/husband beat you? appointment...really you can tell us..appointment. I'm not sure how many times the nurse hinted at this as we filled out the same exact paperwork I had spent hours completing at the previous blood test appointment. I finally told the lady "look, if someone actually had the balls to beat me, I'm pretty sure they're still missing...capiche?". She laughed, I however was not laughing and it was a prefect world at that moment because I really did say that. Again, not nice. They ended up taking my blood pressure, and my weight just like they did at the last appointment. "Go ahead, steppy on up the scale" she says to me. Who says steppy? No one with a pair of broken legs that's who. So I strip myself, loosing as much stuff as I can, my goddy turquoise ring, shoes, sweater, bobby pin, lint off of my shirt. All tricks I had learned at my Weight Watchers meetings trying to lose the fat I had acquired from my last baby. As I steppy up on the scale she starts sliding the top nob over to the right..more and more...and over and over. Seriously? "10lbs" she says. 10 pounds? What does that mean? "You've gained 10 pounds since the last time you were here." THANK YOU! Thanks for clearing that up. The sad part is, is that the last time I was there was one week ago. How does someone gain 10 pounds in a week? Mmmmk? Is that even possible? My clothes fit fine as far as I could tell. Great. Just great. So much for not getting fat. I'll just scratch that off my little dream list that is definitely getting hit by that train. I can hear the train whistle now. Chugga chug chug.

I went home good and mad. Angry at the steppy up language and more than anything at the 10 effing pounds I gained in one week. I started doing the math, 10 x 40 weeks=4000 pounds! Holy hell....did I do the math right? I've always never been good at math. I even got out my phone and did it on my fail proof calculator which was apparently failing because it said 4000.That is the size of a whale! A walrus? A huge elephant? So I literally just googled a 4000 pound animal, and do you know what came up? Guess? A cow! How very appropriate! Of course it would be a cow. UUGGHHH. (p.s. I know the equation is wrong...but this is to show you how my mind actually works and in my world...40x10 is 4000lbs...not 400 like it would be in yours per say).

I'll fly away, fly away oh lordy..I'll...fly away in the morning.....and so the eulogy to my little life and silly dream starts to play on a mega phone. All I can do is cover my ears!

So I went quickly into healthy freak eating mode. I will not, not, not get fat. I wasn't trying to loose weight because that is bad when you're knocked up, I was just trying not to be anymore ridiculous the next time I had to steppy up which was in a few weeks. It turned out this healthy freak eating wasn't so bad and you know what? I felt pretty good.

I also was on the hunt to figure out how long I could conceal this pregnancy. I was pretty darn confident at least 3 months. Have you ever watched that show I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant? I was for sure I was going to be one of those women that could hide it, the only difference is that I was doing it on purpose. Watching those other crazy sad shows about teenagers who can hide it from their parents for 9 months also made me think...okay..what did they wear? Hoodies and baggy jeans. Yes, if I dress like Left Eye from TLC I will surely fool everyone. Thug life 4eva was what would help me out....I could do it, I went to Florin. (anyone who doesn't know what Florin is, won't get that joke..for all the rest of who do....amen right?)

I was ready. Hoodie? Check. Baggy Jeans? ummm not really, I wore cigarette jeans but the hoodie would faze out what counted. It was go time, no one would know. Who's pregnant? that's right...no one was. Very good, you're catching on.

It was totally working. Healthy freak eating was on track, thug trickery outfit in place. Ha ha ha no one was the wiser and it was time for my next appointment. This would be quick, painless even. I would get my little ultrasound, steppy up on the scale. It was all good. All too good.

Chapter three: Airing dirty laundry

2012-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Image via http://www.discoveryresearchgroup.com

I won't sugar coat this for you, I was a nasty little beast while all of this was going on. I was edgy, pissed and felt severely betrayed by my own body. Here I had let this idea that I wasn't sure of in the first place take a seat in my life and it blew up in my face. I had invited it in....part of me accepted it and then the carpet was ripped out from under my legs. Nice.

Nobody ever really wants to lose a baby. As sad as Baby Loving Man was I still don't think he really knew how much this whole thing really affected my brain. I was even a little surprised at just how taken back I was by the whole thing. I think talking about miscarriages feels like we are airing them out on the line to dry for the whole neighborhood to see. It's hard to bring up. "Hey,..sorry I've been such a B face lately....I've had a miscarriage..so there ya go". It's just not that simple. Most of the people I know reading this are finding my experience out for the first time because I didn't talk about it. And as women I think we deal with it quietly and as quickly as possible even thinking that maybe we don't have a right to be as sad as we really are. And may I just say...you have a right to be as sad as you damn well please for as long as you damn well want. You were pregnant for heavens sake and then your not. Not fun stuff here.

Sitting in the car which was parked in my driveway I tried to make sense of what this all meant. Was it a sign that this shouldn't go on? Was it a test to see how bad I really wanted it? Why was this happening? Unfortunately I have a hard time just going along with things. I need to know why, when, where. Asking these questions while it can be a good quality also can drag things out for the long haul and I know makes me a bit of a pill to be around. These were legitimate questions that I needed answers to though. Where were the answers? I'll just be in my car parked in my driveway Universe whenever you a ready to answer them. Thanks.

Did I really want to do this one more time? What if it didn't work? Would it be even more devastating if I did and it all went wrong again? I wasn't sure I could take it. But the nagging little inkling again got the better of me. I saw how this whole miscarriage thing impacted me and if I didn't want a baby...then why was this so hard? It was something I was willing to do one more time. But one more was all I think I could take. We could take.

We were headed to California shortly after this whole disaster. Mike was there for work and the kids and I hitched a ride with him to see our friends and family. I was trying to protect myself from being hurt again, trying not to think about whether this one last effort at a baby had worked. I tried not to even care and our trip proved to be a great distraction. There was too much to do and way too many places to be to even give much of it a real thought. I had set it up on a shelf and let it sit until I was ready to give a good glance.

Towards the end of our trip just a day or two before I could take the test, the same thing started to happen like the last time. What the hell? No oh no..please no. And then it stopped..just like that. What-the-freak Universe! You are an evil B aren't you? I would really be curious to know who I was in a past life that I'm paying for in this one! My sister in law begged me to take a test..the test. It better be positive because there was going to be no other tests taken by this lady, not one more.

I set it on the counter and walked out of the bathroom. I had Baby Loving Man come in and see what the results were, he knew that if it wasn't good he was out of luck and I know it freaked him out something fierce. He walked out of the room smiling, hugging me. I was happy. I was. But I wasn't convinced it would stick .

As we returned from California I was dreading going home in a strange way. I didn't want to have to face my friends after this all went badly. No one knowing was hard enough and then to put on my big girl happy panties for everyone was much harder. I just didn't want anything to do with it really. In plain words, it sucked. Waiting for anything to go badly sucks.

Chapter two: Losing is a two way street

2012-01-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

There in my kitchen I had lost this battle. I looked around at the pale butter cream yellow walls and yellow fromica counter tops (those colors were not my choices) and tried not to be bitter realizing what had just happened. I looked up at my huge print by Leonetto Cappielo for comfort. There was something about the character dancing around, holding his huge plate of pasta, twirling it gleefully with a big fork for all the world to see that made me happy. I waited staring at him, hoping for just this one moment in time he would set down his pasta and tell me this was all going to be okay. A wink? Wink twice if this is a bad idea. Once? Nothing. Traitor with your pasta and clown outfit.

As the reality kicked in I started thinking about how I was going to explain this new decision to my friends and family. For all they knew I was done. Finished. Not having more kids. I don't know how else to say that to make it more clear. No more I tell you! I decided to warn two of my friends as courtesy not to blindside them later and it was hard not to be a little embarrassed. "Yes, I know I already have 3 but one more will do". Sounds great rolling of one's tongue. They were very supportive, but I could see the look of Beezy's gone crazy, and they were right. I had gone crazy. The whole thing was ridiculous.

The next hurdle-I now had to make the dreaded trip to the doctor. As women we all know how that goes and lets just say I needed to get some road blocks out of the way. This step was HUGE because it made it real now. Like for reals. And who was making it real? I was. Panic was my constant companion at this point and we were joined at the hip having a grand ole time. It was getting really hot and heavy between us. I was hoping he would break it off very soon.

To the rest of the world this was a secret. I wasn't telling anyone until I actually had something to tell them which wasn't now. My lips were zipped shut, I was doing this on my own. Who needed to know anyway? Nobody.

I've always had respect and a huge amount of compassion for woman who haven't had the ability to conceive their own children. Women who have gone years checking every month to see whether they are having a baby or not. Although I had a great deal of compassion for these woman I still had a hard time relating because I have always been "fertile myrtle" and have come from a long line of breeders as my family likes to say. Imagine a poster with my face on it and below the caption says "If you sneeze on me I'll have your baby". Horrifying but you get the idea. If anything I've always tried to not get pregnant. I knew as soon as we tried, it would be a done deal. There was an arrogant confidence there because it had never been a problem for me. Let's just say one out of my three kids were planned.

June rolled around and nothing. July.........nothing. August.......nada. Ummm hello? Someone sneeze already!
Waiting each month wondering if you are having a baby only to see no line on your test effs with your brain! It's frustrating and sad and you start to wonder what is exactly wrong with you. To the women who have done this song and dance for years, may I say what strong and lovely souls you are. I got a real taste of how it feels and its not fun at all. It's discouraging and you wonder why you are continuing this nonsense.

Finally in September I took my ritualistic test that I just knew would be negative and low and behold there was a little line where no line had been before. I was relieved that it was there but at that point it had become a game in my mind...and I had to win and won I had. Baby Loving Man was of course elated and we had made a pact to wait before telling anyone. I had all of these emotions swirling around my head. On one hand I was so happy that I wasn't broken and on the other had it was now so real...and my little life and silly dreams were once again helplessly tied to the train track. I could see it all unfolding before my eyes. I better start brushing up on I'll Fly Away because the funeral was about to begin. I despised my double feelings about the whole matter. But they were valid feelings in my mind and they were there...stuck whether I liked it or not.

About 5 weeks into it, the day I was supposed to go in to my OB and take my blood test I miscarried. I had never had a miscarriage before. I had to call and cancel my appointment and let things go on as they were. It was heartbreaking. I felt not only heartbroken but guilty because of how previously bitter I was about my little life's funeral that wasn't even going to happen now. What kind of a monster was I? Who thinks like this? Sick people like me that's who. Sick freaks. I realized going through this that I really did want a baby. Once it was there and now gone so suddenly I wanted it. Was the Universe checking to see how bad I really wanted this? It messed with my head I won't lie. Baby Loving Man was devastated. Why should we even continue any of this? The whole thing was a dismal mess. Things were not good here on the home front.

Chapter One: One more is just too many

2012-01-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

My husband is one of those sweet men that just loves a baby. He can't get enough of them, holding them, talking to them. I guess having 40 or so nieces and nephews does that to you. I on the other hand have one brother that is 6 years younger than me, and lets just say I got my fill changing his diapers. I never grew up around babies and that was just find with me. With our first son, I made Mike come to the baby shower with me. He wasn't thrilled but he did it. A lady saw him there and shouted "Lets make him change a diaper!!" I think it was an attempt to initiate him into father hood and embarrass the crap out of him . If she only knew that her comment probably should have been thrown at me. He definitely knew more about babies than I did. It's a quality I adore about him. However, with this love of babies comes the love of wanting his own. He has three and you would think three is plenty. Well at least I do.

Over the last few years he has hinted (many times) that maybe we should have one more. ONE more, while as my youngest son grows older, the thought of starting all over in the baby department also seems to fade more and more out of the picture. But deep down in my resisting heart, I knew he was right, that our family needed just one more person in it and that's when my selfish side comes to the fore front.

Here's is my line up: Michael is my oldest and is 10, Arie is 7, and Noah is 5. These are self sufficient people for the most part. They can get their own cereal, fold clothes, clean bathrooms. Not to mention that here in Washington, 5 means you get to go to Kindergarten next Sept. I would have all week to myself...TO MY SELF...to do what ever the heck I want. I had visions of starting my Etsy store back up, making purdy signs again, working out, watching crummy soap operas, singing Adele songs as loud as I want! These are real dreams people. I shouldn't leave out that I also didn't want to get fat. Let's just be honest. So as these feelings of "one more" bubble up, my dreams of having a little life to myself stops dead in its tracks. It then gets hit by a train, and then has a funeral where I would sing I'll Fly Away. Game over.

The more I tried to deny this possible baby, the more the Universe decided to show me how wrong I was. I can't even count the times my extended family has "accidentally" set out an extra place setting for a child that didn't exist. Or a friend wondering where my "other" kid was...when they had already counted 3. Someone else I knew actually used these words and I quote "It feels like someone's missing." Was this the Universe screaming out to me "Stop denying this you hag...it's what you are supposed to do! Get with the bloody program". I'm not sure if the Universe says bad words originating in England, but she could and this would be an appropriate time for her time to do so. Sometimes bad words are the only way to get my attention. It sounds fun but not always.

So Mike and I finally had the talk. The talk I hoped to resolve this issue and put it to rest once and for all. We talked about all of the cons. How it would affect our goals and our money and or family and you name it. This idea of having one more baby didn't look good and part of me was so very relieved. And when the conversation was over, we decided that was that. There would be no train to come and crush my new little life, I would not be singing I'll Fly Away anytime soon. Glorious! But I could see the sadness in his face even though he knew it just wasn't going to work. It just was not. How could it? It didn't make sense. I got up as fast as I could so it could just be over.

That whole night I could barely sleep. I was wrestling with myself, but why? I had gotten what I wanted. No more babies, no buying diapers, sleeping through the night ....part of my life back. But that stupid little inkling that someone else was missing didn't go away. What was that whole stupid conversation about if it didn't go away? I had everything under the sun to back it up that it was not an awesome idea. But it wouldn't stop. There was no way I was telling this baby loving man that it was still there, the possibility lurking in my brain, in my heart. Not one word.

The next evening Mike took me aside and said "The thing is, is that I know it's not a good idea, but I think we are supposed to do it any way." DAMMMNNNN ITTTT!!! Why, oh why, oh why, did you have to say those words!!! I stood there in the kitchen, staring at the freaking floor, at my worn Lucky Brand slippers, and realized he had won.

Things that go bump...in the bathtub.

2012-01-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

image from pinterest

It would be nice to think that as we all mature, our boogie men and strange childhood phobias would out grow us. And for some they probably do. For me this is NOT the case. And last night I realized how ridiculous I really am because of how my imagination can still get the better of me.

There are things even now that freak me out so bad it limits a lot of things I do. For example, there is no way that I will ever swim in a pool at night in the deep end and now that I think about it, I try and stay in the shallow end even in the day time. Luckily I still have kids that are learning to swim so I can blame it on them. I don't make a big deal about it when swimming, actually it really embarrasses me. It's not that I can't swim either. I was on the swim team for a really long time and was really quite good at it. The real reason is because of sharks. That's right, sharks...like the ones in the ocean.

I know.

But my imagination somehow convinces me that there are fresh water great white sharks that can mimic the siding of a pool so they are virtually invisible. And there at the bottom totally incognito they wait oh so patiently until I come along splashing up a storm only to snatch me up by my legs and drag me to an untimely watery death. Yes I'm 31 years old.

Which now brings to me the bathtub story and oh how appropriate since we are still dealing with my fears of water and what lies beneath.

So I decide to take a bath and now that I am pregnant with twins baths are the only thing that I enjoy about my life right now. I turn the water on, add some bubble bath and walk away to get myself ready...you know the drill. Now may I start off with saying I always inspect the bathtub before I even start running the water because the last thing I want to do is to find out I've been in there with a huge dead daddylong legs and then have a heart attack and die.

I get into the bath which is still filling up, bubbles are piled everywhere and I sit there waiting for my feet to get warm and then all of a sudden something pokes the side of my rear. I jump thinking who is trying to attack me in this bathtub! (because so many times people attack me in the bathtub right?) and so I swish the water in that area to see what's there..but nothing. Now I can't see below all of the bubbles and I'm totally clueless as to what is actually in the water with me. I'm telling myself that it was nothing when it happens again but this time on my leg. And you know what? It feels like little baby doll fingers are trying to come and get me!!! (my doll phobia is a whole other story) At this point I wish an old man wearing a helmet and a handle bar mustache was in there with me. So I swish the water again and nothing. This happens several times all around the tub and each time I can visualize the creepy baby doll coming after me. I leap out of the tub and I'm so freaked out that I can't even muster the courage to stick my hand in the water to fish out what it is so I just undo the drain as fast as I can and wait. As the water gets closer and closer to the drain and the bubbles start to fade I can make out something...it's red...please don't be a red devil baby doll head....wha? Do you know what it was? It was my son's lego boat the size of a cell phone. Jokes on me baby doll...jokes on me.

People...I don't even know what to say other than I am a complete crack head! I've had 3 10lb children, 2 major back surgeries and a whole slew of other frightening things happen to me. But fresh water pool sharks, red lego boats and creepy baby dolls seem to be just too much for this hag.

Cheers to all of you who still hold on to your childhood phobias...lets just say we live in excitement even if it's in our own mind.

xoxoxox

Heidi

Tender Mercies

2012-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

I was searching through my posts recently and came across one that I wrote last year at this very same time. It was my New Years resolution to myself..To Forgive. I made the title into a link if you want to go read it but a lot of you already have.

Unfortunately I 'm still working on this subject. It's probably something that will take me longer than 1 year to totally get over but here's what I've learned so far in the midst of trying to break it all down and figure it all out. I've discovered the tender mercies I've been blessed with in my life. And in discovering these treasures it has helped ease the pain, the hurt, and the heartache.

I was able to meet my father in August of 2008. The timing was interesting because Mike would be starting school again that month and I knew it would be a year before I would have another opportunity to meet him. I bought my plane ticket for Texas and it just wasn't an option not to go. I know he even had reservations about me coming, a lot having to do with me not approving of his lifestyle which never was an issue for me. But I was going..no matter what anyone said because it was something I just had to do...like I said before, in my mind there was no other option.

The day that I was to leave Texas, my Dad and I were alone in the house. We had about 4 hours to kill before we had to leave for Houston to catch my flight. He sat in his big rocking chair with a very solemn look on his face and I asked what was wrong. He told me that every time he had bargained with God he had always followed through. He asked God to let him keep his job at the paper mill until all of his daughters graduated high school. After my last sister was done, the paper mill closed and he was out of the job. He went on to say that he also prayed his whole life that he would live long enough to see me and that now that it has happened he knew his time was short.."God always keeps his promises" he said.

It was a heart breaking moment. Tears running down his face I knew somehow deep inside he was right and it was something I will never forget. We just sat there, the both of us crying like little girls knowing his fate.

As I got out of his truck at the airport I knew the next time I came to Texas everything would be different. We talked just about everyday after I got home. He would tell me in each conversation that time was running out and this could be the last time we talked. I would always stop him and tell him not to think that way. That February he was killed.

Although I have a hole in my heart that will probably never ever ever mend, as I examine the events that lead up to that moment I realize the tender mercy the lord gave me. If I hadn't have gone that August I would have never met my Dad in person. If I hadn't pursued looking for him when I did, then it would have been too late later down the line. It's is not a coincidence...not one bit of it. As angry as I am that he is gone, it is eased by my Heavenly Father loving me enough to give me the opportunity, my tender mercy in meeting him and giving me those memories before he was gone. A precious gift I am eternaly thankful for.

Sometimes life can be so cruel. Sometimes our tender mercies are the only things that make this life bearable. Realizing that him leaving this earth was part of his plan helps me forgive the woman who hit him.

When I look at the picture I posted above, I see myself as a little girl. How could our Heavenly Father not love his children? How could the Savior not love his sister? They want us to be happy. My new year's resolution is not only to still pursue forgiving, but seeing the tender mercies in even the worst of times.

May this year be your brightest year!

love,
Heidi

The right tool...for the right job.

2011-12-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need the right tool for the right job. When I look around at creations I have powered out over the years I can't help but be a little baffled at the tools (or lack of) that I have used to get the job done.

For example...take a look at this sad little guy....

Can you believe this is the only glue gun I have ever owned? Sadness. This is a fine tool for gluing on some small lettering. Maybe adhering some ribbon to a bobby pin...or helping your friend glue a barbie head back on...but not for something like this:

For the love of toothpicks don't you ever use a glue gun this size with little glue sticks the size of swizzle sticks to do something of this nature. Not only did I have hand seizures...I had blisters on my thumb and pointer finger and I even made up a new cuss word from burning myself several times because I had to work so fast to compensate for the tiny beads of swizzle glue that came out of my infant sized gun. "B face" was the new cuss word in case you were curious....you have my permission to use it, but just don't use it in front of your kids. Mmmmmk?

So I got a little money for Christmas and I decided to buy something that was actually for myself...low and behold my dears...a human size glue gunner! yes Ma'am I did it. And I can't stop dreaming of all the things I can hot glue now that I won't be crippled with glue gunner's arthritis.

Ahhh yes I'm on to bigger and better things. Now that I have this new tool I can finally put my big girl crafting panties on and join the rest of you with dignity!

YAY FOR ME!

xoxoxo

Heidi

Happy New Year from us...

2011-12-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe another year has gone by. This will be our second Christmas here in Washington making it almost a year and a half that we have been here.

I get a lot of people asking me if we have adjusted to living here. I think it took a while, especially with the weather. But we are lucky to have many great friends that make it easy to live far away from what we know. Not to mention the marion berries/blackberries in September and our friend who brings us fresh crab from his boat. Those things make it even easier :)

The boys have had to get used to it ALWAYS raining. So they have to get creative inside rather than playing a lot outside. Which I know they miss.

Michael now 10, played soccer this year and has been doing great in school. He currently plays clarinet in the school band and loves that. He is really excelling in math and still has his love affair with WWII. He is becoming quite the history buff and is determined that he will be a Navy Seal. I sat him down and we read about Hell Week (which is basically Navy Seal boot camp) and even after reading that he says "Well I guess I better get started on my swimming lessons quick".

Arie is 7 and our walking encyclopedia. He loves to read read read. He also absorbs some pretty random but impressive knowledge (he is the one with the bow tie). This year he really wants to play basketball which he has a talent for. He also loves to draw and won an award recently for a contest at school.

Noah just turned 5 and is trying out how to be like his brothers. For better or worse its been and interesting ride. He also played soccer this year and had a great time. He also attends a Lutheran Preschool that he adores and loves his teacher, Ms. Theresa. He basically likes to do what ever his brothers are doing which drives them absolutely mad. Even when he's naughty he is absolutely adorable and he knows it.

Mike and I are still trying to wrap our brains around our twins which are due this coming June. We find out what they will be at the end of January and I know our family is chomping at the bit wanting to know the results.

Mike loves his job at the shipyard and it has been a huge blessing for us. He is also EQ President in our ward.

As for me...one day at a time I guess. Sounds fun right? There are so many things I want to do this next year and it will be interesting finding that balance with 5 kids! I also was recently called to YW 1st counselor which has been a lot of fun. I am excited to get to know the girls better this coming year.

We want to thank all of you who our in our lives. How lucky are we to have great friends and family that love and support us. Thank you! May this new year be your best year!

with love,

The Janssons

A REAL holidays left over sandwich!

2011-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Questions for you?

1. Do you make left over turkey sandwiches after the holidays?

2. Do you brine your turkey? (boo if you don't)

3. Does bacon ever make it onto said left over sandwich? (bacon makes everything better...everything! except in ginger cookies...don't ask)

These are rhetorical questions....that means answer them in you mind..not out loud. Unfortunately I found out what rhetorical meant in 5th grade during the family life portion of our curriculum. Again...don't ask.

This my friends is my husband's left over turkey day sandwich.

Isn't it lovely?

We've got tomatoes, we've got avocados, jalapeno cranberry sauce, BACON (extra thick), yummy turkey breast, swiss cheese, lettuce, dijon, mayo and the rolls my lovely sister in law makes each year.

THIS IS A SANDWICH!

I had no intent of putting this on my blog when I made it. But it was sitting on the table waiting for him and it was winking at me...so I took it's picture.

What do you like on your left over turkey sandwiches?

XOXO

Heidi

Happy Stacker Gift

2011-10-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

If this is any comfort to you, I DO NOT place myself in the category a seamstress. My mother on the other hand is an amazing seamstress who would try and teach me sewing projects only to probably run in her room and scream into her pillow.

There is my famous boxer story. I was about 13 years old and wearing men's boxers were all the rage (barf) so I had my mom teach me how to make some so I could have an array of choices in my sad 90's wardrobe. My first one came out okay (with high alert supervision). My mom decided to let me go on my own and with my crazy need for instant gratification I threw the instructions aside and started sewing away...each pair getting more and more grossly distorted only for the last pair to have only one leg hole, elastic around the waist only pulling at one side and a whole other list of issues. That was my last sewing lesson. EVER.

So I've never been like...yep I'm a sewer. Having said that because I have little sewing experience I have no idea what projects are considered beginning or advanced because I only have those hellish boxers to compare them to.

So I decided to make this:

(if you are wondering what this is, it's a child's stacking toy. It has a separate base in which the circles slide over creating the stack you see here)

and I thought...circles! I can draw freaking circles in my sleep. How hard would it be to sew some circles...seriously! No seriously! IT SUCKS!

I think I even sewed up some new cuss words while making this project. But it was worth it for who I was making it for. This was a gift for my newest little niece, Sofia. And as you can tell with the cupcake motif I am once again living vicariously through someone else's daughter.

I made this in 3 days...so cussing was in order.

It's not perfect but it came out okay by my freakishly ridiculous standards.

The best part was, I showed my mom, and I think she simultaneously peed her pants and shed a tear dumbfounded that her daughter who sews one legged men's boxers could sew this.

Apparently by sewing standards this is something even my mom would never attempt. Maybe I can sew...a little.

xoxoxo

Heidi

This is a pattern by Heather Bailey

Marion Berry Lattice Pie

2011-10-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

It's lame! Now that I am posting this, berry season is officially over here in the Pacific NW. Hopefully some of you here picked as much as you could and froze some. If that's the case then you can still make this :)

Yes Monica, there's lattice on top!

I like to do my pies...well...rustic looking. I think pies should look homey and not too perfect. High standards still people!

I used Paula Dean's Blackberry Pie recipe and Ina Garten's Perfect Pie Crust.

The only difference is I used marion berries instead of blackberries. I have a huge patch right next to my house. Marion berries are interesting. Imagine a blackberry and a blueberry had a baby (I know..another food love child analogy)...but that's what a marion berry tastes like. They look like a blackberry on steroids. They are huge and beautiful and bleed almost a bright maroon/pink juice...almost like a beet would. They're different..but still yummy!

I would liked to have had a pictures of an actual cut piece, but my family devoured it so fast I was barely able to take these.

I can't wait until next year's batch!

xoxox

Heidi

German Festival Ham and White Bean Stew

2011-09-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

If you picked up your Bountiful Basket last Saturday then you have some kale probably still sitting in your fridge. Hopefully you put it in the right drawer so it's not limping, wilted and making sad faces at you every time you open the door. This is another one of those veggies that people have no idea what to do with. It's a plant people...it's okay..it can't hurt you :)

I made this great stew/soup the other night with it, but I didn't have time to take fancy pictures. Everyone kind of just gobbled it down and it was all gone! (kids soccer practices will seriously kill me). This recipe I've included is straight out of one of my favorite cookbooks, picture and all.

The book is called Real Cajun by Donald Link. This man is a genius and if I could have anyone cook for me...it would be him!

I know..soup in the summer...

You can do it! Use that Kale!

It's definitely not a hard recipe at all, the only warning I have for you is that you need to let the beans soak overnight. Other than that....it's pretty much fool proof.

German Festival Ham and White Bean Stew

Serves 10 to 12

After I sampled this rich, hearty combination at the Robert's Cove Germanfest (where it was ladled into Styrofoam bowls), it became a family favorite. There, the beans were creamy, super-thick (more like a side dish than something you'd serve in a soup bowl), and laced with an incredible smoked ham flavor. Whole-grain mustard and collards give the classic ham-and-bean combination more flavor (and a distinctive German-Southern twist). I've made this version more stewlike because I love the smoky broth that it creates.

For a creamier texture, puree a portion of the finished stew. If you don't have a blender, you can smash some of the beans the old-fashioned way by pressing them against the side of the pot with your cooking spoon. Some beans are good to leave whole and some, like black-eyed peas, are better mashed up a little. White beans are somewhere in the middle.

This recipe makes a large pot of stew, so you can invite people over or have delicious leftovers.

As with all stews, it will taste even better the next day.

3 cups dried white beans (any variety)
2 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds best-quality smoked ham or tasso (see Resources,
page 250 of the book), cut in 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard
A 4-inch fresh rosemary sprig, minced
9 cups chicken broth
1 small bunch collard greens or kale, large stems cut out,
leaves cut into 2-inch squares

Place the beans in a large pot with enough water to cover them by 4 inches. Soak the beans overnight.

Heat the butter or bacon fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, jalapeno, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the ham, mustard, and rosemary, cook for 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pot along with the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook the stew at a simmer for 1 hour.

Add the greens and cook for 30 minutes more. Turn off heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

At this point you can serve the soup as is, or, to make a creamier soup with a thicker body, puree 2 cups of the stew in a blender and return to the pot. (You can also place an immersion blender in the pot and pulse for a few seconds to accomplish the same thing.) Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as desired, Serve this stew with plenty of good, crusty bread or cornbread, torn and thrown right into the bowl, or over hot steamed rice.

Beautiful White Corn, Peppers and Cajun Sausage

2011-09-02T16:04:00.001-07:00

There were times in our life when money was really tight. I wasn't able to buy the kind of food I always wanted to. But when I look back, many of my best recipes that I still use even now, were developed out of necessity. I took what I had and what I could get in each season and I made lemonade out of lemons so to speak.

One summer in California I had the sweetest fresh white slough house corn and had a big bowl of red peppers my mother in law had given me. Looking at the two I knew something awesome could be made with a little help from some other helpers. And taa daa! This recipe was born. I took items I had on hand from my fridge (aka the "helpers") and made something wonderful.

I adore white corn. I believe it to be sweeter then it's yellow sister. I've also made this in the winter with frozen white corn from Costco and it worked well.

With little kisses from the fresh rosemary and fresh basil it gives your taste buds something a little unexpected. And with the Cajun sausage giving that kick and a hearty bite it could easily be a meal all by itself.

White Corn, Peppers and Cajun Sausage

serves aprox 4 full serving 6 side helping

Ingredients:

4 ears of white corn (shucked)

1 large red pepper-de seeded chopped

1 poblano pepper-de seeded chopped

1/2 red onion-chopped

6 fresh basil leaves-chiffonade

1 sprig of fresh rosemary-chopped

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 big cajun sausage links (any sausage will do just fine)

3 T butter

2 T olive oil

a dash of cajun season blend

After you are done chopping up your peppers and onion you are going to want to take the ears of corn you have shucked and with a knife cut the kernels off of the ear. I get a big bowl and place the ear in the middle standing straight up and then cut from top to bottom, rotating it until all the sides are done. Doing it in a bowl catches the kernels as the fall.

In a skillet heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add the peppers, onion and rosemary and gently stir so everything cooks evenly. I then add the salt. Yo

u may like more than what I have stated in the recipe. Just as you see the onion start to turn translucent, toss in the corn and continue stirring. You want everything to be cooked but not mushy! Once the corn has been heated through add your basil and sausage...and yes...again with the stirring.

Once everything is nice and hot, add a dash of the cajun seasoning and you-are-done!

xoxox

Heidi

Sweet Potatoes vs Yams and a Recipe!

2011-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Are you confused?

For most people, I guess the only time you might have a hard time with figuring out the difference between these two would be at Thanksgiving or Christmas. But I am going to shed some light on these babies because many of you got them in your Bountiful Baskets this week and have no idea what to do with them.

First we will go over which is which.

Both sweet potatoes and yams are tubers.

tu·ber

noun /ˈt(y)o͞obər/
tubers, plural

A much thickened underground part of a stem or rhizome, e.g., in the potato, serving as a food reserve and bearing buds from which new plants arise

Sweet potatoes are long and a pale yellow/white color. They resemble more of a potato and are very starchy. They are somewhat sweet.

Yams are basically just an orange version of the white sweet potato. They are more fleshy and aren't as starchy. They tend to be what we are more familiar with seeing and are much sweeter. They are commonly called sweet potatoes because...they just are.

Actual yams are indigenous to South America and the West Indies. They look more like ginger roots or a jerusalem artichoke if you've ever seen one of those. They're pretty rugged looking.

Okay...so now you know the difference yes? kind of?

Lets just say if you're going to make a sweet potato casserole by the orange ones!

Now how to prepare them. We are working with the sweet potatoes (white ones) today.

Not the yams.

We will be roasting them. Roasting is a good thing.

I think roasting any vegetable really brings out its flavor. This is a really easy recipe I've created in which they are cooked with a different assortment of peppers and chilies. Super good. We had this along side my bacon wrapped meatloaf. It worked perfect. I usually make this with yukon gold potatoes so I thought this might work for these tubers as well.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Peppers and Chilies

Serves aprox 4

5 white sweet potatoes (depending on the size of your potatoes, mine were pretty small)

1 red pepper

1 pablano pepper

1 hatch chili

1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

dash or two of season salt ( use a cajun blend)

preheat oven to 385

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and chop in half and then into thirds. Place in a bowl. Clean peppers and chilies and chop into large chunks and add to the bowl. Chop the rosemary up and toss in the bowl as well. Drizzle the items in the bowl with the olive oil and then add your salt and season salt. I toss it well with my hands and then scatter it across the cookie sheet and cook in the oven until the sweet potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. about 30 mins or so. It might take longer in your oven.

And...you are done. Super easy!

Tips:

Use fresh rosemary. If you use dried it will taste like dried up pine needles have mysteriously landed in your dish.

Using peppers and chilies really works well in this dish. They give a sweet spicy kick along side their side kicks. I know some people are adverse to them. But try it...you just never know. You can change up the peppers and pretty much get the same results but this combination works great. If you can't find hatch chilies, you can use anahiem chilies instead and they are readily available.

I would say leave me a comment if you make them but you won't and will just call or text me...so I won't bother.

Have fun!

xoxo

Heidi

Colorado Cookies

2011-08-21T18:28:00.001-07:00

A lot of you guys that read my blog seem to be on a baking/cooking quest. So I thought I would help fuel that passion by adding some fun, good result recipes.

These cookies are really good and everyone seems to gobble them up, no matter how picky they are.

I call them my Colorado cookies because they remind me of visiting my Grandparents in Colorado Springs : )

What are they? Imagine an oatmeal cookie and a great chocolate chip cookie had a baby :)

Colorado Cookies:

makes about 3-4 dozen depending on the size of cookie scoop you use

2 sticks of room temperature butter (1 cup)

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature works better)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats ( I use organic toasted oats from Trader Joes)

One 11.5 or 12 oz package of milk chocolate chips ( you can also use semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachement beat the butter and then add the sugars and beat for about 1-2 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add both of the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. I mix mine until it's fluffy.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and rolled oats. Mix together with a wooden spoon and then add it to your butter mixture. Beat on a medium/low speed until everything is combined and then add your bag of chocolate chips and give it a quick stir. The dough will be somewhat stiff.

Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. They will spread out quite a bit. In my oven I bake them for about 11 mins. So I would say between 10-12 mins. The oven time will vary depending on your own oven. The cookies should be golden brown on the outside. As they cool they will flatten a bit and they will be chewy in the center.

Enjoy

xoxox

Heidi

New bountiful basket & what I'm going to do for YOU!

2011-08-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

You guys are so going to get sick of me saying this...but everyone seriously needs to take advantage of this Bountiful Basket Co-op. No I'm not a spokes person for it, but as an avid cook and someone who has respect for fresh produce, I think it really is an amazing opportunity to get fresh food on our tables...affordable fresh food.

Last week there was an eggplant in the basket and many of you had no idea how to cook an eggplant or what to do with it and I was a slacker and didn't get a recipe up here. So here's what I'm going to do.....

I'm going to start posting my favorite recipes for the items in the basket. I will break down what I got in my basket when I get mine so you can see what's there (if you haven't gotten a basket already, maybe this will get you excited about getting your own freaking one!) Yes?

If you haven't read my last post about bountiful baskets and how they work go here.

So this is what I go today. I'm so excited, it was a really great basket.

2 huge bunches of celery (10 stalks on each one)

4 big ears of white corn

1 huge head of green leaf lettuce

5 white peaches

5 nectarines

2 big mangoes (lol)

2 fennel bulbs

10 sweet potatoes

13 beets ( I got more because a lady gave me some)

1 ultra huge cucumber (oh my)

3 heads of broccoli

In my opinion this produce is far superior than produce I have bought from Costco, Safeway or Albertsons. It seems to last way longer (I still have lettuce from two weeks ago) and it is great quality. Like the celery for example has 10 stalks on each head. I bought some from Albertsons that had 6.

And remember....all of of this was 15.00 plus the 1.50 handling fee

The fennel, sweet potatoes and beets are probably what most of you are baffled by and I've got great recipes for each of these items.

So stay tuned and see what you can do with this weeks find.

If you have questions or requests for recipes leave me a comment and let me know.

xoxox

Heidi

Strawberry French Almond Macaroons

2011-08-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of these?

They are very hard to find. I had one once many years ago in a little French bakery in San Francisco. They are heavenly, chewy, crispy sweet goodies. Looking at them at first glance they seem daunting to make. And when you see how much it is to purchase them, you assume they are hard to make and easier to buy.

(In my fancy prance food mag there is a specialty shop selling them for 46.00 a dozen...that's 46.00 for 12....yah I said 12)

So after many years of them frightening me I decided to just go and make them and be done with it. It's not as hard as it seems.

Now....I know many of you like the recipes I have put up and have requested more so I thought I would do a step by step so you can play along and try it.

(ps....I don't know why you guys don't leave comments on here...you'll text me all day about stuff on my blog but you won't leave comments....I don't get it. It's really okay....people do it on other blogs all the time! :)

So are you ready?....ok!

(that was way too peppy..I guess these cookies have that side effect)

TIP: Read the directions ALL the way through before you start any of this madness do you hear me?

French Macaroons

Adapted from Martha Stewarts French Almond Macaroons

makes about 20-30 cookies depending on the size

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups almond flour or finely ground almonds

3 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

red food coloring

Strawberry Buttercream

Set your oven to 300 degrees.

This is the almond meal and I bought it at Trader Joe's. I would suggest pulsing it in a food processor to get it even finer...I think maybe it was a bit too chunky for my taste. It still worked but I think it would be a daintier cookie if the almonds had been finer.

So sift your confectioners' sugar in a bowl and then add your almond flour and combine. It should look like the picture above. Set aside

Next in an electric mixer with the beating attachment, beat your 3 egg whites on a medium speed until foamy and then add your pinch of salt.

Gradually add the granulated sugar little bits at a time while the mixer is still beating. You will want to beat it until the whites reach medium soft peaks. The picture above is what I think medium soft peaks look like.

It's hard to tell, but I added a hint of red food coloring at the end to give it a pink hue. I could have added a lot more but I was scared they would come out baby prostitute pink so I was conservative. Next time I'll add another drop or two.

You are then going to want to fold half of your almond/sugar mixture in with the egg whites. You need to do this very gingerly as to not deflate the egg whites. When I fold in something I take my spatula straight down the middle of the bowl and then scoop around the inside of the bowl and then up and over and then repeat.

Once you have folded in the first half add the 1/4 tsp of vanilla and then fold in the remaining almond sugar mixture.

TIP!: I recommend doing this ahead of time. I will tell you why in a second.

So you need to line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. On one side a traced a round cookie cutter with a pencil and then flipped the parchment paper over and used it as a piping stencil. I would recommend a circular cookie cutter about 1 1/2 round.

The reason you should do this before you whip the egg whites is so your egg whites don't deflate more while you are doing this step.

I took one of my large piping bags, plain without a tip and held my hand above the circle and piped down so the mixture expanded outwards until it reached the circle lines. Piping in a circular motion does not work. If there are little tails that stand up as you lift off with the piping bag, you can get your finger damp and gently pat it down or just wait a minute as your piping the rest and it should go down on its own.

Once you are done put it in the oven for about 25 mins until macaroons feel slightly firm to the touch and can be gently lifted off of the parchment paper. Remove from the oven and let the sit for about 5 mins.

After they have rested for about 5 mins then transfer them to a cooking rack and cool completely.

While these are cooling you can make your favorite strawberry butter-cream to fill the middles. Sorry darlings...that is one recipe I will not be sharing :)

I find it easier to pipe the frosting on one side of a cookie.

And then gently sandwich the other cookie on top..but ever so gently.

And it should turn out like this! So so pretty yes?

The flavor combinations are really endless. I think once you've made them you can play around with different flavorings and fillings.

I'd love to hear how they come out if you make them. (you can leave a comment ya know)

I hope this inspires you to get baking!

xoxox

Heidi

Lavender Shortbread

2011-08-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

I know.....this sounds a little "different" but open your minds and you just might be surprised how good lavender can be in a food item :) How many times have I had to say "open your minds" in one of my blog posts...this must be a bad sign.....

The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place with all kinds of natural beauty including lavender. It seems to be everywhere I look and I'm thinking to myself....what can we do with it? I cut a bunch to dry for some projects and then I thought...how can I use it in some yummy food avenue. Why not shortbread right? I knew you were thinking shortbread just like I was......because what else would you put it in?.....chocolate chip cookies?....I think not! Come on!

So here is one of my favorite shortbread recipes ( I know I'm sharing! Sharing is nice, yes?) with a little flowery twist. YET...it does not taste like a bottle of your grandma's old perfume! It doesn't, there is just something pleasant about it. You know it's there, but it's not too much.

Lavender Shortbread

2 sticks of butter, semi cold cut into pieces

1 cup sugar plus about 2 tablespoons

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tablespoon fresh or dried lavender buds/flowers (i've tried more and it will taste too perfumey..just warning you)

With an electric mixer cream the butter and then add the sugar until it's mixed well. In a bowl mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the mixer and mix until everything is almost incorporated. Add the lavender and mix until the dough comes together.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough a couple of times. I actually kind of squish the dough with my hands because you can't really knead it like bread. You will see that the bits and pieces will come together and the dough won't be as crumbly.

You can either roll it out a little shorter than your pan, or you can press it in a pan. I actually use a round stone dish that is about 10inches and it works really well. The pan you use will depend on how you like your shortbread. I like mine thick so I use a smaller pan, a larger pan will thin it out. Once you've got it in your pan, use a fork and prick the shortbread all over to prevent any buckling. Sprinkle the top with the 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 16 mins and then tap pan on the grate to deflate it a bit. Then bake for about another 17 mins or so until lightly golden brown. Once you take it out, sprinkle it with some more of the sugar. You are going to want to let it completely cool before you try and take it out or cut it....it will break if it's warm. I like to cut mine into wedges, but squares would be great too.

Enjoy,

Heidi

Bountiful Baskets

2011-08-06T11:31:00.001-07:00

Today I went to pick up my first order of produce from Bountiful Baskets.

I actually heard about this from a lady I met in line at Costco. She was telling me how great it was and how it was so much cheaper and yada yada. That I will never buy produce at the store again. She was crazy...pretty sure. (kidding)

So I looked it up online...and thought, I spend enough on fruit and vegetables as it is, why not try it and so how it works. So I thought I would use my experience to maybe demystify what happens and what you get.

Above is a picture of my full order: (1 basket)

2 big bunches of lettuce

1 bunch of spinach

3 heads of broccoli

1 egg plant

1 big bag of yellow onions

1 8oz package of button mushrooms

1 honeydew melon

7 bananas (that were in awesome shape)

6 peaches

4 huge nectarines

2 mangoes

The total? 15.00!

I would spend that much on 1/3 of this at Safeway.

Everything was in pristine condition. I was skeptical that things would be dinged up or bruised, wilted and over ripe. But that was so not the case.

So here's what you do:

Go to Bountiful Baskets' website.

I would suggest reading all the ins and outs but it's really pretty simple.

You can make and order Monday and Tuesday for pick up the following Saturday (this is for Bremerton pick up)

You need to register, pick how many baskets you want (up to 3) and then pay online.

For WA residents you can not choose 100 percent organic at this time. It says you can but you can't right now.

Then you go to the site with your receipt. There is a 20 min pick up window, if you miss it your items will be donated to charity. Bring your own containers to transfer the produce out of your assigned basket into yours.

And your done!

I won't lie, people drive by thinking you're in a soup kitchen line...but obviously you know you're not!

You can't get better stuff at the farmers market right now and it's super cheap!

Hopefully if you were entertaining the idea maybe you will explore it a little further. There are lots of states that participate in this so even if you don't live in WA you can reap the benefits!

XOXO

Heidi

Dirty Dirty....Rice.

2011-07-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Open your minds...

Wait...no......close your eyes.....and think of the yummiest savory side dishes you've ever had.

Now...eliminate them....rewind and delete because THIS my lovelies is not only one of the best side dishes (hell you could eat this as a meal too) but one of the best rice dishes too!

Behold: Dirty Rice

This is a creole cajun fair. You don't run into this much on the left coast (as my dad called it).

This is a very Louisiana, East Texas kind of dish.

Heaven I tell you.

Lesson: It's called Dirty Rice because......

Hold on...now don't freak out.....it's considered "dirty" because there is chicken liver in it...which when cooked gives it a dirty brown look. Oh stop fanning yourself with your hand out of disgust. You are being way over dramatic. I know I know...you don't want to have your food look dirty or have liver in it. But friends...I tell you that you would have no idea that there is liver in this. In my opinion it's this dish's secret weapon.

It melts into the rest of the dish and melds all of the other flavors together. It wouldn't be the same if you eliminated it.

I made it for my kids tonight. They scarfed it down and Mike was eating it out of the pan by the spoonful thinking no one could see him.

XOXOX

Heidi

A Recent Wedding

2011-07-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege this last Saturday to cater Ashley and Nate's wedding.

Here is the happy couple.

They had a beautiful ceremony and reception in the bride's parent's backyard.

They requested a grilled cheese bar and I was up for the challenge.

The sandwiches:

The Ashley: Buttermilk Bread with Cheddar Cheese and Applewood Ham

The Nate: Cracked Wheat Sourdough with Roast Beef, Pepper Jack and Grilled Red Onions

The Newlyweds: Italian Bread, Pesto, Fresh Basil, Fresh Mozzarella and Sliced Tomatoes

I mad these little toothpick flags for each sandwich. The guests wrote their names on the flag and set it in a basket in front of each grilling station.

Cindy Redd did such an amazing job decorating. It was a very magical setting.

The Bride's colors were yellow, blue and green.

Blueberry lemonade was a nice touch of color along with the fruit.

I did not make the beautiful cake, but I did make all of the cupcakes.....lots and lots of them

Cupcake line up:

Chocolate cake filled with raspberry preserves, chocolate butter-cream and a fresh raspberry on top

Sweet carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting sprinkled with cinnamon and raw sugar

Vanilla cake filled with a whole mint oreo topped with a light mint butter-cream and crushed mint oreos.

Lemon cake filled with lemon curd topped with a meringue that is lightly toasted.

Thanks to the Frandsen's for trusting my culinary talents :)

Pictures courtesy of Holly Aprecio Photography

Billy Marmalade Academy: Class Sneak Preview

2011-07-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

1st class sneak preview!

Billy Marmalade Academy

Kids Floor Cushion

If you haven't already, check out the Academy blog and become a follower :) Heck, become a follower of this blog too!

Hope everyone has an awesome 4th!

xoxox

Heidi

Red Velvets and some fizacts

2011-06-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Red Velvets and SomeFizacts (that's Ebonics for facts)

German glass glitter & some paper ruffles!

2011-06-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

I am seriously rage posting right now. It's the only thing I can do from getting in my van and driving away and never coming back. It's only been about a week since my kids have been out of school and I don't think I'm going to make it...at least someone isn't going to make it. Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay...deep breath,....moving on.

So this sign...I bought it at a yard sale pre ruffles and awesomeness. It was barn red, metal, with the saying "believe" on it. We all know I don't like these signs. So I painted it white, and painted it white and more white. But that bleeping believe kept bleeding through! It was killing me. No...it was taunting me.

So I modge podged some book pages onto the middle, got my fabulous German Glass Glitter (glass glitter proceeds all glitters in my opinion) and gussied up some chipboard letters in a french phrase "Je T'adore" meaning I adore.

German Glass Glitter is very sparkly, it's crushed glass after all. It comes in lots of different colors but is pretty expensive. What's cool is after time the edges will actually tarnish giving it a very vintage/antique look to it. Double love it.

Even though the glitter is pretty awesome, this sign needed and extra level of fabulousness.

RUFFLES!

I have all of this old paper that has browned after time. I cut it into about a billion small circles (I know you are thinking....a billion? really? umm yah! Each one of those ruffle things is a circle...you do the math) and started making the ruffles around the perimeter. I'm not gonna lie, I think I went through about two and a half movies before I was finally finished with this part.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out. A little different spin on the regular things out there.

After all, I am a little different...yes?

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

xox

Heidi

Cupcake Scentsy? WHAT???!!!

2011-06-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ummm, have the cupcake gods heard all of my prayers for a cupcake scentsy warmer? Yes! Yes they have!!!

How stinking cute are you! This particular warmer will be available starting July 1st. I've already ordered mine (I've got connections people!) and I can't wait to so it in person.

My dear friend, Sherrie, is based out of Sacramento/Elk Grove. If you go to her personal Scentsy website you can order, pay and get it shipped directly to you in one stop! How easy is that? Here is a link directly to her site Sherrie Cahoon Scentsy.

How can you not resist this warmer!

xoxox

Heidi

Billy Marmalade Academy

2011-06-17T14:49:00.001-07:00

Super Saturday with a Heidi twist? What?... Visit my Billy Marmalade blog to see the details!

Garage Sale Scores AND Things You Should Know

2011-06-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

If you are scoffing at garage sales...you need to get over yourself.

I love garage sales, rummage sales....BARN SALES! If you like to study true human nature at it's finest this is the place to do it. I have witnessed kindness and utter atrocities all in the setting of a person's driveway.

These are some things you need to know if you decide to venture out:

1. Use your ass-ets.-Mike laughs at me because I do my make up and wear cute clothes just to go garage sailing....well heck yes I do. If it means I can wink and wiggle my way down on the price then so be it. It works friends...it works. No shame in using what yo mamma gave you. Booty shake+winky wink=free or less than it was.

2. The non negotiators: Sometimes..even a good booty shake won't crack these people. It's usually men and the occasional woman that are using their own garage sale as a power serge. I encountered probably the worst one when I was in Utah (I am a Utah hater but they have some rockin sales I must say). He had things that were worth a buck priced at like 15 dollars. I think I spent the most time haggling over a pillow just to see if he would break. I offered him 2 dollars less then what he was asking. "Nope...Firm" he would say. Really? What you can't super size your fries now because I'm not wanting to pay the extra 2? Seriously? We repeated this song and dance many times until I looked at him and said..."I don't think you REALLY want to sell anything. So guess what? I'm not going to buy any of your crap" and I left. Freak face!

3. Speaking of high prices: You can always tell when people are trying to sell their "treasures" to pay this months car payment on their Toyota Tundra. These are people running an actual store on their drive way. They try and sell movies for 10 dollars each, shoes for 30. I laugh because I'm like...what makes you think I want to by this crap for more than it is at the Walmart! Are these magical movies? Did Lady Gaga wear those shoes out for coffee? because I'm trying to figure out what is so effing awesome about this junk. And it's never "Junque" because I would pay money for that. My advice when you encounter these types of homes posing as a Ross is run lovelies...run.

4. The nice old lady and the mean old lady: garage sales may be the one place you can find some sort of kindness left in this rotten world. I remember one of our boys wanting something that was very precious to the lady selling it. It was the end of the day and I was out of funds. She waited until we were done looking and as we left she brought it to the car and said "If this doesn't go with you it will sit in my garage and be lonely. Will you take care of it?" How nice was that? Super nice old lady.

Super mean old lady-The ones with antiques out who will tell you over and over as you touch things that they are antique. That they are far more valuable than the virtue of a lady..wait that's not true...but she probably thinks it is. She is the one that watches children like a hawk and has the pissy ring in her voice. To this lady I want to tell her that she is an..........antique...yep. That's exactly what I would tell her. Yes sir.

5.Token Stalker: This is a person that gently follows behind you just enough to see what you are digging through and then waits for you to walk away and or set an item down for a mere second and then snatches it up. They let you do all the dirty work by rummaging through the unknowns and then profit from it. I see this all the time. Sketchy....boo to these people.

6. Victoring the Spoils: My favorite part of the day is bringing all of my lute home. I take each thing and lay it out on the floor and beam over it. I dream about all of the things I will do with each item and then I burst my own bubble realizing how long it will take me and all of the other projects I haven't finished. But whatever....in the moment it was awesome.

Here are a few of my junque treasures I found this weekend :)

Yay! an old See's candy box! It's what is in the awesome old See's box that is cool!

What if I hadn't peeked inside?!

Like..they came pre distressed and this beautiful vintage aqua color. Happy Day!

It seems really hard to find large old books. I scored this one for 1.00. I love it. I don't think I'm ripping this one up.

Ahhh the cigar box. Again, I almost didn't open this either.

It's brimming with old vintage pens and mechanical pencils, lead holders and other cool nick nacks. I asked how much thinking it was going to be like 5 bucks. Nope, 1.00.

These pencils are very nostalgic for me. When I see these, I think of my Grandpa Rhodes. He was always watching how his stocks were doing. He only used these pens to carefully mark his graph paper where he logged the ups and downs of his money. I can't help but smile when I see one.

A wooden lead holder. AWESOME!

I love love love these. Vintage ornaments. One is broken and I don't care!

An old Texas tin! Love my Texas!

Some old apple baskets.

These are just a few of the things I purchased. I have big plans in store for some of them. I'm going to start some "before and after" posts soon. These will be a part of those. I just finished my dresser that I have been making fabulous. Stay tuned to see that reveal!

A big thanks to Sandra Flowers for donating some of her old fencing to me!

XOXOX

Heidi

Pharmacy Grad Cupcakes

2011-06-11T13:27:00.001-07:00

Check out my cupcake blog to see my Pharmacy Grad cupcakes!

Cupcake Crush

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

xox

Heidi

Bread Pan Planter Tutorial

2011-06-03T14:05:00.001-07:00

This might be a little out of the box for some of you. I like quirky decor and most of you know I'm a little "off" so why wouldn't I decorate that way too. It makes the most sense.

I love old tins. I go to garage sales and good will and I see these old muffin tins and bread pans and I want make something out of them and then I can never justify the purchase in my mind so I walk away.

I decided not to walk away this time and I figured 50 cents was worth the risk! So a planter for my succulents is born....with my own weird twist on it. I went ahead a made a tutorial for it so if you want to play along at home you now have the know how :0

First: you need a bread pan. Any old pan will do.

Second: Some jute or hemp. I couldn't find my hemp (sad day) so I used this jute I had lying around. I was kind of "ehh" about it but I really like how it turned out.

Third: A glue gun. Look at how sad my poor glue gun is.

Now lets get crackin'. I hot glued the end of the jute at the corner because it's the most discrete place in my opinion. You need to be mindful if this project will have a 360 degree viewing radius. So glue gracefully so no one will be able to point out your begin and ending points.

I glued at each corner pulling it taut as I did so. I kind of went skiddywampus on purpose so it wasn't so mechanical looking. We want some whimsy yes? Well I do. I also tucked in the end very discretely and glued it down.

Fill with appropriate soil.

Pick appropriate plants. Now listen up,...I say "appropriate" because some plants will straight up die in a tin pan because they need drainage. Because these plants (succulents..my favorite) do not need lots of watering I think they will work just fine. I actually got these on clearance at Lowe's. Don't pick plants that need plenty of water and then call me crying because it didn't work. Use common sense k?

Weirdly enough I find that succulents do better when I put rocks and other natural items with it. Maybe I'm imagining it but it looks cool too so whatev. This looks a little scary but I cleaned it up.

I used and old french graphic courtesy of The Graphics Fairy and tucked it in that wound jute. There was a reason I wound it around. And ta da! It is fin.

So do you like? I think this cost less than 5.00 included pan, jute, soil and plants.

xox

~Heidi

Don't Be a Junk Hater

2011-05-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've been junking a lot lately. Lets spell it "Junque" doesn't it look classier that way? No?...like I said, don't be a hater :)

I have a vision in mind for these awesome old bottles. I would tell you what I'm going to do with them but it's easier for me to just show you when I'm done. That way we don't have any "crazy lady" conversations. I have enough with my husband. (If you don't get that joke read my paper weights post)

I also found some old baking sheets, and old suit case and I'm picking up some old fence wood courtesy of Sandy Flowers....THANK YOU SANDY!!!

All shall be revealed in good time my darlings.

I am looking for old doors, window panes barn wood, chicken wire (anyone?) and stuff like that if anyone is getting rid of these things. Give me a shout!

XOX

Heidi

Fresh Multigrain AWESOME Bread

2011-05-16T14:27:00.001-07:00

Fresh baked bread is the best isn't it?

There are a lot of store brand breads that I really love but if you think about it, the ones we usually like are the ones that mimic the real thing am I right?

I'm not going to pretend that I make bread everyday or that my family eats only homemade bread because that would be me trying to trick you. And I like you too much to trick you.

NOW HOLD ON! ....... oh my gosh I just thought of this.

If you are thinking to yourself...."I make fresh homemade bread all the time in my BREAD MAKER" think again! Bread makers are the devil. Any baked food cooked in a machine that comes out the size of a small recreational vehicle and has a belly button baked into it's rear is from hell.

(I can't believe I found this picture!! hahaha)

My mom used to make bread maker bread all the time when I was growing up and I loathed it. We had to use the "electric knife" to cut pieces off of it because you actually need a power tool to tackle this beast. Then she would cut slices the size of saltio tiles and make pb&j sandwiches for us to take to school. Now the crust alone on these slices could dam a flood they are so thick and HUGE! Why sandbag your doors when you can stuff the crust into the cracks. To make matters worse the pb&j would soak into the bread leaving a mushy deformity encased by the leathery crust.

I remember being in maybe 6th grade and pulling one of these out of my paper sack bag and it was like the whole quad hushed its self. I remember one of my friends looking and me saying " Why is that sandwich the size of your head? AND...what is wrong with it?"

My mom doesn't know this...but I would throw my sandwich away everyday after that and I'm pretty sure it gave me an eating disorder because I never ate lunch in front of anyone EVER again.

See? All of this from a bread maker...I told you it was the devil.

Small recreational vehicle posing as bread=Food from hell

This post about a bread recipe is now turning into a rant....yikes.

So about the real bread. I've made this bread many times and it is really good. It's not hard to make but there is a lot of resting and rising. This recipe makes 2 loaves but if you are using a smaller Kitchen Aid to make it I wouldn't double it because in my opinion it would be really hard on your machine.

A lot of grain breads can be dense and have a tendency to come out like cement bricks. Who loves eating cement with butter and honey on it? I sure as heck don't. This bread comes out beautiful. It cuts nicely, toasts great and is lovely for sandwiches. Even pb&j ones :)

Where does the multigrain come from you ask? Hot cereal! It calls for a 7 grain hot cereal but I use a 10 grain. I love love love Bob Red Mill's brand. If you go to Fred Meyer or Winco it's pretty cheap. I think like less than 3$ a bag and you will have plenty left over for future batches. It also calls for pumpkin seeds which I omitted.

This is an American Test Kitchen recipe. I love this show and my Aunt got me the cookbook for my birthday and it has over 1000 recipes in it. The reason I love American Test Kitchen is because they will make a recipe over and over until it is perfect.

Here is a link to the bread:

Multigrain Bread Recipe

Baking really used to seem daunting to me and sometimes it still does. But you need to take baby steps. I used to take on really hard things and then be disappointed when they wouldn't turn out right. Which then turned me off to trying it or anything else like it again. If you are new to the baking scene and want to have some success start out slow. My advice is to remember baking is a science. Exact measuring and regulating the temperature of things will pay off.

Tips for this recipe:

a. Don't kill your yeast. Make sure your water isn't too hot or you will kill those little guys.

b. Let your melted butter cool so it won't kill the yeast either.

c. Give your dough it's naps. Don't rush the rising/resting times or you will get cement.

Okay well,....have some fun. I hope some of you put your big girl baking panties on and give it a whirl. These pictures are of the bread I made yesterday.

P.s I did not light that bread maker on fire.....

XOXO

Heidi

Paper weights?

2011-05-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

I tell my husband the visions of my creations that develop in my head. As I describe these out loud to him, he usually nods his head and then there's a smirk like....okay crazy lady...whatever you say.

I'm pretty sure my telling him about this idea went something like this:

"Okay...I want to get some canvas and bleach it right? Because you have to bleach canvas in order for it to be just the right creamy color. Then I want to sew it into rectangles and fill it with rice so it's like a bean bag. No....not for a game! Are you kidding me? Listen-to-me....like a grown up bean bag with sayings on it. Fancy sayings do you hear me? And I'm going to hand paint them in black. Whatever...you'll see it will be freaking awesome"

At this point his crazy lady smirk appears and I burst out of the room. There might have been a middle finger being waved around...I don't remember?

Do you love?

They are just cool...sitting there. Doing absolutely nothing.

You could use them as pretty paper weights or even a door stopper I suppose.

Another crazy lady creation by yours truly.

XOX

Heidi

For Capri

2011-05-06T19:31:00.001-07:00

It seems I have to live vicariously through other people having little girls. Having 3 boys leaves me little room for wands and tutus. I'm not sure I would even know what to do with a little girl if I had one. My life consists of decorating rooms in camo and pirate themed things. Not flowers and pretty ribbons.

So, I make the things I would want if I had a daughter to decorate for. I made this for a friend who after having 3 boys is having her very own girl. If you are saying to yourself "There's hope Heidi, she did it now you try" you better shut that nonsense down before I shut it down for you. I'm from Florin.

I love this sign. It's wood with a creme crackle finished and slightly distressed. I love the ornament at the very top. The metal handle is fastened with satin ribbons. I made the flower attached at the side which can actually be taken off and worn.

I hope you all love it as much as I do! Capri's mom did!

XOXOX

Heidi

Fat enough?

2011-04-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

I text my husband to tell him I am making these and he texts "I can hear myself getting fatter".

As if cookies weren't a weakness in the first place. As if you didn't think you could get fatter than you already imagine you are. Darling you are wrong because you can get fatter and you will because this are insane!

This buttery goodness of a cookie has a whole Oreo baked inside. It becomes cakey and ooey gooey in its little home of chocolate chippiness.

See?

I know right? .....

So I can't give you my chocolate chip recipe because I'm an evil B....but I'm sure any good chocolate chip recipe will do. You will need to make two balls of dough and sandwich the Oreo between them. (I used a medium size cookie scoop) Then make sure to create a seal over the sides of the Oreo. Mine kind of looked like hockey pucks before
I put them in the over.

In my oven I baked them for 16 mins. But my oven is a freak of nature so it may vary depending on where you live and how cooperative your oven is.

I hope some of you will try these...your husbands will thank you!

xoxoxo

Heidi

A Tip For You:

2011-04-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

STOP OVER-BAKING YOUR FREAKING STUFF!!!

Look, people ask me all the time how my food comes out the way it does. I've had much practice I can assure you, but the most important thing I've learned over time is to not bake the living breath out of things. Fight your instincts people! If you have brownies in the oven and your little arm opens that door and your brownies jiggle (not your arm) just a tad.....bloody take them out of the oven! They still cook when you take them out. Same with cookies and cakes and PASTA!!! Oh the PASTA...pasta is hellish when it has been cooked so long that it is 400 times the size it should be, not to mention vegetables....like steaming broccoli. Broccoli should still be green when you go to eat it. Not bugger green or dare I say brown, but as green as broccoli is when you put it in the water. Yes?

I swear on my life that if you start trying this, you will see the results. It might take some practice but you will get the hang of it.

REMEMBER:

Things in oven+hot=cooking

Things in oven that are hot and not taken out on time=over done and freaking nasty.

You are not considered a bad person for removing your lovelies from the appropriate cooking method before they are done.

Promise!

xoxoxoxox

Heidi

Easter Tree

2011-04-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

I seriously tried to take really cool pictures of this creation and it just wasn't happening. This is the best I could do :( It's actually very stunning in person. It's adorned with little tea dyed tissue pom pom flowers dusted with glitter, feather butterflies, twig birds nests and a sweet little bird perched on to top branch.

Hope you like!

xoxoxo

Heidi

Strawberry Cupcakes

2011-04-26T21:30:00.001-07:00

Strawberry yumminess topped with a pillowy cream cheese frosting. Lovely I must say.

XOXOX

Heidi

Lemon Meringue My Way

2011-04-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

There are lots of meringue pies out there. I actually was never a huge meringue fan until recently. I think for some people it seems very daunting. And if you've ever had a bad meringue something of any kind.......well that can just ruin it for you right there.

My lemon meringue is more of a lemon mousse filling and then a light, billowy, shiny fluffy cloud of goodness. Perfectly toasted to create a unique texture. The crust is flaky but definitely not dry. Tender for sure.

Perfect? maybe.

Hope this inspires you to make something memorable and delicious!

XOXOXO

Heidi

Ready to ruin some books?

2011-04-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

My mom was always disgusted that I never liked to read books. I was in Honors English that has to count for something right? I promise that I read each page of this book as I ripped it out. She would be so proud.

I saw something like this in Pottery Barn a while ago. I thought the idea might make a really cool wreath. So if your ready to turn an old book about some boy named Gregory being eaten by a shark into something actually interesting then go at it.

XOXOXO

Heidi

Spring has sprung in the Pacific NW

2011-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have been with out my laptop for about 2 months now. It's been killing me not being able to post my new projects.

I'm in some serious need for spring. With only about 2 days of sun with in the last 5 months I've had about all I can stand!

So I decided to be proactive. I'm making it springy in my house! I made this wreath and hung it on my door to remind me it won't always be cloudy....at least I don't think it will.

Hopefully, spring has sprung where you are!

XOXOXO

Heidi

The Place I Live

2011-01-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help but post these...

We went on a little trip to Seabeck with ALL of the boys. We ended up at this little area near the water that had cabin campsites. We thought we would get out and take a look. Here are some of the bizarre things we saw just in a matter of an hour. It was pretty funny.

I seriously wanted to take this little guy home. How freaking cute is he?! It's like a cat-caterpillar. Like it looks like a cat without legs.....Have you ever seen anything like this? Even looking at it now makes me want to squish it from the cuteness. I can't stand it!

Okay..really? A camo slug? This thing was like 6 inches long and I'm not exaggerating. I should have put a hot dog down next to it because I know you're not believing me when I say that. Next time I go to Seabeck I'll pack a hot dog just in case. Just so I can PROVE it to you. I'm not sure which is saddest....that I would actually do that or that there are slugs that large you need a hot dog to compare it to. You pick.

Oh wait, excuse me Miss?
Your placenta fell out onto the shore here....do you want it? Oh no, just leave it there, maybe a tree will grow. Get it? People save their placentas for trees...at their houses?....anyone?.....

It's a damn jelly fish but you could have fooled me. Troubling.

This isn't sooo scary but it's two oysters growing together with a plethora of other friends. It was interesting and I wanted to shuck that sucker and eat it right there...but I had some restraint.

So...that's the freaks of Seabeck for you. Can't wait to visit right?

ETSY STORE here I come!

2011-01-05T12:55:00.001-08:00

I've been a busy bee....

My mind has been whirling and twirling with new superb things to create and re-open my etsy store, billy marmalade.

This will be my new store banner....I would love to know what you think!

xxooxxo Heidi

Okay...enough with the heavy...

2011-01-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

I NEED.....

THIS SHIRT!

http://www.bustedtees.com/itsallgood

(thank you Monica for getting this shirt for my birthday!!! I love it so!!)

To Forgive

2010-12-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

New Years is lurking. Looming. Do I really have to pick a resolution to pretend to keep up until February rolls around. I REALLY just want to be skinny enough to fit into my friend's daughter's 2T jeggings. Who am I kidding. I want to be REALLY organized. That could work for about a week.....again, who the freak am I kidding. And then something serious popped in my brain. Maybe I should pick something a little more life changing then wearing toddler stretch pants and having a place for my paper clips. Maybe I should work on something that makes me a better person. Positive change? Me? No, I'm not drinking.

I've been thinking about what holds me back. What holds me back from having the life that I want, the relationships that I want, the happiness that I really really want. I figured it out.....It's forgiving others. And I hate that that is it! It's that hardest thing in life to do! Why does it have to be that! But it is what it is as I always say.

I've always felt like the hardest part of forgiving is letting it go for good. Like forever. That in doing so the other person has won and I had lost. Like I was high fiving the transgression against me. So I harbor and I hold onto it as if it were my only way of fighting back. And really, I'm letting it control me as I sip the poison of hate from my soda cup. It never seems to work out the way I want it to. The person I can't forgive just ends up living their own life la tee da. My plan is foiled...I am suffering for the both of us.

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free" Catherine Ponder.

How my darling Catherine, do you break freaking emotional steel? I want to know. I'm being totally serious.

How do you tell yourself its okay. Even when it's not. What if that something can't be undone.

My biological father was killed almost two years ago. I don't talk about what happened a lot but it is something I struggle with and think about everyday. About a month after I found him I went to Texas to visit him for the first time. If there is such a thing as a spiritual connection, that you knew someone before you came here to this earth then this was it. I loved him as much as he loved me. He loved my boys and my husband. He had searched his whole life to find me. 6 months after visiting him he was killed on his motorcycle by a girl talking on her cell phone. There was no one else on the road except for him and his friend on a second bike. She pulled out in front of them barely hitting his friend only to kill my dad. If she had only waited literally 2 seconds they would have passed her. I would still get to talk to him everyday on the phone. I would still get to hear his voice call me baby girl. I would have a piece of my heart back.

This girl was 23 or so at the time. I found her name from the article in the paper in regards to the accident. I found her address and her phone number, and for the people that really know me, they know what I was wanting to do.

She was let off the hook with out a fine, no licence suspended, nothing. We weren't aloud to read any letters of impact at the hearing. They notified us after her hearing that it had even happened. Maybe she was caught off guard and just wasn't paying attention. Maybe she was on something. Maybe she feels horrible and maybe she doesn't care. I don't know.

Does forgiving her bring my dad back? No it does not. Does hating her ruin her life? No, it does not. Does it ruin mine? Yes. Yes it does. It binds me to her for as long as I let it. I want to be free.

I have no idea why I'm writing this post. Honestly it's probably another indication that I need a padded cell of some sort. I guess I'm hoping that by writing this, maybe it will become more real for me. Like now that it's out there I have to do something about it.

But maybe I'm not a lone. Maybe some of us need to let go in order to move forward, toward something better. Rather than be sinking alone while everyone moves past us. We have all been wronged, betrayed or abused in some way. We all have a savior. We have someone who will take the pain away.

I hope this new year, I can let him.

Loving you all and hoping this year will be your new best year.

Heidi

Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies

2010-12-17T14:53:00.001-08:00

I regret not posting some new cookie recipes sooner with all the cookie exchanges at hand. I'm making these actually right as I type this. They are pine nut rosemary cookies. Amazing! They are different but ohhhh so very good. It's like a sugar cookie, shortbread and some Christmas all in one. I'm making these at a friend's request and love them so much that I am taking these to my cookie exchange tonight!

A little note if you try this recipe. I rolled my cookie dough a little bigger than it suggests and baked them for 18 mins instead of 13 and they turned out perfect.

This a great cookie to make if you are wanting to do something outside of the box but will still appeal to a variety of people . The only crazy ingredients are pine nuts (1/4 cup) and rosemary (1 Tbs) which isn't that much at all so it's not like they are 1000 dollar cookies :)

Here is the link:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pine-nut-cookies-with-rosemary

Enjoy,

xoxox Heidi

Something you'll want to steal!

2010-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

DO YOU LOVE IT?

I started this last year and it's still a work in progress. I wanted to have a little village but everything I saw was to "normal" and if you know me at all...normal isn't really my way. I want to make a few more houses and and think of some other things to add to it. I wanted to put it up on my blog last year, but because I was a selfish beast and didn't want anyone to copy me I didn't. Lame I know. But I'm feeling a bit less Grinchy this year and thought....oh why not.

Want to know how to make it? Okay then....

Do you have some old books? If you don't, go to a thrift store and buy some with interesting covers...it doesn't matter what they are about, you won't be reading them you'll be ripping them up :)

These are birdhouses that I bought at Joann's for about 1.50 each. I covered them in scrapbook paper and paper from the guts of the old books. I them distressed the paper once it was applied (modge podge lovelies) and then I embellished them as I saw fit. I bought these super freaking cute stickers form K and Co.

Then I removed the covers from the books and cut them to fit over the tops of the houses. Book covers are really easy to cut. I thought it would be a huge ordeal and it wasn't. I then tacked them on with upholstery nails....bam! Faux snow......tissue paper, some cake plates, freaky retro xmas trees that don't want to stay up by themselves...and you are on your way!

This is probably one of my favorite things I've ever come up with. It's very whimsy, a little weird and people freak when they seem them.

I just want a tradition!

2010-11-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

I think traditions are really important. They help create a family legacy and memories that can be passed down from generations. Moving here without family has caused me realize I need to create new traditions for my family. So I looked up "Thanksgiving traditions" on google and came across a link that I thought sounded on point. This is what saw:

W-H-A-T T-H-E F-R-E-A-K????

Okay...look. I'm sorry but I'm looking to ADD to my traditions not take away from them. Turkey is Thanksgiving...save a life?How about save mine and stop with the oh so craziness! Oh billy. I thought it was ironic that it was placed on this site. A site that is dedicated to traditions. Sorry if any veggies were offended but this is just funny. And I had to laugh because there is no way in heavens to betsy that I'm not eating poultry on the one day you're supposed to. :)

Wanna See Some BRAINS?

2010-10-29T20:34:00.001-07:00

BRAIN CUPCAKES

so GROSS...so GOOD.....

check them out at my cupcake blog

http://cupcakecrush09.blogspot.com/

xoxox

HEIDI

I Heart Fungus.....

2010-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

AND...you thought I couldn't get any weirder right? Well...it's happened and living here it will probably get way worse. Here is a little peek into a strange adventure:

MUSHROOMS

The Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society (that's science talk for "Mushroom Club") had their annual mushroom show here at the Silverdale Community Center. Now this sparked my curiosity because I LOVE LOVE LOVE mushrooms. The Pacific Northwest is prone to lots of mushrooms and I've always wanted to learn how to pick my own. I know...my freak flag is a flyin'. We aren't talking about the "magical mushrooms" (although I'm sure some people at the show know all about those) I'm talking about oyster and chanterelles...stuff that costs an arm and a leg at Whole Foods.

So I forced my family to go to this show. No one was excited about it but me. Mike says "so I'll watch the kids and you'll go?" Nice. I don't think they knew what to expect. Arie asked my how long the show was...like it was a movie. Heaven forbid a dang movie about mushrooms. Poor kid.

We went and it was pretty freakin cool. There were tables of all these freaky and beautiful things that grew. Purple and blue, red and orange beautiful freaks. It was amazing really. There were mushrooms the size of your head and ones so small you could barely see them. We were all intrigued and what? My family had a good time? Yes. At a fungus show.

That white mushroom is called a Puff Ball and was bigger than your head!

Tables were set up all around the room featuring edible and poisonous mushrooms. There were even venders selling bags of hay seeded with fungus starters (?) to grow your own mushrooms at home. Oh...not to mention yarn dyed with mushrooms. That was a new one.

Crazy right?

Oreos for me...okay some for you but only if you make them

2010-10-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Aren't these beautiful? Do have any idea how big these are? Lets just say they came out bigger than the palm of your hand. I felt like I was a shrunken Alice in Wonderland about to take a bite out of a ridiculous over-sized cookie. I should have put a quarter next to them when I took these pictures...you would get a giggle out of it for sure.

Every Friday I bake a treat for Mike's branch at work. I decided I might as well make them my guinea pigs and at least make it educational.

The cookies are pretty uncanny. The filling is spot on only better and the cookie, while they crackled a bit are crisp and crunchy. I think mine are crackly due to the size. If they were the size of a 1/2 dollar like they were intended I bet it wouldn't happen.

They don't take long at all and use staple ingredients. As long as you have a good cocoa powder you'll be fine as it has no other chocolate in it.

So....will you be trying it? If you do let me know. I've included the link to the recipe.

P.s milk is a requirement when partaking!

Ugh...I can't make the link darker....but it's right below this. It's almost invisible and I can't fix it. Lame

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cream-filled-chocolate-cookie?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/sandwich-cookie-recipes#slide_1

Brioche for me Brioche for you

2010-10-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Brioche? It seems like glossing over the pages in my cooking mags I see recipes for bread puddings (my favorite), french toasts and croutons. They are always made with Brioche and I can NEVER find it ....anywhere. So I tag these recipes thinking..when I find said Brioche I'll make these things. It's never happened.

That being said I had a baking frenzy. It was raining...and when it rains I bake. And guess what...here in Silverdale it rains. A lot. And I'm getting fat from all the rain which in turn =me eating...you do the math.

So let me explain what Brioche is. Brioche is a French bread made with lots of eggs and butter (sounding good?). It's a lot richer than your normal bread and almost has a cake like crumb. It makes gorgeous Pain Perdu which is basically French for french toast....I mean it's the best french toast I've ever had. Pain Perdu actually means "lost bread" because it was a way to revive stale bread and make it yummy again. There's your history lesson for today.

Now making the brioche takes some resting time. No not you taking a nap. Once you make it you have to let it rest over night in the fridge and then the next day it needs to come to room temperature and then rise in the bread pans. But it's worth the nap...for the bread. The picture included is my first attempt and it came out really good.

So if anyone comes to visit...I will be making Pain Perdu for breakfast... and probably cupcakes. Lucky you.

I have included the recipe here with some of my own notes. Don't be intimidated when seeing how long it looks. I made the dough in about 15 or so minutes. Ina does a good job writing clearly so you aren't left wondering why or how. Oh and read the whole recipe before you start...it will save you a ton of disasters in the long run. I have learned to read EVERY recipe all the way through before I start. Learn from my mistakes.

INA GARTEN

BAREFOOT IN PARIS

Brioche Recipe

1/2 cup warm water (don't make your water too hot! you'll kill that poor yeast)

1 package dried yeast

3 Tbs sugar

6 extra large eggs, room temperature (this is important..if it's cold it will change your bread. And I had large eggs not extra large so I added one more egg)

4 1/4 cups unbleached flour (I used all purpose)

2 tsp kosher salt (kosher salt is a little less intense than table salt. I like it a lot better and you can find it right next to table salt in the grocery store)

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (again this is super important to have the butter at room temp. I used salted sweet cream butter because I wanted to :)

1 egg mixed with 1 Tbs milk, for egg wash

Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix with your hand and allow to stand for 5 minutes until the yeast and sugar dissolve. Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, until well mixed. With the mixture on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add 2 more cups of flour and mix for 5 more minutes. Still on low speed, adds the soft butter in chunks and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the beater, until well blended. With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Switch the paddle attachment to the dough hook and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day allow the dough to sit at room temp for 1 hour. Grease two 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 inch loaf pans ( I just used standard bread pans and I think that's what the measurements are anyway). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and cut in half. Pat each portion into a 6X8-inch rectangle, the roll up each triangle into a cylindrical loaf. Place each loaf, seam side up, into the greased pan. Cover the pans with a damp towel and set aside to rise at room temp until doubled in volume, 2-2 1/2 hrs.

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. When the loaves have risen, brush the top of each with the egg wash and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back and it sounds slightly hollow when tapped. Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack and cool.

DONE!

When I made it I followed the directions as best as I could. My dough didn't seem to double but I could tell it had risen some and it still came out as a tall loaf. So..if that happens bake it anyway and see what happens.

From my deck...

2010-10-05T14:40:00.001-07:00

These are pictures I've taken from my deck....this is seriously the most random thing. We live at the end of a REALLY steep hill (where I have to hike to obtain my mail due to the fact that my mail box is at the very top of this hill..pics to come) It's a cement pad that acts as a turn around for garbage trucks, basketball court and my very own marion berry/blackberry patch. All of the bushes surrounding this area are berries! My kids think its really fun to start at the top of the hill on their bikes and drift at the bottom only to crash on the cement pad. We've only had 14 accidents so far. Pretty good.

This is my neighbor's yard....like that teeny little fence that separates us? It's probably as tall as my knee. Not sure what it's supposed to keep out...I guess it works because I don't find myself wandering around there. Mission accomplished. We were lucky to have a fence there at all. My neighbor is a sweet little Italian lady that is mistakenly growing pot instead of a maple tree.....I'm sure of it.

AND...this is my life now....trees and bushes and ferns and banana slugs the size of bananas. And yes there are some blackberries down there..yippy!

New Batch

2010-09-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Don't think that just because I've moved I don't make these things anymore.

So this is what's really going on....

2010-08-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

So now that you've begun cupcakery detox, I can tell you what's happening.

Mike was offered a Nuclear Engineering position at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. So yes, he would be a Nuclear Engineer. It's a great job and a huge blessing. I think it's something we need as a family. We need an adventure! But it is in Washington and I'm starting to realize that I will be moving "away". Like gone. That part is kinda crappy.

I'm not sure how I will handle missing my friends or heaven forbid Bernardo's, Mikuni, Thai Chili and Rice Noodle. I've already investigated and they DO NOT have a HomeGoods there. If I find out that they have no idea what a Cheesecake Factory is I will surely die. Right there...dead.

We are leaving August 27th. So SOON! I promise to post my new adventures when I get there. It will be like I never left. I promise. Well sort of.

Love,

Heidi

XOXOXO

Cupcake Junkies Beware.....

2010-08-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I feel it is my duty...my responsibility... to break the bad news to all the addicts that I deal to. I will be moving to Washington by the end of the month You will be facing detox soon. To prepare yourself with what you will be experiencing here is a list of some of the symptoms you may encounter:

Severe Irritability: it will usually show up when you are confronted with how you are dealing with this loss of access to my cupcakes. Anger, rage.....with weepiness will usually follow. You will then tend to take these emotions out on the person nearest to you....and ask that they never mention said cupcakes ever again. They will obey once they see the wrangled terror in your eyes.

Loss of Appetite: you'll find that nothing can or will replace the crack which is ..let's face it...the frosting. Nothing will ever taste the same. At times you may try other cupcakes hoping to find a better score but I can guarantee none will compare. At this time your severe irritability will kick in and this poser cupcake that you just bought for $3.00 will usually be thrown on the ground out of anger and disappointment. This will only intensify the next symptom.....

Uncontrollable Twitching/Turrets: you will experience uncontrollable twitching most likely in the form of head ticks or leg kicking. Due to the above symptoms this usually catapults the dreaded turret symptom (which is actually my favorite) where you will say things you would never say out of complete loss of control, desperation...and by this time you are probably just plain friggin hungry and you just cant function properly anymore. Usually when you are in Safeway or dare I say Costco eyeing those dressed up faux hellcakes you will realize what awaits you if you partake. Bitter disappointment in which obscenities will fly our of your mouth like word vomit. Unsuspecting passer byers will flee in confusion and they will never understand your pain. And you know what? Maybe it's better that they don't. Because ignorance is bliss am I right?

Lack of Motivation/Isolation: let's face it. The only reason you would ever get yourself to a RS meeting or a get together is if...yep ...your fix was awaiting you there. Do you really have any excuse to go to another Relief Society birthday dinner or kids birthday party now? You won't. You will isolate yourself from gatherings and social settings because its not worth it anymore. Motivation is out the door.

Oh dear oh dear.

I'm sorry that I got you hooked. But we had some good times right? It was fun yes?

So.Sadly this dealer is moving.....far away and can no longer supply you with those late night fixes. I can no longer make you hits of frosting or fill liquid happiness inside your cupcakes. I can't drop off the new and latest creation for free and then make you pay for it if you want more :).I just can't.

Washington State awaits me. I have a whole new slue of unsuspecting victims to lure and entice. But you will always be in my heart my darling little junkies of Elk Grove/Sacramento. Thank you for loving my cupcakes as dearly as I have loved making them for you.

And as every respectable dealer I must warn others that will try and profit on my absence. Although I'm not here per say...I am not gone.

Good luck with detox and remember....keep calm and carry on!

Love,
Heidi

Cupcake Crush

2010-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is my other blog Cupcake Crush. All my cupcake creations, my menu and other cupcake stuff is on this blog. Just so you know.

Klair's Birthday Cupcakes

2010-06-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

This was Klair's request: Kill Me with Chocolate, hearts, stars and sparkles. BAM! I have more pics on my cupcake blog. You can get to it from my post above this one. Click on Cupcake Crush.

Bernardo's Eggs Benedict

2010-05-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

My husband knows that this breakfast can change my mood, can make me like him a lot better and that it's my favorite thing to eat on this planet....I forgot to put it on my favorite foods list but it needs to go on there. Eggs Benedict has to be my all time favorite breakfast....and when ordered it can either be extreme bliss or hell on a plate. Its a dicey thing to ask for but well worth it if its done right.

Bernardo's Cafe downtown has got it perfected. I took this picture from my birthday breakfast. I look at it when I am sad and it makes me giddy...not just happy..giddy. Distressing I know. I imagine eating it and while I slowly chew each divine bite..... the crappy world melts away....and then I'm done and want to jump off a bridge because its caloric intake.

A vicious cycle.

Look at it! The potatoes are perfect. The rosemary sourdough bread is perfect. The poached eggs....PERFECT and the hollandaise sauce .......I can't even talk about it.

Part of my mothers day/birthday present?

2010-05-07T13:41:00.001-07:00

I know everyone probably thinks I make this junk up...but sadly I don't have to because these are real life occurrences...in well...my real life. Go figure.

I thought you would get a kick out of this because I kind of did/didn't.

My boys brought this home for me informing me it was a gift. Why you ask? Maybe so I could ring it on Mother's Day from my bed when I needed my soda refilled? Or maybe it was for me to ding when it was time for them to come and fold their clothes?

These would be great and creative answers...and they would also be....INCORRECT!

The bell+me=food is done!

That's right...this is a service bell for ME to inform them....that their dinner is ready! And I am to say...."Order Up" when each plate is ready to go out.

That is all.

Catch Phrase of the day is.......?

2010-04-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Get the hell outta here sweetheart!" (in a loving tone)

-Noah...my son...age 3

YIKES!

Sweet Cheeky Carrot

2010-04-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have a new carrot cake recipe....IT IS SOOOOO GOOOOD! I can't handle it!

For Shame....

2010-04-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

I really only have like one vinyl piece in my house. It's a huge monogram on one of our walls. I'm very careful as to what I have because I want my house to be me. I could never have (and please don't take offense to this if you are one of these people....because that means you are happy and positive and way better than me)..But I could never have vinyl signs that say..."Breathe" or "happily ever after" because who are we kidding here! If anyone actually saw something like that in my house...they would definitely think I was up to something....and everyone would become very suspicious and I don't need this kind of attention. You understand.

But alas...I was sad that I don't have more vinyl in my house...so this is my new sign. The little darling sits a top my piano...bright and cheery :) It's a virtue with a twist right? I mean really...why would you ever be nice to your enemies? Everyone says it's to help YOU be a better person which yes maybe that happens. I came across this quote and was like THIS is the inspiration I need to see everyday....be nice...but there is revenge in the end. What does this mean? I know...I am destined for hell. Maybe I can be a bouncer there or something...or a baker that tempts the poor souls with cupcakes they can't eat.

I'm being nice.....that has to count!

pray for me? I don't know....

A Question Revealed:

2010-04-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

(this is a happy cow that's about to be eaten...raw...by me....read on)

The most common question I ever get is what is my favorite things to eat? When I'm on the spot I can never place what it is because I have lots...so I don't really say anything because nothing specific will come to mind. Then later I'll think why didn't I say this or that? And then I think...maybe it's better that I didn't say "this or that"....you are about to find out why....welcome to my freakdom.

Any of you who weren't scared of me before this post.... you will be now:

1. Liver. Wait...no yes. Liver. I like it drenched in white wine, lemon juice and rosemary and then baked in the oven. Say what you will but liver is friggin good. I used to eat it with my dad as a kid and I thought it tasted like pennies (don't ask...I had a habit of eating pennies...I almost choked on one and died..true story) So I guess I gave up eating pennies for liver :)

2. Cracked wheat...I know I'm almost 30 going on 70 but cracked wheat made like a hot cereal with pecans and dried cranberries is....old school great and may I say provident living at it's finest.

3. RAW & BLOODY: I like almost all of my protien (except chicken) rare...like bloody, mooing, grazing, running, swimming....whatever. I recently made Carpaccio (raw fillet of beef with watercress, Parmesan cheese, and a horseradish sauce) It was heaven. Fish? Raw.....Scallops? RAW....you get the idea. Old men like this about me...I have NO idea why. Ps. I hate fresh choice because there is no meat there! Mike makes fun of me because I groan when we go and I have to end up digging meatballs out of the spaghetti sauce....I think they caught on because now they make it with ground beef. WTH? Double hate it.

4. Okay...Creole. I love creole food. Oh my gosh I could eat it for days and days. Jambalaya, etouffee, boudin sausages. Its all good. Guess I have those East Texas/Louisiana roots embedded pretty deep.

5. Chili Fruit: I only like fruit if it has chili spices on it. I'm mean I'll eat fruit...but I LOVE spicy fruit. My favorite summer thing is to go to one of those fruit stands with the rainbow umbrellas and get a cup of fruit swimming in lime juice, salt and chili spices. In the winter I have to resort to dried chili mangos....they're still good but it's not the same.

6. Cheese: Brie, Humboldt Fog, Chevre, Danish Blue, Pecorino.....oh my oh my.

7. Tabasco Sauce: Chipotle is my favorite and I carry a bottle in my purse for any needed occasion....steak, tacos or the occasional mugger that needs a good spritzing of pepper spray. It's a multitasking item here.

These are just a few....so if you were curious? Well now you know....and if you ever in a tabasco fight...I've got your back.

Good day.

xoxox

Heidi

Together Forever

2010-04-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Devils food cake with a creamy peanut butter frosting topped with milk chocolate curls.....

Ici Ice Cream Shop

2010-04-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Any chance we visit the bay area we always try to fit in a foodie experience. Our tradition takes us to Blondie's, our favorite pizza place in Berkeley. It's always interesting taking our kids with us...just because of the fun people that flitter about. But the boys don't even seem to bat an eye. I love that about my kids.

Reading in one of my Bon Appetite magazines recently I saw an article on an ice cream store that was in Berkley called, Ice (ee-see) Ice Cream. The store's story is quite interesting. They make everything fresh in small batches using local organic ingredients. No preservatives!

The store is quaint and adorable. They make their flavors seasonally or what they can get locally so it's always changing. The cones are hand made and they fill it with this scrumptious chocolate. I had Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Mike had Malty Chocolate. I was surprised because mine had huge chunks of Oatmeal granola in it and it wasn't soggy at all. I couldn't figure it out? Then I remembered if they make there ice cream every other day or so...that would explain it. The boys had vanilla and even on a bitter cold day like it was....we gobbled them down with complete satisfaction.

It is a bit pricey but it was a fun experience. I like supporting little stores like this that have a purpose.

If you are ever in Berkeley check it out:

2948 College Avenue, Berkeley

510-665-6054

Easter is here baby

2010-04-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I actually made these last year for Easter or maybe the year before. I thought it might get you inspired for Easter treats.

Everything is edible but the wrappers.

Another book YOU NEED

2010-04-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

So....I have a love/hate relationship with dear Martha here. I've learned many many things from her but sometimes well most things "Martha" aren't really her anymore. It's a compilation of other peoples ideas...stolen or not.

With that being said I saw this book when it came out and I was like....yah I'm a little advanced for that. I'm not even going to peek at it. Martha Stewart Cooking School, ....I don't need cooking school. I got it under control here.

I was at the Library (which is a great place to try out cooking books before you actually decide to buy them) and I saw it. So, looking over my shoulder hoping no one would see me (because I don't need help cooking) I pulled it out and started glossing over the pages. LOVED IT! Everything a great cook should know or has questions about is in this book. It's priceless seriously. It has everything from boning chickens to making Gnocci. Stocks and filleting fish. Poaching salmon, making creme brulee and chocolate souffles. How to read labels to make sure what you are buying is really organic or grass fed or whatever the bleep they say now. Fruit compotes and vinaigrettes. I'm barely scratching the surface here.

It's worth it...even if you are flirting with the idea of cooking you will love it. The pictures are amazing and the directions are straight forward with backgrounds in what you are doing and why.

So....it turns out I need a cooking school book. Son of a b. Maybe it's not so much that I "need" it but that I may need to "refer" to it....every so often.

It retails for about 38.00 and I got mine on Amazon NEW for 12.00 including shipping.

Peek at the book...you know you want to.

A message to Idaho:

2010-03-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Idaho,

Whatever you did to my potatoes to make them horrifyingly awful for dinner this evening, ...thanks...thanks so much.

Don't let it ever happen again.

Yours Truly,
Mrs. Jansson

TO: the non vegetable eaters that ate vegetables last night

2010-03-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

Shout out to Sherrie Cahoon and Cindy Jensen...both of who ate MUSHROOMS and ZUCCHINI last night at dinner! That's right. At least I can die knowing I did some good for vegetables in this world and the people that are disgusted by them. Happy day :)

Pretty sure this is a picture of a poisonous mushroom so maybe don't eat one that looks like that...you might not die...but you may not be yourself for awhile either.

Whimsical Butterflies

2010-03-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

I made these for my RS birthday dinner tonight and they were a huge hit. I previously tried them for a YW New Beginnings night at the request of a friend. She took them to her event and it sounded like everyone really loved them. I thought that the butterflies in their many jeweled colors would be perfect to represent the YW value colors. These however are more on the blue and gold side to represent the RS colors. Hope this inspires you.

The hole in my heart....

2010-02-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

It will be a year tomorrow, the 28th, that you've been gone. Why doesn't it get any easier? I love you and miss you. The only comfort I have is seeing you in my dreams and knowing you are sometimes nearby. At least I can look in the mirror and know that I am looking back at a part of you.

baby girl

Valentine's Day Marshmallows

2010-02-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to putting these pictures up. I've had a bout with computer problems and have been without the Internet for what seems like an eternity. I'm finally getting back to all the things I've been meaning to do.

I made these little cuties obviously for valentines. Here are some pictures of the process. Hope you like them. Ugh! I swear when I add photos they never go in the order I want even if I upload them that way....then if I try to move them around they start disappearing. Just pretend they go in the opposite order! Crickey....

Valentine's Day Marshmallows

2010-02-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to putting these up.

Oreo Supreme Cupcake

2010-02-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is definitely going on my cupcake menu. I've decided to revamp it and add on some new favorites of mine and this has won a spot! It is delicious!

Devils food cake with a WHOLE OREO in the center. Tangy sweet cream cheese frosting whipped on top and then sprinkled with crushed up oreos. It's wrong is such an oh so good way.

Love this Cookbook.

2010-01-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

I love Ina Garten. She believes in something that stands to be true. Great classics made well are always best.

Through all of my cooking and cooking for people, the recipients are always drawn to comforting foods. Nostalgic foods that might not seem the most impressive or luxurious, but something that strikes a familiar cord in their senses. What mom used to make.

I received this cookbook for Christmas. Already I've made about 15 recipes from this book and they are easy and so delicious. Comforting but not dripping in butter. Fresh and simple.
If you are intimidated by cooking in that you like to cook but you have about two things you make well and the people that have to eat these creations need a change....and hate you for it..then seriously try this book.

Like I said this is everyday food. I made a BBQ sauce from scratch that was CRAZY GOOD and slapped it on some country ribs I've had in the freezer for a year. Superb! The BBQ sauce ingredients were things I pretty much had on hand and it was done fairly easily.

The Cheddar Corn Chowder was insane and so was the Cous Cous which by the way is super inexpensive. It's like 40 cents a lb at Winco in the bins and 1 1/2 Cups dried makes like 4-5.

Her recipes on not intimidating and produce great results. So if you are looking to add some new dishes to your repertoire this year...try it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

P.S. If you don't want to commit to buying a whole book (heaven forbid) then go to foodnetwork.com and look up some of her recipes for free!

xoxox
Heidi

Amendment to " I'm in time out"

2010-01-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

To my sweet blog readers:

1. No..not any one of you as individuals have contributed to my "artistic/psychotic whatever you want to call it melt down". I have had umpteen calls from people asking if they were the ones responsible...no you darlings...it is not any one of you.

2. Timing...timing always is a bitter beast don't you agree? I think things in life that come at you in all directions no matter what it may be can always be catastrophic if handled poorly. Instead of doing less to create less stress...I do more and it is a disease...it is.

3. I am in no way turning my back on cooking (hello? who the hell would I be?), painting, creating, being a tad bit crazy.....these are my traits. I just need to be wiser and more aware of why and what the bleep I am doing. I say yes because most people's ears have a hard time hearing no. But no can actually roll off my tongue quite nicely so I'll give it a whirl...it's a true story as Jamie always says.

So. I hope this clears up a few tid bits of concern and soothes some of the inner self loathing you may feel. KIDDING! Because eventually I will be fine.

Loving you all so badly,
Heidi

:)

2010-01-04T17:12:00.001-08:00

I'm in Time Out....

2009-12-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

It's strange how one comes up with ways to cope with things. I find ways to cope...and don't know that that's what I am really doing. I've had a hard year. Really hard. I'm not comparing my life to anyone else because everyone has their own battles and I'm sure I would gladly take my own if offered another's.

But I feel like I have a hole in my heart...and no matter how I try to mend or sew it back together it will never fuse to the way it was before. I will never be the same person or look at my life or who I am the same ever again and it is a hard thing to stare at head on.

I've realized that I have been working my self to death...to stay so busy that I won't feel it. Work..creating...cooking is my crank. And the one thing I thought I had to myself...for myself has become this insane drug that keeps me coming back for more...time and time again.

My dear friend and I recently had a conversation. I asked her if she ever felt like being creative was a curse and she agreed wholeheartedly. There are some of us that can create for fun, but there are some of us that create to breathe, to live and to survive. It's as if your skin crawls if you don't make something...and once you get your fix your fine......for a while and then it's back. Stronger. Calling you. It's no wonder Van Gogh cut his bloody ear off. I feel for the guy and I totally get it. Because if you can't tame it...it gets the better of you.

Having said that the reason my Etsy store is on "vacation" and I might not be accepting all the requests asked of me is because I have working non stop...day and night on all my things. My poor family, house and myself have become victims of it and I am trying to simmer down and deal with things I need to deal with I guess. Numbing it was nice but I guess it has to stop at some point.

It's not cute as I can already see. I'm not stopping everything but I usually am very accommodating and at people's beck and call. I can't promise that anymore. So please don't shy away but I will be honest as to whether or not your wish can be granted.

Mike is graduating in May, so it's another reason and I need to focus on supporting him. He has a hard semester coming up.

So now that you are freaked out by my true confessions, you at least have some answers to my strange behaviors right?

Oh well.

I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.
Vincent Van Gogh

THINK ABOUT IT......

2009-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the only time we sit around a dead tree and eat food out of our socks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hopefully this new year will be WAY better than this piece of crap one! Happy day......

Apple Hill

2009-11-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

It turns out that the day BEFORE Thanksgiving is the perfect time to go to Apple Hill...for the most part. We went a little late this year and it has become our family tradition to take our yearly Christmas card picture in the same spot at one of the farms. It was pretty much a ghost town but we got a great picture and I bought yummy apples so my mission was completed. I'm not putting our picture up here because that would spoil everything and would be lame to those getting it. You get to look at a picture of apples I took instead ...and Noah & Arie. Sorry. HA!

Santa NEEDS Cookies!

2009-11-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

ZERO LEFT!

Santa NEEDS Cookies!

2009-11-13T13:52:00.001-08:00

Santa needs cookies people. Who doesn't. So because my other two plates went so fast...I thought I would put this one up. This is one of my favorite plates. It's totally food safe and I would hand wash it. I made some of these last year for a boutique and they were gone with in a half hour.

I have two of these plates left right now. They are priced at 15.00 each. A STEAL!

Let me know if you are interested. 548-1258 or lillysvenus@hotmail.com

Give Thanks

2009-11-10T15:59:00.001-08:00

Sad day. I finally finished these plates that were staring me in the face day in and day out. I usually have more done for Thanks Giving by now but I've been focusing on Christmas I guess. I've got some really cute Christmas stuff up my sleeve.

I have two of these plates left if anyone is interested.

Sorry guys! Amy K is fast on her feet. They are gone!

Pumpkin Donuts On The Fly

2009-11-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

We made these on a Sunday after church. There was no rhyme or reason...we wanted donuts. So I made some. And they were delicious. I've always been intimated by them and so it seemed too daunting to try but I gave it a whirl. Cakey, pumpkiny, sugary goodness.

ANTHROPOLOGIE

2009-11-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

This store KILLS me. In a desperately good way and bad. Every item begs and pleads that I take it home. I would wear just about every piece and it every single thing is breath taking. I always go to weird thrift stores looking for something artsy...different. Something not everyone is prancing around in and it's rare to find beautiful pieces like that. I just got their winter catalog in the mail and I saw this clutch and I just about cried. It's leather...ROSES! ALL OVER THE PLACE. I love love love IT!!!!!!!!! and I will never own it. It's 298.00 sad day.

Sweet Carrot Ginger

2009-10-14T20:51:00.001-07:00

I love making cupcakes that make people happy. This was an order I did for Alisa Pierce. I couldn't resist finishing these cupcakes with my little marzipan carrots. It's all about the details.

Halloween YUM!

2009-10-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

This was an order for a Bunko night. It was a Halloween theme. The spider webs are made from Almond Bark and sugar sprinkles. The brains are butter cream and the cupcakes themselves are actually chocolate.

I was featured!

2009-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

My Twilight magnets were featured on this site! A customer from my Etsy store told me about it. I thought it was pretty cool.

http://www.casasugar.com/4343888?page=0,0,9

Okay...Okay....

2009-09-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

So having "slept" on it you guys are probably right. I seriously can take criticism. When someone looks at a piece of art they are going to make an opinion about it..good or bad. It's what we do. If this person had said.."Hey..this piece of crap is butt ugly" I would be like fine, you are entitled to that. Maybe I think you're ugly...j/k. But you don't go up to Picasso (not that I'm comparing myself to him) you don't go up to Picasso and say... "Your painting is beautiful. But why is her nose on her head? You know noses go on the face right? It's wrong." And if a person really did do that...then they better be like Michelangelo or something.

Okay...there. I feel better. Thank you all for talking me into doing the "Christ-like thing" apparently my first intuition is to do the polar opposite.

Should I RETORT?

2009-09-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

Someone recently left a comment about a piece of my work that was nice but yet I was corrected on a technicality. Apparently in my New Moon sign I didn't actually use a NEW moon. This person had to let me know that I was incorrect. This is irritating me. Like ALOT! I am at odds as to whether or not retort to this comment Heidi style or if I should just let it go.......would it be bad for business? ( Note that this comment was not left on my blog or Etsy store) Am I crazy for being irritated? So.....should I do it? I'm sure it seems petty. I just think there is this thing called artistic interpretation.

Twilight Book Thong

2009-09-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

The apple, fork, wolf and crystal heart. Hello? All the elements are there to make this the perfect Twilight inspired book thong. They are DONE and are up on my Etsy store. Do you love?

I'm sorry Julia,

2009-08-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's always a little disheartening being ashamed of your childhood hero. I remember sitting in class in fourth grade and the teacher asked us who our hero was. There were boys that called out Ninja Turtles, girls that looked up to Paula Abdul and then the smart ass that had some historical figure to impress the teacher and make everyone else look like complete morons. But when I was called on I said nothing. I said, "I don't have really have one". Well I am a liar folks. My hero has always been Julia Child. How do you explain to your peers that you admire some freakishly tall woman with a crazy accent and that you want to be her?

While my friends were watching Saved By the Bell on Saturday mornings, I sat on the couch eager to watch my KVIE 6 mentors. First came on The Frugal Gourmet (which he was anything but) and then Julia. She commanded her audience with a stern confidence that I cherished. I always seemed to stick around for Yan Can Cook because he's nuts and I have a sick sense of humor.

After school I would set up my kitchen to look like a set straight out of a cooking show. I would get a whole chicken, my best Julia voice, and have my dad video tape me dismembering this poor chicken and dissecting its innards all the while instructing my viewers on every movement. (I'm sure this is some precursor to serial killer behavior but what are you going to do). I recently called my dad and asked if we still had these tapes which he thinks we do. If I find them I will post it just out of sheer silly embarrassment.

Being older I am ashamed I shunned the one person I really wanted to be. I fought it for some reason. Looking back I should have always embraced my love of food. I live for it, breath for it and it loves me back as much as I desperately adore it.

Julia was always unapologetic in her errors. Watching her made me feel safe in that she saw food the same way I did. She changed the cooking world forever. She changed me and made me realize that it's not so embarrassing to be freakishly tall, have a crazy accent and be desperately in love with food.

An Heirloom Tomato. Reason #2 to adore August.

2009-08-16T18:45:00.001-07:00

August lends an abundance in TOMATOES! And if you have grown your own this year you know that it can be overwhelming dealing with your crop.

Sometimes it's hard to figure out just what to do with these things when they're coming out your ears, filling up your counters and you are begging your neighbors to take another box.

With the Heirloom variety being my favorite I was excited to come across some and my brain started thumbing through the delicacies they could grace. Saturday I made a Tomato Tart with a pate brise crust. It was a hit and another dish to add to my tomato belt per say.

Here I experimented with a marinara sauce to put my tomatoes to good use. The picture is it still in the early stages before it melds together. The sauce turned out beautiful with just the right spiciness and tang. With other farmer's market ingredients it provided a freshness and depth you can't find in some bottle on a shelf.

If you are interested in the recipe I would be more than happy to give it to you. It's actually super easy and great to make in mass.

Happy tomatoes!

Why I love August

2009-08-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Curvy, firm and strange, figs are definitely my favorite part of August. While other people look forward to this month for last minute vacations or kids going back to school, mine is to get my hands and these fruitful beauties. Paired with a creamy Chevre (goat cheese similar to cream cheese), basil and prosciutto they are a luxury worth the wait.

History Lesson:
Ficus carica, known to us as the common fig, originated in northern Asia Minor. Spaniards brought the fig to America in 1520.

I've found my Holloween Costume!!!

2009-08-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Okay people, this is what I want to be for Halloween. Do you think I can pull this baby off? Not sure. You have to start thinking about it now....it's right around the corner. DUH!

And there's polka dots! Oh crap I love this!!!!