Love & Links - Feb 28

I browse the web. I find links I love. I send them to everyone I know with multiple ideas, usually in all caps. I can't wait to get home and start them. But, I have a serious problem with follow through. Here's a collection of links that got me unreasonably excited this week.

Revolutionizing girls night or ice cream sandwiches with this wine ice cream and the new Ben & Jerry's core ice creams. Somebody out there gets me.

This hanging garden basket DIY that I can't wait to try. But first, to plant starter seeds this weekend (maybe). Also, can't wait to see Gracie, our dog, trying to get in the hanging baskets.

This blog that features the author's dog, Maddie, on things. I love how simple and inventive this idea is. Unfortunately, Gracie would never be still enough for a series like this.

To go with my new doughnut pan, this coffeecake doughnut recipe which looks soooo yummy.

Things I couldn't be more excited for: Taco Bell's new breakfast line. Part of me knows that I shouldn't be excited for something with almost no actual nutritional benefit and part of me can't wait to feast on sodium, chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Part of me wants to mark the date on my calendar (March 22).

This edible art exhibit: remaking classic pieces of art...with cake. I may have to try a few of these recipes.

Things that make me die a little bit since I work in PR: Alec Baldwin's "Goodbye to Public Life," not really helping his image.

Kitchen Dreams: Mini Cast Iron Skillets

You know what I want? What I really, really want (but don't have room or reason for)? A mini cast iron skillet. More specifically, I want like 8 or 12 or 24. Because individual cookies, brownies, cobblers and pies are adorrrrrrrrrable in these mini cast iron skillets. I really like this one from West Elm.

NOW READING: 'Salem's Lot

I guess you could say I'm having a Stephen King phase. It started with Hearts in Atlantis, which my Recommender thought I would enjoy - and I did. Then, he said 'Salem's Lot was one of his favorites, but he thought it would be "too much" for me. Challenge accepted.

What can I say? I like my books dark and my coffee darker.

Here are my honest-to-goodness summary thoughts of 'Salem's Lot. Not scary. Not scary at all. Creative, engaging, enthralling and thrilling, but not scary. I've been told this is not the majority opinion.

I could see how living in 'Salem's Lot would be terrifying. For me, there's a mental separation between reading a book and watching a movie - or reading a book and walking up the driveway at night. I think its related to the various media richness - walking up the driveway is happening now. at this moment in time. I'm actually experiencing it. It cannot be more media rich than that. What would parrot most closely, would probably be 3D skype (I don't think this exists yet). But a movie would not be much further down the line, between seeing and hearing the action, a movie is still media rich. But a book? That's only words and open to your interpretation. By reading the book as fantasy, I'm able to separate myself from the action and view it as fantasy, where a movie would seem more real.

Please don't argue that this means I'm missing King's creative brilliance, as 'Salem's Lot is probably the best book I've read-to-date. To say I greatly enjoyed it, would be a gross under-representation of my feelings. I just wasn't scared by it. I think perhaps its the idea of vampires, which like many of the residents of 'Salem's Lot, I find difficult to conceive of as plausible.

We'll see if my feelings hold true for my next King Adventure: The Stand.

Thrift Store Finds: Feb 25

This past weekend we went thirfting. It's never quite as exciting as Mackelmore might make it seem, but I found some pretty nice finds. As you'll see below, I found two air tight glass bottles - I have plans to make homemade vanilla in at least one of them. A really nifty blue triangle bottle - I can't wait to cut fresh flowers and put them in it on my desk at work. A copper pineapple mold - which I plan to hang on my kitchen wall.. when I have one...

And finally, a nice stack of new books, including several Stephen King finds. I'd consider it a success.

All for less than $7! I'm in the market for some DIY supplies, so keep an eye out for future updates!

Searing Pain

Searing pain. I might be exaggerating a touch. But let me just say, I can’t move without pain originating from some part of my body. Mostly my legs. During my much-needed and far-too-quick sleep Friday night (ok it was Saturday morning technically – I went to bed at 5:30 AM) I woke up in the middle of the night (morning) with a Charley horse beyond belief. Fortunately, I was so tired it seems like a very vague memory or horrible dream.

But the pain in left calf persists. And Saturday, on roughly 4 hours of sleep, it was beyond gorgeous out for the first time in who knows how long. And my mind said, “I must run. I must run with the dog who might run away and try to eat a bird. Running will help my leg.” So, after mixing up my very first batch of croissant dough and setting it aside to rise, I ran with Gracie – our gorgeous 2 year old Golden Retriever that we rescued in November.  Gracie normally pulls and pulls and pulls on walks, but she was surprisingly good on a run. She stayed close enough and only got underfoot a handful of times. Unfortunately, before one of these times on the last hill of our run (I could see my house), I thought Gracie might enjoy if we picked up some speed. And then it happened. It felt like an eternity as I wobbled and tried to catch my balance on the way to the ground.

It was probably only a few seconds as I flailed, still holding on to the leash (Gracie’s a runner) and saw the asphalt pavement getting closer and closer. I somehow landed face down (fortunately not on my face this time) on my left hip, right knee and both palms. As I tried to regain what little composure I had once hand, I checked my knee and my hands – a little blood, but nothing too damaging, I looked up and saw Gracie’s terrified face. Laying by my side in deep concern and panic.

So now, I’m still sprawled on the ground, saying “we’re ok Gracie, we’re ok.” And we were. We finished our run. We even did a cool down walk, until I noticed the blood dripping down my leg and thought I ought not to traumatize the neighbor kids. So, we walked back home and after my mom wiped the horrified look off her face asked my dad to snap a pic (see below).

Accident prone as always. But, croissants are delicious. And now that all of my legs and body parts hurt, the only solution seems to go for a short jog tonight on the treadmill. (Which I have also been known to fall off of.)

Best Gift Ever

I'm now the very proud owner of the below, gorgeous mortar and pestle. Courtesy of Boyfriend for Valentine's Day. I can't wait to make guac and smash other things in it.

#hegetsme

I've been wanting to buy one for a while, but haven't thought of it as a particularly practical thing to by myself. In fact, it was going to be my next Kitchen Dreams post. I'll show you what I made him for Valentine's Day later this week.

Apple Strudel

A few weeks ago, some friends and I went to Oktoberfest. After enjoying the festivities, which included carnival games and German dancing, we dug into some of the standard grub - brats and strudel. But, we were a little too late to snag an apple strudel, and got a delicious cheese strudel instead. But, cheese strudel doesn't say fall like apple strudel. So, I whipped up an apple strudel for a movie night the following week.

It was so easy because I cooked the apple pie filling on Sunday night and threw it on the puff pastry the following day and baked it on Tuesday.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
6-7 apples
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4. tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 sheet of thawed puff pastry
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a paper bag or foil. 
2. Peel and core apples. Cut into slices.
3. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large sauce pan. Add apples, 1/2 c. sugar and spices. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, until apples are soft and the water has evaporated into a thick syrup.
4. Let apple filling cool.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 12x14" rectangle. Line the middle third with cooled filling. Take a knife and cut the outer sides into 1 1/2" strips at a 45 degree angle, leaving 1-2 inches closest to the center un cut.
6. Fold sides over apple filling, alternating strips to create a braid.
7. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes and top with powdered sugar. 

Best Buy: Doughnut Pan

It's Valentine's Day. I thought I ought to recognize that. I don't know about you, but historically it's been disappointing at best and offensive at worst (case and point: when an ex got me a ShakeWeight because he thought it was "funny." It came in a plastic Walmart bag and he opened it so I couldn't even return it for store credit.)

Anyways, this year I bought myself a gift (for less than $10, because I'm a little bit cheap) - I bought a doughnut pan. Because everyone needs a doughnut pan and the ability to have a fresh baked doughnut in under an hour. Though upon unwrapping my dad did say, "Can you bake a doughnut? I thought they had to be fried..."

I bought this one from Sur La Table on sale (Happy Valentine's Day to me!) and it came on Wednesday, faster than their 7-10 day shipping promise. I tried it out before work on Thursday and could not have been happier with the results, recipe and photos to come. I'm even happier to report that I've changed my dad's opinion on doughnuts, the official conclusion being that you can in fact bake delicious doughnuts. The pan was easy to fill with a makeshift piping bag made out of a 1 quart freezer Ziploc bag. Flip the pan over a wire rack, and the donuts fell out easily - and thanks to the fantastic nonstick coating, it was super easy to clean. (Note: the pan says its dishwasher-safe, but I'm not willing to test that.)

That said, I do have a couple Valentine's Day surprises up my sleeve - more to report likely after the weekend, including what I'm sending in a box to a friend (thought it will be arriving late, as standard, because I haven't put it in the mail yet, and a treat involving bacon!)

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Rice Krispie Treats for Two (or One)

Rice Krispie treats are my weakness. (I have many weaknesses). but sometimes I just want one, not a whole pan and sometimes I don't have enough Rice Krispies for a whole pan. So, I started making them in the microwave in a bowl. And consuming immediately, because whoever said you had to wait for Rice Krispies to cool LIED to you. They are wrong.

Ingredients
2 tsp. or a pat of butter
2 handfuls (about 1 c.) marshmallows
2-3 handfuls (about 1 c) rice krispies
Sprinkles (we fancy)

Directions

1. Melt butter and marshmallows in microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir. Put back in microwave for 15 seconds on high.
2. Stir in Rice Krispies and top with sprinkles
3. Clean up all the Rice Krispies you spilled.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are the gold standard for determining a baker's abilities in my mind. It's relatively easy to make an average chocolate chip cookie, but to make a great one - one that stands out above the crowd - that takes a great baker. I don't know about you, but I've been known to get bored. That may actually be the understatement of the year. I really enjoy trying new things and I've been known to experiment with the chocolate chip cookie (waffled chocolate chip cookies and giant chocolate chip cookies).

My little sister is a bacon lover. For her birthday, as one of several treats, I whipped up a batch of bacon chocolate chip cookies. Truth be told, I was skeptical. I've been very hesitant to put bacon in desserts (and admittedly, my father and most taste-testers were as well), but the results were honestly better than I imagined. The bacon chocolate chip cookie certainly won't replace a normal chocolate chip cookie in my heart, but I think it has for a few people - and the recipe is surprisingly easy. I followed the recipe on the back of the Toll House chocolate chip bag with a few changes.

Recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House chocolate chip package

Ingredients
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
1+ Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 14-oz package of chocolate chips
1/2 package of bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Fry bacon until crispy (this is important so it's not gummy in the cookie). Dab away extra grease with a paper towel. Cool and cut into chunks slightly larger than a chocolate chip. Set aside
2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well to incorporate.
4. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and bacon.
5. Drop by the rounded tablespoon and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Honey Beer Bread French Toast

Honey beer bread makes THE best french toast. Its crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey (but not uncooked) in the center. Use this beer bread recipe and the super simple french toast recipe below for one of the best morning treats.

Ingredients
2 slices of honey beer bread
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Directions

1. In a shallow, wide bowl, lightly beat egg, milk and cinnamon together. Preheat a frying pan over medium heat and grease.
2. Dip slices of bread in the batter and place on hot skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden.

Kitchen Dreams: Terra Cotta Board

I'm too broke and space-less (I live at home) to have any reason to buy this terra cota board right now. Or really at any point, because even on sale it seems ridiculously over priced. That said, i want it.

Image from Williams Sonoma. I do not own this image.

I can picture serving so many cheeses and breads on this. It seems perfect for a fancy or casual cocktail hour. Which I'm of course throwing in my imaginary apartment. In the summer. On my imaginary balcony that overlooks a lake. With candles and my imaginary planters of herbs and flowers.

It's a great world inside my head. And this terra cota board makes it so much better. Perhaps another day.

NOW READING: Hearts in Atlantis

I always thought Stephen King would be too scary for me. I get scared easily. Actually that's an understatement. I get scared ridiculously easy and have some rather irrational fears. I hate large glass windows, fearing that at night I'll see a face peering in. I hate walking the 10 feet from the driveway to the front door late at night for fear of kidnapping.

So, I was reasonably hesitant when a Stephen King book was recommended to me. Fortunately, my recommender knew me well enough and assured me that Hearts in Atlantis is not a scary book. (I also knew him to be a trusted source as he'd previously assured me the movie The Room is not a horror film as I had thought based on the title.)

Hearts in Atlantis is a nostalgic series of novellas set in the 1960's to 1999. With recurring characters providing a consistent narrative and engaging story line. Quickly drawing me in, I fell in love with several of the characters, including Bobby, Sully-John and Carol. Though unlike many likable characters, I did not find the predictable and was often surprised by the choices they made. Just creative enough to make the story line intriguing, and realistic enough to remind me of people in my own life, I would highly recommend Hearts in Atlantis with the caveat, "not scary at all."

HOMEMADE OREOS

Because I was throwing a game night, and no night is complete without oreos. Consequently, many nights are not complete. Regardless, in my book if you can buy it, you can make it. And you should. And I did. And I'm never buying oreos again because these are soooooooooooooo good. [all the o's are necessary.] I also made them some vanilla counterparts, recipe to come.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cookie Ingredients
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Cookie Directions

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

Filling Ingredients

1/4 c (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 c vegetable Crisco
2 c confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

Filling Directions

1. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
2. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.