Today I made a cake for the husband's sister. This is the frosting I whipped together to top it. It was a total wing it sort of thing but I just loved the taste of it. Chocolate but not too much chocolate. Cream cheese but still on the sweet side.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 Cup Room Temperature Butter 12 Ounces Cream Cheese 1/2 T Vanilla Extract 2 2/3 Cup Sifted Powdered Sugar 1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth and evenly combined.
Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Add the sifted sugar and cocoa powder and mix until completely incorporated.
That is all there is to it folks! Simple and delicious. You can add more chocolate if you want it stronger! Or leave out the chocolate if you just want some good cream cheese frosting.
This is about 3 Cups of frosting. I used it for the middle of the two layers of cake, to frost, and still had some left over for the husband to eat. Makes plenty and will save well if you don't use it all.
Have you ever made a dish and immediately swore you would never make it again?
Not because it isn't good but because it is too good.
You know how I have the theory that if you make it from scratch it is healthy. This is one of those exceptions. The cookie dough and the caramel I made from scratch. However, this dish is the definition of unhealthy.
This dish is like crack but it food form. Not that I know what crack is like because I have never tried any form of drugs but I assume this is what it would be like.
Well and parchment paper, a 9x13 baking dish, and an oven.
1. Preheat that oven to three fifty.
2. Whip up a batch of cookie dough. Divide the dough in half and press half into a parchment lined pan. Pop that one out by pulling up on the parchment paper. Put in the fridge. Line the pan with parchment again and press the other half of the dough in the pan. Place pan in fridge.
3. Prepare your caramel. If you use my recipe you will only need half of it. You can make caramel squares with the rest. Or caramel apples like my husband wanted. Bring it up to two forty, the softball stage. Once complete stir it to cool it down.
4. Once the caramel starts to cool slightly and starts to thicken spread it out over the cookie dough. Peal the other layer of cookie dough off of the parchment and set it over the caramel.
5. Bake for thirty five to forty minutes or until in starts to turn golden brown on the top.
6. Remove from oven, let cool about fifteen to twenty minutes. Use that bottom layer of parchment to pull the whole thing out of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to complete the cooling process.
You can taste it when it is molten hot but honestly I feel that the flavors calm down a bit and get better the more they cool. Only, two thousand calories per bite. I am sure my daughter, the official taste tester, would approve but I just didn't feel a one year old should partake. Mean mommy.
I am not a huge apple fan. I never have been. Unless they are covered in caramel but then that really takes away from the healthy nature, just a little. Apple pie too, but once again not very healthy. Previously my daughter wasn't an apple fan either but the other day when she was up checking out the counter, supervised, she grabbed for one. She bit at it and played with it for awhile. I took a big bite out of it to help her out. However, she still didn't make a lot of progress.
I got to thinking about my failure with kale chips. They turned into chips they just tasted awful. I know apple chips isn't a new concept but I have never done it. Until now.
Apple Chips
All you need is as many apples as you want. I used golden delicious. Slice them super thin. I used the second smallest setting on my mandolin. I didn't remove the core either, just the seeds.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 225-250 degrees. Bake for about fifty minutes. I turned them after twenty five minutes and then checked on them every five to ten minutes.
You just want them to get a light golden brown. When you touch them they won't feel crisp but they crisp more as they cool.
We both enjoyed them quiet a bit for being apple haters.
You could do different variations as well, like sprinkling some sugar and cinnamon on them.
What do you make when a little bear is super cranky? You make something super quick and easy. You make hamburger helper, right? Wrong.
Do you see that bump back there? Growing teeth isn't easy. This round has been brutal. So we whipped up some cheese burger hamburger helper. When I was a youngster I loved the box stuff. When I moved out at the ripe old age of eighteen I made myself a box. It was just bad. I didn't eat it again. Awhile back I tried making it from scratch. It was alright but the flavor was lacking, not that it wasn't on point with the boxed stuff, I just wanted something more.
Here is the new and improved version!
1 Pound Ground Beef 4 Cups of Egg Noodles 2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Grated 1/2 Onion Minced 1 t Minced Garlic 1/2 Cup Reserved Pasta Water 1 1/3 Cup Heavy Cream 2/3 Cup Whole Milk 1 1/2 T Cornstarch 2 t Sugar 1 t Paprika 1 t Onion Powder 1 t Salt 1/4 t Ground Black Pepper
Cook noodles in salted water till almost done. They will cook a little in the sauce so don't cook them all the way. Reserve one half cup of your pasta water.
Brown ground beef, when almost cooked through, add onions and cook till tender. Add garlic and cook for a few moments until garlic is fragrant.
Add cooking water to pan. Once most of the water is evaporated add heavy cream and spices.
Combine the milk and cornstarch and add to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and once mixture has thickened reduce the heat and add cheese. Stir till melted. Check for taste. Add your noodles, once noodles are desired consistency it is ready to serve.
I really enjoy this dish. Warm and comforting. Remember, as long as it is made from scratch it is healthy. Least in my book it is!
And, yes, you could leave out the onion powder and just add more onion but I hate onions. Actually I like them but I have a mental block to the texture. I am slowly working on this problem. This is the first night I actually diced the onions instead of using my grater to make them a puree. Baby steps.
My first attempt at this recipe was an adapted version of this.
One year ago we brought this quiet little snuggle bug home:
She quickly turned into a very loud snuggle bug:
That soon passed and we got a full of smiles snuggle bug:
My little bear has learned so much this year. She learned how to smile, roll over, crawl, eat, sit up, walk, laugh, point, say three words (mama, dada, and up), climb, throw a fit, use a straw, put the round shape in the round hole, how to chew on a stick, how to unroll toilet paper, how to pull down mom's shirt, how to scoop with her fork or spoon, how to slurp noodles, how to run her fingers along her lips to make that boo boo boo funny noise, and so much more. It amazes me how quickly she learns and picks up new things.
She has also grown a ton this year. She is now thirty three and one/half inches tall and almost thirty four pounds. She is wearing five t socks and six t clothes (with the length of the leg shortened a little). She wears size seven diaper but would be in an eight if that size was made. She has seven teeth and unhappily working on more. She still has bright blue eyes and a head full of curly brown hair. She is pretty strong, often stronger than me.
She still loves to nurse but is working on eating more big girl foods. She loves broccoli, peas, noodles, meat, tomatoes, and crackers but will eat pretty much anything besides oatmeal. She is working on sleeping better. Three days ago we gave up sleeping in the recliner together and moved to a bed. Last night she only woke up three times to nurse. A huge improvement over our normal six or seven. We still nurse to sleep but she tries to go to sleep on her own by laying her head on the pillow and sticking her butt in the air.
Her favorite things to do are hunting down the remote, getting pushed around in her car, climbing up the stairs, walking around with a toy she got for her birthday (thanks grandma), going through the kitchen and pulling everything out of the cupboards, being held up so she can play with light switches and everything that is normally out of reach, chewing on dad's phone charger when he forgets to put it up, playing with mom's computer and camera, knocking down stacks of stuff, practicing walking, playing peek a boo, and being mischievous.
She currently doesn't enjoy getting a diaper change, drying behind her ears, taking her iron, getting her nose cleaned out, not being allowed to climb on the dish washer, car rides, having the gate at the top of the stairs closed, having the oven locked, and not getting her way.
This past weekend we had her birthday party. She enjoyed her cake very much. I made cake push pops and she loved it. She got some awesome new toys that she loves. She had a great time hanging out with her buddy C. I know she didn't really understand what the day was but I hope it was a little more special than normal days.
One year down, one hundred and three more to go.
(After Party Clean Up!)
I love you baby girl. I love your smile. I love how you softly snore. I love how you hunt down what you want. I love your relentless determination. I love how you snuggle up close when you sleep. I love your baby hugs. I love your kisses. I love your chubby cheeks. I love that you share your food with me even the piece you sucked on for twenty minutes. I love that you are completely fearless. I love everything about you and I always will. Happy birthday big girl!
Ever have that moment when you think, I really should blog about that but it just doesn't work out. Like you didn't write down the recipe nor did you get a picture of the moment. Normally, I try to not blog about stuff unless I think it is either, funny, useful, or informative. I don't want to just write to complain. I also try to not embarrass those that I love too much. Funny is funny but there is a line. I don't want my daughter to look back at this and be mad or mortified. However, there are those moments that are just too good not to blog about.
Yesterday, I thought of something I really should have mentioned here in imaginary friend land. When my husband and I first lived together I bought a block of parmigiano-reggiano and I cut the rind off and put it in the trash pile. My husband hates to waste food, he snatched it up, not to save it and put it in a broth though. "Don't throw that out, it is expensive, I will eat it." He took a big ole bite, immediately spit it in his hand. Cause if it tasted like the rest of the block I probably wouldn't have tossed it, huh?
However, embarrassing my husband isn't what this post is about. It was just a bonus. Today I had one of those moments where for a split second you actually think about grabbing the camera rather than fixing the situation. You know what I am talking about. It isn't just a blog thing, it is a Mom thing, and simply a human thing. A kid has their leg stuck in some place it shouldn't be, you take a picture, then you help them out.
Today I was mixing up some dough for spring rolls. I must have swooshed that wooden spoon a little to hard because flour went flying everywhere. My daughter was standing right below me and got covered in flour. Her face was completely white. For a split second I considered grabbing my camera but then I thought it was probably more important to clean the flour out of her eyes. If I was a better blogger I would have gotten that image for you all but I didn't. I can only apologize and leave you with this blurry and sideways video of my daughter walking.
1. This vegetarian journey has been so long. We are now on day two, my husband is so deprived, that he text me to ask what we are having for dinner because he was thinking about stopping to get a hot dog on his way home. Wow, that is all I have to say, wow.
2. See this bottle of Tylenol, it is for ages 6 months to 23 months.
My doctor told me today that I could now go by the measurements on the back since my baby girl is 34 pounds and over six months. Last time we gave her Tylenol she was under six months so the doctor let us know how much to give her. So here are the measurements:
Ok, so what do we give our almost one year old that is 34 pounds. It only goes up to 23 pounds for a 23 month old! So, I just let her tip back the bottle and go for it. Only kidding of course!
3. Guess who is walking? Yup, my daughter is a walking fool. She still gets going a little fast and falls. Sometimes, she wants the quicker route and goes back to crawling but she is definitely walking!
4. I have learned two things so far on our week of being vegetarian. You know, this being day two, I have had lots of time to learn.
I don't like being limited. I don't like having restrictions. If you tell me I can't have one well I will probably eat three. It is just my personality. I woke up yesterday and I just felt depressed. You would have thought I was back to eating only rice, chicken, and bread again. I got over it though and made some crepes.
I like to eat healthy. My definition of healthy is probably vastly different than most peoples. To me healthy is making it from scratch, not eating processed food, and knowing what's on your plate. Eating healthy while being vegetarian takes more effort in my opinion.
5. I have been working on this champagne pasta dish for a couple weeks. I almost had it perfect. Last night I tossed mushrooms in to the mix. It was a a step in the wrong direction. Back to the drawing board.
6. My husband didn't care for the kale chips either. His facial expression was worse than mine. However, my daughter actually liked them. I wasn't sure if she liked the taste as much as crunching them in her hands and watching the pieces fall to the floor.
7. Ellie had her first strawberry today. She loved it.
8. Ellie, has some fluid in her ear which isn't making her very happy. Have you ever unloaded a dishwasher while holding thirty four pounds on your hip? I did. It isn't easy but it keeps the gummy bear from crying. I think she is starting to grow some more teeth as well!
9. Tomorrow I am making cabbage wraps, wish me luck.
I was vegetarian for a year many moons ago when I knew nothing about food. I ate a lot of cereal because I really didn't know what I could eat besides salads. I am not a big salad person unless it is a starter or it is covered in crispy chicken. I couldn't wait for that year to end. I walked away detesting the idea of being vegetarian, forget about it. However, now that I know more about food I want to give it another try.
I am just going for a week though. One, my husband would divorce me if I considered giving up meat. Two, I like meat and don't want to give it up completely, I just don't want to think it has to be apart of every meal.
Just our house is a vegetarian zone though, my husband can eat whatever he wants while at work. He is the bread winner, the man can have whatever he wants on that bread.
During this week my intent is to see if we can be vegetarian and enjoy it. To see if we can feel full and satisfied without meat or meat substitutes. I will not use fake meat as a fill in. I am not trying to make meatless meals that replicate normal meat meals. I don't see the point in that. I want great filling meals with normal ingredients. "Tofurkey" is not a normal ingredient.
Today is our first day so I thought I would try something new. I have seen Kale Chips everywhere! Blogs, magazines, and Food Network. You name it and they are doing Kale Chips! So they have to be good right!
Wrong. I really wanted to like this. What a great snack idea and it is healthy. A little more healthy than the five gallon tub of animal crackers I have been working on. I just didn't like them at all. It was bitter and just off the mark. I once used kale to make collard greens and didn't like that either. So maybe I am just not a kale fan. However, I still have some leftover and sitting in the fridge so I will have to try something else with it. Kale you get one more try! Any suggestions?
A little while ago I mentioned that I was thinking about cooking up some liver because it is the mega iron food. I told you I would let you know if I ever got past the thinking about it stage.
So I mentioned my thought to my husband, he hates liver. He has actually had it before. I told him I could probably cook it in a way he would like it and not even know that was what he was eating. He actually got upset and insisted that I was not allowed to feed him liver. In the past he has said I could use foods he didn't like and he would try it. So this statement, coming from that man that will chew on the pencil he took from a hole in the wall bar, meant a lot.
What it meant was that I was more determined to make liver and him like it. I just had to come up with a plan.
So yesterday I was cleaning out a chicken that I was roasting for dinner. I reached inside to get that little plastic bag of parts. Those parts that I always throw away without even looking at. That is when the plan was finalized.
We will never be eating liver in this house. Ever. That is the new plan.
I stuck my hand in there and the parts were there but they weren't in a bag. My finger went right into the liver. I almost threw up on the chicken. So I figured this was the universes way of telling me that liver just wasn't meant to be eaten. Ever.
I am very critical of the food I make. I can usually always find something that can be improved. I am sure that is one reason I don't post recipes everyday. Additionally, I am not the kind of person to brag about how good their food is because I know there is some amazing food out there, I am no iron chef, except my chocolate chip cookies, they are perfect.
Lasagna has never been my favorite. I grew up with a family that loved it though. My dad would throw everything in it. It had sausage, beef, ricotta, pineapple, and just about anything else you could think of. I remember I use to just pick the noodles out and scrap off the sauce. My husband loves lasagna though and I have learned to enjoy it in a simpler form.
I made lasagna for Grandma's sixtieth birthday. I have done it many times but never with fresh pasta. As I was making it I stated that part of me hopes I don't like it because the amount of work it takes but the other part of me knows I will love it. I have to say it was pretty amazing. You know when people ask you about the best thing you ever ate. I never had an answer, I would always say that I hadn't eaten it yet. I have had some great food but I wasn't ready to slap that label on anything yet. Not as a whole or even a certain dish.
This was my perfect bite of lasagna.
It was a new sauce and homemade noodles. The only thing wrong with it was that there wasn't enough. The picture below is the second time I made it at an increased volume. The first time it was gone before my camera could power on.
Lasagna (Enough for two!):
Noodles
2 Cups Flour 3 Eggs Pinch of Salt 1 t Olive Oil
Sift flour into a mound and make a well in the middle. Add eggs, salt, and oil to the well. Stir with a fork, slowly pulling the flour in. Once it is incorporated enough start to work the dough with your hands. Kneading until the dough will spring back when you press your finger into it. Wrap it in plastic and let it rest on the counter for about an hour. Roll out, thin, I used setting five on the pasta roller. You want it to be thin enough that you can see your fingers through it.
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Salt your water. Drop your noodles in a few at a time. They just need to boil a few seconds. As long as it takes you to drop the last one and pick up the slotted spoon. Retrieve the noodles, dip them in ice cold water, and set them on a clean dish towel to dry up a little.
Sauce
1 Pound of Ground Beef 1 T of Minced Garlic (about 3-4 cloves) 1 1/2 T Dry Sweet Basil 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes 1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cups of Heavy cream S/P to Taste 2 Cups Grated Parmesan 4 Cups Grated Mozzarella
In a big skillet cook up your ground beef. Once cooked through transfer to a food processor and pulse a couple times so you have a finer ground beef and not big chunks.
Return beef to skillet and add the olive oil and the garlic. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and basil. Simmer until most liquid is gone and you have a thicker sauce 30-60 minutes. Season with S/P.
Add cream and allow to cook for a few minutes just until it starts to thicken back up.
Lasagna
Layer your lasagna.
Sauce
Noodles (You want them to touch but not overlap.)
Sauce
Cheese
Noodles
Sauce
Cheese
Until you run out.
You want to put just enough sauce to cover the noodle with thin layer. Don't put too much, you don't want lasagna soup.
Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until it is nice and bubbling.
Adapted: The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles By The Editors of Cooks Illustrated
