Cookie Monster

One of my and Lane’s favorite things is a cookie cake from Great American Cookie Company. They are just pure deliciousness. We normally get them for each other’s birthday and that’s our fix for the entire year. Well, the other day, Lane asked if I could make one. I thought, “Sure. I’ll make it and you can take it to work, because there’s no way we can eat a cookie cake by ourselves.”

Famous. Last. Words Thoughts. Not only did I make it, but we ate the entire thing! YIKES! It stayed fresh for over a week and we would nibble on it after dinner or for breakfast (don’t judge. cookie cake for breakfast is the best.)

I just searched for Cookie Cake recipes and this one seemed easy and quick, so it was the winner. Simple and delicious. I didn’t ice it, but you certainly could and I can only imagine how the delicious factor would rise.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie from Allrecipes.com

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 T. vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 1/4 c. AP flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts (I omitted)

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Gradually add flour, salt and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Spread in a greased 14” round pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cook cookie in pan on a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.

And, completely unrelated, but for your viewing pleasure, HEEEEEERE’S KNOX! He’s ready for Santa!

I am so thankful…

I know it’s after Thanksgiving, and I’ve said it before, but I am SO thankful for the wonderful friends that God has blessed me with.  I am thankful for the humor and laughter that seems endless when we get together. I am thankful for their daily prayer and support, with Christ at the center of it all. I am thankful for the fact that we have all known each other for at least 10 years, and that they know me sometimes better than I know myself. I am thankful that I can share anything with them and know that they won’t judge me. I am thankful that we can come up with any reason possible to get together for girl’s nights! One of those nights was to celebrate Thanksgiving. We haven’t really done it before, but I just thought it would be a fun thing to do this year.

If you’ve ever been to my house, you know that it’s REALLY small, REALLY old (and not updated) and constantly dusty. But, for some reason, I love it! I love to entertain in it as well. I feel a certain connection to the house. It was built in 1940 and I feel like we are re-creating times shared by the original owners over 70 years ago. So, I volunteered to host our girls Thanksgiving Pot-Luck dinner. 

We’ve been planning it since August, it seems. We worked out a menu and it was set! I got really excited about my table setting. I’ve never hosted Thanksgiving before, so I had a fun time playing around with the table. With the help of some BEAUTIFUL dishes from Williams Sonoma Home that Erin brought, I think the table ended up being pretty darn fabulous.

 

I have NO idea how I’ll create my Christmas table now after putting so much thought into this. Maybe I’ll have it down by December 25th!

Back to girl’s night… all of the food was just AMAZING! I have some talented friends who love food as much as I do!

Appetizers: Cranberry salsa with blue corn tortilla chips from Mary C. and Banner’s famous artichoke dip

Salad and rolls: Spinach with blue cheese, spiced almonds, mango and avocados with a Balsamic Vinaigrette from Jill

Turkey: FRIED turkey from Melanie’s talented husband, Joe

Sides: Erin’s AMAZING sweet potato casserole, Melanie’s delicious confetti corn and I made Lane’s famous mashed potatoes

Desserts: Mini cheesecakes from Mary C. and Banner made the cutest things I’ve ever seen…Turkey cookie dough truffles..

After our wonderful dinner, we sat around, drank pumpkin pie martinis and enjoyed each other’s company…oh, and took timer pictures with our cameras…

 

So, just to say it again…I am so thankful. So stinking thankful.

Whoopie Pies for Daddy!

My dad likes those Moon Pie things…you know, the really highly processed, not very tasty (in my humble opinion), plastic wrapped desserts?

I think they are pretty gross, but he LOVES them! He’s loved them since he was a kid. Over Thanksgiving, I planned to spend a few nights with them and wanted to make him a dessert that he REALLY would like, and that weren’t Moon Pies.

I’ve seen all the latest craze concerning whoopie pies, so of course I had to try them. These turned out perfectly! The “cookie” part is very cake-like and moist. The filling is light and fluffy and a perfect compliment to the cake. When I dished the cookies onto the cookie sheet, I used a large “disher” (one of these things….)

The cookie/cake things turned out kind of large, so next time, I’ll use a  smaller disher and get a smaller whoopie pie.

In the end, Daddy LOVED the whoopie pies! He had one every day I was there. Even my mom liked them, and she doesn’t like a lot of sweets. My next whoopie pie adventure…Red Velvet!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies from Gourmet

For cakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg

For filling

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make cakes:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.

• Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

• Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 large baking sheets covered in parchment paper. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Make filling:

• Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble pies:

• Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Cook's Notes:

• Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Filling can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Cheers and Beers! Lane’s 30th

It’s official. My husband is in his thirties! Does this make me a trophy wife?? Lane insisted that nothing BIG was planned for his birthday. He just wanted a nice dinner at home and then to go to Waco and tailgate for the Baylor vs A&M football game. I begrudgingly obliged. I did want to do a bunch of little things because, let’s be honest, this is a big birthday! If he didn’t want to go big, then I would do lots of little things that could add up to be big… On Thursday, I had my 7th period kids call him and, all together, say “Happy last day of your 20’s!”. That evening, we ordered Italian food from our favorite local joint, ate dinner by the fire and had lots of wine. It was a nice birthday eve.

On Friday, his birthday, I took the day off and spent it in the kitchen where I’m most happy, especially cooking for him. It started with breakfast, where his request was biscuits and gravy with an over-easy egg on top! Ok?! I can do that. I haven’t mastered eggs yet. They say that while eggs seem like the most simple thing to cook, they are actually one of the hardest. I believe it. I was really nervous to try to flip the egg in my pan, but it worked! Lane and I were both shocked! So, the day started off with a good breakfast…

He left after breakfast to run errands and do a little work, so I put fun sticky notes all over the house. They started at the front door with “30 reasons I’m glad you were born”. It then led him on a little scavenger hunt around the house. It was fun, and “not too big”.

That evening, we planned dinner at home. On the menu, we had:

-Bungalow Salad

-Baked Potatoes

-Filet Mignon

-Sour Cream Apple Pie

(All recipes previously posted) except the baked potato recipe.

I have a confession. This is shameful. Very shameful. Are you ready??

 

 

I’ve never baked a potato before!!! SHHH…

 

I just don’t prefer baked potatoes. I will eat them, but prefer mashed instead. Lane, is the opposite. So when he asked for baked potatoes I had to call my mom and ask (which I immediately forgot what she said) and then had to rely on the internet. Thankfully, the internet let me to Alton Brown, which led me to the perfect baked potato.

Baked Potatoes courtesy of Alton Brown

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)

Canola oil to coat

Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

Served with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits and green onions.

With dinner,  we opened up a bottle of wine that I bought in Napa Valley, days after Lane and I got engaged. I bought it at Merryvale, which is where we planned to have our rehearsal dinner. Sadly, our plans to marry in Napa Valley were changed due to a significant amount of family that wouldn’t be able to make it.  However, I still have such great memories of Merryvale and can’t wait to take Lane there one day! He’s had their wine several times before and requested this bottle for his birthday. I agreed, only on the notion that we’d have to go back soon and get more!

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a peek at the Merryvale Cask Room…Someday, we hope to have an anniversary party there to make up for our planned rehearsal dinner that we had to cancel.

We went to bed that evening, fat and happy!

The next day, we packed up the car and headed to Waco for the A&M/Baylor football game. Lane and I have been to every A&M/Baylor game together, except for one, since we met six years ago. So this was a fun way to end his birthday weekend.

We have good friends that own a school bus that’s been converted to an RV and painted green and gold! They take it to most home games in Waco and we planned to tailgate with them. I made a few snacks for the day since we wouldn’t really be able to eat a real meal. It was really fun to see a bunch of RANDOM people crowded around our table scarfing down my food. It was flattering! I made Pumpkin Cream Cheese dip, Caramelized Onion Dip, Banana Nut Bread and S’Mores Cupcakes (recipes below).

We had such a fun weekend and Lane said it was a great birthday. We were so happy to share it with friends. My friends, Banner and Jill came down to celebrate, as well as Lane’s best friend (and Baylor Bear!) Raymond and his girlfriend, Ashleigh. We were blessed to share the day with them.

Jill, Banner and Me, holding our “Beers and Cheers, Lane’s 30” cups I had made!

Raymond and Ashleigh

What a great birthday weekend! Happy Birthday to my best friend, husband and partner! I love you!

Recipes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip from Creating Nirvana

(sorry, no picture. Just imagine an orange dip!)

2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ cup brown sugar

Blend all the ingredients together. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers or fruit.

(I served it with pretzels and really liked it!) This was so easy. I’ll definitely make it again.

Caramelized Onion Dip from Rachel Ray, via Peace, Love and French Fries

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 cup water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz sour cream (I used reduced fat)
3 oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

Heat butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (I went between medium and medium-low). Cook onions and garlic until soft and brown, between 20-20 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.
Add beef bouillon and water, cook until mixture is combined. Season with Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined. Cool and refrigerate mixture.
Combine sour cream and cream cheese, stir until smooth. Add chilled onion mixture and stir to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

THIS IS DELICIOUS! I served it with the Cracked Pepper Triscuits, and they were perfect with it. It was GONE by the end of the tailgate.

Banana Nut Bread from Thyme and Traditions Cookbook (Glenwood Church of Christ in Tyler, Texas)

1/2 c. Sugar

2 Eggs

2 c. Flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. buttermilk

3 medium bananas, mashed

1 c. nuts (I used pecans)

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar and eggs until fluffy. Sift together flour and baking soda, then add to butter and sugar. Ad buttermilk, bananas, nuts and vanilla. Bake 50 minutes at 350 until done.

I can’t tell you how this tasted, because, well, I never got any! I set it on the table and never saw it again! Who knows. So, if you had any or make it, let me know! I’m sure I’ll make it again soon, though, because I always have leftover bananas from my lunch. (I only like green bananas! I don’t like when they brown!)

S’Mores Cupcakes

(I don’t know where I found this recipe, so I can’t site a source! I’m so sorry. If it’s yours, let me know. I’ll be happy to credit you.)

Graham Cracker & Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (room temp)
4 hershey's milk chocolate bars (I pulsed mine in the food processor to make them a lot smaller)

Swiss Meringue Marshmallow Frosting (NOT BUTTERCREAM)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 egg whites
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix flour, crushed graham crackers, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk and beat until batter is almost smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
5. To make the frosting: Combine egg whites and sugar in the top of a double boiler (or a glass bowl over but not touching a pan of simmering water). Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until mixtures reaches 160°F, about 5 minutes. Pour egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high for 6 minutes or until room temperature. Add optional vanilla extract 1 teaspoon at a time until desired flavor.
6. Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with grated milk chocolate or graham cracker crumbs.

I actually ran out of eggs, and didn’t make the meringue frosting. I ended up making just a basic cream cheese/buttercream icing. I also molded hershey’s into the lego shape with a lego ice tray! Lane LOVED Legos as a child, so I thought it was a fun touch.

I love my Kroger!

I told Lane that we can never leave this neighborhood only because I LOVE my Kroger! (Wow, how old am I that I have an allegiance to a grocery store??) But, it’s not just any grocery store..It’s like the Rolls Royce of grocery stores. They have live music playing, an olive bar with an impressive cheese selection and lots of very friendly people. I go every Sunday and have come to know the employees there. Gloria helps me with seafood and shares her prayer requests with me…Forrest helps me with the meat counter and tells me I have pretty eyes…I don’t know his name, but the little German man at the deli counter tells me he’ll se me next week….and Carl. Carl is the in store “chef” who is always cooking up something delicious.

One day, Gloria told me I should try what Carl was cooking because it was on special and really delicious. So I did, and was immediately sold. We now have this meal at least every two weeks. It’s SOOO simple and easy and delicious! I really, really like the flavor of the steelhead trout. It’s not fishy at all, but really tasty and has similar health benefits to salmon.

Steelhead with Dill and Dry Mustard from Carl at my Kroger

1 lb Fish (Steelhead Trout)

4 TBS Olive Oil

1 TBS Butter

1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 TSP Dill

3 TBS White wine

1 TSP Lemon/Juice

1/2 TSP Dry Mustard

1/2 TSP Cajun Season (I used Slap Yo Momma, compliments of my Dad!)

Combine olive oil, wine, butter, lemon juice, garlic in frying pat at medium heat. Add fish after 1-2 minutes. Place fish face down for –3 minutes, then flip over the season with dill, dry mustard and cajun seasoning. Cook about 7 minutes, until flaky.

We served with our favorite side, sauteed asparagus.

I have amazing friends.

I speak the truth. I am so blessed to have truly amazing friends. It blows my mind that some of those friends I’ve known for more than 15 years. Some of the others, we’re working on 10 years of friendship (which sadly means that we’re getting old because we met in college). I am beyond blessed to have a group of about 6 women that love me unconditionally and want to actually hang out with me. I still don’t get it, but I’ll continue to be their friend until they realize how big of a dork I am.

My very best friend, Mary C., had a birthday last week and even though she cooked dinner for us on her own birthday, I had to make her birthday cupcakes. I searched and searched for the perfect recipe for her and came across this one. And, let me tell you, these are definitely perfect. The three pieces don’t exactly taste great on their own, however, when you put them all together, they will blow your mind. If they didn’t take 4 hours to make, I might make them every day. They are so delicious. I thought about leaving out the ganache, and I’m so glad I didn’t. It’s the glue that pulled everything together. Enjoy!

Guiness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes from Annie’s Eats

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.  (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes. SIDE NOTE: the cone method makes me so sad! It’s such a waste of delicious cupcake. You could definitely keep the little cones and make a trifle type dessert or little bite sized dessert.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

I love fall in Texas. The weather is perfect, people are happy and the food just seems to taste better. I love the flavor of pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake…I just love it. Every year, however, there seems to be a canned pumpkin shortage (guess I’m not the only one that loves me some pumpkin!) so when I came across this recipe, I immediately went to the store and bought my pumpkin…we’ll just say that there will be no pumpkin shortage in this house this year!

A dinner was planned with my very best girlfriends and I knew that would be the best place to try out this recipe. These cupcakes were delicious! Lane said they were some of the best he’s had. They are moist and flavorful and just perfect. I will be making them again very soon!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from Martha Stewart via Sing for your Supper
*Makes 32 cupcakes (I halved the recipe, because Lord knows we don’t need 32 cupcakes in our house!)

4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed (I used my stand mixer with paddle attachment), cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers.

Frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.

Adventures in West Texas

Less than a year after we started dating, Lane’s parents moved from Tyler (where my parents live) to Alpine. They were sick of the city life and dealing with allergies in the Piney Woods so the just up and moved to far West Texas.

We’ve been to visit them several times, but mostly it was at Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it wasn’t very green out there. In fact, the last time we went out there it was Christmas Eve 2009 and we got stuck in a blizzard. Yes, a blizzard. We were stuck on I-20 for 5 hours in a car with a restless dog and no toilet. So, this time, we decided to fly out there. Well, fly to Midland then drive 2 hours to Alpine.  MUCH EASIER!

This time, the scenery was green and really quite pretty. I’m not a huge fan of dessert scenery but I was impressed by the drive from Midland to Alpine.

When we first arrived, Lane’s mom had her famous brisket waiting for us. We can always guarantee that the food is going to be fabulous when we visit! We ate quickly and then headed up to Ft. Davis at the McDonald Observatory for a “Star Party”. I was at first most excited about Lane’s mom telling me to bring a jacket! A JACKET IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST! Woohoo! But, after arriving, I became even more excited about the UNBELIEVEABLE amount of stars that could be seen.  We saw Jupiter on the horizon and were just surrounded by the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy. We were able to look into telescopes at stars that are millions of light years away (Which I still have trouble comprehending a light year.) It was a great night and a good way to start off the mini vacation.

Here’s me and Lane with his Dad inside the observatory.

The next day, we woke up, had breakfast and got ready to go to Balmorhea Springs. It’s a spring feed swimming  hole in the middle of the dessert. Seriously. You are just driving in desolate land and then in a clearing, you see trees and this little oasis! Because it was a Saturday, it was pretty crowded but we set up a little tent and chairs and read our books! We took turns swimming in the SUPER cold water, but it was really neat to swim in crystal clear water and see little fish swimming right alongside you.

On the way, we stopped at a little store to get sunscreen and drinks and I discovered they had Slush Puppies! SP’s were my drink of choice as a child and of course had to get one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is some of the mountain scenery on the drive to Balmorhea. A lot different than my normal commute in Dallas!

Finally, we made it to Balmorhea and had a great time.  I wish I had better pictures of the area, but I was too excited to swim! Lane’s dad bought us an underwater camera that we need to develop and I’ll post those pictures as well!

That evening we relaxed and ate dinner and watched a movie with Lane’s parents. We were exhausted from a day of driving and swimming, so it was a good end to a good day.

The next morning, we woke up and went to church. It’s definitely a different culture out there. I am used to mega-churches and traffic. There, we made up a fourth of the congregation population, and that was a big crowd for them! Everyone is so friendly and very welcoming. It was just a little strange for me to be able to hear my own voice while singing hymns.

After church, Lane and I decided to just drive around to a few of the little towns around Alpine. We went to Marfa and Ft. Davis. This wasn’t the first time we had been to Marfa, but there had just been an article in Texas Monthly about it and how it was one of the five best road trip destinations in Texas. So, we were excited to see what more Marfa had to offer.

Sadly, it was a complete fail. Marfa might be the most overrated town in Texas. It’s home to a lot of very artsy people. Don’t get me wrong… I appreciate art, but the art in Marfa just isn’t my style. Not to mention, it was a ghost town and everything was closed. Wah wah wah. Oh well. We can say we’ve been there and done that.

The Big Bend area is also known as a good grape producing area. The arid climate is great for vineyards.  There is a winery down the street from our house in Dallas that grows their grapes in Alpine. We also wanted to stop by a tasting room of another on the way to Marfa. Well, sadly it was closed. For good. Another sad disappointment.

We did find that we loved the town of Ft. Davis. We stopped at a little organic grocery store for a treat.

Quite possibly the most yummy snack ever! Blue Sky Root Beer and  chocolate chip cookie! We sat on the little porch and watched as a thunderstorm rolled in (and felt temperatures in the 70’s!)

That evening, the Allens planned to take us to Marathon to have dinner at the famous Gage Hotel. We arrived a little early and went to the Gage Gardens. A wonderful little garden, complete with a vineyard! My favorite part was that the sign said “No Hunting”.

 

In the little vineyard at Gage Gardens:

We had a fabulous dinner at the Gage and were able to celebrate my birthday with family. The hotel is amazing and has a these little villas that are a part of it with a wonderful pool and an area with a fire pit and rocking chairs. I could definitely see the Gage as  fun little getaway for people sick of the city.

     

On our way back to Alpine that night, we were in a lighting storm that just illuminated the sky.  It was really need to see the BLACK night sky lit up by huge lightning bolts.

All in all, we had a great trip. It was great to see Lane’s parents and see West Texas in a different light!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

I should really just call my blog the Annie’s Eats copy-cat blog because I really just make her recipes. But. I. Just. Can’t. Stop. They are so stinking good. I haven’t made a single thing of hers that isn’t delicious.

We try to serve  fish once a week and I’m always searching for non-fishy fish recipes. I went to the store intending to buy scallops, but holy cow! Scallops are ‘spensive! Instead, salmon was on sale  so I went with it. I immediately came home and  searched to see what Annie had to offer me. Luckily, I came across this recipe and had all the ingredients on hand. I was a little skeptical, but it ended up being delicious. Strawberries were so fresh right when I made this so it was just delicious.  Enjoy!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used grape tomatoes)
4 scallions, white and green portions, sliced thin
1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced (I used dried because it’s what I had)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the salsa, combine the strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Mix well to blend, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon.

Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the salmon fillets on the foil.  Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over each fillet, and season with salt and pepper.  Broil about 6-8 inches away from heat source (in my oven, this is upper middle rack).  Cook about 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the fillets, checking for doneness.  Transfer the salmon to serving plates and top with strawberry salsa.  Serve warm.

I’m a burger girl…In a burger world!

(Again, I apologize for the very crappy picture. I’m slowly learning.)

I’m not lying. I love burgers. I crave burgers. Bad news. Burgers aren’t so good for you. So sad. In order to make myself feel a little better about my love for burgers, I decided to start making turkey burgers. We’ve been using ground turkey in place of ground beef, so this was an obvious choice. Turkey burgers are a good option for us when we are craving something “bad”. Now, don’t get me wrong, they still aren’t healthy, but they are pretty tasty and better than the alternative.

I love Kraftrecipes.com. They have lots of simple, quick and yummy recipes that use common ingredients we normally have on hand. This is where I found the turkey burger recipe. However, since we don’t have a gas grill, I use our cast iron skillet and oven and they are delicious!

Turkey Burgers adapted from Kraft Foods

1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s honey BBQ)

2 whole  Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, finely chopped (I omit because I don’t normally have them on hand, but they are a delicious addition if you have them).

1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 lb.  Ground turkey

1/2 cup Dry bread crumbs

Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste

4   whole grain sandwich buns, toasted

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Also heat cast iron skillet over a medium flame until hot. Combine first six ingredients and form into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Place in oven and cook on each side for three more minutes each. Serve on toasted buns with condiments of your choice!

German Chocolate Cake

I am surrounded by men who are obsessed with German chocolate cake. My husband, nephew and father are all smitten with it. But, I have a secret. I don’t like German chocolate cake. So, when my nephew and father both requested one for their birthday (they are a day apart), I knew I had to make one…and make it good. Because I don’t eat it, I have to assume that good means it has lots of ingredients and requires lots of time. According to the eaters of the cake today, my assumption was right.

It took about 3 hours to make and I have a mean mess to clean in my kitchen, but it was worth it to see how happy my family were while eating it. It brings me joy to see how baked goods make people happy…I would love to have a bakery one day and experience that joy as my job.

Anyway, I still haven’t mastered getting a four layer cake to be level. Yes, I have a cake leveler, but I haven’t mastered that either. This cake didn’t disappoint in the crooked category. I also was in a hurry to finish decorating it and my frosting tip came out of my plastic bag. Once that happened, there was no turning back. So, while it wasn’t the prettiest cake, it apparently was very delicious.

I would suggest a few changes: I used German chocolate in the cake batter as opposed to the bittersweet/un-sweet that the recipe suggests. I just didn’t feel right making a German chocolate cake without GERMAN chocolate. I forgot to add the vanilla extract  in the batter and also didn’t have any dark rum for the syrup. So, I just used vanilla in the syrup instead. I’m sure the rum would add a great flavor, but I didn’t have any and didn’t want to go buy a bottle for 2 ozs. I also didn’t feel like the recipe made enough filling. It doesn’t need to be doubled, but just needs a little more. I barely had enough for the top layer and I know I didn’t over fill the rest of the layers. EDIT: So as I’m typing this, Lane gave me his honest opinion about the cake. While he said it was delicious, he also said that it wasn’t what he thinks of when he thinks of a GCC. He suggested that instead of icing the sides with the ganache, I should used the filling. He said it needed more of that flavor. So, maybe double the filling recipe and use it to ice the sides. You can still decorate the top with the ganache because it’s delicious!

German Chocolate Cake adapted from David Lebovitz

For the cake:
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped (I used German Chocolate instead.)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

(I used German Chocolate instead.)
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces butter (6 T), cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted

For the syrup:
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum

For the chocolate icing:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used a bag of Ghirardelli

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 ½ (3 T)ounces unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer (I used my stand mixer), or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there's no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.

To make the filling:

1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.)

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.)

To make the syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum.

To make the icing:

1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature.

To assemble the cake:

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.
Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.

Side note: I can’t believe my nephew is 12! I know its cliché to say, but I remember when he was born. I remember his first steps. I remember picking him up from day care. I remember holding him in the hospital when he had RSV. He’s a wonderful boy (he’s not a teenager yet, darn it!) and I am so thankful that God has blessed my life with him.

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

Scallops are one of my favorite seafood dishes. They aren’t fishy at all, but are buttery and smooth and delicious!  They are super easy to cook and are fast for a weeknight dinner. They run about $12 a pound for sea scallops at our local grocery store, so I don’t do them too often, but when I do, go big or go home!

I knew I wanted to serve the scallops with a wedge salad. It’s one of our favorites and is really easy to make (lettuce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, tomatoes and bacon.) So, I decided to go all out for these scallops…no calories were spared in the making of this dish!  The sweetness of the glaze pairs so well with the scallops. It’s delicious!

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

(Serves 2)

4 strips thick cut bacon

¾ lb Sea Scallops (I just asked for 8 large at the counter)

Sea salt and pepper

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

¼ c. chicken broth

Remove scallops from packaging. Layer on paper towels so that the water is absorbed. Salt and pepper the scallops.

In a large skillet, cook bacon for salad and set aside. When finished, use a paper towel to soak up a little of the grease, but not all. Heat skillet with bacon grease over medium high heat. Once grease is hot, add the scallops, making sure they do not touch one another. Once you set them in the pan, don’t move them. This will ensure they get a good sear. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Meanwhile, turn your oven on warm. Once the scallops are seared on both sides, place on an oven safe plate and put in the oven to keep warm.

Add the vinegar and broth to your skillet. Simmer and let reduce to about ¼ of the original amount. It should form a glaze. Use a whisk to occasionally stir and get all of the goodness from the bottom of the pan. You could add some shallots here if you’d like.

Plate the scallops with the wedge and spoon the glaze over them. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodledoo! Wahooo!

Snickerdoodles are my FAVORITE cookies. They are just so good. They aren’t plain like a sugar cookie, but aren’t too complicated like a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. They are perfect. I don’t normally make cookies, but wanted to send Lane to a party with something that was easy to travel with and we all know how I drive when there are cupcakes in the car…so, snickerdoodles were the answer! I searched for a while trying to find a recipe that didn’t use shortening. It’s just really, really bad for you and I really, really wanted to eat a lot of cookies! So, I came across this recipe from the amazing Annie’s Eats. I haven’t made anything of hers yet that isn’t amazing. (If you have an ice cream maker, you should also try her strawberry ice cream!!)

These cookies are the perfect snickerdoodle (despite what the fuzzy picture shows..) They have a bit of a crunchy exterior and a super soft interior. They are fluffy and buttery and melt in your mouth!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
2 large eggs
4-5 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Put butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Mix in eggs.

Reduce speed to low and gradually incorporate flour mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon to preferred ratio. Shape dough into 1 3/4 in. balls (you should have about 20). Roll in cinnamon sugar and place three inches apart on baking sheets lines with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, twelve to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.  ENJOY!!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

 

Hold on while I lick the plate……

Lane and I had Nutella stuffed french toast on our honeymoon, and ever since I told my mom about it (she loves nutella) she’s wanted to try it. Finally, over July 4th weekend, we did! I just googled a recipe and came across this one. This was so rich and delicious! The perfect bite included french toast smothered in syrup with a slice of strawberry. It’s certainly NOT weight watchers approved, but it sure was tummy approved!  Give it a shot next time you are in a french toast mood…it doesn’t disappoint!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast, adapted from Nook and Pantry

Note: I doubled the recipe to serve 4 of us and had PLENTY batter left over.

1 egg
3/4 C milk (I used whole…when in Rome!)
3 Tbsp AP flour
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (and more for frying)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Half loaf of french bread; cut into 3/4 inch slices on the diagonal
Nutella, slathered it on
Powdered sugar, syrup and strawberries for serving

Whisk the egg, milk, melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until a smooth, thin batter is formed. (Stir occasionally so four doesn’t settle at the bottom)
Spread some Nutella on a slice of bread and then top with a second slice. Continue until all bread is used. (Ours made 6 “sandwiches”. Heat a non stick skillet to medium heat. Add butter right before adding bread. Dip nutella sandwiches in batter and immediately fry. Fry the French toasts until crisp and brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side, flip then fry the second side until crisp and brown also, another minute or so. Continue until all pieces are cooked
Serve with powdered sugar, syrup and strawberries.

Homemade Hibiscus

One night, before attending a play at Dallas’ new Winspear Opera House, we decided to try Hibiscus. We had heard how great it was from friends and for a wedding shower gift, we were given a $50 gift certificate, so we decided to give it a try.

Let me just say, if I could make babies with Hibiscus…I would. It’s that good. It is one of the best meals we have ever eaten, and well, we eat a lot of meals. Everything we had was unbelievable. We had a lump crab appetizer, we each had salads (I had the bungalow, Lane had the wedge), for our entrees I had the short ribs and Lane had a filet. (He says it’s in the top four best steaks he’s ever had.) We shared their famous macaroni and cheese and had their sour cream apple pie with lavender ice cream for dessert. It’s making me salivate just thinking about it.

The only problem with Hibiscus is that it’s really expensive. Let’s just say that our $50 gift certificate didn’t even cover the tip. It was really worth it, but now we have to save up to go. So, instead of dropping lots of moola on dinner there, I decided to re-create our dinner here at home. I went to Central Market and got everything I needed and literally spent the rest of the day in the kitchen. Side note: I am currently reading Laura Bush’s “Spoken from the Heart” book and she remembers her mother spending all day in the kitchen…from 5:30 a.m. to after dinner. I have so much more respect for my great grandmother, whose reality was very much similar to that of Mrs. Bush’s mother’s. Lane’s mom also spends a lot of her time cooking when we come visit and I am so thankful. That’s hard work!

So, the menu for our homemade Hibiscus dinner was:

Appetizer: Crab meat with Avocado, Fresh Horseradish and cocktail sauce

Salad: Hibiscus Bungalow salad with Iceberg Lettuce, Tomatoes, Candied Pecans, Smoked Bacon, Avocado, Blue Cheese and Lite Honey Mustard

Entree: Filet Mignon

Side: Gourmet Mac and Cheese

Dessert: Sour Cream Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipes:

Crab Meat with Avocado, Fresh Horseradish and Cocktail Sauce

Holy crustacean! Do you know how expensive lump crab meat is! Central Market only offered it in 1 lb. containers. Your options were jumbo lump ($26/lb), lump ($16/lb) or claw meat at ($8/lb). I was blow away. I knew we didn’t need a whole pound of crab, and didn’t really want to pay that much for it, so I decided to come up with something else. Well, long story short, I had a craving for crab, so I went to the Whole Foods down the street where I got 1/2 lb of claw meat for $7. Darn it! I should have gotten it at CM. Oh well. In retrospect, I should have just sprung for the lump or jumbo lump. While it was still delicious, it would have been a little better with the better quality meat.

1 avocado, split in half with the seed removed

1/2 lb. crab meat (spring for jumbo lump if you can)

Fresh horseradish, grated

Juice of half of a lime

Cocktail sauce, to taste

Split the avocado in half and place each half on a serving plate. Fill top of avocado with 1/4 lb. crab meat. Top with fresh grated horseradish and a squeeze of lime. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 2. Enjoy!

Bungalow Salad

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, torn

1 large tomato, diced

4 slices Applewood smoke bacon, cooked

Pecans, toasted in butter and brown sugar

Blue cheese, to taste

Honey Mustard Dressing, to taste (the Hibiscus salad is served with a mustard vinaigrette, which I couldn’t find. I should have just made one considering the lite honey mustard dressing I used was very watery.)

Assemble all ingredients and mix. Serves 2.

Filet Mignon (From previous Blog Entry)

Gourmet Mac and Cheese (adapted from Epicurious)

Hibiscus has amazing mac and cheese. It’s just really good. My friend Tamara is also and fan and when she asked for the recipe, they would only tell her the types of cheese needed. So she passed that information along to me and tried to figure it out. Well, while it was good, I forgot to add the cream cheese, so it was missing a creamy factor. Lane loved it and it had a very mild flavor. I think I’ll keep trying (or just get takeout mac and cheese from Hibiscus!)

3/4 pound elbow macaroni

For topping

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs

1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 4 ounces)

For cheese sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 3/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cups heavy cream

4 cups coarsely grated cheese (about 1 pound)

(I used about a 1/2 cup each of Port Salut, Parmesean and Mozzarella. For the rest, I used extra sharp cheddar. I should have also used about 4 oz. of cream cheese.)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13x9 casserole). Fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for macaroni.

Make topping:
Melt butter and in a bowl stir together with bread crumbs and Cheddar until combined well. Topping may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Make sauce:
In a 5-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in cream, cheeses, mustard, salt, and pepper. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper (put wax paper directly on the cheese sauce surface).

Cook macaroni in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni in colander. In a large bowl stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce. Transfer mixture to baking dish.

Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Sour Cream Apple Pie from Simple Recipes

This is pretty tasty. The crust wasn’t my favorite…it kind of tastes like pop tart crust, but you don’t taste too much of it because the flavor of the pie is pretty strong.

1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 1 1/4 pounds of slices)
1 9" unbaked pie shell, frozen or chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (see pâte brisée recipe)

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together all ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Chill until needed in the recipe.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Beat together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg (can beat by hand). Add apples, mixing carefully to coat well.

Put filling into a pie shell and bake at 400 degrees initially for 25 min.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with Cinnamon Crumb Topping. Bake for and additional 20 more minutes.

Let cool for a hour before serving. Serves 8.

Lane was a happy man, post dinner!