Butternut Squash Quesadilla Birthday Dinner!

First, I gotta say something super important:

Happy Birthday to my dear brother, Bryan! 

I really do hope you had a great birthday today and wish that I was there to celebrate with you. 

Welp, we made it through the holiday and now just have New Year's to get through.  Maybe I'm alone in this thought, but I'll sure be glad when life is a little more back to normal.  I'm such a scrooge sometimes!   

We spent Christmas with Tommy's family.  It was really nice.  His sister went ALL out and made a fabulous Christmas dinner.  If you're reading this, Thank You, Ann!! - for cooking, for being a gracious host and for making it a-okay for us to roll around in our pajamas all day long!! 

We had a Mexican feast one night and "someone" had a few too many margaritas!  The next evening, we went to a family holiday party and "someone" had a few too many margaritas, again!  OK...maybe not too many - just the right number!  Ole!

I am totally hooked up with baking things now!  I got some new bundt pans, new mini-bundt pans, new cupcake pans, a new apron, as well as a new cookbook, "I Like Big Bundts" that I have been wanting and almost bought for myself about 2 months ago!  I have so many thank yous to dole out!

It was great seeing everyone and just having a chance to enjoy family time (although I really miss my Oklahoma family!), but I do have to say that it is nice to be home in my own living room, the dog sleeping at my feet, the cats curled up together on a blanket and the TV remote control 100% under my influence.  Ah. 

Tonight's dinner was inspired by my brother's birthday and a recent visit to a local Portland restaurant, The Casa Del Matador, where I had a splendid Butternut Squash Quesadilla.  I loved it so much that I wanted to try my hand at making it myself.  Butternut squash has such a nice, slightly sweet flavor.  Together with caramelized onions and goat cheese...  Uhmmm uhmmm good. 

Here's what you need:

For the Caramelized Onions:
2 Tablespoons butter
A drizzle of olive oil
2 large yellow onions
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

1 Butternut Squash
2 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

Flour tortillas
Goat cheese
Monterey Jack cheese

First, in large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat; add oil.  Chop onions like so:

and put them in the skillet, add salt, pepper and sugar.  Toss, put lid on the skillet and stir periodically. Once the onions start to brown, stir them more frequently so as to avoid burning.  It'll take about 20 minutes or so for them to fully caramelize. 

While the onions are cooking, heat your butternut squash in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes to soften it slightly and make it easier to handle.  Cut off each end of the squash and then peel the skin off.  If you have a good, sharp vegetable peeler, you can use that.  Mine was dull, so I used a knife. Cut the neck off from the round bottom, then split the bottom part and remove the seeds.

Cube the squash into about 1" pieces. 

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add squash, salt and pepper.  Cook the squash as if you were frying potatoes.  Flip them every once in a while, cooking them until slightly browned and softened. 

Now we're ready to start building our quesadilla.  First, heat a griddle or skillet.  Place flour tortilla down and put as much or as little as you prefer of each ingredient.  I started with a lot (you might want a little less) of caramelized onions.  See how nice and browned they are? 

Then I added the squash and some crumbled goat cheese.  This is my favorite picture of the whole meal. 

Next, sprinkle just a little bit of monterey jack cheese, then fold over the tortilla and brown on both sides while letting the cheese melt.  Serve with avocado slices and sour cream. 

I tried several times to take a picture of what it looks like inside and just couldn't get a good one, so what see is what you get. 

I loved this, but I also love butternut squash.  Actually, I just love squash, period.  When I make it next time, I'm going to maybe use a little teeny tiny bit of nutmeg while cooking the squash, and just maybe even a pinch of ground cayenne pepper.  Otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing. 

At the time of this post, I've not yet made dessert.  I'm thinking to try a new recipe, and I'm still figuring out the details of the recipe itself.  I'm leaning towards miniature chocolate bundt cakes with a vanilla bean glaze.  Once I get that figured out, I'll be sure and let you know!

Until then, Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

A Coupla More Cookie Recipes

Well, the holiday is fast upon us, ready or not.  I'm wrapping up today with some final baking, as I was "assigned" cookies for my part in the dinner that Tommy's family will be having.  I made the traditional Sugar Cookies (Cut Outs) with Royal Icing which was a first for me.  I have very limited cookie cutters, so we are having some Christmas ducks and Christmas hearts.

You'll notice I even made two Christmas bone-shaped cookies - one with Bender's name on it, and one with his Cousin Gert's name on it.  Not for their consumption, but just for fun.  Oh, and how sweet and I that I put Tommy's name on one of the Christmas hearts?  The Christmas ducks have green and yellow sprinkles on them, since Tommy's Dad is an Oregon Ducks fan.  Tommy (a Beaver fan) will appreciate that... 

Anyhow...  the Royal Icing was interesting to make.  If you use the recipe, be sure to beat the egg whites for long enough - that's really the key secret to this icing being successful. 

In addition, I made another new recipe that is DELICIOUS.  Uhm... let me say it again:  DELICIOUS.  It's a recipe straight from Hershey's - German Chocolate Sandwich Cookies .  Very, very good.  Two little cookies with a coconut and pecan filling in the middle.  I would rate this as a "Highly Recommend You Try It" cookie. 



They're small cookies, so these are just the right size.  I'll be mentioning these again... 


Then, lastly, in the spirit of Christmas, I made some Peppermint Bark .  Talk about a super easy but very pretty and tasty...  Although I've given you the link to the recipe, this is all ya gotta do to make this:

Put 24 peppermint candies into a zip lock bag (double bag it).  Crush them with a rolling pin or something similar.  I have a little wooden hammer thingy that I use. 

Melt 1 bag of white chips in the microwave (Heat for 1 minute; stir.  Heat for 30 seconds; stir.  Repeat heating for 30 seconds and stirring until mostly melted, and then stir well until smooth.

Using a mesh strainer that is positioned over the melted chips, pour the crushed peppermint candies into the strainer and shake out the small particles into the melted chips.  Reserve the larger pieces of candy. 

Stir the chips and peppermint dust.  Line a cookie sheet with wax paper; pour mixture onto wax paper.  Sprinkle with the reserved larger pieces of candy and press them slightly into the melted chips.  Let sit until set.  I put mine in the fridge, just so speed things up.  Break into pieces, like this:

And, voila!, this is what you get!

Pretty!

That's it for me, folks!  Now, I just gotta contain Bender.  He received a couple of presents, one from his girlfriend, Roxy, and another from a school buddy, Louie.  Bender always knows which presents are his, so I have to put them up where he can't get into them.  And, I might add, this happens every single year. 

And please disregard that annoying single, upside down flip flop.  Our house is filled with flip flops that have no matching partner these days, thanks to the rotten dog pictured above. 

I hope you all have a very wonderful holiday weekend!

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Brown Bag Hunger Brigade and The Cookie Factory

In the true spirit of giving and helping fellow human beings, some amazing friends of Tommy and mine have developed an initiative to collect food and other hygiene and basic care products to hand out to the hungry and homeless folks in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR areas.  Anyone familiar with Portland knows that there is a large number of people that live on the streets.  It is disheartening that seeing someone sleeping in the doorway of a business office on the sidewalk or stairs in their sleeping bag has become so common of a sight that it can go virtually unnoticed. 

Rob (aka Hobz) and Heather are currently collecting the following items to include in their 72 bags for distribution on Christmas Day:

• MREs
• Bottled water
• Fresh fruit
• Granola
• Cookies
• Socks
• Gloves
• Dental hygiene products such as toothbrush, small tubes of toothpaste, dental floss, etc

I think that for this run, most of the donation needs have been met, but if you are interested in learning more or helping in the future, because I am certain there will be more donation drives to come, they have a new blog, The Brown Bag Hunger Brigade that you can visit. 

In an effort to help support this very worthy, very selfless effort, tonight, I baked approximately 260 oatmeal raisin cookies.  My house smells good, and I didn't have to run the heater all evening.  When I first started the baking, I nearly panicked because I could not locate my very favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.  The good news is not only did I find it, but I now know it by heart.  Seriously.

And because I'm quite tired, I'm going to post the recipe right here:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon (generous) cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 340.  (The original recipe calls for 350 degrees, but I found 340 to work perfect for these.) 

Cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla and combine well.
Add baking soda and cinnamon, mix until combined.
Mix in flour.
Stir in oatmeal and raisins.

Place by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.  Bake at 340 for about 9 minutes or until just starts to turn golden in color.  (The key to soft cookies is not to overbake - but to maybe even underbake them oh, so slightly!)

Let cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes then transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely. (If you move to the wire rack too soon, they'll be so soft that they'll fall apart through the wire.)

 I honestly have no idea if most recipes call for cinnamon, but to me, it makes all the difference in the world!

I hope you enjoy the recipe, and I hope you'll keep the BBHB in mind should you feel compelled to help out. 

To Rob & Heather and their awesome brigade, I hope that your storming of Vancouver and Portland to search out and destroy hunger with extreme prejudice is an incredible success! 

~Peace and blessings~

A Special Day for Bender

Today was a day that had a little chunk of it focused solely on Mr. Bender.  Every year, we celebrate Bender's birthday by buying him a new "baby" and doing special things with him.  This year, his birthday happened amidst some chaotic moments, so Bender and I had a little birthday day for him.

First, it started with going for a ride in the car.  You say "ride" and Bender is happy to "go" - the sooner the better as far as he is concerned. 

As part of the ride, we went to "the puppy store" which, when just mentioned gets Bender so excited that he starts whimpering.  He loves going there, even if we just walk through and buy nothing.  Tonight, though, we bought two "babies" for Bender and some cookies.  We only buy babies for his birthday and Christmas because he instantly destroys them. 

Here he is, back home, with Baby number 1, looking pretty happy:

And here he is with Baby number 2, rolling around in the living room, celebrating and loving life:



I think that one is pretty cute. 

Then, of course, not long after these pictures, Baby number 1 was de-stuffed and de-squeeked.  Here is a picture containing evidence of said squeeker and the culprit that did the de-squeeking:

I didn't have much to say tonight, I just thought I would share Bender's special day with everyone else.  Happy late birthday celebration, Bender Bentz! 

Just Feel Like Chatting

Today was the company Christmas party.  The folks that put it together did such a fabulous job of coordinating and planning out activities.  I am so impressed and appreciative.  We did a white elephant gift exchange, which was funny and actually ended on an interesting note.  I ended up with this lovely jewel:

Yep.  It is a pig soap dispenser that oinks (or grunts, really) when pressure is applied to the pig, and, yes, it is missing the pump.  Just call me lucky!  And, truth be known, I actually am thrilled with this little token because it is quite special in its own way.  I think that karma is giving me grief because me, Ms. New Vegetarian, ate several bacon-wrapped dates at the party.  Duh'oh! 

I took my new favorite cookie to the party, the Oatmeal Gingersnaps.  I am happy to have a few leftover, because I really like the spice of these.  I had kept a small baggie of them when I made them for Tommy to take to work, but we recently got a new washer and dryer, and I gave the left over cookies I had kept to the delivery guys.  I am happy to have some back in my stash again! 

Also, speaking of baking, back in November in my "Whip It" post, I mentioned a baking contest.  Unfortunately, because of the timing of some family events, I wasn't able to participate in the bake off.  I have to say, though, from the pictures that were shared of the contestants and their entries, I work with several very accomplished bakers!!  I would love to start a bakery some day, and if I do, I know several people that might be great business partners!  For the contest, I had planned to bake a German Chocolate Cake - and I still may do it this weekend.  Once I do, I'll post pictures and the recipe. 

In the meantime, here is a recipe for a treat that I made not too long ago.  I took them to work and also sent some to some friends.  Everyone that ate them loved them.  I like caramel, but I like chocolate better - just my own personal preference.  But I made these for the caramel eaters in my life.  These are Caramel Pecan Bars.

The original recipe comes from Southern Living's Holiday edition.  I was afraid they would be too hard and difficult on the teeth, but ended up that they were just the right amount of chewy and were a popular treat. 

And my post just wouldn't feel complete tonight without a Bender story.  Recently, in a rash "hurry up and clean the house, we have visitors coming over" moment, a small bag of cat toys came to the attention of Bender.  He repeatedly was darting into the living room with a little mouse, or a catnip ball, or some other tiny toy.  I wouldn't care so much, but they're just small enough that I'm afraid he might choke on them if he accidentally swallows one of them.  In a game of chase (while I was stripping beds and washing every potentially dirty piece of laundry with my new washer!), I finally snapped a shot of Mr. Naughty Dog dashing under the bed in true "you can't catch me" fashion.  Sorry for the blur, but it was, after all, an action shot!

Since this, I have found where the bag of cat toys are and have put them where Bender can no longer reach them.  Being a doggy mom is a full time job.  *whew*

Enjoy!!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Christmas Is In The Air

It's late.  I'm sitting here watching the Game Show Network with Tommy, and the $25,000 Pyramid is on.  Oh, yeah, we're old school like that.  Bender is playing in the living room with a tennis ball that he found somewhere now that I'm done baking.  When he sees me put my apron on or hears the oven click on, he immediately wants outside or he goes to the back bedroom and hides out.  Poor silly pup. 

The other day, when I wasn't paying close enough attention, he was being very, very quiet.  When I finally noticed what was going on, there was quite a mess.  He was shredding "his" flip flop.  I don't know, but I think he looks pretty happy with his work.

Then, later that evening, I was looking for the cats.  I found Shasta, but looked everywhere for Pepper.  He likes to play "Where's Waldo" apparently.

We haven't gotten our tree yet - so our presents were just stacked up off in the corner.  The stack toppled over, but Pepper was digging it. 

So, I'm up late tonight because at about 7:30 this evening, Tommy asks me about making cookies for him to take to work tomorrow.  It's just not in my nature to say no to a baking opportunity!!  So I made the Chai Tea Cookies with Eggnog Frosting again (I told you they're my favorite right now!).  I also made a new recipe, Oatmeal Gingersnaps and they are gooooood!  The original recipe came from the Taste of Home website. 

I've never made gingersnaps from scratch before, but I have always liked store-bought ones, and I especially like them when they have a slight bite to them.  Yum!!! 

The actual recipe is pretty simple, quick and easy.  I really like these a lot, and will have to be sure to keep molasses on hand just so I can make these on a whim.  That's the kind of cookies these are - the kind you make when you just want to bake something to have in the cookie jar.  So, once you get the dough mixed, you roll it into balls and roll the balls into some sugar. 

 Place them on a cookie sheet and flatten them with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

 They bake quick - I think I baked each cookie sheet for about 8 minutes.  In the end, you have a really nice pile o' spicy cookies.  Where's the milk?? 

Again, the recipe can be found by clicking here. 

I'm going to head to bed now.  Since I've started writing, Tommy has given up on the game shows, turned the TV off and has gone to bed, and Bender has abandoned his tennis ball, and last I saw, he was trotting down the hall with "his" flip flop heading to the bedroom.  So I think I'll cut this short tonight and follow suite and head that way myself. 

Goodnight, and enjoy!!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Honor, Pets and the Beginning of Christmas Cookies

This past Friday, December 9th, my husband's mother passed away.  It has been a difficult and emotional week, but there is a feeling of calm, too, knowing that she is in a long-sought place of peace.  I won't go into detail about this, because I want to respect the privacy of Tommy and his family, but I do want to say how impressed I am with the sense of love of family that I witnessed and felt.  The support each person showed for the other was amazing, beautiful, and honorable. 

Because of the recent family events, Bender spent some time with Lyn and Roxy again.  Even though I *know* how naughty my little dog can be, Lyn has assured me that she enjoys having him there.  He is a certified thief, and he has eagerly demonstrated this talent to Lyn by stealing her socks, slippers, or other items that he deems of value, and then makes sure that he is seen with said treasure in the grips of his cute little mouth before dashing off in hopes that a chase will ensue.  It really is cute when he does this, but it can also be panic-inducing if he has something of real value.

When I stopped to pick him up tonight, I was greeted very enthusiastically - licks, jumps, more licks - and it made me feel good to be missed.  While I was sitting on the couch talking to Lyn, I commented how I have to keep my purses zipped closed because Bender will put his whole head in there, root around until he finds something exciting, then off he goes with whatever it is.  No sooner do I say this, and Bender jumps on the couch next to me with something poking out of his mouth before dashing up the stairs.  What did he have?  Well, although I am careful to zip my purse, I left a little tiny side pocket unzipped, which had my chapstick in it, and Bender got his little snoot down in there and dug it out, ran upstairs and chewed it up so much that it looked like it had been run over by a car.  And, still, I missed him!!! 

While driving home tonight over the I-5 bridge that goes over the Columbia River, I saw the Christmas boats floating around out on the water.  It's a pretty cool sight to see and if there was a place to pull over on the bridge, I would have done so, even as tired as I was.  Click here to learn more about the Christmas boats being a long-time Portland tradition.  And seeing this made me think that maybe it is time, finally, to post a few Christmas cookie recipes and pictures!! 

The first cookie I am going to share is Chai Tea Cookie with Eggnog Frosting.  This is currently my very favorite cookie.  It has such a nice soft texture and a perfect eggnog and spice flavor.  Love them!!  If you like eggnog, you're going to enjoy these immensely, as the eggnog flavor is surprisingly distinct. 

I also want to share these delicious drop cookies.  If you like coconut, you have to try these out.  The nieces really liked these.  White Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies are easy to make and have a very nice, fresh coconut flavor to them.  Tommy does not like coconut (he claims to be allergic to it, although I know for a fact he is not!), but these were a hit with everyone else that appreciates the fine taste of coconut. 

Also on the list are Strawberry Jammer Cookies, a nice pastry cookie that is filled with fruit jam and then sprinkled with powdered sugar after baking.  These are beautiful, delicate cookies that can be made with any flavor fruit jam you'd prefer and will add a lovely look to any cookie tray. 

Do not worry, my friends! This is not the end of the list... I have more scrumptious cookie recipes up my sleeve that I am just itching to share!  For this posting, though, I'm hoping that these three fabulous cookies have us off to a good start! 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

An Honorable Mention and Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Recipe

It's hard to believe that we're already well into the first full week of December, and there are reports of snow storms already!  Will be an interesting winter, no doubt!  I am glad, though, to have started December off with an amazing win by Oklahoma State University over OU for the Big-12 Championship!  WHOOOO HOOOOO!

I also have another fun bit of good news to share.  On the Just A Pinch site, I had entered several recipes in a baking recipe contest.  Results were recently released, and while I did not win, I did get an honorable mention with my Chocolate Bliss Bundt Cake in the article announcing the winner.  If you're interested, you can find the article by clicking here.  A win would have been amazing, but it's a great achievement to have received a nod from Janet and her Crew in the article.  ~Thank you, Just A Pinch!~   For anyone who might have forgotten what this little gem looks like, here is a picture to remind you!  I already mentioned it in a previous post, but just for fun, here it is again (~drool~):

I did try out a new recipe earlier in the past weekend.  It's a recipe that I stumbled across on Mr.Food.com and I just couldn't resist it.  You can click this link for the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake.  The original recipe called for pre-made rolls of chocolate chip cookie dough, and I changed it to make the dough from scratch instead because I had everything to make it except pre-made dough. 

It tastes great, is pretty rich, but a nice little treat! 

Just one other little side note, not related exactly to recipes, but I've been reading the book The Help and am a little more than half-way through it.  In trying to pick out a movie to watch tonight, we ended up picking that one.  Let me just say that if you are a reader, the book is great!  And if you're not much of  a reader, the movie is also wonderful.  I have to say that the book adds so many little snippets that the movie just can't, especially with regards to perspectives and personalities.  Highly recommend it.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, and then made me laugh again.  Click here for a quick synopsis of the book if you are interested in knowing more. 

With that, I'm going to call it a night!  And, yes, yes, yes, Christmas cookie recipes are coming soon.  Very soon! 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Pokes and Pancakes

Had a really good day today.  Took most of the day off,  which allowed me to take the pup for a walk and to do some shopping.  Right now, Tommy and I are watching the PAC-12 Championship game between the Ducks and UCLA, and are cheering the Ducks right along!  Tomorrow is Bedlam in Oklahoma, and of course, between Oklahoma State and OU, I gotta cheer my Pokes on all the way!! 

Go Pokes!!

Stillwater will be a hoppin' place tomorrow, and thinking about it brings back my own memories of time spent at Eskimo Joes  (known simply as "Joes" by frequenters) consuming beer from those plastic souvenir glasses that were saved and became my actual drinking ware for the first year or so after college.  And you can't talk about Joes without at least mentioning their chili cheese fries.  Y-u-m.  This makes me nostalgic, thinking about other hangouts like "The Wall" and The Wormy Dog Saloon.  And a diner called Shortcake's, where the prices were incredibly cheap and the food was mediocre diner food. 

Well, that was a fun little trip. 

So, back here in The 'Couve, we had breakfast for dinner tonight.  I made Pumpkin Pancakes at the request of Tommy.  I made them for the first time the other day and he flinched when I suggested it at that time, thinking that pumpkin and pancakes were not two words that went well together.  I made them anyway, and he loved them.  He declared that in the future, he always wants his pancakes made this way.  Tonight, he got his wish and had them again.  The original recipe came from allrecipes.com, but I changed it up just a tiny bit to fit the ingredients I had on hand. 

Let me introduce the Pumpkin Pancakes . 

Tommy was quite happy.  I asked him to pose for a picture or two, which he willingly did, but was cheesy about the whole thing! 

When I said to take an excited bite of pancake, this is what I got:

Not exactly excited looking, but I guess my request was a little challenging.  He held this forkful of pancake in his open mouth for several seconds while my slow camera took the shot, so we both ended up laughing once the picture was done.  Also note the puppy nose near the plate.  Little beggin' Bender is hoping for a windfall.  This was Tommy's first plate.

The second plate, hot off the griddle, is shown here.  Tommy wanted extra, extra butter on this batch.  So this is the picture that says, "Oh, I love these pancakes and I love them even more with lots of butter!!"  I told him to smile, and this is what I got.    ??????    Really, I promise he was very willing to do these photos and he was not in any pain at all! 

For half of the batch, I mixed in about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.  Quite tasty!  Seven pancakes and a glass of milk later, Tommy declared himself stuffed full.  And with a full stomach, he couldn't help but doze off, it appears.  It's not even 7:00 yet., and he's now sound asleep on the couch with Pepper laying across his legs.  Ducks are currently winning 35-14.  Bender's laying at my feet asleep; Shasta is sitting here on the sofa curled up beside me. 

A great way to conclude a really nice day. 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

No Christmas Cookies Yet!

First, I want to say thank you to my blog followers!  I'm getting feedback from several folks that aren't official "followers" that are closely monitoring my blog for updated entries - and it's fun and exciting to me, and I just want to say thank you! 

Welp.  Christmas is right around the corner, and with its arrival comes Christmas cookies.  I've definitely got some special recipes for the occasion, but I'm just not ready to focus on that yet.  Seems like it was January 2010 just yesterday.  Right?  And don't get me started.  Doesn't it seem like it was just a few days ago that all the hoopla was going on about Y2K?  Time goes by way, way too fast. 

So I'm going to do what I can to slow it down a little.  I'll at least give it that good ol' college effort.  So, no Christmas cookies yet!  Only cakes!!! 

This cake is one that is super easy.  It all starts with a cake mix.  I typically do my cakes from scratch, but I suppose the occasional mix recipe is ok, too.  Look at me being a snob.  This is a double layer (two 8" round pans needed) chocolate cake that has canned cherry pie filling mixed in.  Just be sure to pour the cherry pie filling slow so you can watch for stems.  I found a cherry that still had a stem on it once when I made this cake, so I'm always keeping an eye out when I use cherry pie filling. 

Anyway, it's pretty and oh-so-delicious, and really seems to me like a cake you'd make for your sweetheart for a special occasion.  (Special note to my Dad:  I think you should make this one for Mom and really, really surprise her!!  You can do it!)  Unless you are allergic or just don't like them, don't skip the nuts on top.  It's a nice garnish, but to me, it really adds a nice texture to the cake.  Here's the recipe link Cherry Chocolate Cake and here is a picture.  

The link also provides you with the recipe for the buttercream chocolate frosting that I used.  It's very scrumptious, but don't take my word for it!  If you're unsure about your baking skills, this is a great beginner's recipe.  Now, I am quite certain that I didn't come up with this recipe fully on my own, but I also have absolutely no recollection or notes on my recipe card as to where I got the original recipe, so please forgive me for that oversight. 

Just as a funny little side story, every year, I beg and plead and beg some more to open just one present early, before Christmas.  Every year.  Since the beginning of my life, I'm pretty sure. The point being that I still do it.  This year, I bought Tommy a popcorn machine.  It's little and cute and makes good popcorn, and I gave it to him early (a couple of months ago maybe) because I knew it was something he would use immediately being a big popcorn fan.  And, of course, I'd enjoy it, too. 

So he has been buying me gifts here and there, squirreling them away waiting for Christmas to come.  One of the gifts he was very, very excited about, and he told me that even though I might have uncertain feelings about it when I initially open it, once I thought about it, I would realize what a cool present it actually is.  In my mind, I'm thinking, "Uh-oh." 

Out of total excitement, he decides that since I gave him the popcorn machine early, he would give me this gift early.  You just have to understand how excited he was about this.  Are you ready?  It was... 

A wireless charging pad.

Yes.  You know, those things that you can just lay your phones and cameras on and they charge without having to be plugged in?  One of those.  And then he was so completely not pleased with my less than enthusiastic reaction. 

And based on that, I'm pretty sure my chances for opening a really fun present earlier than Christmas are gone with the wind.  *poof*

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Whip It - A Baking Contest vs A Roller Derby Match

The trash is out at the curb.  Fridge cleaned out.  Dishes done.  So here we all are, trying to acclamate ourselves back into dealing with the demands of work after the hub-bub of Thanksgiving wraps up.  Is it hard to get motivated and back into the swing of things after 4 days off?  Oh, boy.  Yep.  Sure is.  Even for those of us that actually like our jobs a lot! 

So, I sit here on the couch and try to organize my thoughts of the things I'll need to focus on at work tomorrow as the dog steals yet another one of my flip flops and darts down the hall and under the bed with it.  Yes, I tried to stop him, yes, I chased him to the bedroom, and no, I did not win that battle.  He has figured out just how far under the bed to go so that I cannot reach him no matter how hard I try or how much I stretch my fingers.  Naughty and smart is a bad combination. 

One of the things that happened at work today that has definitely been occupying my mind tonight is an announcement that went out from our "Spirit Team" (our company morale booster squad) regarding the first annual company bake off contest!  WHOOOT!  How fun is that?  Four categories: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and "Surprise Us"!!  I need to investigate the rules further to confirm that I can make an entry for each category.  Voting will be done in a manner so that voting employees don't know who made the tasty treats, and they'll be voting on taste and presentation.  I'm really excited about the "Surprise Us" category, personally.  I can guarantee that you will be hearing more about this in the future, with pictures to boot!

Onto another matter, for anyone who is a little restless and looking for something different to do, I would like to offer a suggestion.  Earlier this year, Tommy and I went to our first ever roller derby match, and we had a ton of fun.  If you've never gone, it's something you should do at least once.  At the match we went to, they were really good about giving out pamphlets that explained the players' positions, purposes, and the rules of the game.  It's pretty easy to get the jest of how it all works, and before you know it you're talking derby lingo like a pro.  It had a similar atmosphere as hockey, but a bit less aggressive, a lot less cold, and a ton more cheesy, fun flair! 

The Portland based roller derby group is called "The Rose City Rollers" and on their website, they note that they are sponsored, in part, by Pabst Blue Ribbon.  How can you go wrong???  One of our favorite teams was "Axles of Annihilation" with team members that had names like Blood Clottia, Honey Hellfire (she was really good!), Hurricane Skatrina, and Illegally Blonde.  We also liked the Break Neck Betties team with Soul Fearic Acid and D. Konstructor.  I have to say that it is fun to yell out their names when they do something fabulous or something bad. 

If you live in the Portland, Oregon area and have an interest, here is the link to The Rose City Rollers web site (click here).  The opposing group was Seattle's Rat City Roller Girls (click here), for those of you who may be a little further North. 

I think if I had a roller derby name, it'd be something like The Diabolical Dough Puncher.  Or maybe not?  Regardless, I hope you'll give it a whirl, or a whip.  You know... whatever works. 

Shameless Cake Blog

It doesn't take much to figure out that I really love baking cakes.  Bundt cakes, especially.  Oh, I love bundts!  But I'm creating this post for one reason, and one reason only, and it's to put one of my favorite cakes on full display.  Surprisingly, it's not one of my super incredible, much loved bundts.  It's a little ol' square cake that is just so full of wonderful yumminess. 

Seriously.

Will this help you understand?

Don't ya just wanna lick it?  This is a delicious Applesauce Cake with Butter-Rum Glaze .  The recipe works perfect for a standard square pan, but once you've tasted it, you'll wish you had doubled the recipe and made a bigger version.  I promise. 

The cake has a nice spice to it, and the applesauce just makes it incredibly moist and tender.  But the icing on the cake is, well... the icing on the cake.  The butter-rum glaze is so flavorful and tasty!  I'm pretty sure I never had rum flavored frosting until this cake, because I would have remembered it. 

If you have a sweet tooth moment one of these days and are looking for a quick fix, this can do the trick.  It's simple, it's small enough that it is a fast-bake, and it is the perfect compliment to either coffee or milk. 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Potlucks Rock!

Where I work, we had a Fiesta-themed potluck.  Mexican food is one of my favorites, so I was definitely on board with this one!  My biggest challenge is my recent conversion over to a vegetarian lifestyle.  (We'll save that conversation for another day!)

There were so many fabulous dishes that folks brought in.  Elaborately prepared pork (cooked in banana leaves), chorizo refried beans, homemade salsas, some very delicious vegan enchiladas, as well as some great desserts.  We had Guinness Dark Chocolate Cake (it was so good!), some beautiful, homemade Flan (which I've determined that I don't think I really like Flan), and a few other delectables. 

For my part, I brought in Sopapilla Cheesecake . 

It's always a hit.  I've yet to make it where at least a few people don't ask for the recipe.  It's the equivalent of a snickerdoodle cheesecake - cream cheese, cinnamon, sugar and butter.  How can that be bad?  And the real beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to make.  I made it the night before, stuck it in the fridge, then pulled it out and cut it into squares the next morning before taking it to the office. 

If you've ever tasted it and wanted the recipe, here it is!  If you've never heard of it or tried it before, I highly recommend you give it a shot!  You will not be disappointed! 

There's a very funny story behind this recipe that I won't be telling.  All I'll say is a big ol' thank you to my Aunt Kim for sharing the recipe with me!! 

As a follow up, the Guinness Cake was purchased from a bakery, and my next project will be to recreate it in a homemade form.  Really, it was *that* good! 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

A Memorial Post

This post is completely and entirely dedicated to a very special person that abruptly passed away one year ago.  His name is Tom Foster, and he was my boss.  I worked with him as his assistant for 11 years before he died, and as a result of knowing him, working with him and losing him, my life has been changed. 

Tom taught me and many others a great deal about being caring, having passion, and doing the right thing.  He's the only person I have ever worked for that gave out reading assignments ("Getting to Yes", and I still know what it means to have a BATNA!).  If you messed up and apologized for it, he would say, without hesitation, "I'm glad you're sorry."  (That one always threw me for a loop, and those he said it to still laugh about it to this day.)  He ate largely vegetarian, although I've seen him inhale a pulled pork sandwich and fries without flinching.  He used some of the most interesting analogies that I've ever heard, but they were often memorable, which I guess is the point. 

I miss him. 

And I still can't believe he's gone.  Some days, it just doesn't feel real. 

At work, I now sit in the office that would have been his.  I make decisions that, if he were here, I would ask his advice on.  Things are so different now. 

And although the loss of Tom is so glaring because of my daily interactions that I had with him for so many years, there are many things that I have to be very grateful for, for certain.  I can't put value on the relationship that I've developed with his wife, Lyn, and how much it means to me to work beside her and Roxy every day.  I have amazing co-workers that continue to be dedicated and loyal to Tom's vision and the company (yes, he definitely had that effect on people!).  And, of course, I have my friends and family and my beloved pets.  The list, really, is endless. 

So, without getting overly emotional and swept away (because it could happen, and still might), I'll wrap this up with a few "Tomisms" - and those that know him, if you read this, will hopefully get a smile out of the short list I've come up with:

"You haven't done that yet?  Ok.  That's your albatross." 
"Good, better, best..."
"I'm doing good enough."  (I didn't particularly like this one, but he did say it!)
"I'm glad you're sorry."  (Usually followed by, "Because it means you'll try hard to not do it again.")
"Fate smiles on the prepared person."
"Writing maketh an exact man."
"I like the cut of his jib."  (He said this after he first met Tommy.)
"I thought you might like to read this."  (As he hands you an article he cut out of the newspaper.)
"All ships rise with the tide." 

This is Karla (one of my uber-fabulous co-workers and friends), Tom, Roxy, Me, and Bender at the March of Dimes walk back in 2009. 

I'll leave it at this, at least for now.

Darlin' I Love You But Give Me Park Avenue

Fall is definitely here!  And Tommy and I were headed to Costco to stock up on coffee, coffee and more coffee!  Preparations for buckling down, sipping some java, and cozying up with some football are being made!

As part of the drive to Costco, we realized that a local farm, BiZi Farms,  known for a variety of fun, farmy type activities was along the way, so despite the fact that we were wearing shorts and flip-flops, off to the farm we went! 

The corn maze was incredible.  The corn was tall, the maze was huge, and the path was a little on the wet side.  While there were some people that showed up prepared in their mud boots and jeans, Tommy and I muddled through just fine with our flip-flops.  Kinda.  We learned that they do splatter mud up the back side of your legs which is just lovely. 

The pumpkin launch was pretty cool.  Huge slingshots, really. 

And the pumpkin patch.  A tractor and hay ride out to the patch allows you to pick out your own pumpkins, any shape or size, wheelbarrows provided.  And then a tractor with a hay trailer comes back and picks you up to haul you and your new treasure back to the farm. 

We had a good time, although hindsight helped us to realize that we should have gone to Costco first.  It was impossible to get all the mud off our legs, feet and shoes, so after doing the best de-mudding jobs we could, we still had to go shopping. 

So, in the past couple of months, I've been trying to find or develop a cake recipe that I liked that has a real super duper lemon flavor to it.  Again, at the mentioning of a friend, I'm on a mission.  She said that she would love a lemon recipe that doesn't taste like a yellow cake with a little lemon flavor and lemon frosting added.  She wants mega lemon.  As I was purusing Southern Living's Holiday Edition of their magazine, I stumbled across what appeared to be exactly what I had been looking for.  These cakes are pure sweet, lemony goodness.   They are Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cakes and they are just fresh and delightful!

This picture is pre-glaze, so they're not all glossy and sticky yet.  I think the perfect thing to go with these little lovelies just might be... coffee!  Good thing we are stocked up! 

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

Quick Fixes for Parties and Potlucks

The season for parties, get-togethers and potlucks is upon us.  With Halloween around the corner, I'm here to help you with the easy part of the celebrating by offering a couple of simple options to make and take with you.  As for costume decisions, you are totally and completely on your own.  If it weren't for the whole requirement of picking out a costume, Halloween would be so much more enjoyable!  I'm not sure what we will be doing this Halloween, but these little snacks will hold you over for party-going from now through the Super Bowl. 

First, I'd like to introduce what has been referred to by some as "meat wrapped in meat."  My husband has actually asked me to make this for dinner in the past.  Ok, so while I like them, I don't like them quite enough to have them for a meal.  And here you have it, Bacon Wrapped Lil' Smokies

Three ingredients makes this super easy - Lil' Smokies, bacon, and brown sugar.  Big score! (And a big thank you to Aunt Kim!)

Another easy party idea is Nutter Butter Bon Bons .  We're still going for easy, simple crowd pleasers, and this fits the bill.  A four-ingredient fix, these are a success with anyone who enjoys the delightfulness of peanut butter and chocolate combinations.  Oh, you would like a picture?  Here ya go!

I hope these quick recipes have been helpful.  I remain stumped for a Halloween costume and am not feeling particularly optimistic that I'll come to a resolution in time for the festivities, but I'm okay with that as long as Tommy dresses up in something silly (like the Beer Keg costume that we bought at an after-Halloween sale last year!) so that I can get a good chuckle out of it!

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child

May the Force Be With You

It is the small things in life that make it fun, right?  I was in the car a  while back with my husband and our two nieces, Tailer and Jordan, driving home just after going out to dinner when this amazing sight caught my eye, sitting in a parking lot, so unassuming and interesting. 

Pretty sure no one else was paying attention enough to see what I had seen, I whipped the car into the parking area of the store, confusing everyone amidst questions of, "What are we doing?" "Why did you pull in here?" 

And then they saw it, too.  And cue the  "Ahhhhhh" sound reel. 

As you can see, we had a mini-photo shoot in the parking lot.  What a funny, geeky, awesome find!!