Thanksgiving 2008

Well here it is! Thanksgiving day menu and pics! I went to Ecuador 2 days after Tday, so I'm just now getting around to posting this! Hope you all enjoy, and maybe get some ideas for next year! I made this for 10 people, and we still had some leftovers! Perfect size! Please email me or commen if you would like recipes (better than I have posted) or Qs!

MENU
Appetizer
Roasted pumpkin and goat cheese dip served w/ garlic croutons.
Salad
Shaved asparagus salad with cranberries, chicory, roasted pecans and lemon vinaigrette.
Main
Apple and onion roasted turkey with an herbed compound butter.
Sides
Shelley's mashed potatoes (family brought).
Shaved brussel spouts with crispy bacon, red onions and apple cider vinegar.
Fresh green bean casserole with a baby bella mushroom cream sauce.
Sausage and cornbread dressing.
Sweet potato rolls.
Condiments
Cranberry compound butter.
Pan gravy with bouquet garni.
Dessert
Pumpkin cake layered with chestnut mousse, iced with Italian meringue buttercream and served with maple ice cream.

RECIPES
Appetizer: Pumpkin/ goat cheese dip w/ garlic croutons.
Clean a sugar pumpkin, remove seeds. Roast until soft @ 350F, then scrape out insides. The shell will be sturdy and you will use this for presentation. Add 6 oz goat cheese and 3 roasted garlic cloves to the pumpkin pulp. Mix up, add salt and pepper to taste, and f needed add a little milk to thin it out. Should be texture of hummus. For the croutons: buy a baguette and slice into 1/2'' slices, toast in oven. When done remove and rub with a little raw garlic.
*I made dip ahead and reheated in microwave, croutons need to be fresh though. Everyone LOVED this dip and it was pretty easy to make.

Salad: Shaved asparagus salad.
Tear some romaine, baby spinach and arugula up. Toss in some shaved asp. To shave asp simply use a very sharp peeler and shave parallel slices of the asp, I used about 0.75# for my salad. Toss in some craisins, roasted pecans and shaved chicory. For the vinaigrette: 1 c EVOO, 1/2 c lemon juice, zest of 2 lemons, salt and pepper. Add all into a jar and shake.
*Made whole salad and dressing day before!

Main: Apple and onion roasted turkey w/ compound butter.
Combine 1/2 c butter, 2 T each chopped rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley. Rub under skin of bird. Place bird in roasting pan upside down (to let the breasts get nice and tender from the drippings) and stuff with quartered apples and onions. Cover legs and wings with foil to prevent overcooking. Place celery, carrots and onion in bottom of pan to flavor drippings (for gravy). Roast @ 325F for 3 hours, then flip and roast for 2 more. Remove foil from legs and wings and put oven at 425F. Roast for 30-45 mins, check temp (should be 165F).

Sides:...
Shelley's mashed potatoes
Shelley brought them.

Shaved brussel sprouts with crispy bacon, red onions and apple cider vinegar.
Thinly slice 3 packages of brussel sprouts (~ 3# total). Saute 1/2# bacon until crispy, then add julienned red onions. Add brussel sprouts and cook until wilted, but NOT mushy. Finish with some slat and pepper and about 2T apple cider vinegar. These were a hit!

Fresh green bean casserole with baby bella cream sauce.
Dice fresh green beans into ~1.5 inch pieces, on the diagonal. Make cream sauce: chopchopchop 24 ounces baby bellas and saute with butter until liquid has evaporated. Thinly slice 12 ounces baby bellas and add to mix, saute for about 5 min. Add about 1T flour and stir. Add a splash of white wine. Add 1 small carton heavy cream (and some milk to thin out, if needed) and simmer for about 5 min. Add some salt and lots of pepper. Blanch green beans bright green and slightly soft. Combine sauce and beans, top with onions (I just used store-bought b/c I don't want to fry onions) and bake at 350F until hot, or about 40 min.

Sausage and cornbread dressing.
Cornbread: I made according to a recipe I got at the fair this year with my stone ground cornmeal! YUMMM. 1 cup corn meal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 c sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1/3 butter, melted, 1 egg --- Mix and bake at 400F for about 25 min. Let cool, then crumble into about acorn size chunks. For the dressing: cook 1# ground sausage and drain, then saute 1 chopped onion, 2 celery ribs, finely chopped, and 1 carrot, finely chopped. Add the mirepoix into a big bowl and combine with 2 eggs, 1c diced apples, cornbread recipe that you crumbled and 1T chopped thyme, and rosemary and 2.5 T chopped sage. Mix and add enough chicken broth for the wetness you want. Bake at 400F for about 45 min. Consume.

Sweet potato rolls.
Okay, I winged this one... here goes. You will need one boiled sweet potato, mashed and cooled, about 2 cups. Please use a sweet potato and nothing from a can, it really matters. Cut 2 sticks cold butter together with 4 cups flour. Add 2t baking powder and 1/2t salt. Add in mashed sweet potato. Add two eggs. Add flour or milk if needed if too dry or wet. I added a little more flour. drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 18-20 min. YUM.

Condiments:...
Cranberry butter.
Add 1/4 c water, 2 c cranberries and 1 c sugar to a saucepan. Turn on medium and simmer until the berries pop and you have a nice cranberry goo... about 30 min. Cool completely. Add this to 2 sticks of soft butter and that's it. You may add a little salt (I did) and more sugar if you feel its needed.

Pan gravy.
Take drippings from turkey pan, and separate the fat and the juice. Heat the juice in a saucepan with stems leftover from turkey and stuffing herbs. Make a roux with 1 stick butter and 1/2 c flour (I use Wondra) and cook until slightly golden and nutty smelling. Add hot broth 1 c at a time and whisk in like mad! I used about 6 cups. Simmer for about 5 min... its ready.

Dessert
Pumkin cake layered with chestnut mousse with Italian buttercream and maple ice cream. Start this cake the day before!

Cake: I used melted butter instead of oil, no nuts and made 2 8-in cakes, which will become four layers.
Mousse: Simply make and chill overnight, the spread between the pumpkin cake layers when you assemble it the next day.
Buttercream: THE best buttercream EVER. Also the one I make b/c I cant eat egg yolks. YUMYUMYUM. You will be eating this straight. I made it waaay ahead and stuck it in the freezer, it came out perfect with no funny flavors (seal it tight).
Maple ice cream: mix 3c half and half with 1c grade B maple syrup (better flavor than grade A) and 1t vanilla. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours then freeze according to your ice cream maker. So simple but the flavor is amazing. I added 1/4t xanthan gum fo texture, but its not neccesary.

Appetizer

Table centerpeice, hollow a pumkin, fill with water, and put flowers in... done!

Salad

turkey

more turkey

sweet potato rolls

shaved brussels

green bean "casserole"

Plate

people eating

cake, a little lopsided...?

The Omnivore's 100!

Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Tara's edits:
Things I would never eat.
Things I have eaten.
Links to wikipedia from VGT.

Tara's Omnivore’s Hundred: 68/32, not too bad.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea: Ill try that sometime
3. Huevos rancheros: for brunch.
4. Steak tartare: and carpaccio
5. Crocodile: and alligator
6. Black pudding: in england
7. Cheese fondue: many times
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush: make it
11. Calamari: lots
12. Pho: lins with rachel
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart: and a bite from taco from a street cart in Tijuana
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle: @ Alinea
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras: @ Alinea b4 the Foie ban thing
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese: ewww
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper: I cant handle spicy foods
27. Dulce de leche: I love milk products.... mmm.
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda: sounds good
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl: not much on the bread bowl thing though
33. Salted lassi: and mango and strawberry
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar: I dont smoke
37. Clotted cream tea: <3>
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O: Its all about the sugar solubility when getting max % OH in the Jello shpots people!
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects: ants, crickets, mealworms
43. Phaal: too spicy
44. Goat’s milk: in the fridge right now
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more: I wish
46. Fugu: not yet
47. Chicken tikka masala: its one of my faves
48. Eel: I looove eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut: only a couple times
50. Sea urchin: in sushi... ewww.
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer: made my own
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal: I didnt ever have a bigmac until like 3 years ago, and thats the only one ive had. no meal though, I dont like soda.
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV: here in DYT actually
59. Poutine: gross
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores: der
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin: ehhhhh
64. Currywurst: maybe, I would have to see it
65. Durian: NEVER AGAIN, well... maybe if it was covered up by a TON of sugar?
66. Frog's legs: @ Alinea
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake: I looove churros
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain: I also like plantain. and yucca
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette: heellllllll nooooooo. I will never eat the rectum of anything!
71. Gazpacho: made it
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe: @ a party
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict: but made sauce w/o yolks b/c I cant eat them
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant: full tour @ Alinea the week it opened, whatev... it'll get there whenever they do a Chi-town guide!
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare: rabbit
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam: never again
92. Soft shell crab: made it
93. Rose harissa: damn you harissa!!! Ive been looking for this for like 2 months. Fuck it, im making it. Stupid spice blands.
94. Catfish:not so good
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox: make it
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta: make it
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake



Ill add: marmite, sofrito, nori, homemade butter, chestnuts, organic milk, nutella, kippers, panettone... more stuff Im probably forgetting.

Homemade toothpaste.

Yes, I made my own toothpaste. What? I was not happy that I was going to the dentist and told I had two cavities every time. Do I floss? Yes. Drink pop? No, never. I do everything right and still... arg! So I decided: I cook all this food, and I know biological stuff (you know, from that degree) so I could do it better. Guess what? No cavities last week at the dentist. I think this may be luck b/c I have only been using this toothpaste for about a month. But I looked at, researched and followed Dr. Nara's plan and really think its helping. I will, of course, update later! Warning: the linked website is a bit funky so navigate with care.


Basically the point is that you have to kill the acid-producing bacteria in your mouth so that cavities wont form. We all know bacteria produce acid which erodes enamel away and forms cavities. Sugar is their food source, as well as refined carbs. So, get rid of the bacteria, and we should be good.


Also re-mineralization is possible on a microscopic scale so we need to topically apply these minerals to allow for bonds to form. One thing I have been iffy on is that glycerin appears to coat your teeth and prevent this remineralization. Even Tom's has glycerin in it. Yet another reason to make your own.


Recipe:
2 T baking soda
1 T salt
1 T xylitol
1/2 T aluminum free baking soda (this has calcium carbonate in it)
2 t fennel powder (for flavor, not neccesary)
1 t prickly ash bark


Mix this then wet your brush and dip it into the powder and brush for two mins (after flossing!). I follow this with a 50/50 hydrogen peroxide/water rinse then use ACT mouthwash (for the fluoride).

I added the bay leaf for looks and flavor, you dont need to.

You can alter the recipe too, I added a little more xylitol for sweetness so play around with it! Enjoy!

<3

Taste and Create #1: Adventures in Shaw!

I think you should know how I was feeling about this taste and create... Excited? Yes. A little nervous? Yes. Like I am stuck in one of those dreams where I don't have any clothes on and everyone is staring and mumbling? YES!

This blog just got started, and Ill move to wordpress someday. It stared as "just for fun" but I dig the support and friendliness I get from passer-bys (mostly DB challenges) and being able to showcase my skills in the kitchen area. When life is all about trying to finish your masters, a little creativity is required so one does not go insane. Lets just say my friends and family don't have the address to my blog yet... I am THAT nervous about it.

Naked dream in real life blogland.

This brings me to my next point... Stephanie has seen me! Aahhhhh! I decided to participate in the Taste & Create challenge here to try to get out there and get okay with people actually looking at (and judging) it. Lets just say I am happy I did! I was paired up with Steph from Adventures in Shaw and I was super excited to try a recipe. Her blog is really nicely put together and was fun too look through for ideas! Go check it out. I was going to do the Artisan Boule bread (bread is yummy and useful) or the Chicken Piccata (lemon + capers... sign me up) or the Strawberry & Cardamom Pancakes (lets face it, Cardamom is my favorite sweet spice!) but I was drawn to the appley goodness of the eternally autumnal Walnut & Apple Dutch Boy. It is autumn after all. And the name is just fun.

Recipe: adapted from Adventures in Shaw.

Ingredients:

3/4 c AP flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 T brown sugar

2 T grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c milk
2 t vanilla
1 whole egg

3 egg whites
1 c dried apple, chopped
handful chopped walnuts, toasted
1 T butter, melted

To bake:

1 T butter for the pan (x2)

10 to 12 inch oven proof skillet
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix everything.

3. Put 1 T of your butter in the pan and put in oven to melt.

4. Pour half of your batter into the pan.

5. Bake for 15-18 min.

6. Pull out, slide dutch boy off pan and consume! Don't forget to make the other one too...

Walnut choppage.

Dutch boy w/o walnuts for my friend.

Dutch boy w/ walnuts for me! Reminds me of the surface of mars...

Verdict: Yummy! This was nice and less time consuming alternative to pancakes! Make batter, pour, bake, eat. Niiice. I think I will try to make it with coconut flour next time for a carb-friendly version. That and I reallyreally like coconut flour... Thanks Steph!!!

<3

Peach and blackberry galette.

I love blackberries. I love peaches. They should get married. I used to be able to get good peaches form a roadside orchard, but they closed... now what am I supposed to do?! Well, I came across some good ones at a local market, as well as some local blackberries, and decided I needed pie. Well, my fave crust is a cornmeal pate brisee, b/c its so freaking easy and tasty (and durable, but tender)!


Pate Brisee (makes 2 crusts, so you can save 1 in the freezer!)
2 c AP flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 t salt
1-2 T sugar
1 c cold unsalted butter, cut into smallish pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
1 T cold vinegar
Ice water

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add the butter and work in until sandy with fingers.
2. Add sour cream and vinegar and work in. Slowly sprinkle in the ice water until a nice dough forms.
3. Divide dough in half and put one in the freezer for later! Take the other one and let rest in fridge for 20-30 mins before rolling out to form a disc. This will firm it up a bit so its a little more sturdy. Roll out until about 1/8'' thick and proceed to...

Peach and Blackberry Galette
1 rolled out Pate Brisee crust
2 c blackberries
3 peaches
1/4 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
dash of vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Toss together blackberries, peaches, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch. Arrange fruit mixture on top of the dough, leaving a ~2'' open space around the edge. Fold border over fruit mixture.
3. Brush pastry edges with egg. Bake until crust is golden, ~30-40 minutes.

I realize my border in more than 2'', but whatever, I made a

double so I used the whole pate brisee recipe.

<3

*******CONGRATS PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!********

BEST apple spice cake ever!!! Seriously.

Dinner at the parents house. This will consist of yummy food and a walk in the woods after dinner, they want to show me the pawpaw grove. We'll need plenty of sustenance for that 20 minute journey, lol. So, I'm bringing dessert. What am I bringing? I decide on something Autumnal, you know, since its Autumn. Well, apples are a fall food, so lets make an apple cake! Hey- I saw one the other day on the kitchn website.

Print.

Buy brandy.

Bake.

OHMYDARWIN! Delicious!!!


Apple spice cake with brown sugar sauce, via the kitchn, with some edits by me.
Cake
1 c golden raisins
1 c brandy
1 c unsulphured dried apple slices, cut into eighths
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 c AP flour
1-1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1-1/2 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t fresh ground cloves
1-1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c applesauce
3/4 c chopped pecans, toasted
2 medium sized tart cooking apples, such as Northern Spy or Rome Beauty, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Additional butter for greasing the pan

Directions
In a small saucepan, soak the raisins and apples in the brandy for 20 minutes, then heat over med-low for about 10 mins. Do not drain!
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl (of stand or handheld mixer) blend both sugars.
Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until thickened and pale (2 minutes with a machine, 4 to 5 minutes by hand).
Add the cooled melted butter and applesauce mix to blend.
Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just enough to moisten most but not all of the flour.
FOLD in the dried fruit and brandy mixture, chopped pecans, and diced fresh apple.
Don’t fret about the ratio of fruit to batter — there is a remarkable amount of fruit but it bakes into a wonderfully chewy cake.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and set in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream (36%)
2-1/2 tablespoons brandy
Directions
Combine the butter, sugars and cream in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan.
Stir this mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a very gentle boil, stirring all the while.
Cook 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy or other liqueur.
Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. To rewarm, either microwave the uncovered sauce on low power or transfer the cold caramel to a saucepan and stir over low heat until warm.


Cut the cake and drizzle with a little sauce... mmmmm!!!
We had about 1/4 of it left... between 5 people... since dinnertime. We're not big dessert people either! My little sis (shes 7) declared she likes it more than angel food cake and strawberries, which is her all time fave. (No worries people, I boiled off the -OH for the sis!) The sauce makes it over the top. I would think a scoop of vanilla ice cream would not be amiss. If you want coronary disease and yumminess all in one!

This picture really doesn't do it justice! It bakes up chewy and perfect, I promise!!!

Here is my tasty lunch from today. I thought I would share.
Sammie: Challah slices, avocado, lettuce, white anchovies marinated in mexican spices.
Yogurt: Im addicted to yogurt so whenever I find something new I pick it up. This was actually pretty good! Ill buy it again if I see it!

Happy Late Halloween from Anck Su Namun (me).

Traditional sunday roast, English style.

So I hope to be getting a science research or health care job in England in the spring. PS if anyone can help me with this I will make you lots of goodies!!! Anyhow, this has got me thinking about the food (because heck... its me!) over there. Now a lot of people think that English food is bland boring food. Not so. I have been there twice and I would say its on par with American cuisine, but less fast-foody. They are getting there though, if they arent careful. England has a long history and many classic dishes, the most comical to me being stargazer pie. They have a mecca of different cuisines surrounding them (ie Europe) and plenty of immigrants to bring delicious recipes with them (curries?). BUT there are classics too, well relatively speaking. When I think of English food I think of: PG Tipps, scones, bangers and mash, fish and chips, curry, marmite, McVities anything, roasts, full English brekkie, pasties, bubble and squeak, banoffe... the list goes and goes. Well, I decided lets try some of it before I get there. I have had several of these things, but never a roast dinner. Now let me tell you, I am not the kind of person who eats a lot of meat, let alone big hunks of it. This is precisely the reason I decided to make this dinner. I am more a fresh, light, bright flavors sort of person. I added my own little twists as you will see...

Traditional Sunday Roast, English Style
Salad with spinach, peppers, cukes and tomato.
An olive plate with kalamata, picholine and castelvetrano (my FAVE) olives and brie, goat cheese and cheddar.

Roast beef.
Roast potatoes.
Braised brussel sprouts.
Yorkshire puddings.
Pan gravy.

Meyer lemon cake with eggless lemon curd and Italian butter cream... and PG Tipps tea. :)

The olive plate. I ate all the castelvetrano olives, oops (well, the one bigger green one on the right is the last one). Castelvetrano olives are mild and way less salty than regular olives. I looove them. Aged brie on left, honeyed goat cheese on right.

Roast beef. My family came over so we started to dish it and then I remembered I needed a pic. Lol. Method: used a 2.6 lb top sirloin, night before cut slits and add garlic cloves inside, then rub with seasoned salt. The next day, let rest one hour to come to room temp, then turn oven to 500F. Put in a 9x13 pan: mushroom, celery, carrot and onion scraps and a couple bay leaves, a couple thyme sprigs and a sprig of rosemary. Add 3-4 cups low sodium beef broth. Put on bottom rack of oven. Set roast on top of the pan ON THE RACK above so there will be nice heat circulation and the pan will catch the dripping juice (of which there isn't much). Cook at 500F for 15 mins the bump down to 325 for about 1-1.5 hours. Cook until the internal temp reads 135F, that will give you a med rare center. To make the gravy: strain the pan with the drippings into a bowl, discard scraps. Make a roux on the stove top by heating 3T butter and 3T flour over med heat until light golden. Slowly add the juices from the pan (about a cup at a time) and whiskwhiskwhisk! Drop heat to med-low and simmer for a few mins to thicken. Done deal.

Yorkshire puddings. 4 eggs, 1/2 c milk, 1/2 t salt, 2 c flour. Mix until looks like thick pancake batter. Heat oven to 425F. Put 1t oil (I used EVOO but you can use any oil, shortening or fat like bacon grease) in each of twelve muffin tins. Put into oven until HOT and almost smoking. Pull out oven rack and add some batter into each muffin cup. It should sizzle! Push rack back in and bake for about 25mins, until tall and golden, with some browning on the edges. Mine are hollow, you just cant see it.

Roasted potatoes. I used Nigella Lawson's recipe, with mods. Peel some potatoes. cut into large chunks. Biol for mins, drain. Put into pot and shake up to bash up the edges a little. Add 2T course cornmeal and shake again. Spread onto greased baking sheet and bake at 425F for 45-60mins. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I also made Brussel sprouts but no picture of those.
Here is my meyer lemon cake! YUMMMM. I served it with some PG Tipps tea. Cake recipe from the accidental scientist, its a little dense, but maybe I did something wrong? I wonder how hers turned out? I think next time Ill just make it 4 eggs and no meringue, and add more leavening. Eggless meyer lemon curd (b/c I cant eat very much yolk or my intestines hate me): 1/4c water, 1/2c sugar, 3T cornstarch, 1/2 c meyer lemon juice. Microwave for 3 mins, until thick and... well, goopy. Then add 1T meyer lemon zest and another 1/4c meyer lemon juice. Let cool and whip until spreadable. I made IMBC (italian meringue buttercream) from Joe Pastry, which is kick ass! Go to the site and be amazed, for real. Don't forget the crumb coat on the cake people! It sort of sticks the crumbs into the cake so you have a nice, crumbless frosting job. Crumb coat-fridge-real coat of IMBC-smooth with a hot spatula. I made 2-8'' cakes and cut those into halves, so I would have 4 layers. I smeared lemon curd thickly onto the top and bottom layers and raspberry jam into the middle one. There will be some leveling off of the sides vertically, so you get easily frostable sides. I made some candied meyer lemons to decorate with!
You could use regular lemons, I just had a little zest and A LOT of juice leftover from my limoncello batch, 18 lemons and 1500mL of vodka!

Buttercream. I could eat SPOONS AND SPOONS of this stuff!!! Its really addicting, and totally hides how much butter is in it! Wolf in sheeps clothes? If you're going to make it get organic butter please! PS note errant crumb in cake photo... dammit!

What you cant see under the cake is... HAAAAARRY POTTER!!! Hehe. Here are the layers for you. The family said the cake was divine, sort of like a light pound cake. BUT pound cake... and lemon curd... and buttercream?!?! Noooo. I wanted a light, airy, delicate cake and this was a bit heavy. I even used cake flour people!

Well, that's the wrap up for my Sunday roast dinner! Hope you liked it and if you have any Qs or suggestions... please comment! GObama!

<3

Daring Bakers Challenge- October!

Okay, here is the daring bakers challenge for October... Pizza! I like pizza but only when its home made. I decided to make a shimp pizza and and ancovy pizza (b/c thats my FAVE topping!!!). The dough was good, but I had to add a lot of flour and then rosemary to make it the best dough ever! I even used a little of my new robust, spicy olive oil on the top of the pizzas.

I noted changes in red.

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

Original recipe from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 Cups Unbleached bread flour

1 3/4 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Instant yeast

1/4 Cup Olive oil

1 3/4 Cups Water

1 Tb sugar

Cornmeal for dusting

Chopped rosemary

Day One

1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days. I only rested it for a couple hours and room temp.

Day Two

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

The Pizza dough, with rosemary added.

Shrimp pizza.

Roasted garlic, Precooked shrimp marinated in spices, Mozzerella cheese

Anchovy and Basil Pizza.

Tomato sauce with roasted garlic, mozz and parm cheese, oregano, fresh basil, anchovy fillets (torn).

<3

Summer catch up.

Well, its been a fair bit snce Ive written a blog. I guess Ill do a summertime overhaul to share with you some good summery foods. Since its October now, Ive been eating a lot of Fall-like foods, so I was craving a salad today. One last summer hurrah, Here we go...

A morel mushroom pilaf. I think you all may have a clue that morel hunting season is months-past, but You know, Im doing the summer clean out to catch you all up! My stepmom collected morels and gave me some, and I was happy to geez... HAVE to think of something to use them in! :) I did a couscous with parm and morels, peas and onions, used chicken stock (homemade, der). Yum, I think I will demand manymany more morels next year!

Lavender blossoms and a watermelon cooler. I beleive this was after a mud volleyball tourney! Watermelon + water (more than you'd think) + sugar + lemon sorbet = yumminess! Just add everything into a blender and bleeend.

Strawberry pie. Sorry, camera skills suck! SO easy and SO good! I was eally suprised by this. The flavo is so intense (with those summertime berries), I got way more than I was expecting. I think I made this pie like 4 times, to rave reviews. Recipe from Gourmet via YumSugar: http://www.yumsugar.com/1734253

Stuffed grape leaves (Dolmades). There is a gapevine at the 'rents house, so I collected 75 and went to town! These are obviously a summer dish b/c I HATE using jarred grape leaves. What a watse! Get the tender leaves, and make sure they are pesticide free! Made with lamb, rice, onion, mint, dill (NO cinnamon or allspice), lemon and served with tzaziki. They were very delicious. Took some time to make, but worth it... especially with the fresh grape leaves.

Molten chocolate cakes. Okay, these arent summery per-se, but I made the for my Daddys bday in summer, so they were summery for me! He turned 52 (but looks 40... please let me get that gene!) and after dinner we did what classy people do. Attacked him with water balloons! Ha! Well, these are REAL molten cakes, not the kind with the truffle in the middle. Melt chocolate, add eggs and sugar and salt and a little flour, bake at 425F for 8 mins, until not done (hey, they are molten chocolate cakes, right?) , remove, turn out, add cream and eat! Yummy, and I dont like chocolate!

Water ballon fight. Daddy, Shelley (step parent), Sarah (little sister). Im behind the cam.

And Ill leave you with this:

AAAHHHHHHHH!!! Happy Halloween! GObama!

<3

Daring Bakers Challenge- July!

I have to say this was a tasty cake. Was it worth allll the work (see recipe, following)? No. This cake was so underwhelming for all the work involved. Was it good? Sure. Did I learn any new techniques? No. Overall a good cake, but this thing could be made so much faster. I can appreciate doing the DB challenges b/c they are CHALLENGING (gasp!) but this was borderline ridiculosity. I was well organized and nothing took too lonh, but the assembly and all... meh. Maybe Im in a bad mood. We'll see you next month! I'm over the cake challenges!




Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

Filbert Genoise
Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.
1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned
2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 eggs
1 cup sugar, divided (¼ & ¾ cups)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. grated lemon rind
5 lg. egg whites
¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan. Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.
Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.

Sugar Syrup
Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.


Praline Buttercream
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup praline paste
1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)
Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.


Swiss Buttercream
*** I subbed in my Italian meringue buttercream here.
4 lg. egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice
1 tsp. vanilla
Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.

Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*

On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.
Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.


Praline Paste
1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless
2/3 cup Sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.
Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place. Do not refrigerate.


Apricot Glaze
*** I used my 2 day old homemade apricot jam here.
Good for one 10-inch cake
2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. water
In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.
Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.


Ganache Glaze
6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)
¾ tsp. vanilla
½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed
Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.
Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until
finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake
Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.
Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.
Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.
Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

Second Daring Bakers Challenge... Fruit and Chocolate Danishes!

So this is my second daring bakers challenge, and I have to say... I liked it! I thought MAKING it was the OKAY part... but the eating was way better! This is a yeast danish dough, and having made it, I am pretty sure all the danishes I have had have been made with puff pastry! WTF? I thought the finished danish was a good, homey treat that may not have been entirely worth the trouble. I can think of about 1000 shortcuts and getting the same result. It was good to do though, I have never made a laminated dough before. The apricot one was my fave and I didn't even the chocolate one (yes, a baker with an aversion to chocolate). Whatev... I am in a little time crunch right now, so I cant type a a bunch of clever stuff... but here's my post! I may add more later...

Danish Recipe via Daring Bakers (with my changes made)

DETREMPE (dough)

-- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

-- 1/2 cup 1% milk

-- 1/3 cup sugar

-- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-- 2 large eggs, chilled

-- 1 teaspoon salt

-- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

-- Bloom yeast in milk. Slowly add sugar, vanilla extract, salt and eggs. Mix well. Add sifted flour in 1/2 cup at a time, until dough forms. Knead dough on floured surface for about 5 mins.

BEURRAGE (butter block)

-- 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter (organic)

-- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

-- Combine butter and flour in a bowl and beat until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

ASSEMBLE DOUGH

--- After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

--- Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

--- Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used.

FILLINGS

Apricot filling: quarter fresh apricots and cook with a little sugar and water until soft and jam-like, cool then spread into braid.

Raspberry-cheese filling: add 2 T sugar to a block of cream cheese and combine. Spread raspberry jam onto braid, then dot with cream cheese mix.

Chocolate: make chocolate pastry cream, with extra sugar, and fill braid with that.

ASSEMBLE BRAID (2 braids)

-- 1 recipe Danish Dough

-- 2 cups filling

-- Egg wash: large egg, plus 1 yolk

--- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.

--- Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.

--- Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

--- Proof for 90 mins at 90F. Brush on egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. I glazed it with a powdered suagr and milk glaze...

Here's the braid after it bakes. The apricot was my fave, hands down!

<3 Tara

Guinness beef stew.

So I know Guiness beef stew isnt very summery, but when you have a craving... you have a craving, huh? It also helps that I have a house guest who is a meat and potatoes guy and a SO that loves anything I make... food for all! This stew is super yummy and jam-packed with fresh veggies and basically has about 2 T of butter in the whole thing. Pretty healthy for beef stew at least... its also super easy to make and the beef is SO tender (crock pot what?)!

Guiness beef stew.
-- 1 lb CAB stew chunks (or any stew meat)
-- 1/2 white onion, chopped
-- Celery scraps, whole (tops or bottoms... you will be removing these)
-- Thyme, Sage and Rosemary stalks tied together with butchers twine (I just bought the poultry blend in the produce herb section, also save the leaves of the herbs for later!!!)
-- 1 can diced tomatoes
-- 1 bottle/ can Guinness Beer, 2-3 bottles worth of water

-----------------Put in crock on low in the morning... go to work/ school, come home then add:

-- 1 russet potato, diced
*also, remove the herb stems and the celery pieces.

----------------Turn crock up to high and cook for about 45 mins meanwhile make the veloute:

Make a roux from 2 T butter and some flour over med heat. Cook roux for a few mins, until light gold. Add a couple ladlefulls of the broth from the crock pot and whisk in. Add a couple more ladlefulls and whisk some more. You now have a veloute (yay!)... well a beef veloute, that isnt traditional... whatev, its tasty. Cook for a couple mins and add back into the crock pot. This will help thicken the stew.

----------------Then, add:

-- 2 zuchinni, chunked
-- A large handful fresh green beans, cut to about 1''
-- 1/2 bag mix of carrots, cauliflower and broccoli (or a handful of each)
-- 8 oz of baby bella mushrooms (or white buttons), quartered
-- 1 t each chopped rosemary, sage and thyme

----------------Cook until veggies are tender. Thats it! I served it with a little cream as a garnish, but you can leave that out. Also salt and pepper to taste. If you are really concerned you could use cornstarch instead of the roux to thicken it. I just like the roux. Serve with bread of some sort (I made cornbread) and enjoy. The leftovers are super yummy too!





<3 Tara

The popsicle post.

Hey all. I just wanted to do a quick update for a couple things really quick. Basically I have been cooking a lot and I need to post some stuff! Okay, here we go.

I have been making a lot of popsicles! I love them and they are perfect for this hot summer weather. I see popsicles of all sorts being a staple in the freezer all summer long. They are so easy an so scrumptious! Well, I made popsicle batch #2 (#1 was the Vietnamese coffee pops) and they were tart and tangy and PERFECT for a hot summer day.

#2: Pineapple-Peach Pops
--1 pineapple diced
--2 peaches washed and sliced
--1/2 c water (to thin & blend easier)
--Honey to taste
--1.5 c whole milk yogurt

- Blend all ingredients in blender untl smooth (add yogurt last). I use whole milk yogurt to help form small, melty ice crystals... non jagged tongue gashers. Put in pop trays and freeze! Yummy!

#3: Avocado pops
--2 medium avocados
--2/3 cup 1% milk (what I always use)
--Honey to taste
--Juice of one large lemon
--1.5 c lowfat yogurt

- Blend all again, adding yogurt last. I use lowfat here b/c the avos have enough fat to make nice, smooth pops. Usually if making fruit pops I use whole yogurt. I have to tell you all that these pops are sooooo tasty! I am a huge fan of avo ice cream, so the pops are like 10x easier to make... joy!

Well, I cant wait to show you what I have come up with next! Happy pop-making!

**** On a side note, here is the perfect s'more! OMG so good! Here's the key... long slow marmallow roasting, then catch it on fire and quickly put in out. Also, have a graham cracker with a reese cup on it warming/ melting by the fire (on a rock or the rim... whatav) while you are roasting aformentioned marshmallow. By the time they come together they will both be full of gooey luciousness and CALLING YOUR NAME. You will be happy to oblige!

<3 Tara