Cooler Weather

I'm convinced blogging must be a cold weather sport - at least in my world.  I've been cooking and baking plenty in these past few months and I'll be posting again soon.  'Til then, happy internet surfing!

In the meantime, please enjoy a photo of Miss Bailey Dog...

Happy Birthday, Bailey!

Ok, I'm a dork. I've learned to embrace this as I've gotten older.  Looking back, it's funny how in middle school I was so opposed to the idea.  Now, I let the dorkiness flow.  Just ask Joe.

So, in true form, I decided a first birthday party for Bailey was in order.  This could be no plain, old, boring doggie birthday, however.  This needed doggie treats, doggie favor bags, doggie birthday cakes, doggie party games!  This needed to be every first year-old (doggie)'s birthday party dream!

It started with one idea and the party just snowballed.  We ended up with two birthday cakes (can't forget about Bailey's friend Sadie, who practically shares a birthday with her), homemade dog toy favors, homemade doggie treats and "Pin the Tail on the Cat".  By the end of the week, I was afraid Joe might divorce me.

Luckily, the party was a success.  Even more so were the adorable doggie treats that Bailey and her friends devoured.  Even the people desserts were well received.  Bailey told me later how I'd made all her dreams come true.  Really.  She did.

Doggie appetizers (made with carob as icing - you don't think I'd poison Bailey's friends, do you?):

Recipe: I couldn't find the recipe online, but it's an easy one...

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. honey

1 T. olive oil

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. all -purpose flour

Preheat to 350. Whisk peanut butter, honey, oil and broth.  Separately, combine flours and oatmeal.  Mix it all together.  Roll out to 1/4 in. and cut out with a cookie cutter (I used bone shapes - Bailey's request). Baked for about 14 min. then drizzled and dipped with melted carob chips.

Red Velvet Doggie Cake Pops (for human consumption only):

Recipe: Puppy Pops (I was in a hurry...please don't compare craftiness)

"Fruit Bowl"

Super bowls are hit and miss.  I love football, but only every so often do you experience a super bowl with an engaging score, yet a half-time show as terrible as the one the Black Eyed Peas presented this year.  Wow.  This is actually one for the record-books...to a female, for once the game was more interesting than the commercials or half-time entertainment.  Thanks, FOX?!

Luckily, we had some fantastic food to upstage the terrible entertainment.  Joe and I ate the leftover cinnamon chips and fruit dip all week afterwards.  I've seen this dessert for years but only recently decided to try my hand at it.  The chips were super delicious (albeit a little messy to prepare) and the fruit dip exceeded my expectations  (I feared it would be super-duper sweet).  I suggest trying this one out - the chips lasted long after the dip and made for nice snacking whenever I needed a little "fix".  It's especially good for those out there who like dessert but can't take something over-the-top sweet.

Recipe: Cinnamon Chips and Fruit Dip

Sporty-Cakes

Obviously, I like to cook.  Baking, however, is a whole different ball game.  Baking takes planning, precision.  It takes extreme attention to detail and an intuitive nature I apparently don't possess.  But, I do happen to have some sort of artistic gene in my body which translates exceptionally well to icing baked goods.

I've always been able to practically artistically replicate anything I've seen.  So, when I was asked to create sports-themed cupcakes for a mutual friend's baby shower, I, of course, obliged.  Not to mention I (selfishly) love praise.  Come on, though, who doesn't?!

These cupcakes were chocolate and from scratch, although I'm afraid the cake itself wasn't anything to brag about (entirely operator error, I'm convinced).  However, with the help from one of my best friends, I was equipped with the cupcake making supplies to turn out about 20 cupcakes each decked out with decorations fit for a sporty baby shower.  GO TEAM!

Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes 

Embracing the Crock-Pot

I've started really becoming interested in slow-cooker meals.  The last thing I want to do on some evenings after work is cook dinner for an hour (or more, depending upon my ambition).  The answer seemed to be calling out to me.  Every bride-to-be registers for a Crock-Pot.  Mine was especially fancy with timed cooking, three heat levels and enough room to stick in a large pot roast.  Sitting idle in my cabinetry was a device waiting to be utilized to its highest potential.  I decided to finally liberate this appliance.

And liberate, I did!  This meal was, hands-down, one of the most delicious I've made in many, many months.  And from a Crock-Pot, no less!  The ease and convenience was somewhat lost as we were snowed in by The Blizzard of 2011, but nonetheless the meal deserves 1,000 stars and a post on this blog.

Recipe: Chicken with bacon, mushrooms and onions, served with mashed potatoes

With a name like this, who couldn't love you?!

One weekend afternoon, I sat in my living room watching Paula Deen.  We all know her...a stick of butter here, 2 cups of sugar there.  Deep-fried and delicious.  I don't blame her for her weakness for fat and my will power, too, would cave if she became my personal chef.  But as I sat watching her for the umteenth time, I heard the name of a recipe that evoked desire: Gooey Butter Cake.

I put the thought out of my head right then and there.  As she poured the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar by the cups full into her dish, I decided this was something I was better off not to try.  Then, one day by chance I saw a completely different TV program on this dessert and the envelope was sealed.  I would be eating this one day.  Soon.

Since Mom and Dad were coming to dinner last Sunday, I knew I needed dessert.  Into my mind it crept..."Gooey"..."cake"...oh no.  It's over.

On one website, I read this dessert described as "spun sugar" and "cotton candy" and "sugar off the top of the best creme brulee".  They were 100% completely right.  Don't delay.  Eat it.  Today.  If it takes knowing that four of my coworkers asked me for the recipe after bringing the leftovers in to work BEFORE you'll make it, then you've waited too long.

Recipe: Goey Butter Cake

Weekend Lunch, Repeated

Joe and I have never claimed to be extraordinarily exciting.  Matter of fact, we kind of embrace being dull and predictable.  Pizza Friday?  Yes!  No decisions to make at the end of the work week.  A beer at home on the couch while watching the DVR?  Awesome!  I didn't want to get out of my sweatpants, anyway.

So, when Saturday comes and we're deciding on lunch, if there's bread in the house there is no doubt what we're eating: Panini.  The Panini has become a delicious alternative to grabbing Chipotle (although, this tends to be our Sunday Lunch staple) and never disappoints.  No recipe needed...just sourdough bread, turkey (whatever's on sale that week), thick-cut bacon fried semi-crisp, cheese and honey-dijon mustard.  Mmmm.  That's what Saturdays were made for.

Spaetzle?

How do you even pronounce that?  Spet-zel?  Spat-sel?  I still don't know.  What I do know it that the Germans had it right when they invented this extremely messy to make but super delicious "pasta".  I was bored with the idea of making boneless chicken breasts again and was limited to the food I had in house...this included both cornmeal and ricotta - who knew you could make something delicious from that?!

Jeez-o, what a mess this made.  The recipe calls for making a simple cornmeal batter then squeezing it with a spatula through a wide-holed colander into a boiling pot of water.  I'm sure there's a German housewife somewhere making this without destroying her kitchen, but this Mid-Westerner wasn't born with whatever skill that might take.  About a thousand dirty dishes and a really gross countertop later, I created one of my new favorite side-dishes, Cornmeal Spaetzle.  Served with Garlic Chicken and German Brussel Spouts.

Recipe: Cornmeal Spaetzle, Martha Stewart Living

Pacifier Blankets

Dan and Kristen welcomed Burke James Croft into the world on January 12.  Joe and I are SO excited for this new addition to our friend circle.  I was planning to make Kristen a blanket but after hearing about the excessive number of blankets she's received, decided instead to sew these adorable little pacifier blankets.  They're made from fleece and flannel and could be used for just about anything since the tab at the top could velcro onto a car seat, pacifier...basically anything.  I think they came out just darling and they were so easy to make!  Scroll down to see the other two blankets I made for Burke.

Blanket Pattern: Simplicy Pattern 2670