All because two people fell in love...

Pictures, not words...

2009-10-26T14:51:00.002-04:00

Hannah's Wedding Cake, pumpkin and chocolate cake; gumpaste leaves, daisies, roses, mums, and calla lillies; and fondant pumpkins, gourds, and acorns.

MIA for at least another week...

2009-10-19T21:01:00.002-04:00

Yup, I've been busy. Too busy to post. Particularly this week, as my house has been turned into a gumpaste and fondant factory, cranking out fall-themed decorations for the lovely Hannah's wedding cake. So, you see, I'll be MIA until that little all-consuming project is complete, and Miss Hannah is Mrs. Hannah. But I've got SO MUCH to show you all, and I've been thinking about you, every single day. Just haven't had much time...so until the deal is done, I'll have to leave you with just this sneak peek, a picture of fondant pumpkins. And if you'd like to see what I've been up to at work, I just dumped a couple dozen cake pictures on Flickr...

A'ight, y'all, see you in a week, I promise!

Things

2009-09-16T20:44:00.003-04:00

First and foremost, how precious are these cupcakes? Like, are these not the most adorable cupcakes you've ever seen? Big gorgeous red Poppy blooms...on a cupcake. Genius. Genius, I tell you, and I wish I could say I came up with the idea, but I didn't. I only executed it. This design is courtesy of the follow-up book to my beloved Whimsical Bakehouse, a book focused on small cakes and cupcakes, which I "checked out" of the bakery's "library" of recipe and design books this week. I made a set of three florals--the poppy, a blue hydrangea, and a pink gerber daisy, and displayed them in the case at work yesterday. Today when I came in, I already had an order for tomorrow, and another promised for next month.

All this was prelude to say, yeah, things are going well with my new job.

I love the schedule. LOVE it. But more importantly, I love the work. Even Fridays, when I wind up putting in an 11-hour workday on my feet with no break (after my cushy 3-5 hours a day Monday thru Thursday), I walk out with a smile. Exhausted, but smiling. I also love being at home when Matt get's off work, I love sitting down for the brief 30 minutes we have for dinner before LAW SCHOOL every night, which has also been a big adjustment. Lots to adjust to, but we're doing well, and though I can't speak for Matt, I know I'm beginning to hit my stride. It's a nice feeling, since the truth is I haven't felt really happy in a long long time. But lately, I've been good. Productive even...my house is cleaner, I'm on top of the laundry (well, ok, more on top of the laundry), and the guestroom is freshly painted and waiting for me to start the next phase--ripping out the carpet.

All that was prelude to say, yeah, things are going well in general.

Maybe it's the mood elevators talking...

...TOTALLY kidding...

I haven't forgotten you, my bloggy friends...

2009-08-24T13:23:00.003-04:00

...I've just, well, been busy! Finally ;)

First and most importantly, how fantastic does my husband look in his new suit? He looks like a lawyer already. We've survived the first week of law school beautifully, and next week when I start my new schedule, I anticipate life at home to go even more smoothly. He, in the mean time, is adjusting to all the reading, reading, reading...

In addition to my crazy back and forth schedule at work (oh, how I long for routine...), I've had a couple extra cakes to do at home. My first and biggest cake project to date was a Jimmy Buffett-slash-golf themed sheet cake, which was a gigantic undertaking but really turned out to be a fun cake. Not one I'm looking to repeat any time soon, since I spent hours hand making all the decorations out of tinted white chocolate, but it looked impressive enough to justify it's price tag anyway. The other cake was a cute two layer 10 inch round cake for a little boy's cowboy themed birthday. He requested a horse. His momma requested chocolate, and something that would work with her decorations, which were all bandana-inspired. NO PROBLEM. I think it turned out really cute, and I hope Preston and his momma were as pleased as I was. The bandana sides in particular were a blast, and I really feel like they *made* the cake. That, and the rope border, which is one of my favorite borders to do but I rarely have such a perfect opportunity to use it. More pictures of both cakes and all the details will be up on the cake blog shortly. Also cake related, the lovely Hannah and I have done some conferring on her upcoming wedding cake, and it's going to be just fabulous! I've never been more excited about a cake, and couldn't be happier about who I'm making it for!

So, thanks to the extra income from the cakes, I found myself in the unusual-of-late circumstance of being able to buy a lil' somethin' for myself. Man, I miss shopping. Anyway, while out shopping for ties and sock for the budding lawyer, I found these shoes and absolutely fell in love. Everyone deserves some fancy dancin' shoes, now I've just got find myself somewhere to go ;) I mean, really, how adorable are these? Clinton and Stacey would be so proud...

So, yeah.

2009-08-03T15:08:00.002-04:00

Hey, August, huh? Yeah, it's, well, it's been that kind of month. Where a whole lot of nothing happened, but enough of it to keep me from the blogosphere like a good and proper communicator. So, July went something like this--Matt got into Law School, we elected to take a "staycation" to celebrate his final moments of freedom, it rained approximately 25 of 31 days this month, I grew the pumpkin vine that ate Knoxville, and the decorator at my bakery announced she was moving to Dallas at the end of August. Or something like that.

So, once the two big life events presented themselves (Law School, Check! New Job for me, Check!), the rest of our time (in between hiking trips and Rug Doctoring the carpets) was spent figuring out just what the heck our lives were gonna look like come, say, September. The good news is, I think we've got it all figured out. The bad news? We're gonna be pretty damn busy for a while. Anyway, it looks like it's gonna go a little something like this....

Matt starts school August 17th, Monday through Thursday, 6:15 to 9:45 pm. If the decorator job hadn't come through, this would mean we'd see each other about 2 hours a day, but thankfully that won't be an issue now. I'm going to finish out my current schedule at the bakery (Tuesday through Friday to 6 pm) in August, with a few Mondays as the decorator to make sure I'm up to speed (today was one of those Mondays, and I'd say my speed is A-Okay). Starting in September, I move to an early shift (finished by 2 most days), and Matt will go to work a bit earlier as well, so that he can be home by 4:30 or so. I'll have dinner on the table at 5, we'll get to eat together like normal people, and he'll be off to school by 5:30 or so. So what am I going to do with my 4 1/2+ hours a night during the week? Good question. If I had any money, I'd go back to pottery class, and maybe by next year I'll be able to. In the mean time, I just so happened to have invested in some ceramic paints, oh, AGES ago, and finally am going to have the time to put them to use. These things are a blast, and maybe this will be the thing to get my creative juices flowing and that long-ago promised Etsy shop opened. Also, I have a few dozen home improvement ideas kicking around in my head, and the fact is that, when I get bored and I'm all by myself, I tend to go drastic. So don't be surprised if I tell you I've dug a fish pond, repainted a room, or ripped out some carpeting on a whim. That's just how I roll...

And now we interrupt your programming for a special announcement....

2009-07-01T19:12:00.000-04:00

MATT JUST GOT ACCEPTED TO LAW SCHOOL!

...you may now resume your regularly scheduled activities. Us? We've got to get back to partyin'.

When celebrating this weekend, please keep this in mind...

2009-07-01T08:59:00.002-04:00

Originally from Salon.com:

It's time to stand up for homemade potato salad

Come on, people, it's not that hard to make. Do you really think we can't tell the difference?

By Garrison Keillor

July 1, 2009 | I walked the length of the westbound Lake Shore Limited as it left Albany last Sunday, six crowded coaches, and counted three Twitterers and a couple of phone texters, six laptoppers (two of whom were watching movies), four video gamers, and 27 people reading books. Books made of paper! Turning the pages with their fingers one by one, reading the lines left to right, just as people have done for hundreds of years. Ain't that something?

I didn't lean down for a close look at the books they were reading -- I was not brought up to do that -- so perhaps bodices were being ripped and stalkers were stalking and meteorites were heading straight for Earth, but no matter. Books were being read!

Along with live theater, monogamy and the bald eagle, the paper book has been despaired over and its demise freely predicted, and yet, among people heading west, it seems to be the diversion of choice. So Dickens and Jane Austen and Flannery O'Connor are not dead yet.

And the bald eagle is coming back, along with the gray wolf and the Yellowstone grizzly -- though less attractive endangered species such as the glassy-eyed smelt and the orangefoot pimpleback mussel and various arachnids are still in doubt -- and theater seems as alluring as ever, judging by the number of young New York waiters with large personalities. And as for monogamy, it's there, waiting to be rediscovered.

So let me speak up for an endangered menu item this Fourth of July weekend and that is homemade potato salad.

When the family meets this weekend to hobnob and burn burgers, the family member assigned to bring the potato salad is likely going to walk in with a couple of gallon plastic buckets of yellowish muck bought at a convenience store, the price stickers still on them, and set them down on the table with no apology whatsoever.

Or, if they have more disposable income, they'll bring paper containers full of brownish muck from the natural organic sustainable united empathetic co-op.

If you bring garbage to share with your family, the least you can do is tell a lie and say, "I couldn't make the potato salad myself because I am bipolar and my lover left me and my dog has leukemia and I have an oozing leprous sore on my mixing hand."

It is not that hard to make potato salad, people. Take half an hour away from your Facebook page and do the job right. Boil some eggs, chop the celery and chives and green onions, boil the potatoes, make your mayonnaise, maybe toss in a little sour cream, use plenty of dill, and sprinkle paprika on top. The eerie-yellow store-bought stuff in the tubs was manufactured at Amalgamated Salad in Houston by undocumented 12-year-olds from the hills of Michoacan. Worse, it is teaching our children that accomplishment doesn't matter.

A child served yellow slop from a bucket is being told that it's OK to plagiarize a term paper off the Internet just so long as it's poorly written.

What if Thomas Jefferson had been too busy hobnobbing to write the Declaration of Independence so he just downloaded a bunch of stuff he found Googling "independence" and coming up with stuff about indolence, pendants, incontinence, but hey, close enough, and he pasted it together and they all signed it and went out to a movie? Not good.

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the potato salad that has connected them with another, they will do it, believe me, so why insult us? Just because we're polite, do you think we can't tell the difference? Are we demented? Does this not seem self-evident to you?

Attend to the details. Teach your children manners. Write cogent paragraphs. Drive carefully. And make a good potato salad, one with some crunch, maybe accompanied by a fried drumstick with crackly skin -- the humble potato and the stupid chicken, ennobled by diligent cooking -- and is this not the meaning of our beautiful country, to take what is common and enable it to become beautiful? All our beautiful young people -- so diligent and focused and powered by hope -- you can't tell me those kids didn't have parents who took time to chop the celery and onions and experiment with the ratio of mayo to mustard to achieve a potato salad that is worthy of our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

(Garrison Keillor is the author of "77 Love Sonnets," published by Common Good Books.)

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-06-06T11:03:00.002-04:00

I'm currently sitting under an umbrella in my new favorite spot on earth. There are baby housewrens chirping from their nest in a birdhouse just above my head. The water is splashing melodically in the fountain behind me. A wonderful breeze is rustling the limbs and leaves in the woods directly in front of me. I'm surrounded by gorgeous, cloudless blue skies. And in the distance, I KID YOU NOT, a train whistle just blew.

It's like movie out here today.

I'm speaking, of course, of my deck, and my glorious back yard, where lately I find that I am happiest. I suppose I could update you on our lives (as though there were much to report--beyond Matt applying to law school, everything is pretty much the same), but instead I'll give you pictures of my new found oasis, and invite you all over for barbecue, anytime you want.

More pictures on Flickr.

A mama blue bird just landed on the pergola to my left, she and papa are scouting our bluebird house on the tulip poplar. Linus is rolling in the sunshine on the hill. A cardinal is splashing in the birdbath.

It's a good day out here, y'all.

Some baking...

2009-05-04T14:14:00.002-04:00

Working in a bakery and wanting to actually *keep* my paycheck means I have to come home and bake all the tempting treats I work with all day.

My first official Challah loaf

Pineapple upside down cake, from scratch. Well worth repeating all summer long!

Love for the Kitties...

2009-04-27T15:55:00.003-04:00

The cats don't make it on the blog as often as they deserve. So, today, it's all about some kitty love.Marley's calendar shot. This picture should be framed and hung in my house. Isn't he beautiful? Marley is my boyfriend...

These two are exact opposites in disposition--in fact, I can't believe Zoe was being so tolerant as to let Nilo share this much space with her. I blame it on the sunshine--the pure joy these cats get from rolling on the deck in the sunshine gets them both high (or, perhaps that was the catnip Matt had just sprinkled liberally on that very spot? Hmmm....). Normally Zoe would not condone one of my cats *touching* her. And we call Marley a princess...

Baby Steps...

2009-04-16T08:56:00.002-04:00

My brother and I made this stepping stone for my grandmother (long ago, when his foot was still able to be contained in 12"x12" cement), and it resided in her condo patio garden in Nashville for (I'm guessing?) 15 years or so. Along the way a few shells were lost, and moss began to take hold in the surfaces and crevices. This winter, Go Go (as she is affectionately known to her grand and great grandchildren) moved into assisted living, and this stone was one of the many treasures I brought home with me. This summer we'll move it to a nice spot in our own garden.

And yes, my foot still fits in the groves perfectly.

Chicken Fried Smiles

2009-04-15T08:45:00.002-04:00

(clearly I am concentrating very hard back there, or I too would be grinning in awe at the plate of fried goodness)

This is Mike. He is my brother. He came over one evening and made us Texas-style Chicken Fried Steaks (and a huge mess in my kitchen, which is easily forgiven when the result is chicken fried steaks), and I made green beans , mashed potatoes and cream gravy, and we all smiled this big. A very good day.

Regularly scheduled programming...

2009-04-13T15:50:00.002-04:00

I hope your Easter weekend's were at least this good.

Starting this week, I'm going to do mostly picture posting for a while, if for no other reason than to break me out of this blogging rut I've been in.
I've missed y'all...

I Believe In Playing Games...

2009-03-24T10:04:00.003-04:00

I've had a rotten week already, and it's only Tuesday. I suppose I could use my weekly blog post to whine, but, I'm trying not to perpetuate the *blah*, you know? So, instead, Yay! Becky gave me something else to talk about!

A game

the rules:
write 5 "beliefs"-- rules you live by -- you are not aloud to get serious or preachy, political or religious! These are just for fun and to see if other people are as quirky as you!

So here goes:

I believe in TiVo.
I believe that recipes are just general guidelines, and that real cooking begins when you improvise.
I believe in shutting the bathroom door.
I believe in sleeping with the windows open whenever possible.
I believe in scratch-made strawberry shortcakes, sweet tea, and Southern Living.

How 'bout you?

Today's Best Hits...

2009-03-17T10:09:00.003-04:00

You guys!

Today--today today hot damn TODAY*--is Matt's last day of class. My boy's mere hours away from completing his degree. Everyone say a small "hallelujah" for us from wherever you are. Tonight, after he turns in his paper, we'll be out celebrating with chicken wangs and his classmates (and everyone else in Knoxville because, naturally, his last night is on St. Patrick's Day, but oh well...).

*paraphrase courtesy of Darren McGavin from "A Christmas Story"

My contribution to our personal celebration? What else, I made a cake.

Yellow cake, chocolate frosting, recipes courtesy of America's Test Kitchen, and oh, my, but it's heavenly. I could use nothing but this frosting for the rest of my life and be happy, it's quick, easy, and completely divine tasting. And because I'm such a pal, I'm posting the recipe. You need a food processor, that's the only caveat. Otherwise, this recipe is perfection.

Foolproof Chocolate Frosting

Makes 3 cups to frost one 9-inch 2-layer cake

20	tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened (60 to 65 degrees)
1	cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces)
3/4	cup cocoa powder
	Pinch table salt
3/4	cup light corn syrup
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
8	ounces chocolate , melted and cooled slightly

In food processor, process butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds. Frosting can be used immediately.

______________________________________________________

Beyond frosting, I have another new love this week. Miniature gardens. Tiny little landscapes contained in nothing more that the space your potted geranium used to live. I first discovered these a few years back on Little Landscapes (how much do I love the airstream trailer and it's Christmas lights and tiny pink flamingo?) Then recently, while poking around on Apartment Therapy I found this. *Squee!* And a quick round of googling yeilded even more treasures, some I love like weegarden and Two Green Thumbs, and, yeah, a few that aren't quite my style but may have some useful tips (ahem, Enchanted Gardens, I'm only using you for your accessories). I cannot wait to try this out, y'all. Maybe you don't know this about me but I HEART TINY THINGS. Tiny = adorable, always. And with the acres of new real estate known as my perfect, pergola covered deck and the 20 or so various containers I've amassed already, all I need is spring (and, I suppose, some garden center gift cards/a few extra hours at the bakery, whatever it takes).

So, y'all, what's floatin' your boat this week?

Economic Depression, The Hives, and the Perfect Meal to Turn it all Around

2009-03-10T09:49:00.004-04:00

I hope where ever you are, that your weather was as spectacular as ours this weekend. Despite a dour prediction of mostly cloudy skies to go with our spring temperatures, the clouds parted and the weather was simply gorgeous. Somehow, though, the beautiful day Saturday kinda bummed me out. Not a huge deal, really, it's just that with the fever that accompanies spring, I get excited about all the potential at home--potential projects, gardens, more pimping of the deck, etc--but this year with money being tight and no real end in sight for that situation, well, lots of those projects are going to have to be put aside for a while. I, of course, realize that not having enough money for totally optional home improvements is not nearly as big a deal as, say, not having enough money to actually pay for the house. In that respect we continue to be incredibly fortunate. So I wandered around the yard with Matt as he dug up offending crab grass, basked in the sunshine on my deck with the animals, and fixed a nice simple dinner for Matt and my brother. My bad mood was short lived, and I went to sleep counting my blessings instead of categories in my budget. Still, I know this crappy economic situation is affecting everyone, and I guess I just felt like maybe I should say that, yes, sometimes it gets me down too. I can't be the only one, right?

Matt had other things to worry about this weekend. Shortly after we came inside Saturday evening, he started to itch. By dinner time, he was completely broken out in hives. Angry red blotchy hives. His fingers started to swell. And no amount of calamine lotion and benadryl seemed to help. Sunday was worse. He never really made it out of bed, except for a brief stint on the couch and trips downstairs for more benadryl. His lips and tongue swelled. And I swore that if there was no improvement by Monday, I was going to make him go to the doctor. Monday morning, though still all lumpy and itchy, he *was* getting better. By noon, he had a shower, normal looking lips and hands, and only a few itchy spots left. We still have no idea what caused it, and the best we can figure is that the cold he's been battling all week left his immune system kinda weak, and this is how it reacted. Today he's fine, none the worse for wear, and not a moment too soon. I don't mind taking care of him, and it certainly made for a quiet weekend, but I like it so much better when he's awake and feeling good enough to bug me all day:)

Yesterday was really glorious. Temperatures neared 80, the sun BEAMED all day, the dogs and I went to the park, and the patient recovered. With both of us feeling so much better, so restored, we celebrated in our favorite way--with food. With, to be exact, what I have dubbed The Perfect Spring Meal.

First, a burger. But not any burger. Beautifully lean (93/7) Ground Sirloin (the Dollar General market sells this for $3.50/lb, thank you very much savvy shopping). Mixed with fresh garlic, chopped onion, salt, and pepper, and formed into two whopping half pound pattys. Grilled, topped with pepper jack cheese, thick cut bacon, and fresh sliced avocado. Served on ciabatta rolls I made myself, brushed with olive oil and seared on the grill along side the burgers. For sides, a heaping dish of baked macaroni and cheese, and cool sweet and sour pepper carrot slaw. I never make slaw the same way twice, but this batch was so good, it deserves to be repeated. Finish it off with some pickles and very cold beer. This meal MUST be eaten outside, preferably at sunset on the first really warm day of the year. Ths meal was perfection itself. Exactly the way to celebrate not being sick anymore. Exactly the way to remind yourself that, no matter what you've been feeling lately, things aren't really bad at all.

A couple confessions, only one about food...

2009-03-02T12:25:00.006-05:00

1) I'm simply awful at keeping my fish tank clean.

A few years ago when I brazenly declared I wanted a 20 gallon fish tank for Christmas, I knew what I was getting into. There's a reason Freecycle and Craig's List are overrun with ads for slightly used aquariums--they are frankly a pain in the ass to maintain. But I wanted what I wanted, and I got what I asked for. A few years later and at least 3 total and complete aquarium break-down-and-re-builds later (not to mention countless minor algae blooms), I can say with full confidence,

I. SUCK. AT. THIS.

But, here I am, not yet ready to give up on my aquatic kingdom. So, for about 4 hours on Sunday, I was mired in boggy bucketfuls of brackish water while my 5 tiny fishy friends swam happily in the 2 gallon temporary home on my desk. I drained, I scrubbed, I ruined an old toothbrush and covered my countertop in a faint green slime of algae. Oh, but you guys, now that all is said and done, I can proclaim it all TOTALLY WORHT IT. The tank is gorgeous. It glows, it shines, it bubbles in crystal clear glory. I'm letting it cycle for a few more days so the bacteria colony (a good and necessary bacteria) can re-establish itself before I bring the fish back in, but if their teensy fishy brains can process that much information, I know they're going to be grateful. Spring cleaning continues....

2) I don't ever make brownies from scratch.

Does anyone? I'm sure they do, some of you probably do and I'm sure they are magnificent, but for whatever reason I never deemed it necessary. Mixes are far from perfect, but come on, I've never had a *bad* brownie (except that one time I was in a hurry and forgot to add the eggs, and those weren't that bad, if you like chocolate flavored roof shingles). Cook's Illustrated had a cream cheese brownie recipe I liked about 10 years ago, and they were good, but not so much better than boxed mixes that they warranted making more than a few times, being mildy labor intensive. But for whatever reason I found my last batch of from-a-mix brownies less satisfying some how--too thin, too chewy, just not enough body. Perhaps it's the fault of the inch-thick fudge frosted brownies we make at the bakery, an unfair comparison to make but one that couldn't be helped. I haven't exactly worn myself out looking for a brownie recipe to try though. I guess I needed a bolt of inspiration and just the right day. Well, guess what today turned out to be?

Today, my friends, I have toyed around with a brownie recipe to beat all. A rich, decadent, homemade brownie worthy of the time and effort required to do more than stir and pour a box mix. These are a marbled cream cheese brownie, they make a full 13x9 pan's worth, and with the addition of some yummy cherries they are fancy enough to impress just about anyone. Food of the gods, my friends. The brownie batter is a play on a recipe I found online today. The original got it's chocolate flavor from melted chocolate, I've added a bit of dark chocolate cocoa powder, some salt and vanilla to bring out the flavor, and a bit of instant coffee--a trick I learned at the bakery--to make the flavor even deeper and richer. The cream cheese batter is simply the most basic of cheesecake ingredients. For this recipe I flavored it with a tiny bit of almond because I'm using cherries--they compliment each other really well. If you want to use a different frozen berry (I'd reccomend raspberries, and would have used them if I didn't already have frozen cherries on hand), you can just use vanilla.

Cortney's Cherry Cream Cheese Brownies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 pkgs softened cream cheese
2 cups sugar (divided)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
1 bag frozen dark sweet cherries

Pre-heat oven to 35o degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 tsp vanilla, the instant coffee, and 3 of the eggs (one at a time, beating well after each addition). Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stir until completely melted and slightly cooled, and add to the mixture, beating well. Slowly blend in the flour, salt, and cocoa. This is the brownie portion of the recipe. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining cup of sugar, the remaining 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract. This is your cream cheese batter.

Spread about half the chocolate batter on the bottom of your greased pan. The batter will be very stiff, and the layer might seem thin--just be sure to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Pour the cream cheese batter on top of this layer--there should be plenty and it should spread into a nice thick layer. Take a spoon and plop the remaining chocolate batter in large spoonfuls across the cream cheese layer. Using a knife, spread the chocolate into the cream cheese and swirl randomly with the knife blade to achieve a marbled effect. Open the bag of frozen cherries (or raspberries, whatever you're using), and one by one push the cherries into the batter every inch or so. You may not use all the cherries--save the rest, you can cook them down with a little sugar to make a fantastic sauce for these brownies, or ice cream, cheesecake, pound cake, etc. Once the brownies are completely dotted with the frozen fruit, pop the pan in the pre-heated oven and bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour, or until completely puffed and set. I particularly dislike over cooked brownies, so I tested with a skewer in the center of the pan--after 45 minutes the center was still batter-y, after an hour I had a few sticky crumbs. Let the brownies cool COMPLETELY (the hardest part) before you cut and serve. Absorb all the compliments, and email me later to tell me how good they turned out. If they didn't turn out at all, tell your guests it was all my fault and never speak of it again ;) Mine turned out beautifully...

Let's Talk About Food, a Bulletin Point Entry

2009-02-23T12:06:00.002-05:00

It's not spring yet. My house got dirty again far too quickly. I only saw two of the Oscar nominated movies (The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire). My job has become a tedious retail job again. None of these things are interesting. Only food has kept my attention lately (and rather unsurprisingly). So let's discuss, shall we? Feel free to comment on any, all, or none of these bullet points...

Last week I decided to do the majority of our grocery shopping from our own pantry and freezer, hoping to save a little space in the budget and rotate some product OUT of storage. The I bought the majority of additional items we needed from Dollar General, getting just bread and some produce from the regular grocery store. I spent a total of $31 for the week. That was pretty fun. What's the least amount you've managed to spend on groceries, or the longest you've been able to stay away from the store?
Today I blew all that off and went back to my regular shopping routine. Still managed to get some great deals and some extra stuff for the freezer. Spent about $80 instead, which I still feel good about. Do you shop with an eye toward future meals when the deals are there, or do you just focus on your immediate needs?
I am having a completely irrational and inexplicable need for French Fries. I have always been somewhat immune to fries, barring the occasional need for a small dollar menu purchase from McD's, but lately I could eat them every day and for every meal. I'm trying to keep it under control. I suppose this happens to everyone. What are your favorite cravings/occasional binge foods?
Valentine's sale candy is better than Christmas sale candy. We can't seem to STOP buying this stuff, though I'm trying very hard to keep the candy consumption to a reasonable, Daisy Bee Bees-conscious level. Easter candy is out now, and it's probably my favorite. Do you have a favorite holiday candy? Conversation hearts? Cadbury eggs? Candy Canes? Etc?
Now that it's back in commission, my oven is being used ALL DAY today. My brother is coming over, it's my day off, and I've been without the ability to bake for too long. All this is combining for the perfect storm. I'm trying out a new ciabatta recipe today (thanks Cook's Illustrated), making twice-baked potatoes, cooking a slow-roasted garlic crusted roast beef, and heating up a blueberry pie for dessert. We're also having Zuchini fritters, but those don't require the oven. What are y'all having for dinner?
Anthony Bourdain is coming to Knoxville April 4th. I don't think we can afford tickets, but I'm trying to devise a way we can make it work anyhow. He's one of the few food guys I would pay just to hear tell stories. Maybe Gordon Ramsey too, but I think that's more because I like his accent. Who would you pay to spend a few hours listening to them talk?
Man vs. Food is a great highway accident of a show. I'm horrified, but I can't look away. Also, I want to go visit every single place they showcase. In honor of the trip to Seattle and the 12 egg omelet, I made Matt his own Chili Cheese Sour Cream Omelet (with only 4 eggs) on Sunday. Anybody else watching this show? Anyone have any over-the-top meal/food stories?
Finally, can someone, somewhere, give me something to talk about other than food? Sooner than later, our wastelines here on Blue Meadow will be eternally grateful...

Hey! Hurley!

2009-02-19T19:27:00.001-05:00

Hey, my Lost watchin' palls, did y'all know Jorge Garcia has a blog?

You do now.

Things, some good, some just okay...

2009-02-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

First, Mmmmm, Pizza.....

Doesn't that look great? You want some, don't you? Beautiful chewy crust--thanks to working at a bakery (free pizza dough just because? OKAY.) No marinara or red sauce of any kind, instead we used pesto. Layered with mushrooms, artichokes, fresh balls of mozzerella, sliced roma tomatoes, and a sprinkling of parmesan. This pizza was awesome. This pizza was celebratory. This pizza broke my oven.

Wait, what?

Well, no, it didn't actually break my oven, but it was the last thing we successfully baked Friday night before the oven gave up and refused to pre-heat the next day. Matt was sure it was somehow his fault. He came home after a half day on Friday so he could surprise me with an early Valentine's day present--he cleaned the house. I mean, he CLEANED the house. The bathrooms, the laundry room, everything in the kitchen (including, ahem, the oven). He did all the waiting laundry, all dried and folded. HE VACUUMED THE STAIRS.
BEST. PRESENT. EVER.
Now, I am sure that, because we were able to make pizza successfully (and such a lovely pizza at that), nothing he did actually *broke* the oven. It turns out the ignitor on the bottom of the oven just gave up and cried uncle, and I believe this has far more to do with the fact that my oven is nearly 10 years old and has been the ultimate work horse in my kitchen than it does that he ran an auto-clean cycle the day before. Anyway, the point being, I don't have a working oven now. We dismantled (or, well, HE dismantled) it Saturday morning after waffles, removed the offending ignitor and headed to the Sears repair and parts shop (ahh, Valentine's Day), where we were informed that they didn't have one in stock, and it would be 5-7 days for a new one to come in the mail (not to mention an extra $13.99 for the shipping, THANKS). So, I am currently without oven. Boo, hiss, etc.

The rest of Valentine's Day consisted of an amazing glass exhibit at the art museum (yes, we are *so*cultured, you're jealous, I know...), a trip to our favorite little store in Knoxville, Emery's 5 & 10, and a re-imagined dinner, since the Beef Wellington I had intended to make wasn't exactly going to work out on the stove-top. I played iron chef with the ingredients, and it all worked out just fine.

So, Sunday, rather than be upset over my oven and all the things I suddenly desperately wanted to bake, we wandered off in search of half-price Valentine's candy, and new curtains. I confess, you guys, we've lived here nearly a year and a half, and I have yet to install curtains in our living room. Even the lovely scarred marks on the wall from the previous occupant's horrible white curtain bars were still there, but we had nice blinds, I'm not a cave person or anything. Still, some how we just never really knew what we wanted there, and everything I thought of trying just felt wrong for the room, somehow. So, when I got some gift certificates to Pier 1, I figured, this was my best shot. A few awesome packages of panels from the clearance bin, redeemed gift certificates, some patching and painting, and rods from, yes, thank you, Big Lots (I am no snob), and we have curtains like real civilized adults. Total out of pocket was around $25. Totally worth it. I love them, the fit right in with the nature-y elements we already have in the room (I'm a sucker for leaves and birds) and really make the other green items we have pop in an otherwise neutral space.

And they made me forget about my oven, for a while...

The bug has bitten...

2009-02-09T13:20:00.002-05:00

My spring fever has manifested in an interesting way this year--an all consuming need to clean.

Shocking, trust me.

Every day I find a new potential project, something beyond the usual mop and sweep. This Saturday, the kitchen was my target. You see, when Matt and I moved in, we decided to use the top of our cabinets as a sort of decorative storage solution. We've got antique silver tea tins and baskets interspersed with pitchers and cake plates, all artfully arranged and quasi-handy, should we need any of them. And, since they hang out in the open air all year round, they need the occasional dust off. LITTLE DID I REALIZE...

When we moved into our house, it had been unoccupied for quite some time, and had been meticulously cleaned before we arrived. Or so I thought. It turns out that the tops of those cabinets were something they missed, intentionally or mistakenly. It never occurred to me to check them before we started sticking our stuff up there. But as I removed it all for cleaning and took a closer look (okay, I was climbing like a monkey on the counter tops), I realized the oversight. You guys. I'm pretty sure no one EVER cleaned the tops of those things. I'll spare you the gory details, but I will say that my efforts to return them to relatively sanitary involved a degreaser, a spackle knife for scraping, and nearly half a roll of paper towels. Seriously upsetting. Seriously squicky.

Anyway, I digress...So we're cleaning. Slowly but surely I'm plotting a course through every room in the house, giving it a nice freshening up in addition to the usual once over with a vacuum and a rag. It's strangely satisfying and compellingly comforting all at once. So, I was just wondering...do you guys have a spring cleaning routine? Any surprises?

Did I talk about snow before?

2009-02-02T13:10:00.004-05:00

Because I was crazy. That wasn't snow, that was just a dusty afternoon.

Yesterday was a glorious 60 degree day, with cloudless blue skies. My husband mowed the lawn. And today, today as I sit here and type, the snow is piling all around me. East Tennessee Weathermen are LOSERS. And when I say this, please do not think I'm sad about this new snowfall. I'm thrilled, mostly because I just *knew* they had it wrong, and got all my errands finished yesterday. Because the predicted rain had only begun slightly as I headed to an appointment this morning (a do-over of an appointment from the 19th that gratefully did not get moved a record 2nd time because of snow), and because the giant flakes of snow the rain morphed into in less than an hour had only just begun to accumulate by the time I headed to Walgreens for my final pass at productivity today. I made it home having only slipped and slid twice coming down the big hill at Campbell Station, driving through the Winter Wonderland that I had forgotten Knoxville had the ability to be. In short, y'all, it's snowing like mad, and I'm loving it.

*Now, my Colorado and Mid-west contingent would find the accumulation we've got so far truly laughable. But it's the most we've seen here in these moderate southern parts for quite some time. The kids are going to go APE.*

So, now that I'm home and warm and safe, I'm spending the day cozily ensconced by the fire, with a stack of library books, hot chocolate, and Chex Mix leftover from Super Bowl Supper. Later there will be spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove top, and a mandatory screening of Groundhog Day, another story of a "blizzard" and a perfect day, and rather appropriate for more than just the calendar date. Today has been good in all the ways that my Friday was not, and I would not mind repeating it.

So, yes, um, sorry...what else is new?

We had a lovely weekend spent largely the way married people spend their weekends, at Lowe's. Actually, only a small part took place at Lowe's, but that place just seems to be such a catalyst for all manner of other things around here. We now have new and improved smoke detectors and a great new combo door stop/door latch on our problematic bathroom door. We bought new birdseed and an great new birdfeeder on clearance, just in time for the storm. We shuffled a dozen more Christmas boxes in the garage and took huge steps in making it functional again. We worked on our February budget, ate pizza, and went to see The Wrestler. We talked and planned and schemed and organized, and all in all felt very productive. It was good. February is off to a nice start.

I wish I had more to say, but beyond the mundane and everyday, beyond the grind of Brinks and the Bakery and school and whatnot, well, we've still only got talk. But Matt and I are figuring things out, and by the time we thaw out over here, and spring arrives and my heart swells with the dogwood blooms, we might have actual plans for our future. So, yes, we've got that going for us. ;)

I'm about to go and start on the second of my library books, "the green book", and I'm wondering if any of you have read it, and if so, what did you think? Was there anything in the book you weren't already doing that it made you decide to do?

Miscellany...

2009-01-27T10:11:00.004-05:00

These days when I have nothing specific to tell are always the toughest to blog about (probably why I'm a day late anyway). It's great when you have news to share and you just can't wait to jump on the computer and let everyone know, but when things are just trucking along as usual, inspiration just doesn't come as easily. So, yeah, it's business as usual 'round these parts. Work, home, dinner, bed, repeat, etc. Don't get me wrong, a routine is very welcome, and there are good things on the horizon I'll be able to talk about soon enough, but for now? Just not that much goin' on, y'all ;)

So, you get snow day pictures.

(proof! snowflakes on my head!)

And, bonus!, a recipe ;) I made these Chocolate Thumbprint cookies (courtesy of Martha Stewart) last week in a fit of glee at being home before dark (two days a week I open at the bakery and get home at 2pm), and they are in fact, dynamite. Slightly labor intensive because of the rolling in sugar and the filling of the thumbprint, but sincerely worth it. Next time you need to take someone a batch of cookies and want them to know how special they are, these are the cookies for you. So good, I might make them again later this week, and definitely a perfect cookie for Valentine's Day!

I will say that some reviews on the website mention that they find these salty--actually, that is the point, the super dark and fudgy cookie and the rich ganache need something to offset them slightly, and if you use coarse salt like kosher salt in the recipe, you get tiny salt grains. Just like with french salted caramels, chocolate covered pretzles, or World Market's Sea Salt chocolate bar, the salt works perfectly with the sweet. And really, I don't think it's at all overpowering, but if you're concerned, use regular table salt and cut the amount in half (as a matter of fact, if you're using table salt anyway, cut the amount in half--the recipe measurement is specifically for coarse salt, and using the same amount of table salt may be why some people think it's too salty in the first place, they are NOT interchangeable at the same quantity!). I will say that I did not get 90 cookies from the recipe, only about half that. Maybe Martha's are smaller, but I felt like mine were a good two-bite size. The ganache recipe Martha gives involves a vanilla bean as well, and I think that's a costly pain, so I changed the recipe a bit (the version below includes my changes) Also, 'cause I'm crazy like that, I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder instead of regular (resulting in a much darker, fudgier cookie), and to match, used Special Dark chocolate chips to make the ganache. *sigh* All this talking about them has made me miss them even more...

Chocolate Thumbprints

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, and add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
Roll balls using 2 teaspoons dough for each, and roll each in sugar. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.
Spoon warm ganache into center of each cookie. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Ganache

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

Combine honey, cream, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring until honey dissolves. Keep warm over very low heat.
Place chocolate in a food processor. Pour cream mixture over chocolate, and let stand for 1 minute. Process until smooth. Add butter, and continue to process, scraping down sides occasionally, until butter is incorporated. Let cool slightly, and then use immediately.

Hope you guys try them and love them as much as Matt and I did! I'll see you back here next week. I'll be sure we have something new to discuss ;)

**Almost forgot, a new cake from this weekend is up at the cake blog, be sure to check it out!**

Take that, Daisy Bee Bees!

2009-01-19T09:45:00.003-05:00

Y'all, I just *knew* today was going to be a good day.

After a lovely weekend that included dinner with The Wileys, finally getting all the dregs of Christmas put away, a Sunday afternoon matinee of Slumdog Millionaire, and Friedchickenriceandgravy (my favorite meal I hardly ever have), I had an early morning scheduled today. I had an appointment at my endocrinologist at 8 bloody AM. Early, but considering I clock into work at 6 two days a week now, not ridiculous, even for my day off.

Today was a re-scheduling of my December appointment, since I was working Mondays in December and couldn't make it. A month overdue, today was the day I get my new A1c. I had my fingers crossed that, thanks to my very careful control, my new walking in the park ritual, and all that other jazz, I could at least have a number in the 6 point something range. That was the goal, that was the hope.

Apparently, I have low expectations. This is good.

My A1c was actually 5.7. FIVE POINT SEVEN, y'all. This puts me BELOW normal diabetic range. This means my official diagnosis and all my medical records now read "Type II diabetes, CONTROLLED". You guys have no idea the happy dance I was doing inside. You have no idea the implications of this for me, for Matt, for everything. I'm positively overjoyed.

And, as I walked out to my car, it began to snow.

It's still early, but it's shaping up to be a heck of a day.

Confessions of a Late Bloomer...

2009-01-12T09:29:00.002-05:00

No, not that kind, actually.

You see, I'm a little late on a bit of landscaping. A couple of months, actually. After our rousing success tilling up and mulching the beds around the house, Matt and I celebrated by buying several huge containers of bulbs--crocus, daffodils, and tulips--to fill up the vacant beds so that come spring, we'd have something pretty to look at until we could start filling in with permanent landscaping plants.

And, then I got fired. And then I got hired. And then it was Thanksgiving, and Christmas. And, well, since then, nearly every day I've had free has been a rain drenched adventure. I'm not just making excuses, I swear, Knoxville is approximately 3-4 inches *ahead* on scheduled rainfall for the year. Now, I'm told by a few experts (read:my mother and aunt who are also guilty of not getting their bulbs in on time) that I can still plant these suckers, and considering how mild November and December had been, the cold garage I've been storing them in hasn't been that much different than our semi-soggy ground around the house. They'll come up, just, well, maybe a bit off schedule. Like, say, Daffodils in late March instead of late February, and Tulips all the way to May. I can't say this bothers me too much, this late blooming schedule--maybe I don't get the satisfaction of pretty yellow flowers in February (I'll plant pansies and get over it), but I also don't risk as much getting nipped when March turns ugly (like I *know* you will, March, do you hear me!?) and I get to have them longer into the season. The only trick here is, um, I pretty much have to plant them TODAY. You've heard of making hay while the sun shines? Well, today it's sunny, and a high of 50, and I'm off work--that pretty much translates to a mandate to plant bulbs. And now, since I've put this story on the internet for all to read and hold me accountable for, I've pretty much forced myself into it. Today's the day. I'm going to bundle up, get out my trusty little shovel and a bag full of bulbs, and get to planting.

In other, slightly less demanding news, I did use some time this weekend (while it poured rain, naturally) to get the cake blog up and running. It's full of cakes and basically up to date, and although I guarantee some tweaking with layout and colors and such to come, I think it's good enough to go ahead and link to. So yes, now feel free to check out Cortney Bakes Cakes . I don't believe there's much there any of you haven't seen before, but it will be nice to have to point potential clients to, a sort of online cake resume ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you, I'm off to throw in a load of laundry and wait for it to warm up outside a bit. I've got bulbs to plant!