Almond Cake
July 30, 2008 at 12:27 am | In Daring Bakers | 21 CommentsTags: cake, Daring Bakers
I didn’t know what to title this Daring Bakers Challenge…Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream? What the heck is that? Oh, it’s one of those cakes. A genoise cake with syrup, buttercream, whipped cream, a glaze and ganache. Ugggg.
Thank goodness for Gretchen. She talked me down off the wall and I got to work. She helped me decide on an almond genoise (cake) brushed with an almond syrup, layered with almond buttercream, whipped cream, topped with an apricot glaze (I know, sounds wierd), covered by a chocolate ganache.
Whew! Did you get all that? If you are still having trouble picturing this cake, maybe this will help…
Or this…
How about this…
What you are looking at is an Almond Gateau with Almond Buttercream. It was…just okay. I had a slice. My hubby had a slice. That was it. Gretchen encouraged me to give it away, but why? It’s just not me. It’s not my kind of cake.
But, I’m glad I made this cake. I finally feel comfortable with genoise. I got a great rise out of this one. And this buttercream was okay. Probably the one I would prefer to make again if I had to.
I’m sure of the thousands of Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercreams, you will find many many more beautiful and great tasting cakes.
coming clean
July 25, 2008 at 7:20 pm | In Diet and Exercise | 8 CommentsTags: diet, Diet and Exercise
Oh all the things I didn’t eat today (but considered eating).
But oh, all the things I did eat today…
Breakfast started out great. Old Fashioned Oats, milk chocolate chips, and banana and milk.
Lunch was terrific. Salmon on bread with sliced tomatoes, pickles, and a salad topped with brie.
After lunch I wanted something sweet. Darn these things being in the refrigerator (they’ve been in there for about 2 weeks). I was very aware of my decision to eat it. And it was goooood.
At 3:30 I finished making some coconut cream mini-pies that I had been working on for my dad. I had trouble with some mini-crusts, soooo…
Okay, I really didn’t need to eat this. And I wasn’t hungry. When dinner rolled around at 6pm, I was still full. Now here it is 7:15pm and still not hungry. I guess the mangled slice of coconut cream pie was pretty filling. And apparently my dinner.
I did go to the gym today. I went on the elliptical for 30 minutes and the treadmill for 15. After that I did a bunch of core work. Felt great!
when hunger strikes
July 24, 2008 at 6:06 pm | In Diet and Exercise | 6 CommentsTags: diet, Diet and Exercise
Besides the bit of queezy-ness I felt this afternoon, (I blame my many trips to the bathroom on the steel cut oatmeal for the 4th morning in a row) today has been a rather peaceful day. But then I got HUNGRY, and it was almost time for dinner.
Here’s a look at breakfast: A bowl of steel-cut oats with a banana, milk chocolate chips (so perfectly good) and sliced almonds.
Lunch was an open faced sandwich on bread and some Sun Chips remains.
Started to feel the hunger at 4pm. I had a peach.
And then I had a scoop of chocolate cream pie (I put the can of beans in back for perspective on the size).
At this point I knew it was over and I just needed to eat dinner. Bean, rice and cheese burrito with a salad and chips.
Truthfully, I ate this amount of chips with some salsa and sour cream dip while cooking and chopping. I put these chips on my plate for the photo opp, and then returned them to their bag.
I ate dinner at 5pm tonight. For me, when I’m hungry and it’s almost time to eat, it’s usually better to just eat a meal. Because if I don’t, I’ll just pick and nibble and pick some more. And my brain won’t register, “hey, I’m eating”. And then when it is time to eat, regardless if I’m hungry or not, my brain will say, “oh, now it’s time to eat”. Does that make sense?
I didn’t make it to the gym today. So once I get the three of them settled for dinner I’m going on a walk.
slowing to plate
July 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm | In Diet and Exercise | 7 CommentsTags: Diet and Exercise
Well, I’ve noticed that the process of plating my food before I eat really makes me slow down and be deliberate about what I’m eating. The simple act of a photo food journal has caused me to eat more fruits and veggies, think about what I’m eating, and plan out my food.
Here was breakfast. A bowl of steel cut oats with a splash of milk, sliced banana, coconut and almonds. Had about 3 bites left over.
I had a snack of grapes and a granola bar. (I also had half a peach)
Lunch was an open faced sourdough sandwich with either a slice of ham or turkey and all the trimmings, including brie cheese.
I had that slice of the chocolate cream pie (it’s okay ’cause it has tofu, right?)
Then dinner was turkey breast (thanks for the recipe Dianne), salad, half an orange (and my kids’ sourdough crusts). I added maybe a cup more salad to my plate.
I was at the gym for an hour this morning. Started with 35 minutes of speed walking at an incline. Then did squats, abs, arms and planks.
You know, I woke up feeling much better today. I had more energy. Had a better outlook on life. Felt more like myself.
Could it have been the time spent with girlfriend’s in Bible study and prayer last night? Or possibly the prayers of a faithful friend who checks in with me on a daily basis. Maybe it was a shift in less eating and more moving. Think it was all three?
Yum Yum Smiles
July 23, 2008 at 6:30 pm | In Extras, Pies | 2 CommentsTags: awards, chocolate cream pie, Dessert
You must have known it was coming. Photos of the winning chocolate cream pie with…
curls!!!
And speaking of winning awards…
I would like to thank Diannes Dishes for The Yum Yum Award!
and thanks to Megans Cookin for The Smile Award!
Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times–we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids
These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the award’s creator (http://www.thebabblingsofmere.blogspot.com/)
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.
My first Smile Award goes to Diannes Dishes because her food is inspiring, her photos are wonderful, and her garden is a thing of envy.
I would like to pass The Yum Yum Award and The Smile Award on to:
Canela y Comino. I love how Gretchen shares about the people and dishes of Peru while honoring her very American upbringing.
Colette’s Bakery. She bakes and dances, has a fun family, and is only 16 years old. I love peeking into her life.
Couch Cubicle. This girl is a riot! She always makes me laugh with her funny life stories.
A Southern Grace. She has great food, great photos, and is a great story teller.
And my final Yum Yum award goes to Megans Cookin. It’s no surprise that Megan’s food looks yummy and tastes yummy.
If I could, I would pass on a slice to each and every one of you!
Slow and Thoughtful
July 22, 2008 at 6:49 pm | In Diet and Exercise | 6 CommentsTags: diet, exercise
For me, the the lower I sink emotionally, the higher my food intake is.
The more chaotic my life feels, the more chaotic my eating becomes.
I have been mindlessly eating for days. Spiraling further and further downward. So today kept a photo journal of my food.
It forced me to slow down. To stop and think about what I was putting in my mouth. It made me more thoughtful of my eating; what I was eating and how much.
Here’s what I had for breakfast, steel cut oats with a splash of nonfat milk and a white peach.
Snack was a banana and stoneyfield go-gurt. I also had a (non-photoed) tall soy latte.
Lunch was turkey, ham, brie, lettuce, tomato and mustard on sourdough; grapes and another white peach. I ended up eating this sandwich in two halves. The half with the brie, ham and tomatoes was excellent.
Dinner was a salad, grapes, red bell pepper and bread. I had about a cup more of the salad.
At the gym I spent 35 minutes walking at in incline on the treadmill. I also did 15 minutes on the elliptical and finished with abs and push-ups.
And now, at the end of the day, I can say I am feeling more at peace with myself and life’s circumstances. But I’m still feeling low, so I’ll probably do this little exercise again tomorrow.
Handheld Peach Pies
July 22, 2008 at 3:09 pm | In Pies | 9 CommentsTags: peach pie
What do you do when you have a lot of extra pie crust? Make more pies, of course! But rather then one big pie, I wanted to do something smaller, so I made these free form handheld peach pies.
Truth be told, I should have added some cinnamon, peach liquor, brown sugar, something, anything to give the filling more taste. But they are so cute. So, a recipe for the peach pie filling will come soon. (Bet they would taste great with lemon curd or chocolate cream filling!)
For now, here’s how I made these handheld pies:
Roll out chilled dough, cut it into the shape of a long oval.
Spoon 1/4 cup of filling onto one side of the dough.
Fold the top over.
Pinch the sides.
Brush the top and sides with egg yolk wash. (1 egg yolk plus 1 T water)
Poke holes in the top with fork tinges.
Wrap tightly and store in the freezer.
I was ready to bake these little pies the next day. Preheat the oven to 325. Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling. If the top crust is not yet golden brown, put under the broiler for a couple of minutes…watch carefully! Allow to cool to room temp. Store in the refrigerator.
I must say, I am shocked at how forgiving this pie crust is. Despite being the scraps from the blueberry pie, it’s still flakey and yummy. Too bad it has a combination of crisco and butter. But I’m willing to overlook the crisco…yes, this crust is that good.
Blueberry Pie: Revisited
July 21, 2008 at 3:47 pm | In Pies | 11 CommentsTags: blueberry, blueberry pie
I made this pie last week. It was good. But I thought that cinnamon would be better than the called-for orange. For me, cinnamon was the right choice. This is how I think blueberry pie should taste!
The blueberry taste is so fresh and comes bursting through. I love how this pie filling holds up when sliced. And the Tuesdays with Dorie group was right on with the crust, perfectly flakey and goes excellently with this pie.
I wish I had done the lattice top, but wanted to try something different. I learned to cut out shapes after moving the upper-crust to the pie.
This recipe is a keeper. Maybe even a contender in next year’s Pie Contest. Ice Cream not necessary.
Surprise Sangria
July 20, 2008 at 8:23 pm | In drinks | 9 CommentsTags: birthday party, sangria
We celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday with a Surprise Party on Saturday. Rather than cakes, cupcakes or pies, I was put in charge of the Sangria.
This my was first attempt at making Sangria, so I followed my sister and brother-in-law’s specific instructions. First, I checked out Bobby Flay’s White Peach Sangria.
My hubby went to Trader Joes for the spanish white wine, triple sec, brandy and a jar of peaches. Then it was on to Costco for a white peaches, oranges and apples. We also picked up pineapple juice and orange juice. We were expecting about 40 people, so I made the recipe x6. My hubby and I had a little sangria making party the night before…
White Peach Sangria (for 6 servings)
From Bobby Flay at Food Network
1 bottle Spanish dry wine
3 ounces brandy
2 ounces triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
4 ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil for 2 minutes in a small saucepan) and cooled
3 ounces peach puree (put jarred peaches in a blender with a little syrup and blend until smooth.)
Fresh white peaches, oranges, and apples sliced
Place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
I enjoyed it best ladled into a glass with the sliced peaches, apples and orange slices floating.
When the party was over, we enjoyed munching on the left over fruit…yum!
My dad’s 60th Birthday Party was a lot of fun! He we completely surprised. I met a lot of my parent’s funny friends and it was so nice spending time with my family. Here’s a photo from that day…
Starting in back on the left is my hubby, me, my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, (gorgeous and expecting) sister, brother in law, and brother. Then in the front row is my daughter, son, grandfather, grandmother, and grandmother.
Happy 6th Birthday
July 13, 2008 at 9:09 pm | In Cupcakes, twins | 15 CommentsTags: birthday cupcakes, dogs, R2-D2, star wars, twins
My kids turned 6 years old today. It feels like a lifetime ago when they came into the world. So much has changed since then.
Here’s a photo of me on July 12, 2002 (my twins original due date), as we were leaving for the hospital.
And here were are today…
Then…
And now…
Think he liked the cupcakes?
Here’s how I made these R2-D2 Cupcake Toppers.
I made dog candies for my daughter’s cupcakes. She loves dogs.
One mom asked where I ordered the dog candies from! That was a nice compliment (I think). To make these I picked up a dog candy mold from Michaels. The hard part was doing the dogs one at a time. First the nose, mouth and eyes. Then the dog collar and tongue. Then the dog tag. And finally the whole dog. After each part I had to put my candy into the refrigerator so it could quickly set up.
It was a super fun day, but now I’m beat…back to the gym tomorrow!
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