Bursting the Bubble

Yesterday was a comedy of errors. I made strawberry shortcake for a dinner we were having at my community group. It wasn't a huge undertaking; shortcake is a pretty easy thing to make but everything that could go wrong, did. Now, I know that some of you think that baked goods just effortlessly appear from my kitchen...

... let me dispel that myth. My day was much more like this.

It started with the flour. I was reaching to the top shelf to pull it down. I know better, I really do. But I was lazy and didn't feel like dragging a chair over to the cupboard. I thought if I stretched real big I could get it. Um, no. The bag of flour fell on my head and burst open covering everything in my kitchen, including myself, in white flour. I looked like a powered donut. Someone suggested that I should have gotten a photo. Well, I apologize for not taking a moment to take a picture of myself covered in flour for your amusement. Your imagination will have to suffice. I can tell you that I kind of looked like this...

(ok, is anyone else dying to know the story behind this guy's picture?)

Anyway, while I was cleaning up the powdered kitchen, my oven started smoking because in the midst of my chaos I was burning my lunch. The fire alarm started screaming at me, both downstairs and up. I had to drag the chair that I was too lazy to pull out in the first place all the way upstairs to turn off the alarm. I finally finished baking and headed over to my community group. When I got out of my car I piled the shortcakes, the container of strawberries and the bowl of whipped cream all on top of each other so I didn't have to make two trips. (hmmm, again with the laziness... I am now seeing a common thread all of this) I took one step and the whipped cream fell on the street and the lid flew off. Fortunately, I only lost about a cup of it so all was not lost.

When the night was over, I came home and carried all of the dishes to my kitchen. I then noticed that the bowl of strawberries was not closed all the way and was leaking bright red strawberry juice all over my jeans. I took one look behind me and discovered that I had left a strawberry juice trail on the beige carpet through my living room. I had to spend about an hour with spot remover and a rag trying to pull it up. As I was on my hands and knees scrubbing my carpet, I was thinking of the series of unfortunate events that made up my day and I decided that the strawberry shortcake wasn't THAT good and next time I might just call upon good ole' Sarah Lee!

Here is the recipe for those who want to brave it. (bake at your own risk)

Strawberry Shortcake


5 cups sliced, fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup and 2 Tbs. cold butter
1/2 cup and 1 Tbs. milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, combine sliced strawberries and sugar. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the mild egg yolk and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture until a soft, sticky, dough forms.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead 10 times. Gently pat or roll until the dough is 3/4 inches thick. Use a round biscuit cutter to make shortcakes. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.

To assemble, split shortcakes in half. Place cake bottoms on dessert plates then top each with strawberries and whipped cream. Cover with shortcake top and remaining berries and cream. Enjoy!

Fancy Books

I have had my Bible for about fourteen years. It has been with me to seven countries, gone through four YWAM Training courses including a one year Bible school and served me well for two years as a Bible teacher. The thing is used! It is marked up, highlighted, and written in. It falls open to my favorite passages and all of the silvery, shiny, page edging stuff is worn off. The cover fell off once so I duct taped it back together. If I had known when I bought it that it was a lifetime investment, I probably would have spent more on it but I didn't so I am having to get creative to keep the thing together. Duct tape isn't really the look that I want. And I don't know if any of you are like this but I am just lost in another Bible, I need mine so I am going to make it last! Several years ago I covered my Bible with a greenish-grey suede and used silver clasps to close it. It was pretty cool and it lasted about ten years. The clasp fell off a few days ago though so I decided to go ahead and recover the whole thing.

I decided to use faux leather which, in retrospect, was probably not the best choice as it is a bit heavy and hard to work with. I like the look of the finished project but it is a bit bulky and therefore looks a little "homemade". Oh well, it will definitely last a while! At least until I decide to recover it with something different. Here is how I did it in case any of you want to attempt covering a book. I used to do journals a lot and there are so many fun things you can do.

First of all, cut the fabric to fit your book with about two inches of overlap on each side. Glue to the cover of the book. I used fabric glue for this.

Fold the corners over and glue down to the inside cover of the book. I used hot glue for this.

The fold the sides over and hot glue them down.

Oh, and I cut slits to line up with the spine of the book and did that part separately.
Next, I punched holes in the side flap of the book with a leather hole puncher.

I strung leather cording through the three holes and hot glued the cord to the inside of the book.

Then I cut a piece of leather to fit the inside of the book and glued it down to cover all of that mess. You can see from the previous picture that I already did that to the front flap.

Then I strung the three leather cords through a decorative button and braided them together to make a long cord that can wrap around the book to hold it closed.

Here is the finished project!

Good food and Geeky games

I am kind of a geek, I have no problem admitting it. I read science fiction, I wait in long lines at midnight movie openings with teenage kids wearing Gryffindor robes and lightning bolts painted on their foreheads and I geek out over board games. Settlers of Catan is my main form of geekiness. It is a very strategic game that takes a couple of hours to play. I have heard it described as a cross between Risk and The Farming Game. The funny thing is, I am not very strategic so I rarely win but I always have a lot of fun.

Last night I mixed friends from different places, which is always kind of interesting, and we had a particularly fun game (even though I still didn't win). It got a little loud and competitive and on top of it we all were kind of riding on a sugar high due to an overabundance of cupcakes! I made yummy dinner and dessert so I will post the recipes for those who might want them.

Dinner was Chicken Alfredo Lasagna. It is sooooo creamy and rich. It is a great recipe and one I make a lot when I am expecting a crowd. You can either make one large pan or two small ones. It freezes really well too, so it can make two dinners, which is convenient. If you are looking for a "light and fit" option, however, keep looking because this is one of the most fattenings things you can eat! mmmm.....

 Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles

3 cups heavy cream

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

5 mushrooms, diced

1 roasted chicken, shredded

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

In a saucepan over low heat, mix together heavy cream, cream of mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Simmer, stirring frequently, until well blended.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion in olive oil until tender, then add garlic and mushrooms. Mix in the chicken, and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with enough of the cream sauce mixture to coat. Layer with ⅓ of the lasagna noodles, ½ cup ricotta, ½ of the spinach, ½ the chicken mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with ½ the cream sauce mixture, and repeat the layers. Place the remaining noodles on top, and spread with remaining sauce. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until brown and bubbly. Top with the remaining mozzarella, and continue baking until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

I don't have a picture of the finished project because I was too busy with my company that I forgot!  But here is a Google Image one that shows what it should look like when all said and done.

For dessert I made Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. I am super into cupcakes lately because they are just so cute. I have tons of different flavors I want to try. The Snickerdoodle ones turned out pretty good. I made both mini cupcakes and regular sized ones. I think the bigger ones turned out a bit better. The small ones you have to watch carefully, I baked them for 10 minutes and they were a bit dry. They probably would have been great if a little moister but the big ones were perfect.  Cinnamony/sugary and definitely a keeper!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon, mixed together for dipping cupcakes

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Make frosting:

In a medium bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Beat until smooth and creamy.

Pipe frosting on each cupcake. 

To finish, dip each frosted cupcake into a cinnamon/ sugar mixture. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

 Yummy!!!

Let them eat cake!

It is my friend, Jimmy's, birthday this week and I seem to have become the resident birthday fairy so I had another opportunity to bake over the weekend. He requested carrot cake and it turned out pretty delicious if I do say so myself, so I will post the recipe for those who want it.

Ok, I'll say it. It looks like a five year old decorated this cake! While I can turn flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into something mouth-watering, my frosting skills are a bit laking! I grew up watching my mom decorate beautiful birthday and wedding cakes and she made it look so easy! Not so. I am actually going to take a cake decorating course next month so that my creations can look at least a little more impressive. If anyone wants to do it with me, let me know. The classes are in Encinitas and super cheap.  It should be pretty fun!

Ok, here is the recipe:

Carrot Cake
2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp.cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1½ c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

3 c. grated carrots

Frosting:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add vegetable oil. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each. Mix in carrots. Pour into a greased 9“ x 13” pan, or two 9" round pans lined with wax paper. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the frosting. Mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy then add sugar, slowly mixing until smooth. Cool completely, then frost.

Family Time

I go and start a blog and I am already getting delinquent with it! I am sorry, I know many of you are counting on me to provide you with regular entertainment from my fascinating life. It breaks my heart to know that I may have let you down. I have a good excuse though. My parents were visiting this week so I have been busy touring San Diego with them and eating at wonderful places like Extraordinary Desserts. If you haven't ever been there, go! It is UH-MAAA-ZING!

It was so good to see my parents! Unless you stumbled across my blog by chance, you are probably aware that a year and a half ago, my dad was diagnosed with throat cancer. He went through a round of radiation which didn't work so they ended up removing his voice box and putting in an artificial one.

The first time I saw him after his diagnosis he was in the middle of radiation and was really sick! He was really not himself due to the effects of the treatment. It was good to be with my family at that time but also really difficult to see my dad go through that.

The second time I saw him was last September. He was MUCH better at that point but he had only been using his new voice box for about two weeks so talking took quite a bit of effort and he was still a bit fatigued from all the meds.

This time was awesome! My dad was completely back to normal. He looks totally healthy and talking seems to take very little effort compared to last time so he is joining in the conversation as much as he ever did. The artificial voice box is really cool, too. It doesn't sound robotic or anything. His voice is deeper and kind of gravely but other than that, pretty normal. And he just had a CT scan and is still cancer free after almost a year. If cancer comes back it most often does so in the first year so this is excellent news!

So all in all, it was a great week. I am really close to my family and miss seeing them on a regular basis. One day, we are all going to move to Colorado and set up "The Brown Family Commune" but until then I have to be content with once or twice a year.  This week was just what I needed to get me through until Christmas!

Madison is one step ahead of me

Apparently I did not give the people of Wisconsin enough credit! While they may not be as polished as the Newsies, you have to admit, the protesters give a pretty rousing rendition of a poignant song from a classic broadway musical. I just don't know why this didn't work...



(CBS) - How very meta! A flash mob group of protesters who feel they are being trodden upon in Madison, Wis. sing a song from the musical "Les Miserables" - which is a musical based on the Victor Hugo book based on the popular French protests and uprising of people being trodden upon in 19th century France. I dare you to say that ten times.

The group was part of a protest flash mob - reportedly organized in less than 24 hours - who chose to sing, "Do You Hear The People Sing?" The ongoing protests in Wisconsin have been in reaction to proposed legislation taking on public workers' collective bargaining rights.

Seize the Day, Wisconsin!

I am sure by now, most of you have heard what is going on in Wisconsin. Actually, since I am most recently from Madison, many of my friends reading this are in the middle of the chaos! Having lived in Madison, I can only imagine what downtown must be like right now. The campus is filled with activists and if the wind blows the wrong way it can spark a protest! I am not going to rant about Scott Walker and his proposed budget cuts; a political debate is not at all the point of this blog (which, by the way, doesn't really have a point so you can stop waiting for it). However, I will offer some some advice which may prove to be helpful.

I think the Madisonian protesters are missing an element which is crucial to getting their voice heard by the powers that be... that is a spontaneous, albiet well-choreographed dance number. I just watched "Newsies" (Disney's classic from 1992) and I have to say, those newsboys were very effective at getting Joseph Pulitzer to listen to their demands. Would the strike have ended in their favor if they merely held signs, passed around petitions, and camped out in front of the building? I daresay not. Never underestimate the power of the dance, people. So Madison, rise up and seize the day! Get your voice heard! You know what you have to do...