Porter House

Update...

 Well, I am still working on getting working again. Typepad will not let me log on at my house, when I stop by. I can only log on on my in-laws laptop. This would be fine if my photographs were on my in-laws laptop. It is all very frustrating. I guess I am going to have to have them transferred to a disk, and access them that way.

The adjuster came out last Thursday. We are waiting on him to contact us again. I have carted half my house over to Monroe. I have been cooking and baking frequently. I am just trying to do my part around here :). Last night we had a pizza night. My sister-in-law Ashlie and her family joined in. I ended up making 7 pizzas. They really hit the spot.

There are definite advantages to living smack dab in the city. We are minutes from everything. We have fallen in love with the simpleness of it all. All of Justin's family live in about a five mile radius. We had became the outsiders. He has gotten me looking at houses around here. Crazy wishful thinking...

I thought I'd leave you with a great picture from Ashlie's wedding. They are about the only pictures I can access. (This would be my father-in-law, niece Hannah, niece Lauren, and of course my daughter.)

(Oh, and here is a lovely picture of the Mexican wedding cookies I made.)

 

Oceans of water...

We all had a fantastic time in Perdido Key. We arrived back home Saturday. Unfortunately, what we arrived home to was not quite as lovely as the ocean had been. It seems that at some point last week, our hot water heated busted. It most likely ran for 3-4 days, before the water was turned off. Our closet, master bedroom, laundry room, and likely our back kitchen wall were all seriously damaged. It is already growing mold.

We were lucky though, that it doesn't seem we lost any possessions of value. We are also very lucky to have Justin's family nearby to take us in. (It appears that they still love us, even after spending a solid week with us.)

So we are staying with them and awaiting word from our home owner's insurance adjuster. He is supposed to contact us by tomorrow. Meanwhile, I am trying to get used to operating a laptop, and trying to figure out how to get my vacation pictures on this computer.

I hope to have a longer update up soon!

Florida...

I have almost finished packing everything up. We are spending the night with my inlaws tonight. Tomorrow morning we are driving to Florida. I have felt a little out of sorts lately. I think a relaxing week at the beach is just what I need. I am certain I will will come home with a renewed urge to cook, bake, and then blog.

I would like to say hello to any new readers that may happen by this week. Please read through my archives and be sure that I will return with new posts after this week. Thanks for coming!

I'll try to take lots of pictures.... Have a great 4th of July everyone!

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I can actually take partial credit for this particular ice cream. This ice cream that my husband proclaimed was the best ice cream he has ever eaten. He doesn't say these things lightly. Butter pecan is his very favorite flavor. The other day he requested it, so I went to my trusty ice cream book, The Perfect Scoop. Unfortunately the closest version in the book was butterscotch pecan ice cream. It is egg based, and contains a little Scotch. I wanted something Philadelphia-style and a little more traditional. So I combined 3 of his recipes into one unbelievable one. For real.

Please, try this ice cream if you like butter pecan. Heck, please try it if you do not. You might just change your mind. It was perfectly creamy and smooth, while studded with roasted buttery/salty nuts. Dang. This morning when I went to photograph it I noticed that a few more scoops had disappeared during the night.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Buttered Pecans:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups pecan halves (150 g)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in and oven safe skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and toss the pecans with the melted butter until well coated, then sprinkle in the salt. Place the skillet in the oven and toast for 10-12 minutes, stirring once during baking. (Be careful not to let them burn. They are usually about ready when you can smell them.) Remove from oven and let cool completely. Chop coarsely. Add them to the ice cream during the last few moments of churning.

Buttery Brown Sugar Ice Cream:

5 tablespoons (70 g) butter
3/4 cup (170 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups heavy cream, separated
1 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until moistened. Add one cup of the cream. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl whisk together remaining cup cream, milk, and vanilla. Add the sugar mixture, and stir well. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. (2 hours at least.)

Churn the mixture according to your ice cream makers directions. During the last few minutes, pour in the buttered pecans. Transfer to an airtight container and allow it to harden a couple hours in the freezer.

*Philadelphia-style ice creams are best eaten within a few hours of freezing. If it has been in the freezer longer, just set it out at room temp and let it warm up before serving.

Coconut Cake

I have a confession to make. I watch soap operas. I am embarrassed to admit this. However, if you stay at home during the day they quickly become a viable option. Now when I say I watch them I do not plan my schedule around them or anything. Basically they are on in the background. I go about my day, catching the gist of them. The other day Guiding Light was on. During the show they showcased this coconut cake. Throughout the show, various people tried it, and the camera kept panning over to it.

Let's just say I had worked up a powerful craving by the end of the show. I remembered the coconut cake in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. It is a lovely square cake with seven minute frosting topped with fresh coconut curls. I have been meaning to make it forever. Yesterday was the day. I decided to substitute whipped cream for the seven minute frosting. I just really do not love the stuff, and I knew the whipped cream would be good.

 I did keep the fresh coconut curls though. I usually hate messing with whole coconuts, but this time it worked out.

I got Justin to pierce two of the eyes with a screwdriver and hammer. I drained the coconut water and baked the whole thing for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This cracks the outer shell. After it cooled a little I hammered it open. I managed to get it out in one piece. I peeled off the brown exterior with a vegetable peeler.

I was left with this beauty to the left. I cut it in half, and then I used the peeler to form long strips off the edges. Nice.

The cake is pretty rich. It uses 3 sticks of butter, four whole eggs, 4 egg whites, coconut milk, and sweetened coconut flakes. I only had one 9-inch square pan so I had to make a round cake. These baked up about four inches tall each. They were about an inch over the rim, but it did not spill over.

I layered the whipped cream between the layers, and over the exterior. Then I piled on the fresh coconut. This huge cake was a little tricky to cut, but well worth it.

You know, I didn't like coconut until I was 16 and worked for Baskin Robbins. Their 4-nut coconut ice cream changed my mind. I believe the reason I didn't like it as a child was because I was always told I wouldn't. I try to avoid that with my children. Coconut cake was one of the 2-3 desserts that I ever saw my mother bake as a child. On holidays I would be mesmerized by the sight of that flake covered white wonder. I never did try it though... I was proud to see both of my kids wholeheartedly dig into this last night.

Today's Harvest

 

Cranberry Lime Galette

My husband was recently on the evening shift. This always results in near starvation for all of us. For some reason, I just never want to cook during this shift. It throws everything off. Logically, I know that I should just cook normally and put him a plate in the fridge, but I rarely do.

Tonight for example, we had popcorn for supper. Impressive right? We ate lunch in town, snacked the rest of the day, and then fired up some popcorn on the stove. Let's just say I was feeling like I needed some fat and sugar in my system, to get me feeling right again.

So....I made this lovely creation out of Baking From My Home To Yours.

I really wish I could have photographed the bottom. It was perfectly brown, crisp, and held the weight when picked up without bending. Amazing. It was also buttery. Nuff said.

The filling was wonderfully sweet-tart. I did find the ginger a little overwhelming, although perfectly enjoyable. I would probably prefer it with just the lime and cranberry flavors though. Under the filling, you spread out a mixture of ground walnuts and dry bread crumbs. This absorbs all the extra liquid, there is no need for thickener.

It has been way too long since I enjoyed something this much. I seriously need to get back to normal in the kitchen.

I need a little guidance....

I finally broke down and bought myself an iPod. I had a $200 rebate coming to me, so I figured what the hell. I didn't realize I wanted one until I saw the one my sister and I got my Dad for Christmas. They are pretty awesome. I decided that I really wanted one in Florida.

So last night I received my tiny black iPod. ( Once again, let me mention how much I love Amazon Prime!) I charged it and downloaded all the songs we already had on iTunes. I was finishing a new book last night as well. It was  pretty good, and at the end though she talks about a Ryan Adams song she is listening to on her iPod. I download it off iTunes and it is now my favorite new song.

I want some really good music that I haven't heard every two seconds on the radio. If some of you could just tell me your favorite song right now (or forever), I would really appreciate it. Lately I have been in a rock/alt phase but generally I listen to country the most.

Here are my recent favorites:

La Cienega Just Smiled by Ryan Adams
Arms of a Woman by Amos Lee (Thanks Karen)
They Rage On by Dan Seals (and again Karen)

and Saving Abel's new album.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Daddy!

Late last night, I typed up a very nice post. When I clicked save, it sent me to a "Thank you for logging in." screen. I was heartbroken. Let me try again.

I am sorry I haven't posted this last week. It has been a busy one. I typed up a post a few days ago about the wedding, but my computer was acting up. I wanted to post on my Dad's birthday on the 8th. We have just been going non-stop. I was cleaning yesterday in preparation of a Dish Network visit. We've only had local channels for the last 10 days or so. Painful.

We had a blast at the wedding Friday night. There was a DJ, lots of dancing, and a little drinking... I will deny any accounts of me drinking more than a little.  My kids looked beautiful didn't they. I am not sure who buttoned Ryan's top button. It looks hilarious next to his too-long combed hair. My Dad bought Kacey her lovely dress. (Though he let us pick it out.) They had more fun than we did, I think.

I realized just how infrequently we get out. It was really nice just to spend time with family in such a fun atmosphere. We are spending a week in Florida (in July) with Justin's parents, two sisters, and our families. If my counts are right, there are sixteen of us. Crazy right. All in a four-bedroom condo... I am totally looking forward to it.

Speaking of Florida... I have started walking/running again. There is nothing like trying on swimsuits to inspire you to start working out. I have abandoned the boring repetitive track in favor of the country roads surrounding our house. (Heather, keep an eye out for me.)

I have also decided to cut out the really fattening items from our diet for the next month or two. That is the only way I use the d-word. I refuse to make myself (and my family) miserable. Luckily I have a secret weapon. My sister has been raving about this book. You may know Ellie Krieger from the Food Network. She is a nutritionist. This book balances healthy eating with literally the food you crave most. Without all those weird chemical laden fat-free ingredients. Karen and many others, have mentioned that every recipe they've tried has been a winner. Even the ones they didn't expect to like. I have officially tried two of her recipes, with many more planned for this week.

The Delightful Ranch dressing was perfect. It will be the salad dressing I turn to on a regular basis. Last night we tried the sloppy joes. They were filling, and blended perfectly with fresh corn and our green beans PW-style.

I am hoping, to adopt some of her tweaks during this next month, then add in some of my worthy splurges. Until then, I will be quite fine making her desserts. The carrot cupcakes picture is killing me. I have also been making fresh fruit frozen yogurt from the recipes in The Perfect Scoop. I swear it is better than ice cream.

Hopefully, you will all not leave me on account of all this healthy eating. Then again, perhaps some of you have recently went swimsuit shopping as well...

This is getting out of hand...

6.8 pounds of green snap beans + 1 pound I still haven't cooked from the other day. I need some good recipes quick!