cake, part 2

so, the chocolate cake. it was pretty good, if i can toot my own horn. i wanted it to have the flavor of mexican hot chocolate (one of my favorite treats in the world), so i experimented a bit. first i tried melting a couple abuelita tablets to substitute for the cocoa powder and water mixture from the recipe. this was a bust as the chocolate was way too gritty. so instead i stayed true to the recipe and added 2 teaspoons of freshly ground mexican cinnamon. i also boiled a couple cinnamon sticks in the water. you can find mexican cinnamon down the "latin foods" aisle at the grocery store. all of the spices are sold in packets. i don't like to get the cinnamon that's already ground; you get so much more flavor from the sticks. and yes, there is a difference between regular cinnamon sticks and the mexican cinnamon sticks; the mexican cinnamon is softer and little more papery, not to mention the flavor being completely different. i ground the sticks in my magic bullet. can i just tell you that i love that thing? i bought it at costco and it works so well, especially for the price. then i sifted the cinnamon a bit --  you need to do this to pick out the tiny "sticks" (when you do this, you'll see what i mean). 

between the layers of cake, i used marshmallow creme as the filling. still going for that hot chocolate flavor, ya see? it was very yummy, just know that it will run a bit when it is cut, but it won't make the cake soggy. for the frosting, i added about 2 teaspoons (you'll really just have to add to taste) of mexican cinnamon to my chocolate buttercream. i also used mexican vanilla in both the cake and the frosting. so there you go, a mexican hot chocolate cake. seriously delicious. 

and here's the quick chocolate buttercream recipe, in case you need one:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

6 cups confectioners' sugar

6 T milk (plus more, if needed)

2 t vanilla extract

1/4 t salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temp

beat together butter, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt with flat paddle attachment*. scrape down sides of the bowl; continue mixing for a couple more minutes. add in chocolate and mix until combined. add more milk if frosting is too dry. 

*i like to use the whisk attachment to make my frosting really light and fluffy, rather than rich and dense. it's personal preference, however. and it depends on the cake. 

does alcohol really burn off?

i was discussing this question with a friend on saturday. we've both heard conflicting information, so i thought i would research it a bit to find the answer. so, to answer jana's question: 

check out ochef.com

for alcohol substitutions, check here.

this site also has quite a bit of really useful information. i refer to it often. 

whenever you substitute alcohol in a recipe, however, i would be careful. it will absolutely change the flavor of your finished product. so i wouldn't try it out when you're throwing a dinner party or anything. good luck, and happy cooking! 

do you yudu?

                               

have you heard of the yudu? it's the coolest toy ever -- a personal screen printer. apparently you can silk screen (or something like it) onto t-shirts, pillow covers, paper, etc. it looks like way too much fun. i think i could be totally out of control with something like this in my possession (i'm a total freak about my name on stuff, everything i owned would say "m" or "missy" in cool fonts. i think laverne & shirley had a serious impact on my psyche). but i won't have to worry about that for a while, since it's about $300. anyways, check it out. if you're interested, michael's stores across the country are having yudu demonstrations this saturday, march 28, from 1 -3. 

speaking of michael's, if you're not getting the coupons in the mail anymore, you can sign up for email updates here and your 40% coupons will get emailed to you. kinda nice. 

images via www.whatdoyudu.com

mmm... cake.

i'm baking up a chocolate cake for my friend's birthday. i always love an excuse to bake a cake. i just love the whole process. the preparation, the measuring, the way my house smells, and of course the satisfaction of the finished product. there's nothing like the feeling of looking at a beautiful, frosted, from-scratch cake just waiting to be enjoyed by those you love. i tweaked my favorite recipe a bit -- if it turns out, i'll share my secrets. if not, i'll hang my head in shame... either way, the original recipe is the best chocolate cake i've ever tried. it's moist and rich, just perfect. and it really doesn't need frosting, just a dollop of whipped cream is enough. but you better believe i'm gonna be frosting it today... 'cause birthdays are like that. 

i'll have a cake update on the next post. 

p.s. i have this cake pan, and i seriously get giddy when it releases perfectly. i almost don't want to cut into it. almost. 

picture via williams-sonoma

the sonic scrubber (i'm not kidding)

okay, i just went to walmart and saw this down the aisle where the dish soap and sponges are. the sonic scrubber? seriously? where has this thing been all my life? of course i bought one (and the set of 4 attachments) immediately. it's like 10 bucks. and there's already batteries in it. grout, beware. if you go to the website, they have all kinds of other attachments, etc. so check it out, already! now i have to go and attack the corners and crevices in my shower. what fun. 

picture via sonic scrubber

fruit pizza

i finally talked to my long lost friend jeannie today. one of the sweetest, most tender-hearted moms i know. she's holding her applesauce chocolate-chip cookie recipe hostage for my fruit pizza recipe. so per her request, here's my recipe for fruit pizza (yummy, yummy). 

crust: 

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. baking soda

cream butter and sugar. mix in egg, then add dry ingredients. press into a greased half sheet pan. bake at 350 for 10 minutes. let cool. 

topping:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 c. sugar

2 T pineapple juice

mix together and spread over cooled crust. top with any fruit, but i like to have a variety of colors and place them in rows: blueberries, kiwis, raspberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, bananas (only if you're eating it quickly or they will get squishy and brown), pineapple, mangoes, etc. 

glaze:

3/4 c. pineapple juice

1 T cornstarch

cook in a small saucepan until clear. drizzle over fruit. chill pizza for at least 3 hours before serving. 

miss you, jeannie! enjoy the fruit pizza -- now hand over that cookie recipe! 

story time

i'm always excited to find a kids book that's not about star wars or princesses, thus eliminating the nightly fight over what we're going to read. i love these books by nick bruel. bad kitty is great for pre-school aged kids (the text teaches the alphabet in a fun way), and bad kitty gets a bath is fun for older kids as well. my second grader reads it to my kindergartener (you can't buy that kind of endorsement, really). there's also a third book in the series, poor puppy. 

here are a few other books that we've loved (for preschool age and up), if you're trying to satisfy both boys and girls: 

a bad case of stripes by david shannon (although we love the david books, too!)

llama llama, mad at mama by anna dewdney

mike mulligan and his steam shovel by virginia lee burton

pinkalicious and purplicious by victoria kann and elizabeth kann (boys will pretend they don't like it, but they will laugh) 

pirate mom by deborah underwood, illustrated by stephen gilpin

cloudy with a chance of meatballs by judi barrett, ill. by ron barrett

on the nights that we don't want to read a story, sometimes we will flip through the audubon first field guide to birds (lots of info and colorful photographs) or the fantastic animals of the world book that i received as a baby gift when i had my oldest (thanks, rach!). i know costco always sells books like this, and i even saw a great planet earth book that i know my kids would flip for.  happy reading! 

painted furniture

so i've been too busy being the mom to blog about being the mom this week. so back in the saddle, right? 

i had a friend stop by this week to check out my furniture. you see, i don't actually believe in buying furniture (well, my bank account is highly opposed to it) so almost everything in my house is hand-me-downs or garage sale/craigslist finds. it bugs my husband to no end ("seriously? more crap in the garage?"), but i can't resist a dresser with good 'bones' and it's gotten to the point that even when i look at new furniture, i think, i'd love it if it was in blue/had different hardware/put wallpaper in the shelves. besides that, older furniture is just heavier and more sturdy. so i now live in the Halfway House for Wayward Furniture.  i recently painted this dresser for my older son's room. i knew i wanted it red, but i felt that bright red would look juvenile and he would outgrow it quickly. so i used a rag dipped in dark brown paint, wiped it on, and then used a wet rag to wipe off the excess until i had just the right finish. now i love it. the brown paint i used is rust-oleum painter's touch in kona brown. i found it at home depot on the same aisle as the spray paint and wood stains. i love that it comes in a tiny 8 oz. size (for about $3!!) because that's all i needed. and it's dark enough to give the red paint that rusted-out look (think mater from cars). 

for my daughter's room, i wanted a bright white look for her hand-me-down furniture, and i needed some way to tie in a mismatched bed. i used an oil-based paint for her stuff -- i think oil based paint is the way to go for white paint because it covers so much better and chips less. but when i use an oil-based paint, i always get a cheap brush that i can throw away when i'm done because i'm too lazy to clean the brush. i used rust-oleum in bright white and i love it. i added matching appliques to all of the furniture to tie it all together and now it looks like a matching set, which is darling in a little girl's room. i found them at home depot down the same aisle as all the molding. 

changing out the hardware is probably the most fun of the furniture re-do process, and i like cool knobs and pulls and my knobs for great selections. my knobs also has the coolest doorknobs ever. the only catch is that most of these places have expensive shipping unless you have an order of $75+, so i would order knobs for all of your projects at once, or go in on it with a friend to get the free shipping ('cause i'm cheap like that). 

$$$$$ -- or lack thereof

i am on fire about this book!! i read dave ramsey's total money makeover this week, and i can't stop thinking about it. his philosophy is all about attacking all debt (including auto and house!) so that you can be financially secure and start building wealth through saving and investing. seriously, imagine a life with no payments --  yeah, i'm having a hard time imagining that too. it's all about sacrifice and hard work and everything is laid out for you in his plan. my husband and i are reading it together (ok, he bought it, i stole it, and now i'm telling him to hurry up so we can get started). the families that he highlights in the book went from total financial crisis to mortgage-free living in a few years time. sorry i'm sounding like a commercial, but i was really excited about this and had to share. 

if you want to listen to his radio show, click here. 

toy stroller for sale

i have this darling little girl's pram that is now a casualty of the closet clean-out. my girl has now (sadly) outgrown it, so i'm selling it on craigslist. i thought i would offer it here first. if anyone is interested, i'll take $20 for it (it was originally $79 at pottery barn kids). it's 2 years old, and missing the foam wrapper-thing on the handle, but other than that, it's in great shape. call me if you're interested; if i don't have any takers by  monday, i'm going to list it. thanks!

kohl's coupon

i have a hard time finding church clothes for my son -- you know, khakis without 45 pockets on them, white shirts, ties (near impossible). gap kids has nice stuff, but sales are hit-and-miss and it's clear across town. i always end up at kohl's buying their chaps brand. the oxford shirts are nice and thick and they actually carry a decent selection of ties (by the belts). when i was checking online the other day to see if boys dress clothes were on sale (they usually are, but i wait for the 40% sale), i noticed that you can get a $5 coupon if you sign up for emails. sign up here if you're interested. it takes a couple days for them to email the coupon, so do it ahead of time. now my son won't be flashing his ankles on sunday (i swear i just bought those pants!)

family history, i am doing it

when i was in dallas, i scavenged through my mom's old sewing stuff and found some gems. funky old buttons, ric rac from the 70's, and thread on wooden spools. i can't wait to start crafting with some of these -- what do you think of throw pillows covered entirely with mismatched vintage buttons? yeah, me too! my girl has really been having all the fun, though. she loves those wooden spools -- lines them up and plays with them like people. she sifts through the buttons to find treasures. just like i used to with the very same thread and buttons. i loved being sprawled out on the floor in the sewing room while my mom worked -- as i got older, she would let me cut out the patterns and pin it to the fabric. (when i learned not to cut off the little tabs, i was allowed to cut the fabric, too). watching her play, i realize hannah montana isn't really a necessary experience to be a happy little girl. so now that i have my helper, i can't wait to get started.

teriyaki chicken

art of the slow cooker by andrew schloss -- this is hands-down my favorite slow cooking book i've come across. instead of chicken-and-stovetop meals, there's much more 'uptown' fare (can crock pot food be snooty?). some of the offerings are more involved, but there's also a super simple crock pot applesauce and a ricotta vanilla bread pudding that i need an excuse to try. it also has great reference sections -- and i'm a big believer in understanding the 'why' behind my ingredients so that i can tailor recipes to my family's tastes. this is one of my favorite recipes from the book. enjoy! 

slow -cooked teriyaki chicken

1 T vegetable oil

4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8), bone-in 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T finely grated gingerroot

1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 T water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sherry or apple juice

1 T rice wine vinegar

2 T dark molasses

3 T honey

2 t cornstarch

1 t dark sesame oil

2 scallions, trimmed and cut into thin slices

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. brown the chicken thighs in batches on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a 5 - 6 quart slow cooker. 

add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook over med-high heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. add the 1/4 cup of water and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. add the soy sauce, sherry/apple juice, rice wine vinegar, molasses, and honey and stir to blend. pour over the chicken, cover the cooker, and cook on high for 2 -3 hours, until the chicken in cooked through. 

preheat the broiler to high; remove the chicken to a broiler tray and broil for 2 minutes on each side. while the chicken is broiling, pour the liquid from the cooker into a skillet. bring to a boil over med-high heat. dissolve the cornstarch in the 1 1/2 T of water, add to the sauce in the skillet, and stir until the sauce is lightly thickened, about 1 minute. arrange the chicken on a platter and spoon the sauce over top. drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with the scallions. serve with sticky rice. 

**my notes: i used boneless thighs and the chicken was done in 2 hours. i highly suggest using thighs -- the meat was so tender and flavorful, and the fat melts right off. chicken breasts just don't cook as well in a slow cooker (but if you use breasts anyway, cut it into big strips; it should be done in 2 hours). throw in a big handful of matchstick carrots in the slow cooker with the chicken (for the last 30 - 45 minutes -- i like a tiny bit of crunch left). you could also toss in some broccoli for a more well balanced meal. you could try sprinkling with sesame seeds instead of the oil -- that might be nice. the author suggest chili oil if you like it spicy. and i didn't bother with the scallions -- it's really for presentation purposes and my kids would have picked them off anyways. 

btw, this is my dream slow cooker because i can braise on the stove top and then put it right into the cooker (plus tons of other features), but this is the one that i have and i love it. it's actually $39.99 in the store and i got it with a $10 off coupon. a total steal.