Me in Melange

frozen delight...

I'm posting this for the main purpose of sharing with a very preggo, LV... I almost just "IM-ed" it to her as I do so many things, but this looked so yummy {and easy!} I thought it be best to share with all of you!

mmmm.... I love ice cream. :)  this is Pioneer Woman's chocolate almond frozen mousse.  Warning: this will not help you fit into skinny jeans... but it will help you sink into the sofa with a big ole' smile on your face.  3 ingredients, that's it! -for real.  And if you have not yet discovered PW, I suggest you go there now and get lost on her frontier for a bit.  signed, me {CA}

Northwest Favorite...

I think even more than not having to pump my own gas in the rainy season, my absolute favorite part about living in Oregon is crab season!  It just started here and my mouth is already watering.  After work I'm off to buy some dungeness at the Fisherman's Market...$3.50 a pound!  And tomorrow I'm making crab cakes for Ryan and some friends. After living here for 3+ years I've perfected my cakes (one key is to refrigerate them for just a bit before frying them in the saucepan, that way they don't fall apart!)  And the yummiest way to serve them is on a spinach salad with fresh mango salsa... much like this recipe from Emeril.  Yummmm.  Now the only question that still remains is whether or not it is safe for me, miss preggers, to actually eat the crab.  But after much surfing and book reading, I've decided that if it is thoroughly cooked and in moderation, it is ok for me and baby.  Any of you experienced mommas have any input on that?  signed, me {CA}

I might just Ebelskiver myself out of my dress....

   See this cute little pan.  This cute little pan might be the end of my wardrobe as I know it.  This little darling is an Ebelskiver pan.  Ebelskivers, for those of you NOT in the Danish know, are this little balls of delicious goodness that are like the combo of pancakes+danish+donut.  In short, they are good...real good.  Well, I thought I would buy myself my very own Ebelskiver pan so I can make these for Christmas.  I found a bunch on Amazon, and now hold one in my hot little hands.  I just looked up the recipe, thinking I could make these little orbs of goodness tonight for "breakfast for dinner" night.  The recipes looks like this.....5 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspons salt, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 3 1/2 cups milk, 6 eggs....oh, and 1 1/2 cups HALF & HALF.  They were looking healthy right up to the very end weren't they?   I better wear my clothes quick while I can still fit into them :-).  Signed, ME {lv}

Yummy AND pretty cake!

My sister's birthday party is tomorrow and I'm making this gorgeous strawberry cake.  Hope it looks this pretty!!!  Recipe is below!  Signed, ME {lv}

 

   

 

Southern Style Strawberry Cake

     from: Sweets

1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix (without pudding)

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry jello

1 Tablespoon self rising flour

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

To make the cake, combine to cake mix, Jello, flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Add the oil.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition  Add the water and strawberries and mix well.  Divide the batter evenly into 2 8-inch round baking pans that have been oiled and floured.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the layers pull away from the sides of the pan.  

Transfer the layers from the oven to wire racks.  Let them cool, still in their pans, for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of each pan, then unmold each layer onto the racks to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 

2 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

pink food coloring

4 sliced strawberries

To make the frosting, in a bowl combine the cream cheese and butter.  Beat until soft and pliable and no lumps remain.  Add one box of the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Beat until incorporated.  Add the second box of sugar and mix until incorporated.  If you would like a smoother consistency, and a slash of milk.  If you would like a thicker consistency, and a bit more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is achieved.

Put the coconut in a small bowl and sprinkle with two or three drops of pink die.  Mix with hands to distribute the color and wash hands immediately.  Once the cake is frosted, decorate the top of the cake with the shredded coconut and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!  Happy Strawberry Summer!

French Macarons....

I've recently acquired an obsession with French macarons....I'm not sure if it so much the taste (although they are tasty no doubt), but the color is what always draws me in.  When during a search to find these tempting little morsels I came across this blog site which is cool....www.colourlovers.com .  Ever thought, "color so beautiful you want to eat it?"  Signed, ME {lv}

deceptive in a good way

Over Christmas, my Mom and I spent a lot of time talking about nutrition and how kids can be really picky eaters.  I, myself, didn't like much when I was a kid and especially hated salad... well really, I didn't dig on many veggies at all.  But my Mom always insisted on at least trying them and didn't let me get away without eating the portion on my plate, and certainly stayed away from the game of take "X" more bites and then you're done.  But, I doubt that it was very much fun for her or me.  We noticed eating habits of the little ones in our family... and I was thinking that there had to be some better way to get veggies in their diet without going through the hassle of trying to get your picky eater to try something new, let alone GREEN!  I saw Jessica Seinfeld featured on some morning show... with her cookbook, Deceptively Delicious which is an ingenious way of sneaking in veggies to many kid-friendly recipes by using purees.  Now, I totally bought this with the intention of passing it along to LV, as my husband pointed out that we have no need to hide our veggies in our house right now... but I had to test out a few recipes first! Here are my yellow cupcakes...

chocked full of pumpkin puree and a cream cheese frosting!  An instant improvement on plain yellow cake because now it's a source of important antioxidants, beta-carotene and calcium!  I love that!  The book is full of other mother's wisdom, time-saving tips, and of course nutritional info. A great gift to pass along... you'll get it eventually LV!  ;)  signed, me {CA} 

Agave--give it a try!

I've read about Agave in magazines...it is often mentioned when celebs talk about their "special" diets etc.  I actually didn't even really realize what it was, but I noticed it at the market last week and bought some on a whim.  Turns out it is the nectar of a cactus, and resembles honey but the taste is different, milder, not as strong and mild.  I really like it, better than honey for sure.  I think the reason it goes on special diets is that it doesn't raise your blood sugar like sugar or honey (apparently).  Not really sure about the details of why it might be healthier, but I do know the taste is really nice and I'm sort of addicted to it mixed into my mint tea!  Something to try.....  Signed, ME {lv}

a quick gourmet meal

I am always in search of fabulous meals that don't take hours to prepare, cause let's face it after a full day at work who wants to go home and cook for 2 hours... but what I DO want is something that tastes yummy.  Last night I found a keeper!  It's in the October issue of Real Simple, I think the title was roasted Pacific cod with lemon and olives.  I chose halibut instead of cod but this is the run down for the recipe...

Place a 2 lbs cod (or halibut... and I did 1.5lbs) fillet in a heavy pan (I used our brand new iron skillet :)

pour in 3/4 cup dry white wine (should come half-way up the side of the fillet) and a tblsp of olive oil

place 1/2 cup of mixed olives and the zest of one lemon around the fish (zest should be in strips)

season fish with a tsp of kosher salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper and 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile I made some couscous and an avacado/tomato salad to accompany it.... dish up the fish, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with some flat-leaf parsley.  All together it took about a half an hour and it truly was delicious!  I like to call it cooking in style.  ;)  signed, me {ca}

Dinner for 10

My fiance’s birthday was this past week so I had a little dinner party for him at our house.  And ladies, I must share my all-time best group dinner recipe!  It's super easy, crowd pleasing and will feed a group for under 50 dollars... margaritas not included ;)

 

 

Pulled-Pork Tacos

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder  (I used a 3.5 lbs shoulder… it serves 10)

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves  (I upped this to a full cup… makes it more juicy)
2 jalapeños, sliced into rings and seeded  (don’t touch your eyes while slicing, it burns!!)
1 red onion, roughly chopped
8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat oven to 300° F.  (I used a glass pan so 325)

Place 2 large sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface, one atop the other. Place the pork in the center of the foil and season on all sides with the salt, pepper, and cumin. Spoon the jam over the pork, turning to coat. Scatter the jalapeños and onion around the pork. Fold the double layer of foil around the pork and crimp the edges to seal tightly. Place in a baking dish. Roast until fork-tender, about 4 hours; let cool. Unwrap the pork, reserving the juices and discarding the foil. Use a fork to shred the pork. Transfer to a bowl. Pour the cooking juices, onion, and jalapeños over the pork and toss. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, and lime wedges. 

 

I also whipped up some homemade guacamole and some mango salsa... and yes a couple batches of some tart margaritas and voila!  Perfect group dinner... easy, fun and perfect for a Saturday! signed, me {c}