Wilton Course I, Class 2

On August 8, 2008 · 4 Comments · In cake decorating, wilton cake classes

I didn’t blog about my first cake decorating class (on Monday) because we didn’t do too much. We learned the basics on how to ice a cake smoothly, how to make different consistencies of buttercream frosting, how to set up a bag for piping, etc. I knew some of it already, and some of it I didn’t. It was a good first class.

Our “homework” to complete before the second class involved baking a cake, icing it, and bring different consistency frostings, and different colored frostings, to class. Can I just say that all of that prep work resulted in me spending 4+ hours in the kitchen on Tuesday night? It was pretty intense!

I spruced up a box cake mix by adding in a 3.5 oz. box of instant pudding, an extra egg, and some meringue powder. It was really moist! I used chocolate pudding as a filling in between the two layers. I had some trouble smoothing out the yellow icing. You are supposed to wait until the frosting “sets” a bit, and then you can flatten out any lines with wax or parchment paper. No matter how long I let it sit, the frosting never seemed to harden! It kept coming off on my paper. Annoying. But eventually, it was as good as it was going to get.

So, for the second class on Thursday, we practiced some different techniques with different tips on our practice boards, and then we got to work on our cakes. Technically, Class 2 is the “rainbow cake” that you often see people doing. Fortunately, my instructor is not at all “by the book,” so we are allowed to do whatever we want each class, as long as we incorporate the techniques that she is teaching.

I went online and found a simple flower design and printed it out to bring to class. We learned how to do a design transfer with wax paper and piping gel, and then I got going outlining the designs in buttercream, and then filling them in with the star tip.

We are having friends over tonight (two other married couples). Since both of them are expecting babies–one a boy on September 4, the other a girl on October 21–I decided to make the cake baby colors.

I am pretty happy with the end result. Not the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen, but definitely the best thing I have ever done with frosting. :)



My third class is on Monday, and I have to make another cake and some more frosting for it. Looks like I’ll be spending some time in the kitchen this weekend!

**Update** Our friends were over and loved the cake. But I still have like half a cake left. What the heck am I going to do with all of this cake I’m going to be making over the next week? Jeez. Anyone want half a cake? Free to the first bidder. :)

 

Jet-setting

On August 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In football

Of course he would end up with the Jets.

That’s just what we need in the AFC East. Another quarterback that everyone will not shut up about.

It’s already painful enough that we have to play Tom Brady twice a year. It’s excruciating to watch any game that Brady is playing in. Especially when you hate him with a burning passion (like I do). The commentators just cannot talk enough about him. The entire game–it doesn’t matter what anyone else on the field has done. Some guy could intercept him and run it back 105 yards for a touchdown, and they’d still be talking about how great Brady is–it’s all about Brady.

And it’s the same thing with Favre. So now, there are four games a year that I’ll probably have to watch on mute. Unless you are truly a fan of these guys, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

Anyway, I’m not that worried about the Bills actually having to play against him. He’s no Tom Brady. He can certainly be beaten.

It should be an exciting football season. Do the Jets play Green Bay this year? In Green Bay? (Pretty please, pretty please!)

I would pay to see that homecoming.

 

Favre Schmavre

On August 6, 2008 · 6 Comments · In football

Attention: Brett Favre

From: Heather
Subject: Your Most Recent Shenanigans
This has been ridiculous. You are making an ass of yourself. Why couldn’t you have just retired as the hero most of the football world renowned you as? You couldn’t just leave well enough alone, could you?
First, there was this back-and-forth crap last summer. We had to hear for weeks–“Will Favre *gasp* RETIRE?!” And in the end, it was all over nothing. You came back. OK, fine… you wanted to give it one more go. I think most people could understand that. It’s something you’ve been doing your whole life. You love it. It’s hard to give it up.
But then, there was the end of this last season. We had to endure several more weeks (MONTHS?) of speculation. “What EVER will Favre do?! It’s such a tough DECISION!!”
And then you held a huge press conference and boo-hooed like a baby as you announced you were leaving. Excerpts from your retirement press conference:
“…But I am officially retiring from the NFL and the Green Bay Packers, and as much as I’ve thought about what I would say, and how … I promised I wouldn’t get emotional … it’s never easy …”
“…It was never about the money or fame or records, and I hear people talk about your accomplishments and things … It was never my accomplishments, it was our accomplishments, the teammates that I’ve played with, and I can name so many. It was never about me, it was about everybody else…”
Knowing what I know now, this next thing really makes me chuckle and makes me think we all really should have seen this coming.
On that day, a reporter in the room told you that fans were skeptical you would actually retire. Fans thought you’d end up coming back. The reporter asked you to address that. Excerpts from that part of the press conference:
“I think last year and the year before I was tired and it took awhile but I came back. Something told me this time not to come back…”
“…I know I can play. But this year, and this is not the first year but it really to me and Deanna was more noticeable, the stress part of it. It’s demanding. It always has been, but I think as I’ve gotten older I’m much more aware of that. I’m much more aware of how hard it is to win in this league and to play at a high level. I’m not up to the challenge anymore. I can play, but I’m not up to the challenge…”
I am a big fan of football. Not of the Packers, specifically (sorry, buddy, I’m loyal to my Bills), but in general, we love football in our house. We are involved in fantasy leagues and watch games other than the Bills’ games, etc.
So when you retired? When you had your tearful goodbye? I thought to myself–Well, there goes one of the greats. But it’s time. It’s time for him to leave. He probably should have left a few years ago, but he’s doing it now and that’s fine. As a fan of football, there was certainly that respect for you.
But now? Now, all I can think is that you just can’t stand not hearing your name in the news. Heaven forbid someone talk about football and not mention Brett Favre.
This whole “coming back from retirement” thing? It is such a waste. Nothing good has ever come from “coming back from retirement” in sports. At least I cannot think of a good example. Michael Jordan? Yikes.
You are OLD (relative to football players). You need to come to terms with the fact that you are not what you used to be, and retire. My gosh, just go and enjoy time with your family! Do something else with yourself!
Last week, the Packers were going to give you a $20 million deal JUST TO RETIRE. $2 million a year for 10 years just for you to shut up and go home. Come on, now… this should have been a huge red flag. They don’t want anything to do with you! They were trying to pay you to stay away! Of course, you would have been a huge ass to accept that deal (you know, since it was “never about the money”), but HOW COULD YOU NOT ACCEPT THAT DEAL?! Especially now that you are probably going to end up playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s been pretty clear for the last few weeks that you have no interest in playing for the Packers. Kudos to you. Not only have you managed to get all football fans up in a tizzy, but now you’re alienating every single cheesehead who has, until now, considered you a god. You are SMRT.
I feel sorry that the Packers have had to deal with all of this crap while trying to get ready for the season. You put them in quite the pickle. They had to decide whether to accept you back–as the starting QB, or a backup–or piss off all of the fans by trading you away (which is what you wanted all along anyway). Sure, Aaron Rodgers probably isn’t going to take them to the SuperBowl this year, but you weren’t getting the job done either. At least the new kid has no where to go but up. You, on the other hand? You’re just done. So remind me… why would they want you? I’m actually shocked that anyone does. You’re a short-term solution. More specifically, you’re a “solution” that throws a lot of interceptions.

And I mean a LOT of interceptions. We see these expressions of dejection a lot.

Way to go, my friend. It’s not really about what you’ve done so much as it is about how you’ve handled it.

You better trot out onto that field as a Buc with rainbows shooting out of your ass, and touchdowns flying left and right. Even then, I’m not sure people will ever look at you the same.

And let me guess… Next year? We’ll go through yet another “What are Brett Favre’s plans?!” song and dance. Oooh, dandy.

 

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

On August 4, 2008 · 6 Comments · In recipes - dessert

The seemingly impossible? Oh, it’s possible.

Normally, I could take or leave a homemade chocolate chip cookie. But a soft and chewy bakery chocolate chip cookie? I can’t resist. I’m all about the consistency, and I don’t really care for crispy or crunchy cookies. Nuh-uh. No sir.

So when I came across the recipe for “Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies,” I knew I had to give them a try. Better known as the TCCCC by many of the bloggers I’ve seen, this cookie is perfection. The outside edges are firm, and the inside is moist and chewy… exactly the characteristics I covet in my favorite, irresistable bakery chocolate chip cookies.


I made these last night for a family party we went to today for Michael’s grandmother’s birthday. Of course, Michael and I were happy to sample them last night, and loved them. We had a hard time staying away from them. But I was eager to test them out on a crowd, and the party was a good place to start.

The verdict? Everyone loved them. Couldn’t believe they were homemade. Asked what the secret ingredient was to making them so fabulous.

The wife of one of Michael’s cousins came inside and said, “I’ll tell you one thing. My husband doesn’t eat dessert, but he just had two cookies.” I heard similar things throughout the evening.

Do yourselves a favor… make these cookies. And then get rid of them as quickly as possible (believe me, you won’t have trouble giving them away). They are addicting and they are dangerous!

I joked that I’m going to start selling them at work. Hungry for an afternoon snack? Want a delectable chocolate chip cookie?

Sorry, that’ll be $1.50. :)


These cookies are huge! Not the-size-of-your-head huge, but much bigger than the standard homemade cookies. I could only fit six cookies on each of my standard sized cookie sheets. The recipe makes 15-18 cookies.

I made two batches since we were going for a big party, and I knew people were likely going to want to take home leftovers. It was funny, I followed the recipe exactly the same way both times, and even weighed my ingredients and my dough balls… and still, I came out with a different yield each time. First batch? 15 cookies. Second batch? 18 cookies. With the first batch, I’ll admit I couldn’t help but sample a little bit of the dough, but three cookies worth of dough? No way. So I’m not sure what happened there.

Without further ado, I shall share this glorious recipe with all of you. Try it. Now. Right now.

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated)

Makes approximately 18 large cookies

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

Ingredients:

– 2 cups + 2 tbsp. (10 5/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
– 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
– 1 cup packed (7 oz.) light or dark brown sugar
– 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
– 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
– 2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1 – 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough (since I weighed the dough, I did 2.2 oz. per cookie) into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

Mmmm… cookies.

 

Grilled Vegetables

On August 3, 2008 · 1 Comment · In recipes - grill

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is an idea that I wanted to share.

In April, I received a grill pan at my shower. Shortly after, we decided to put it to use by grilling a variety of vegetables in it. Since we hadn’t really ever grilled vegetables before (except on kabobs), we didn’t really know how to season them. We wanted to keep them as healthy as possible, so I wanted to try to stay away from marinating them (although, you can get some pretty low-calorie, low-fat marinades, if that floats your boat).

Instead, I took little bits of advice from several different people and “recipes,” and made up our own combination of spiced-up vegetable goodness. Now, we absolutely love these veggies and make them every time we grill.

Tonight, we marinated some chicken breast pieces in an herb and garlic marinade (bottled, made by Ken’s), made some corn on the cob and couscous, and then grilled our veggies. Delicious meal!

Seasoned Grilled Vegetables

Vegetables (these can obviously be adjusted to meet your preferences):
– 1 onion, cut into thick slices
– 1 can white potatoes (whole), cut into smaller chunks
– 1 zucchini, cut into quarters and then into thin slices
– 1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into small chunks
– 5-6 mushrooms, sliced

Sometimes, we do red pepper as well. Other vegetables that would be good–yellow squash, carrots, or green and yellow peppers. Use your imagination… make what you like!

Once you have sliced up all of your vegetables, combine them in a large bowl.

Seasoning:
I do not use measurements for any of this. I just kind of throw stuff in there, and it turns out delicious every time. Experiment with it a little, and use more or less of each to fit your taste. I use dry seasonings, but obviously fresh herbs would be fabulous as well.

– Olive oil (I drizzle it)
– Basil
– Oregano
– Parsley
– Garlic powder
– Salt
– Pepper

I use my hands to toss the vegetables to coat them all evenly. We then throw them into the grill pan and Michael grills them until they are tender, but still have a little bit of bite to them. They take a little longer on the grill than you might expect. We actually start the veggies cooking before we put the meat on.

Enjoy!