Friday, June 20, 2008

Muffin or Cupcake? +Interview

Thursday atarted off with trying out my new muffin recipe again. This time I made Mixed Berry-Coconut. I took some to my mom at work and she raved. Mom still swears, yet again, that she doesn't like coconut :P There's some debate on whether muffins should be called muffins if they have cupcake papers on them. Talk amongst yourselves :P

Yesterday I also had an interview at Kowalski's Grocer to work in their bakery department. long story short, they want me to be the bakery manager for their Eagan store, which is currently being built! How cool is that?! We'll see what happens, because in the meantime, until it's built, I'd most likely be working the 3am shift. NOT doodily...at all.


The day ended with a grilled walleye sandwich at Tavern on Grand and some nauseating canoodling :D


Today, I have to do something with this mound of Basil. So when life gives you basil, you make pesto. I think I'll give some to GG's neightbor. Though appreciative of the birthday goodies, she is trying to eat healthy. I never am able to finish all the pesto in time anyway. I have fresh tomatoes, there's some chicken around here somewheres and cheese-o-plenty. I think I'll make pesto pizza tonight.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Supper Club #1

This week was the first week of my new Supper Club. Some time back I had a few friends over for dinner and they said they would love to do this more. I mentioned I do it anytime and we decided Ashlee would make dinner and the rest would bring some cash to cover the cost of the foods. I sent out the first email a few weeks ago and got it into swing. The first night was Wednesday at my place. In attendance: SC, KH, LL and myself. On the Menu: Spicy Edamame and Peach-Apricot Salsa to start, Mussels in Garlic Butter Sauce with tons of crusty bread for dipping. Main course: Chicken with Tomatoes and Prunes and side of Roasted Asparagus. Dessert was Mocha Chip Gelato, and lots of wine! Monday night I got the urge to make Granola. So I sent them each home with a tiny clear takeout box of granola. Adorable! Fun! The next one is in two weeks, I hope this tradition continues!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Wind-iferous Parties

Saturday I woke up and felt like baking. I wanted to see which would be better, My double streusel coffee cake or a NY style cumb cake. (Usually known by the Entinmenn brand). Having nostalgia for the latter and the no-fail recipe for the former I decided to engage in a test! The Crumb cake came out great and was to die for. However, I was super sad by the amount of butter in the recipe. The cake was slightly on the dry side and I was left with a 1/4 sheet of crumb cake! But not to worry, I planned to bring most of it--along with a bunch more curry chicken salad-- to my friend SC's Nursing School Graduation Party.

We had fun there, until it started Typhooning! We lost power and, like children, ended up telling ghost stories! We left at about 11 and I was TUCKERED out!

Ok so I lost track of my posting (I brought the peonies over to Grant's place on Sunday--oops! Cant remember EVERYTHING! :D)

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Midweek

Tuesday I defrosted all of my chicken parts, went to the store to get some onions, and made about 2 gallons of chicken stock. Lambert was happy-he got a few livers out of the deal! Tuesday night I had a hankering to make something, so I tried my PB bars with a different kind of cereal. Of which, even combined with the original, I didn’t have enough. The result was still delectable but more PB sauce than previous batches.

Wednesday I made my own marshmallow fluff, then used it to make the filling for what I’m now lovingly calling Whoop-Dee-Doos (I changed my cake recipe and the frosting, mine now!). They are a circle of light chocolate cake with a vanilla fluff buttercream filling. To DIE for, and I don’t like cake!
I took two trays of goodies over to Encore, where mom works. The first, the PB bars – get them out of my house! And later in the day a few Whoop-Dee-Doos. I dropped those off and then went for a jog from Encore over to Stefs and then a jog back.

Later Wesnesday, I had the idea to make risotto. Silly me. A 9pm risotto challenge? But I had all of that fresh chicken stock! The finished product, Lemon Parmesan risotto was turned out at about 9:40pm and Roomie gave good marks.



I fed some of the WDDs and the Risotto to my Mom when she stopped by this morning. She commented pleasantly. Who says Risotto doesn’t keep!?

Monday, June 2, 2008

Your intestine is bigger than you're stomach.

Today's menu met it's match last night. Sunday afternoon tentatively, the menu was as follows:

Monday-
Fresh Roman Tomato Salad
Guacamole Salad
Country Style Pork Ribs with Prune-infused BBQ.

Well. Gus, whom of I've spoken decided he wanted a treat of his own. Placed normally on the counter (out of reach) whereGus hasn't gotten to them, were the ingredients I needed for my yummy Monday Dinner (party).

We came home Sunday night to find NONE of the food still on the counter... and someone with w VERY grumbly tummy.

Gus ate:
THREE POUNDS of tomatoes,
Two unripe Bananas,
a whole avocado,
a package of graham crackers,
and one bag (which contained THIRTY servings) of prunes!

He was one unhappy camper.

















Determined to use up these pork ribs, I went ahead (canceling the dinner party) and marinated them in my regular BBQ sauce. I also served Herb-Roasted Onions, nixing the Guac salad.

Turned out yum.

The dessert was a pool of pastry cream (left over from the dessert I made for the party Saturday, tons of fresh berries and orange slices, and a few baked pastry sticks, to soak up the cream.

GG and I watched both Kill Bill movies, which I'd never seen before. Not bad! :)

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Grand Old Day




GG and I headed to my place (Just a block off of Grand Ave) for Grand Old Day, 2008. We met up with my mom and brother and got out there at about 1. We walked around and a few of use ate (how exciting). The only thing I full part-took in was dippin' dots. For lack of better ice cream offerings.


After the festivities, and GG's food-coma nap, we met up with LL & CL for ice cream. Hey! I was hungry from only eating ice cream! We met at Conny's Creamy Cone, Ice cream shack and had yums. We stopped at a Asian food market-loved it! And ended the night back at their place on the screen porch. I want one!

Stormy Tarts and BBQS


Yesterday, Saturday, I made a Strawberry Tart for a BBQ dinner party I attended.

I heard about this dinner party on Friday, so I put together the pastry and the pastry cream on Friday evening. and I went food shopping and I got some fun yums for the week ahead! I baked off the tart shell Sat am, then I spent Saturday afternoon boating, (snacks in hand).

On our way home from the boat, as soon as we got off of the highway he hit torrential rains and the worst hail I've seen! I pulled over to the side until I realized "Gus is outside!!!" I slowly made my way down the road, which looked white from the hail, and made it to the house just as the rain/hail stopped. EVERYTHING was white with dime-sized hail. Gus had never been so happy to see me. He was soaked and panting.

In about 30 minutes time, I showered and assembled the tart and glazed it, and even did my hair! (I hear the wonder woman theme playing).

At the BBQ, which wasn't really a BBQ anymore, due to the weather that had swooped through (ruining everyones hosta, flowers, and gardens.) I met Christine. A petite woman who worked with GG. She was a real sweetheart who loves flamenco, anything Latin, and looks a bit like "Lillith." Christine had two house guests in from Montreal. Constance, who had lived in the TC prior and Anthony, originally from London. Christine's beau, Mike arrived shortly thereafter (taking care of his storm-ridden brother's house a few blocks over). I offered my help in the kitchen, and after a while they let me cut pineapple! I pride myself of my pineapple knife skills. Had that baby diced in 2 minutes flat!
She made:

Guacamole - which was super delicious.
Guava marinated shrimp and pineapple skewers. - I had three!
Salad with a Pomagranite and charred red onion vinaigrette.
Grilled Veggies and Steaks and Hot dogs. Grilled corn as well.

All was very good, my favorite being the Shrimp. Yes, SHRIMP! I've only recently begun to embrace seafood.

The tart was a hit, though the pastry cream was a bit runny. I was scared to take the cream too hot at my place as I didn't have a whisk. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to beat the curdles out of it sufficiently. The taste, however, was great. (I added a splash of Brandy.) We stayed too late! Later today, Grand Ole Day!