Starter Update

Well, my first batch of starter was a fail.  I thought that there was some action happening at one point.  I could see bubbles, however, my parents later opened up to me in saying that they really had to squint to see the bubbles I was talking about.

So, I decided to give it another go, since we still have almost a week until Christmas (when I wanted to make a loaf of bread with the starter).  I thought about it, and realized that the whole wheat flour I had used was pretty old, and maybe had a stale smell to it.  This made me think that any yeast particles in the flour would probably be dead.  So, I started a new batch of starter a couple nights ago using brand spanking new flour, and guess what?  I think I already see action 48 hours in.  No, for real this time.  No squinting!  AND, another good sign is that it smells sort of sour, just like the informational video said it would (it did not smell sour with my first batch).

So, I am really excited that I may have successfully captured some live, natural yeast!  Hooray!  It's alive, it's aliiiiiiiiiiiiiive!

Cookie Monster

We did our annual cookie bake this pat weekend. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, my mom, and I typically spend a full Saturday whipping up batches of cookies and candies. We have a few favorites that we do each year, but we also really like seeking out new and exciting recipes. Elliott and his cousins enjoyed "decorating" gingerbread men (by placing sprinkles, frosting, and cookie directly into their mouths.

This year we made:
-chocolate coconut balls
-gingerbread strips
-gingerbread men
-Nutella and pretzel no bake cookies
-cherry rum balls
-graham cracker candy bites
-browned butter crinkle cookies with salted caramel frosting (my favorite)
-candy cane blossoms
-coconut snowball crisps
-shortbread bites
-Christmas "crack"
-Andes mints chocolate cookies
-buckeyes
-chocolate overload cookies

After baking cookies all day, the family packed into our cars and drove to the St. Louis Zoo's annual Wild Lights display.  Upon seeing the huge lines of cars and people, most of our family (driving separate cars) bailed on the event.  But, my mom and dad, Chris, and Elliott and I stuck it out (the lines went very quickly).  Elliott wasn't incredibly impressed with the light display.  He did, however, absolutely LOVE watching a high school glee club perform holiday songs and dances in the Zoo's cafe.  He would watch them intensely, mesmerized, and then shout "hooray" with his arms in the air at the end of each performance.  It made the whole event worthwhile!

Whew, and if that wasn't enough baking and holiday festiveness for you, I also made peppermint Chex, fruit cake cookies, and Brutti Ma Buoni for a friends cocktails and cookie exchange (pictures below)!

Magnetic

Pinterest threw up all over my Christmas this year. I made these rubber animal magnets that I saw on Pinterest. I think they were well received by their new owners.

Healthy Recipe #1

Here is a simple, delicious healthy recipe! These are southwestern style twice baked sweet potatoes. My potatoes came apart too easily from their skins, so I just dumped it all into a small casserole dish, which worked out really well! Add a side of Brussels sprouts and call it good. It ain't purty, but it's some good eatin'.

Recipe here: http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/04/17/southwestern-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

Elliott Project #1

Last weekend we decided to take our own Christmas photo for our family Christmas card.  We were going to take Elliott to see Santa at the mall dressed in his cute little outfit, but he had a different idea and decided to have a toddler melt down instead.  I have learned to let plans go a little better, so I figured we would set up a tripod, and take a family self-photo in front of the tree.  We "trained" Elliott, instructing him to look at the camera and say "cheese", and surprisingly he did an excellent job!  After we took the picture we would all run over to the camera to see the result.  Then, Elliott and I would hurry back to our spot in front of the tree while dad pressed the button, and we "cheesed" it up again!  I am pretty happy with the result!

Bonus! Hey, I'm not a shitty mom!

I came across this article on another blogger's blog, and it is so appropriate that I read it today.  I am feeling so inadequate in all avenues right now: as a friend, wife, mom, speech-language therapist, crafter.  It really is quite unrealistic what we expect of ourselves in this day and age.  I suppose it is a result of the voyeuristic world we live in, and how easy it is to keep up with the Jones via Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, etc.!  And, for some reason, the Jones always accomplish twice as much, twice as well!

This is written in a light hearted tone that makes you realize just how much pressure modern mothers place on themselves:
"Why You're Never Failing As a Mother"

What scrumptious treat cometh?

Mascerating...

Starting with a starter

I am still here!  Wow, what a way to start a blog . . . MIA!  Anyway, just because I haven't blogged, doesn't mean I haven't been busy accomplishing my goals!  For one thing, tis the season for secretive present projects that I may not post about until after they have been given to their prospective owners!  For another thing, as mentioned in the beginning, I am a full time working mom with too many interests and projects!

All of that aside, I have been struggling all week to come up with an interesting article to share.  It's not that I haven't read interesting things here and there, but nothing that I felt worthy of blogging about.  Until now.  My parents (particularly my dad) suffer from the same interest ADD as I, and currently they are getting really into bread making.  I have dabbled in bread making myself in the past, and really enjoyed it.  It is so much easier to do than one might think -- and I am not talking about using a bread machine.  There is no need for that crap!  So, I decided I would make a nice loaf of bread for Christmas dinner.  This lead me to Pinterest bread pins, which lead me to a neat blog called "Chocolate and Zucchini", and her recipe for a lovely looking multi-grain loaf.  However, this loaf calls for a sourdough starter.  This might turn one off of using this recipe, but, I have always wanted to make a sourdough starter!  So, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make a starter to share with the family as a Christmas present, and from which to make the multigrain loaf for Christmas dinner.  Therefore, this find actually killed THREE birds with one stone!  An interesting article, a present for my bread-making parents, and another baking adventure!  Score!

Here is the link to her article on how to create your own sourdough starter.

I will definitely share with you the process and outcome of this recipe!

Speaking of baking, I never updated, but that Volcano cake recipe from Paula Dean was definitely an "enjoy!" with an exclamation mark!  Sorry, there were no leftovers to photograph -- too good!


I ended up using this pineapple juice method: http://www.breadtopia.com/make-your-own-sourdough-starter/

I hope it works!

Birthday baking

Choosing an occasion for which to bake was easy this week! We have two sweet-aholic birthdays. Hubby turns 32 in Thursday, and my father-in-law, affectionately known as Boppa, turns 21 again the following Thursday.

Originally I wanted to do an elaborate 7+ layer cake, but because we are celebrating in the middle of the week, I caved and went with a recipe that was much simpler, but no less fattening. Both boys are not only sweet lovers, but majorly love chocolate. I chose Paula Dean's recipe for "volcano cake". Very easy, but it looks delicious!

Preheat oven to 350*. Place 1 cup of shredded, sweetened coconut and 1 cup of pecans in the bottom of a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.

Prepare a box of German Chocolate cake mix according to package directions, and stir in 10 chopped up mini Almond Joy bars.  Pour mixture over the coconut and pecans.

Next, combine 8 oz of cream cheese (room temperature) with 1 stick of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 cups of powdered sugar.  Place in randomly distributed dollops over the cake mix.  Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Remove cake from oven, and hope that yours turns out prettier than mine!  My cake mix rose well above the cream cheese dollops making my cake look like a crater-filled moon.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 stick of butter, 2 T cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 cup milk.  Heat until butter is melted, remove from heat, and add 11/2 to 2 cups of powdered sugar (depending on your desired consistency), stir until smooth, then add 1 cup of chopped pecans.  Pour over the baked cake, and enjoy?  I ask that, as we have not yet consumed the cake.  I will report back tomorrow with an "enjoy!" or "wa wa wa."

Home project number 1

Our home project for the week was to clean house and put up the Christmas decorations. I decided to pair down the decor this year, as we are trying to purge non necessities in preparation for selling our house come Spring.
The best part of putting up the tree this year was Elliott's reaction upon seeing it for the first time. We turned on the tree lights and E exclaimed, "Wow! Wow! Woooooow!"

Where to start?

This is often my dilemma. Where do I start? Typically what stands in my way is being overwhelmed by the possibilities. I have so many interests that I feel like I have hobby ADD. I will start a new craft endeavor only to be overcome with an interest in a different hobby, therefore never honing my abilities for the first unfinished hobby.

I wanted to start a blog in which I tackle different areas of interest once a week, trying to make my hobbies fit my type A personality's schedule.

I think to start off, I am going to try to tackle the following:
1 new healthy recipe per week
1 baking endeavor per week
1 craft per week
1 interesting article per week
1 home project per week?
1 Elliott project per week
1 craft per week.

This could be way too ambitious with an active 18 month old and a full time job, but let's give it a shot!