tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388959792024-03-13T15:32:36.479-07:00monsters in my kitchenlooking for a laugh, dinner ideas or something to do with the monsters in your kitchen....D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-10400161449293234002011-04-13T18:37:00.001-07:002011-04-13T18:37:22.321-07:00not fired<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/5469560955/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5469560955_94d7e88f6c.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/5469560955/">not fired</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/">D apostrophe</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> i like this piece mostly because of it's movement. it looks like it could run up to you, offer to carry something and then skuddle off. what's it for? what makes it so familiar? it's based off a fossil of a sea sponge. extinct now but once a simple organism that covered our sea floor. it makes me question our own position on this planet.</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-27562807625394159302008-10-03T10:49:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:53:57.703-07:00I've moved!Well, if you happen to find yourself wandering back hear to see what the monsters are up to, I'm happy to tell you we've moved. During the last 6 months or so, I've been fairly busy with making dolls and have finally figured out a new online home for them. I plan on using the new site for posting recipes once in awhile as well as my creative pursuits so please come on by, it would be lovely to see you there again!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pupapupa.com">www.pupapupa.com</a>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-51284023079135920952008-07-06T20:39:00.000-07:002008-07-06T21:21:45.363-07:00ummmm...blog? what blog?<br /><br />The monsters in my kitchen have been especially busy these days and have basically left the kitchen for the great outdoors! With the arrival of summer, preparing meals has become a special challenge of "lets see how quickly and easily I can feed the family." Saying that, I plan on posting some of quick fall backs... grilled cheese anyone anyone? <br /><br />I have also been using every spare moment to work on creating my "pupa pupa" line of dolls and other fun things for kids. Recently, the dolls have been placed in one of my favorite stores. Hurray! Come late September I will be participating in my first trade show for moms and kids and I'm a little nervous, I'm not sure what to expect. I have also been working hard on a commission for a large painting that has been so much fun creating. <br /><br />My little girl turned 4 on June 26th. All day I am blessed with her little, squeaky voice constantly asking questions, singing, and of course a fair amount of whining! For her birthday I cooked up a storm for about 40 of the Mr.'s Italian relatives. They can be some tough customers but everyone left happy and definitely stuffed. <br /><br />It's been hard finding the right balance of being creative and making sure I spend quality time with the kids but with early bed times, I'm managing pretty well. I'm not sure what I'd do if the boys suddenly started giving up their naps. (shudder)<br /><br />So many projects... I'm grateful for the chance to act on some of them! <br /><br />So friends, I may slack a little on the sharing of recipes and ideas but check back once in awhile, I'm sure the monsters will allow me to get busy in the kitchen soon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl2Fw-Ju2HfBrW6-5DcVFY68yxQeUAn4HFZRU0uNKUVICGfA_5OjCDd28NYv6Gq92ByHoP4Jal3jVOgUm3aC5jl2OBn6r-rgU40QyxoVLKuEHFiawlSALzLOg0mpvuhdJ161Wdw/s1600-h/cake.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl2Fw-Ju2HfBrW6-5DcVFY68yxQeUAn4HFZRU0uNKUVICGfA_5OjCDd28NYv6Gq92ByHoP4Jal3jVOgUm3aC5jl2OBn6r-rgU40QyxoVLKuEHFiawlSALzLOg0mpvuhdJ161Wdw/s320/cake.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220122496786253618" /></a>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-39076591848416697122008-05-25T17:17:00.001-07:002008-05-25T17:17:41.912-07:00inspired by<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2522980402/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/2522980402_25d8547ac2.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2522980402/">inspired by</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> the Mr. and I did a little Target shopping and bought an old fashioned ice cream maker a few weeks ago. How did I ever survive without one! This weeks flavour is blueberry inspired by all the bloom'n lilacs. I'm going to be a little lazy and provide the link to the recipe I used. I did add a little chambord and it comes across nicely. Love the colour.</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-55666217746718170902008-05-12T09:28:00.001-07:002008-05-12T09:28:15.139-07:00mothers day portrait<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2486225253/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2486225253_e537bcd29b.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2486225253/">mothers day portrait</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> I wanted to somehow mark the day in my memory and so locked myself in bathroom after we went out for lunch. Without getting all gushy, I just can't believe how much I love being a mom. <br />Plus, it's not often I wear mascara or a dress..</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-2306896607592601282008-05-11T17:08:00.001-07:002008-05-11T17:08:22.245-07:00my heart has wings<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2484916384/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2484916384_27991ba3b8.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2484916384/">has wings</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> Happy Mother's day.<br />What more could any mom want...</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-3177700309582953712008-05-04T16:23:00.000-07:002008-05-04T16:52:09.560-07:00sock creatures/bean bagsThis was really fun for my nearly 4 year old. The boys (2 1/2) got into it a little but they sure enjoyed throwing them around when we finished. I took as many pictures as I could while trying to keep scissors/needle from impaling children but I think it's pretty explanatory!<br /><br />a few old kid socks<br />some kind of dried beans, peas or rice (whatever you have the most of, I used split yellow peas)<br />fabric scraps for eyes (I used felt)<br />toilet paper roll or cut up a paper towel roll<br />needle/ thread<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYICLhurL3Ylp_7NAi-fcxl2_5PbvB5P_8fgsMXhhq1xG4sYY8MYmLe9T4w9QDFTfQ7B0uQFOC05gT6iTQK2J_j9QMfiJ5nZiFd0I5IcoV41uQ2gUTc1pDBrI56TS0xC0CgEB4g/s1600-h/sock+eyes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYICLhurL3Ylp_7NAi-fcxl2_5PbvB5P_8fgsMXhhq1xG4sYY8MYmLe9T4w9QDFTfQ7B0uQFOC05gT6iTQK2J_j9QMfiJ5nZiFd0I5IcoV41uQ2gUTc1pDBrI56TS0xC0CgEB4g/s320/sock+eyes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669284283936802" /></a><br />cut out eyes<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPP2Ic3JOSMFy_fWECJvPP3Rp0qzPLGPOBg760e-PmIlCuvInEWcJ8R9b0IBfMgCAJYeMyKnJNwVjIZBgFGebVeYS9u_gS-r2c_fZ2-3M-DSkKsL5pRa6_9T5AMW2wUGr80zmng/s1600-h/sock+sew+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPP2Ic3JOSMFy_fWECJvPP3Rp0qzPLGPOBg760e-PmIlCuvInEWcJ8R9b0IBfMgCAJYeMyKnJNwVjIZBgFGebVeYS9u_gS-r2c_fZ2-3M-DSkKsL5pRa6_9T5AMW2wUGr80zmng/s320/sock+sew+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669301463806002" /></a><br />I let d help me sew it on and I have to say she did really well and the smile on her face after she did it was amazing. At one point she says to me "we are makers, right mom?" "yes my sweet, we are."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8xzDvS-HrZxryoIurXgm_g8XVstaAOpKGTSDhGX3w1lE1uE4sukul81USeVNYziBvHW7MTkyiGsfT-rJ-RiPa5MwOipVbFfeNCi08Yeiu_nI2ODT8A2gbs1UuG7yBhi-EUVWbA/s1600-h/sock+split+peas3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8xzDvS-HrZxryoIurXgm_g8XVstaAOpKGTSDhGX3w1lE1uE4sukul81USeVNYziBvHW7MTkyiGsfT-rJ-RiPa5MwOipVbFfeNCi08Yeiu_nI2ODT8A2gbs1UuG7yBhi-EUVWbA/s320/sock+split+peas3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669310053740610" /></a><br />the boys loved this.. all those split peas in a bowl... your guess, peas stayed in bowl while boys neatly placed into sock or peas were dumped then scattered around family room floor MANY times and I'm still picking peas off feet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi4gnjpmeTU36kTXB9oFTg3-usF9PbhGanDRPLhMJ7x3ttvrmVwfijyQ_UZgAnpu4ntOCHNIP8lERW8HUOnlVdTjaxO-5AZ37xOc8f4Oi8cxfTXf9g1TBzikNuu1BPj9uLtCzdQ/s1600-h/sock+dump.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi4gnjpmeTU36kTXB9oFTg3-usF9PbhGanDRPLhMJ7x3ttvrmVwfijyQ_UZgAnpu4ntOCHNIP8lERW8HUOnlVdTjaxO-5AZ37xOc8f4Oi8cxfTXf9g1TBzikNuu1BPj9uLtCzdQ/s320/sock+dump.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669314348707922" /></a><br />dumped<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUGh7MwheuPveavXaGRVVmbF6_ZHs_jCNAtH0Idg0R0xiIFlntrxeTNa08fbA7WCd9sFYgL4cQFF6woPOpVSR5CnU8slP0s6M-zdSKbc-hGnTOrPzNBI3VaumtKRGPyMdvQaG9Q/s1600-h/sock+fill+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUGh7MwheuPveavXaGRVVmbF6_ZHs_jCNAtH0Idg0R0xiIFlntrxeTNa08fbA7WCd9sFYgL4cQFF6woPOpVSR5CnU8slP0s6M-zdSKbc-hGnTOrPzNBI3VaumtKRGPyMdvQaG9Q/s320/sock+fill+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669318643675234" /></a><br />eventually filled (when the boys got bored of this d and I poured them into sock.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj-RrcxEpwUZrjuaS5ScCQPTKP6aX6Zd5cdnr2rmJL5Ft1r2DvJ0IhCrn-WQmGd0-SAamakvj2ki2KX4oSqXXjuxm2YI57pgMunMJ1AIqZM4RJ_UqS92lVevYzspKTm6OaJ5GMw/s1600-h/sock+roll.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj-RrcxEpwUZrjuaS5ScCQPTKP6aX6Zd5cdnr2rmJL5Ft1r2DvJ0IhCrn-WQmGd0-SAamakvj2ki2KX4oSqXXjuxm2YI57pgMunMJ1AIqZM4RJ_UqS92lVevYzspKTm6OaJ5GMw/s320/sock+roll.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669928529031282" /></a><br />fold off one end of roll and put into sock folded side first. (some peas get caught inside and it aslo makes a fun music maker)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRuTa6zCDKh7PW7TBWJFUS-uXCc2NO6ppr2ZYXaEdRlQcTFFO8O2cZyOS0QDgUZ_U-tiVBd43i5CEKDAAQvW6E0EI1H-YpYUM2Iv62mV07LvTclxlQ_lOtVVjz2T3SzK8_MDSrQ/s1600-h/sock+tie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRuTa6zCDKh7PW7TBWJFUS-uXCc2NO6ppr2ZYXaEdRlQcTFFO8O2cZyOS0QDgUZ_U-tiVBd43i5CEKDAAQvW6E0EI1H-YpYUM2Iv62mV07LvTclxlQ_lOtVVjz2T3SzK8_MDSrQ/s320/sock+tie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669932823998594" /></a><br />tie off sock with string or if it's long enough into a knot<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5u1BNoSfWJNaPy4cxXwrVlHFsBCQNxvuLRX19IyA5tPT3KSp4bMx-lHT3HEddrnGkyKehN-JNt28ltD8NJY4CNCMyMvvzBTxvbFmsDHYQuEPt-kN7oTQfikAAQKxS2uQmVr5Bw/s1600-h/sock+kiss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5u1BNoSfWJNaPy4cxXwrVlHFsBCQNxvuLRX19IyA5tPT3KSp4bMx-lHT3HEddrnGkyKehN-JNt28ltD8NJY4CNCMyMvvzBTxvbFmsDHYQuEPt-kN7oTQfikAAQKxS2uQmVr5Bw/s320/sock+kiss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669937118965906" /></a><br />presto! a little creature to love!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmV2FB6lrn8KoWf5HJH-OfoXFgn7HDikE-Q7oWVpAuriSRnx7vLaxdlKgFQlxFLBY29qrZEJFqMuIZxa2A7kTNYCuotc4PK8tmV7lXIs69P5WwkgTgEDTVM0bfgTGDgLRNBa75g/s1600-h/sock+done.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmV2FB6lrn8KoWf5HJH-OfoXFgn7HDikE-Q7oWVpAuriSRnx7vLaxdlKgFQlxFLBY29qrZEJFqMuIZxa2A7kTNYCuotc4PK8tmV7lXIs69P5WwkgTgEDTVM0bfgTGDgLRNBa75g/s320/sock+done.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669941413933218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGDpbMF40p59Sey9VHqcAAWFzy9USlIMRIUTiujt1WT879XoMZPODmwvR0lMPBoxSHDAiMwhMze4xTL0YT7JfvPu52Zxv5VUlvlb_0vKD6XCHYAqlmdQ6Q1GX-Q8Db6KvAa5yqw/s1600-h/sock+time+out.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGDpbMF40p59Sey9VHqcAAWFzy9USlIMRIUTiujt1WT879XoMZPODmwvR0lMPBoxSHDAiMwhMze4xTL0YT7JfvPu52Zxv5VUlvlb_0vKD6XCHYAqlmdQ6Q1GX-Q8Db6KvAa5yqw/s320/sock+time+out.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196669945708900530" /></a><br />a little parting shot of j during his time out after totally going bezerk with the peas for the umpteenth time.<br /><br />The kids mostly ran around shaking their 'guys' but we also did some throwing-aim games and then one that we made up that is not unlike botchie-ball.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-39457492595915414502008-05-01T18:39:00.000-07:002008-05-04T17:12:21.671-07:00Love you Mr.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN1FdEWRQkJaWYUYI7DxwRG4m6oZ-ZA2bGcIC8oWOD2A28rBq1DMYZtyUVT_lD1n9ZhRbSfkD69lI5z_g4u92mHhwtv0cFKZ5bbqHD7ywkX3qtFcLNqyYJS4QZ7pdweOe7-r_wQ/s1600-h/smooch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN1FdEWRQkJaWYUYI7DxwRG4m6oZ-ZA2bGcIC8oWOD2A28rBq1DMYZtyUVT_lD1n9ZhRbSfkD69lI5z_g4u92mHhwtv0cFKZ5bbqHD7ywkX3qtFcLNqyYJS4QZ7pdweOe7-r_wQ/s320/smooch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195591986227015698" /></a><br />I'm going to gush a little...<br />In light of all my artistic endeavors happening from the furnace room of our house, the Mr. very graciously cleared out his home office (with the amazing floor to ceiling windows and the view of sweeping willow trees) for me to use as my very own artistic valhalla. Now all my paint, sew, dreaming can happen in one freshly painted white space dedicated to my imagination. SO Mr., thank-you from the bottom of my heart for lifting my spirits and understanding what makes me the best mom, wife and person... Your support means so much to me. I can't begin to describe how great it feels to have such a space to create in after years of tiny walls and frustration. Love you. amore. d'D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-50275834227220613682008-04-29T15:34:00.000-07:002008-05-01T18:13:10.720-07:00Ricotta Balls (snicker)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOgvZE6lpIxvMmOsTGyM_ynjrzOUhFJw3HQDwDI8wl7PuvNvE-HJa3EhETKCpm6ALAGs3-w3Hvh8JW82sAerWGGf3-8vMw4hD8IQt6HuE5COUeHyaVivqxlH8IjAybQMmptsdlA/s1600-h/ricotta+balls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOgvZE6lpIxvMmOsTGyM_ynjrzOUhFJw3HQDwDI8wl7PuvNvE-HJa3EhETKCpm6ALAGs3-w3Hvh8JW82sAerWGGf3-8vMw4hD8IQt6HuE5COUeHyaVivqxlH8IjAybQMmptsdlA/s320/ricotta+balls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194828418351198210" /></a><br />Ohh, these were yum. What I like about them is they are not too fatty (what- frying things in oil is not fatty?) O.k, yeah frying in oil makes things fatty but I figure if you use a decent canola oil and make sure the oil is nice in hot it only really cooks the outside and oil doesn't seep into the food so much. So I wouldn't make them everyday but I sure want too. And I'd like to try out all kinds of variations say, orange peel and white chocolate or almond and cherry... ricotta seems like the perfect conduit of flavour, and then you get deep fried golden ricotta, forget-about-it! <br /><br />O.k. folks, I lost the original but with the power of memory I'm going to try and remember how it goes as I did make them a few times. and you will too once you taste them!<br /><br />enough oil to fill a deep heavy bottomed pan about 2 inches (I like canola oil)<br />1 cup flour<br />2 teaspoon baking soda<br />pinch salt<br />1 1/2 cup soft ricotta<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />2 eggs<br />2 teaspoon lemon zest (about half a lemon)<br />icing sugar to dust<br /><br />mix flour and baking soda, pinch of salt, lemon zest. In separate bowl mix ricotta with eggs. Fold into dry mixture. Form 'blobs' and carefully drop into v hot oil, in batches, working quickly to turn over when brown. When done place on paper towel to catch extra oil then dust generously with icing sugar. These are best eaten right away. I did them for a tea party and placed in warm oven on cookie sheet until we were ready to devour.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-91782027932056905052008-04-22T10:26:00.001-07:002008-04-22T10:26:45.019-07:00Happy Earth Day!<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2433324253/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2433324253_648e3b630b.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2433324253/">Happy Earth Day!</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> have a happy- earthy day!<br />Going to attempt some earth related activities with kids this aft. and enjoy the beautiful day.</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-39945964641745789042008-04-21T14:49:00.000-07:002008-04-21T15:09:29.542-07:00cheesy chicken breasts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcB9x8h4-zog6zIOztKA0A88WBpw5oFpAvS5lS0ZmUHvBLCd0M5BpZeAjbpqDwWawIZpK1TyYrD1qZxAA797ky0Nw99MasA68ljsTufUPODXEJhZGjFGKSJac5zevPd5OK-5S4g/s1600-h/chicken.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcB9x8h4-zog6zIOztKA0A88WBpw5oFpAvS5lS0ZmUHvBLCd0M5BpZeAjbpqDwWawIZpK1TyYrD1qZxAA797ky0Nw99MasA68ljsTufUPODXEJhZGjFGKSJac5zevPd5OK-5S4g/s320/chicken.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191823333098774050" /></a><br /><br />The kids really love this and it's quick to prepare. I originally got the recipe from "Apples for Jam" and I'm not going to copy it out word for word as it's so simple. I like to slice the chicken breasts in half (can be tricky so use a sharp knife) and use thin pieces so it will cook quickly. After pieces are washed and cut dust lightly with some flour and salt if you like, then place in a hot pan with a little hot oil. Place lid on and let brown a couple minutes and flip. Pour a little milk in pan (about 4 tablespoons) turn heat down a little and place lid over. Leave for a few minutes. Slice some cheddar (we love white aged) and place on top of chicken, put lid back on until done. Should only take a few more minutes. I usually serve this with rice and peas. Picky eaters everywhere like this one as it covers the 'all white' prerequisites!<br /><br />*note to self; a non stick frying pan would sure be easier to wash up*D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-24776341729894654952008-04-17T17:40:00.001-07:002008-04-17T17:40:34.530-07:00making sundays<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2205596628/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2205596628_bf8f107950.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2205596628/">bf's making sundays</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> An old picture but I'm exhausted these days with all the great weather we've been having we have been outside all day exploring. These sundays were banana splits with lots of yummy raspberries, a little chocolate sauce and of course sparkles. To make a quick chocolate sauce I just melted some chocolate chips and added a little cream. The girls made these on a playdate when D's pal came over.</p>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-16661100553014250582008-04-13T20:10:00.000-07:002008-04-14T15:27:54.793-07:00SERIOUS lemon ice cream cakeHappy Birthday Joy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfmjyjfe-0mtJPX6BhSYwG0zYmKh_dLeuQ6Ds7aZrP_X_SDIeQM-OC01nFSC27KtlTtGgPMxhA-EC7k3mSjeX9MTRouw_z9uJUUmArZlyZ83M8lQg-5eSgCMIY13vccjwpEVbuA/s1600-h/joy+b-day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfmjyjfe-0mtJPX6BhSYwG0zYmKh_dLeuQ6Ds7aZrP_X_SDIeQM-OC01nFSC27KtlTtGgPMxhA-EC7k3mSjeX9MTRouw_z9uJUUmArZlyZ83M8lQg-5eSgCMIY13vccjwpEVbuA/s320/joy+b-day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188934363071503202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPLvsD6yYbmmId8jFvcaCnv9W3h0zliP1VhUXBm_jhPEbgkxmTSAjD_IowtM5oJQMhV4q0jgwAZbr7wWSiqCnWcjyIX5IPSBmqu6FLOtDEPYQCks7olRxytTkrRWLEIMfDTh8gA/s1600-h/cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPLvsD6yYbmmId8jFvcaCnv9W3h0zliP1VhUXBm_jhPEbgkxmTSAjD_IowtM5oJQMhV4q0jgwAZbr7wWSiqCnWcjyIX5IPSBmqu6FLOtDEPYQCks7olRxytTkrRWLEIMfDTh8gA/s320/cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188934371661437810" /></a><br />Yes folks, this cake deserves capitals, it is totally serious. I can't wait for the chance to make it again! I made this cake for Joy's birthday (our nanny) and it was devoured by us all! Instead of writing out the recipe, I'm going the lazy route and providing a link to it at <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/237881">epicurious</a>. You will love it, I promise! The only change I made was a graham crust.<br /><br />Just going to take the chance to say how lucky and thankful we are to have Joy helping us out. Thank-you Joy!D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-64674816480887456852008-04-06T17:49:00.000-07:002008-04-06T18:01:43.118-07:00worshipahh those silly monsters! they came across this 'golden god' and have been meditating to it ever since!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFDbNM-w5lJV7Hrk1knewyZrgiU8_yZVXi5byVW6KGT2WG9MrWxvvHaGS1yIfOLToU6NbTX7GpgT8q0DNJYG81xBSk40Jta_LEAenDfyMHkfK1DqY0v-WHgAdeywc9Yd6Mg_FQA/s1600-h/worship.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFDbNM-w5lJV7Hrk1knewyZrgiU8_yZVXi5byVW6KGT2WG9MrWxvvHaGS1yIfOLToU6NbTX7GpgT8q0DNJYG81xBSk40Jta_LEAenDfyMHkfK1DqY0v-WHgAdeywc9Yd6Mg_FQA/s320/worship.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186299848613393202" /></a><br />I hope they won't get too upset when we eat it...D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-75709588752423265032008-04-04T19:18:00.000-07:002008-04-04T19:28:05.989-07:00Scary CommentI'm pretty new to blogger world and I'm pretty sure there are only a few of you reading about my kitchen adventures but today I got a freaky comment that went something like this;<br /><br /> Zololkis left a comment please click here <br /><br />and then the word here a link <br /><br />I clicked it and it brought me to some crazy page with some crazy pop-ups saying it was downloading some virus protector so I freaked out and turned off my computer. I changed all my settings for any online accounts and hope that it won't amount to much. I've been trying to report it and having problems but I wanted to warn ANYONE about this and it totally sucks. hard. So beware friends!D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-53875391960519282312008-04-04T19:16:00.000-07:002008-04-06T17:59:02.000-07:00'shroom soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTEUlkfz3Dinkp8XFWstsAYC-_ku4zdPhyphenhyphennsB2DqH99em4DykZahpQxOriibs-qItkQSZTRfpJqQf_ZWb0nbCnabTUIKc5AVCkjVt9y1k4ZkqQfAGfii90TNV-93meM29KiuC8g/s1600-h/picky+toddler.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTEUlkfz3Dinkp8XFWstsAYC-_ku4zdPhyphenhyphennsB2DqH99em4DykZahpQxOriibs-qItkQSZTRfpJqQf_ZWb0nbCnabTUIKc5AVCkjVt9y1k4ZkqQfAGfii90TNV-93meM29KiuC8g/s320/picky+toddler.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186301274542535490" /></a><br />My picky toddler likes mushrooms believe it or not. (must be the butter I usually cook them in!) This goes well with some bread for them to dip into the soup for those who aren't as handy with a spoon. Bibs highly recommended, including one for yourself. I've made mushroom soup with elaborate recipes before and this is the simplified version.<br /><br />slug of olive oil<br />1 large red onion (I just like red the best but you can use whatever is handy)<br />bag of mushrooms (I usually use cremini but will mix it up depending on what I have)<br />dried mushrooms (rarely do I use them, I once bought some from Whole Foods and didn't realize until I got home that I paid $80 for a package! "who do you think you are, Ivanka Trump?" thankfully the Mr. returned them for me but will never let me live it down!)<br />3 tablespoons butter<br />4-5 cups organic chicken/veggie stock<br />thyme (dried but will use fresh in the summer!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoil3JUArjIL6S7iO0Ex6GxBfQa-4Mwng5Jp0LfCR-99sc2KyEOAAyBQPAYIcAc_T6FTmmMJEsAW6Ijz5nDB3tAVqpvYz3ngPThaLIJEaBQp_g6Ch_XuEZpbw_IKaJ7-3mCurA_A/s1600-h/stock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoil3JUArjIL6S7iO0Ex6GxBfQa-4Mwng5Jp0LfCR-99sc2KyEOAAyBQPAYIcAc_T6FTmmMJEsAW6Ijz5nDB3tAVqpvYz3ngPThaLIJEaBQp_g6Ch_XuEZpbw_IKaJ7-3mCurA_A/s320/stock.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186301278837502802" /></a><br />this is the stock I use- I go thru ALOT of it and it also comes in vegetable as well.<br /><br />Using a high sided pot, saute you sliced onions in a little olive oil until transparent around edges on low heat about 8 minutes. Melt your butter than add 'shrooms stirring with wooden spoon so mushrooms all get a little time on bottom of pan browning. Sprinkle in your thyme. Stir every couple of minutes for about 8 minutes- I also like to gently break up my shrooms a little as I stir to speed it up. Next add your stock, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Let it simmer for at least 5 minutes. At this point I blend it, you could add cream if you like or leave it as is and of course season. Ever since I picked up a Magic Bullet I've been loving it. Mostly I use it grind my coffee beans but for soups it's great. I once burned my arms blending hot soup and I don't want to mention the mess I had to get off the ceiling! Some people use a little handheld job to blend but I must say the seal tight bullet is awesome. I can't blend it all at the same time so I do it in 2-3 batches. I like this soup a bit chunky anyways.. To serve I like a little goat cheese sprinkled on top. This is easy and yum, can usually get it on the table in 30 min sometimes less.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdaqUvERs9KVU-D5TMmCYzRryiOz5F8LhiecKWj8r52XQUeKLDF9IedKCwtTHXXc6-Qo5XgsVA_2VtOuBQB-A9-tWFbzlRxg2JHwHMcWOfafm88iSrcZn0sSZFEWyDf9YdrEJQg/s1600-h/eating+soup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdaqUvERs9KVU-D5TMmCYzRryiOz5F8LhiecKWj8r52XQUeKLDF9IedKCwtTHXXc6-Qo5XgsVA_2VtOuBQB-A9-tWFbzlRxg2JHwHMcWOfafm88iSrcZn0sSZFEWyDf9YdrEJQg/s320/eating+soup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186301283132470114" /></a>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-42926015994033479042008-04-02T06:42:00.000-07:002008-04-02T07:00:47.301-07:00Sticky Toffee PuddingYesterday was one of those rainy, damp, cold days that leaves you hankering for some stew and in my case, some kind of delicious, gooey dessert. Jamie's Dinners is turning out to be a well used cookbook for me so I turned to it again for some ideas and had to try out his Sticky Toffee Pudding. I remember as a kid having a Sunday dinner at some family friends house and they served this chocolate cake type thing with a warm gooey sauce over it and I always remembered it. Hear goes..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oCR0p8I-tNTiNQX0gTuG3xbFKDo7bHscWTJ9rPVyOzzBNB6Xg05j_DAx6kCFAgm9D5S-uNsdCeZlI8_rTD9jxK_2U4JWKYtbYvEIoRJlTl3BXu6ssMGV7uQlYNKTnSYPC9WBYw/s1600-h/DSC_7078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oCR0p8I-tNTiNQX0gTuG3xbFKDo7bHscWTJ9rPVyOzzBNB6Xg05j_DAx6kCFAgm9D5S-uNsdCeZlI8_rTD9jxK_2U4JWKYtbYvEIoRJlTl3BXu6ssMGV7uQlYNKTnSYPC9WBYw/s320/DSC_7078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184646866025018098" /></a><br /><br />8 oz fresh dates pitted (I used dried figs)<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />6 tablespoons softened butter<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />1 cup plus 1 tablespoon self rising flour<br />1/4 teaspoon ground mixed apple pie spices (yr guess is as good as mine! I used a little ginger and nutmeg)<br />1/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br />2 tablespoon ovaltine (didn't have this so I used ground chocolate for hot choc)<br />2 tablespoon natural plain yogurt (I used vanilla yogurt)<br /><br />for the toffee sauce<br />8 tablespoon butter<br />1/2 cup light brown sugar<br />1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream<br /><br />preheat oven to 350<br />Put dates/figs in bowl with baking soda and cover with 1 cup boiling water, let stand a couple minutes, let soften and drain. Whizz the dates in food processor untill you have a pure (I used my Magic Bullet) Cream butter and sugar until pale using wood spoon, add eggs, flour, pie spices, cinnamon and Ovaltine. Mix together well, then fold int eh yogurt and your pureed dates. Pour batter into greased baking pan and bake for 35 minutes.<br /><br />While pudding is baking, make the sauce by putting the butter, sugar, and cream in a pan over low heat until the sugar disolves and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour. <br /><br /><br />yum :)D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-8453040054188913672008-03-28T16:18:00.001-07:002008-03-29T19:06:17.776-07:00draw the bridge!<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2369992970/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2369992970_9d250bca86.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2369992970/">draw the bridge!</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> it's been awhile since we've seen the monsters. They are a little rough around the edges having been 'actively' played with. (ears banged off, eyes picked out, chipped..) Had a bunch of cardboard so Deja and I made a castle for them. We also made a big castle for the kids to play in but it was destroyed within 2 minutes by the destructo twins. Poor Deja just stood there trying not to scream. Deja and I plan on decorating the castle quietly while the boys nap so they won't get there hands on it.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-20979949734866821092008-03-24T15:59:00.000-07:002008-03-24T17:19:28.290-07:00Easter CakeI gotta give a shout out to Niegella.. her repetoire of cakes is truley amazing and when I'm stuck for a recipe I know I can count on my "How to be Domestic Goddess" or "Feast" cookbook for something yummy. This cake was no exception. The recipe called for dark chocolate which I didn't have any of and being easter and all I 'borrowed' the kids lindt milk chocolate bunnies. Since I used a good quality chocolate it turned out great and I was happy with the lightness. The marshmellows go against everything I look for in a food but that hot pink and those little ears were irresistible. (plus I threw most of them away)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaNAGOkWWB7YcrWI6PsqrVPdWDraUd6IoUQFP06bu3fjNWiouTca4AByVM1k0LczXtR7tysvrRgRIDrh1suMDvj4MggDJYyR9krrvBOWh0T8GCwFi1KSyClle7646Kuh8Fhqhw/s1600-h/easter+cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaNAGOkWWB7YcrWI6PsqrVPdWDraUd6IoUQFP06bu3fjNWiouTca4AByVM1k0LczXtR7tysvrRgRIDrh1suMDvj4MggDJYyR9krrvBOWh0T8GCwFi1KSyClle7646Kuh8Fhqhw/s320/easter+cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181465467784753890" /></a><br /><br />for the cake<br />250 g (or one cup) best quality dark chocolate, chopped<br />1/2 cup butter<br />6 eggs: 2 whole; 4 seperated<br />3/4 cup caster sugar (this is not icing sugar, it's sugar that has been wizzed in a blender but to be honest I just use reg. sugar)<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br />for the topping<br />1/2 cup best quality dark chocolate, chopped<br />250 ml (1 cup) whipping cream<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />decoration (Nigella used little chocolate easter eggs)<br /><br />preheat 350. Line 23cm springform pan with baking parchment, do not grease sides.<br />Melt the 250 g chocolate with the butter in a double boiler or microwave (I use microwave but set heat to 4 and let it go for a minute at a time always stirring after each minute) set aside to let cool. Whisk 4 egg whites until firm, then gradually add 7 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding shape but not stiff. Set aside, and in another bowl whisk 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 5 tablespoons sugar, the vanilla extract, and then gently fold into chocolate mixture. Lighten the mixture with some of the egg whites (just a dollop) and stir briskly, then fold in the rest of the egg whites in 3 portions. <br /><br />Pour into prepared tin and bake for 35- 40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and center is no longer wobbly. Cool cake in tin on wire rack- the middle will sink in, this is what gives the cake it's nest like appearance.<br /><br />To finish the cake, carefully remove it from tin and place on cake pan or plate, if bits fall off just patch it back on. For topping, melt the chocolate and set aside to cool while you whip the cream. Whip it until it;s still soft, add the vanilla and then fold in the melted chocolate. Fill the crater of cake with the chocolatey cream using a spatula then arrange whatever decoration you choose!D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-67590827993417560862008-03-20T17:33:00.001-07:002008-03-24T19:59:47.753-07:00organic bounty<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2327973118/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2237/2327973118_cf59362cd6.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2327973118/">organic bounty</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> My good friend Jo turned me onto these guys. (a wise women!) Every couple of weeks they deliver a big bunch of fruits and veggies of whatever is fresh and good looking so it's kind of exciting to see what I'm going to get. You can also custom order your delivery but then what fun would that be? <br /><a href="http://www.wanigan.com">wanigan</a>D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-33854742975537055452008-03-11T18:30:00.000-07:002008-03-11T20:07:02.989-07:00Queen of Beef Stew (I declare)Beef stew is definitely one of the favorites around hear and I never make it the same way twice, it all depends on what's near death in the fridge. I mean what's fresh, seasonal and available. This one was with butternut squash, carrots, celery, a few potatoes and a tomato base. Other times I'll do potatoes and mushroom base. Sneaking in cauliflower and other veggies is always a good move. Even some pureed spinach wouldn't turn this dish into a green nightmare ((wink)). What I love about beef stew is preparing it in the morning and then throwing it in the stove at low heat. By lunch time the whole house smells glorious and the boys are climbing into their highchairs demanding lunch. There is always enough left over for dinner and I keep my creuset warm and serve brown rice with it later. No one ever complains of eating this twice in one day, in fact, I think my husband probably stands in fridge and eats it for breakfast the next day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfcymi4tmGO9GIDVr6uysvmTXg6P_7sVWHSi2elfHrT9ggEUmOHEBsaewJrorK-8b6GUwWs0e6IfGiH_OVYWX-2t5c5VEjuE_-qXJ-fewFxaLyXrgGw_ngXEuYGm6ORTp5pqa8A/s1600-h/squash.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfcymi4tmGO9GIDVr6uysvmTXg6P_7sVWHSi2elfHrT9ggEUmOHEBsaewJrorK-8b6GUwWs0e6IfGiH_OVYWX-2t5c5VEjuE_-qXJ-fewFxaLyXrgGw_ngXEuYGm6ORTp5pqa8A/s320/squash.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176684321237114530" /></a><br /><br />I included this photo to show how to easily peel a squash. I don't even want to get into how difficult it used to be for me to peel a squash before I discovered this technique!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fpr4E-mZk_52vPVQbLYU_uvI8hpYBQbEA4zv9dGef7x0twdpdg2wlUtNUPJc8uswm-SlWkkvUUEy_hLZKUDJzFmR07849iyF5egQ0KoTncK7JZzWS8KfLY7NdHHsoH7JXxVcLw/s1600-h/beef+stew.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fpr4E-mZk_52vPVQbLYU_uvI8hpYBQbEA4zv9dGef7x0twdpdg2wlUtNUPJc8uswm-SlWkkvUUEy_hLZKUDJzFmR07849iyF5egQ0KoTncK7JZzWS8KfLY7NdHHsoH7JXxVcLw/s320/beef+stew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176684329827049138" /></a><br /><br />olive oil<br />knob butter (he he)<br />1 onion peeled, chopped<br />2 cloves garlic<br />2 pounds of stewing beef cubed<br />sea salt<br />flour to dust<br />2 handfuls of baby carrots<br />2 stalks celery<br />a butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cubed<br />1 pound potatoes<br />1/2 small tin of tomato puree<br />2 cups beef or veg stock<br />1/2 bottle red wine (if you have some! if not I just increase the stock by about 3 cups)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 300. Saute your onion in oil and butter until it is translucent around edges- low heat so you don't burn! Add garlic and saute a couple minutes. Next add your roughly chopped veggies and mix. Lightly dust your beef with flour and salt and add to pot with stock, wine, tomato puree. Bring to a boil and then place lid on top, cook in oven until tender. This usually takes a couple hours. You can test it by taking out a piece of meat and mash with fork, if it falls apart it's ready then you can turn oven down to 225 until your ready to gobble it up. Sooooo good with bread.<br /><br />some other suggestions are yams (any root veg), Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, mushrooms, zuchinni...<br />..and, when I use mushrooms I don't use tomato paste.<br /><br />Jamie Oliver suggests mixing lemon zest, finely chopped garlic, chopped rosemary and sprinkle over stew before eating. umm, never tried this but sounds good! The other suggestion I discovered is that it's not necessary to brown the beef. This cuts the prep time down ALOT.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-52646327840506822562008-03-11T18:00:00.001-07:002008-03-20T17:38:27.545-07:00story time<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2328087710/" title="story time by D.Andrea, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2183/2328087710_0bf4148d13_o.jpg" width="310" height="1835" alt="story time" /></a><br /> <br />a favorite way to pass the time is story time. sometimes we act out our fav stories and at other times I'll roll out some paper and draw the story as we tell it together. the kids love guessing what I'm drawing as I go and grabbing crayons and helping out. This story we hung up so numerous times a day the boys will go over to it, point to the wolf disguised as grandma and declare "gandma!"</p> You don't have to be a great drawer to do this with your kids, they don't care how it turns out!D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-35066074026532620872008-03-06T16:51:00.001-08:002008-03-06T20:27:04.381-08:00sometimes I don't know what I'm doing'come and get it!!'<br /><style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2315757534/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2315757534_f75d10e865.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2315757534/">what was I thinking</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dandreabowie/">D.Andrea</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> </p><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/2314951057/" title="mmmm yummy.. by D.Andrea, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2314951057_8d85e51537.jpg" width="500" height="251" alt="mmmm yummy.." /></a><br /><br />oh boy. <br />So, I made this awesome chicken, portabello mushroom, bacon, brandy thing for dinner and at the last minute I thought "spinach would taste great with this!" Well.. it sure didn't look appetizing. (puree spinach definentley not the way to go..) However, I've discovered a little trick with the kids, they will pretty much have a taste of anything offered off the wood cooking spoon so I give them a little taste and then at dinner its not so strange. I'm going to blame Jessica Sienfeld and her sneaky cooking ways for the demise of this dish. It did taste good though.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-68433221779115120432008-03-03T09:54:00.001-08:002008-03-07T04:09:29.651-08:00revised bread pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqActi9cJ1doQZlGWtgQ1hlLc_dh15dwMdsBuOUcAjS6p9lP4SmTQRmIxEGqUeqvH1IBl7eF6etVAHxzW2aY8E8aGV8hm1XOZIDjbt_68vhu65sfCGUUK4h_CIZuOASM3L0TkBA/s1600-h/my+bread+pudding.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqActi9cJ1doQZlGWtgQ1hlLc_dh15dwMdsBuOUcAjS6p9lP4SmTQRmIxEGqUeqvH1IBl7eF6etVAHxzW2aY8E8aGV8hm1XOZIDjbt_68vhu65sfCGUUK4h_CIZuOASM3L0TkBA/s320/my+bread+pudding.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173597425754574674" /></a><br />For the last month or so I have been baking all our whole wheat bread (a future post to come!) Sound ambitious? It's actually been all right, I've just had to be organized about it and having a mixer with dough hook makes it simple. Anyhoo, I decided to try a bread pudding recipe of my own out with some left over bread and it was a success! I used the recipe I posted before with a few changes and an addition of an oatmeal crust and cut up apple so it was a cross between apple crisp and bread pudding. Yum.<br /><br />1/2 loaf whole wheat bread (the loafs I make are huge)<br />2 large apples cored and cut into chunks (could use raisins, cranberries or whatever fruit you've got hanging around)<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />3 large eggs, beaten<br />2 cups milk<br />2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean and it was amazing, when I tried this without, the vanilla extract was a little much)<br />2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease with butter 3-quart casserole dish.<br />Butter both sides of bread slices, place on tin foil, and put into oven. Toast slices on both sides. (must admit I didn;t butter vut I did skice bead and toast a little.)<br />If using, place raisins in bowl of hot water to plump. Cover, soak for 20 minutes, and drain.<br />Combine sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix well. Let this mixture get to room temp or gently heat.<br />Break up toasted bread, and put in casserole dish. Add apple. Pour egg mixture over bread, and stir. It's a good idea to let this soak in while you go about the topping. Give it a good stir before you add topping mixture.<br /><br />for topping<br />1/2 cup butter<br />1/4 cup white sugar<br />1/4 brown sugar<br />1/2 cup flour<br />1/2 cup quick cook oats<br />pinch salt<br /><br />cream butter with sugar then add flour oats and salt mixing until its a course, pebbly mixture. Don't over mix. Sprinkle the topping over bread pudding and bake in oven at 350 for 40 minutes.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895979.post-24147770279738903962008-03-02T11:19:00.000-08:002008-03-02T13:15:27.667-08:003 minute dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DpwotjfGaT0WDpc6f8ZyivNNo3kpgf0K4kJHuRK4vlRusx6_-1hGf5R9amVuH2CU0F_sBRJQm_CphZuH8yj5iWUyZOOpQn_cO_xnuPSDealMqR5RBJybqIr8DWIGHxjE5N2dcQ/s1600-h/2+minute+meal.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DpwotjfGaT0WDpc6f8ZyivNNo3kpgf0K4kJHuRK4vlRusx6_-1hGf5R9amVuH2CU0F_sBRJQm_CphZuH8yj5iWUyZOOpQn_cO_xnuPSDealMqR5RBJybqIr8DWIGHxjE5N2dcQ/s200/2+minute+meal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173228191711104770" /></a><br />This is my cheat dinner. Cook the pasta in some boiling organic chicken stock and add frozen peas and corn at the last minute. A little parma and your done. Easy Peasy.D'Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03869020706268243085noreply@blogger.com0