tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73426618342860551962024-02-19T14:09:03.157-05:00Everyday CreationsThe joy of creating, cooking, and celebrating as often as possible.Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12602197608722692807noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-74064754846987463282013-03-21T20:30:00.003-04:002013-03-21T20:32:16.888-04:00Banana Bread Grilled CheeseGrilled cheese is one of life's highest pleasures. I will combine nearly any bread with nearly any cheese at least once -- just to see how they work together (or fight it out). For a sweet treat, whip up some <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-sour-cream-bread/detail.aspx">banana bread</a> grilled cheese with cheddar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGQsl3fhg_q1tUjQvAPvDYrZ4i7KhD542s1_gbhPB8AdfsWCMqaTHQ0KVRFdTOe1YmDzxctUvnXyNRl8g0igbLIOf8Was_vZF28OCbB9HsIHNjDs1w0C1CFTkXP8VOrdHuA-9s1OTmYM/s1600/Banana+Bread+Grilled+Cheese+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGQsl3fhg_q1tUjQvAPvDYrZ4i7KhD542s1_gbhPB8AdfsWCMqaTHQ0KVRFdTOe1YmDzxctUvnXyNRl8g0igbLIOf8Was_vZF28OCbB9HsIHNjDs1w0C1CFTkXP8VOrdHuA-9s1OTmYM/s320/Banana+Bread+Grilled+Cheese+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>The banana bread I used to make this grilled cheese is super easy -- no
kneading, just mix and bake. Once baked, take two hearty slices of that
dense loaf, snuggle them around a generous hunk of cheddar, and grill
until crispy on the outside. Delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ1U4QSnP9pe-T8fxaDd9U1JVWWwCtuRbSmMgdqxWCBJdZGyp8zf68MrNV-_lT9XOPOeTd8oc-pIsWKQgPaHZqIiCK2p6CRYluBtFAPT8qmzAww9RPS754cwFw7zLSZ-2wxifVOMdMic/s1600/Banana+Bread+Grilled+Cheese+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ1U4QSnP9pe-T8fxaDd9U1JVWWwCtuRbSmMgdqxWCBJdZGyp8zf68MrNV-_lT9XOPOeTd8oc-pIsWKQgPaHZqIiCK2p6CRYluBtFAPT8qmzAww9RPS754cwFw7zLSZ-2wxifVOMdMic/s320/Banana+Bread+Grilled+Cheese+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 9<br />
Comfort: 9Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-22616678053826724552013-02-11T18:36:00.000-05:002013-02-11T18:37:11.041-05:00Wedding: Ceremony Programs and Guest "Book"For various wedding-related communications, I drew a bunch of pictures of the husband, the dogs, and I. Several of these went into our wedding invitations (which included some of husband's chain mail as well). Several went into our ceremony programs. I designed, and husband printed these ceremony programs, which featured a picture of the whole "family" (complete with my turquoise dress) on the front . . .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpDfkC428xxLQ4JEctZ4o7WOZGLdWh_L7vumH9KzRGY4OUP9e_kYZpBm6tq7bXqwlZNOc3ZYo1eVfjtTzVtJK5g7E8mFy5qOHOSI3EeD6BkErSzDdiEk6mTVXtdwK8sJlJKpglBt3WrQ/s1600/Wedding+Program+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding Ceremony Program Front" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpDfkC428xxLQ4JEctZ4o7WOZGLdWh_L7vumH9KzRGY4OUP9e_kYZpBm6tq7bXqwlZNOc3ZYo1eVfjtTzVtJK5g7E8mFy5qOHOSI3EeD6BkErSzDdiEk6mTVXtdwK8sJlJKpglBt3WrQ/s320/Wedding+Program+01.jpg" title="Wedding Ceremony Program Front" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Rabiah M.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And a picture of just our two sweet boys on the back . . .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWG24lCFODuO5SyJsKxnyBye4DadomD0dnJwrLVUUkltyS9_HYPErlqZxUFz9lA-vpuxGAQvjy5uiNqRwugt11dZEUULqITQE_FlfKTCFZnl4hgNl_-eI1ZZiXekmFG48arHMHgK8QFA/s1600/Wedding+Program+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding Ceremony Program Back" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWG24lCFODuO5SyJsKxnyBye4DadomD0dnJwrLVUUkltyS9_HYPErlqZxUFz9lA-vpuxGAQvjy5uiNqRwugt11dZEUULqITQE_FlfKTCFZnl4hgNl_-eI1ZZiXekmFG48arHMHgK8QFA/s320/Wedding+Program+02.jpg" title="Wedding Ceremony Program Back" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Rabiah M.</td></tr>
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While we decided not to do a guest book, we did want to have a space for our guests to share their thoughts, hopes, and wishes with us. So, I decorated a shoe box with red wrapping paper and stickers, and cut a hole in the top for notes. Then, I made three different note templates with pictures of husband and I. These templates gave guests prompts, specifically, "I hope you both . . .", "Never forget" . . ., and of course, "When I was your age . . . " On "I hope you both," husband and I are pictured being lovey-dovey; on "Never forget," husband is being cuddled by our boys. And of course, on "When I was your age," I am pictured riding on a velociraptor. Because, you know, velociraptors. Boy, we got some fabulous well-wishes from these cards!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-B1W90jn1vwLuD6pI3snpgRqNK435zgQVWJYcHMVjdkRacfVnlbjBpqCQu4LqroLQ1PsUsEGrTkBQD_adDuqvW4KNZonPMHAr3KdVagK_YtLkFzMn_4i4pPDTtTJ3Zz1vrOM3JFsFg4/s1600/Wedding+Note+Cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding Guest "book"/cards" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-B1W90jn1vwLuD6pI3snpgRqNK435zgQVWJYcHMVjdkRacfVnlbjBpqCQu4LqroLQ1PsUsEGrTkBQD_adDuqvW4KNZonPMHAr3KdVagK_YtLkFzMn_4i4pPDTtTJ3Zz1vrOM3JFsFg4/s320/Wedding+Note+Cards.jpg" title="Wedding Guest "book"/cards" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Rabiah M.</td></tr>
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Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-65633725499120044092013-02-08T17:12:00.000-05:002013-02-08T17:12:25.804-05:00Gingerbread LoafI'm a fiend for bread, especially quick bread. Especially somewhat non-normal quick bread, like this <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Gingerbread-Loaf">gingerbread loaf</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA6Cw_WVrqc-ObUGoVdlJWW0tlszTWGXah26JcdAdq2YieilHW-PoUdi7bZoxRVrtgHcx84ufk6Ur92ZdqdIbPPkYcusO8U2FGPjlgyIbrCCO_xENR1aZqZ8HODkBrRgVSjUe4RpAwbw/s1600/Gingerbread+Loaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA6Cw_WVrqc-ObUGoVdlJWW0tlszTWGXah26JcdAdq2YieilHW-PoUdi7bZoxRVrtgHcx84ufk6Ur92ZdqdIbPPkYcusO8U2FGPjlgyIbrCCO_xENR1aZqZ8HODkBrRgVSjUe4RpAwbw/s320/Gingerbread+Loaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This ginger bread tastes, well, like gingerbread. A little too crumbly to make sandwiches, but perfect for breakfast -- egg yolk + gingerbread bread = bliss.<br />
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Taste: 7.5<br />
Comfort: 8<br />
Ease of Prep: 9 Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-76128953066431708542013-02-01T19:09:00.000-05:002013-02-01T21:38:42.678-05:00Wedding: Table MarkersI've been fighting a nasty cold this week but have muscled through to get you this next wedding update. I designed all of our paper products as well, including the table markers, the name tags, the program, and note cards.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyE6DXWSOSgAz4OWs-052tHmE7OqKaw1HcgnaEj5-M9yGwilbKocoD5dl6MF0tVc24-blThcq_Qrlj8lAKtBQE0SqaEmv-n7_gFSX9BFGryQVtRU0L9t6YdYCX8by4IL0UKPUozEkreI/s1600/Wedding+Table+07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norton Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyE6DXWSOSgAz4OWs-052tHmE7OqKaw1HcgnaEj5-M9yGwilbKocoD5dl6MF0tVc24-blThcq_Qrlj8lAKtBQE0SqaEmv-n7_gFSX9BFGryQVtRU0L9t6YdYCX8by4IL0UKPUozEkreI/s320/Wedding+Table+07.JPG" title="Norton Wedding Table Marker" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>First, I designed matching table markers and name tags. Hubs and I both love wine so we picked wine varietals to be our theme: Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Norton and Traminette -- three lush reds and three rich whites. I drew a picture for each of the varietals based on information about each. These pictures were used on the front of table markers as well as on the name tags that attendees used to find their places.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaOZF_JIwy75EZ3RNjmfOEByWmhm-FfRlcW4orIK69kjRq2ba4jkiBGxMymP_kx6S3Xctx-DiPxDN8hOC5vpKd-qvexfcb4rQQ-w5J7VjSv5h2t8tzgs1Y94TAJ-dx4TO8FMeXwhg-T4/s1600/Wedding+Table+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding Wine Name Tag" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaOZF_JIwy75EZ3RNjmfOEByWmhm-FfRlcW4orIK69kjRq2ba4jkiBGxMymP_kx6S3Xctx-DiPxDN8hOC5vpKd-qvexfcb4rQQ-w5J7VjSv5h2t8tzgs1Y94TAJ-dx4TO8FMeXwhg-T4/s320/Wedding+Table+11.jpg" title="Wedding Wine Name Tag" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Rabiah</td></tr>
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On the back of each table marker, I included a picture of the grape clusters and information about each grape varietal. The goal was to keep attendees entertained while they waited for dinner to begin -- I hope it worked! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOrtdBB5qLkow9fKNJ8OxkuRJipAgwigHFabp1d_p_AD8KmKxwa6WbvL4OvLQe98a5JzwdlHngD3UHtsGlPER-z-JmqkrS_SaU9kk62vogJVxT7botEOSGj4GJ8X9MgATPbU5WQF4RdI/s1600/Wedding+Table+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOrtdBB5qLkow9fKNJ8OxkuRJipAgwigHFabp1d_p_AD8KmKxwa6WbvL4OvLQe98a5JzwdlHngD3UHtsGlPER-z-JmqkrS_SaU9kk62vogJVxT7botEOSGj4GJ8X9MgATPbU5WQF4RdI/s320/Wedding+Table+04.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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Chambourcin produces a jammy red wine -- great sweet or dry. My husband particularly likes sweet takes on this grapes, whereas I (surprise, surprise) prefer it dry. It pairs especially well with chocolate cake, so a chocolate cake was used to depict Chambourcin.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspFckI5xq92ffAdc1C25WnCghNKiKUpO6F14MlF8VX1WjaAP_Cu8JYqQnJtu5UC_iwG3DL-s2oEFwvVVDhV80WGtEDMCpfKFEy7Brdgr393LAOfCLdrMIupmy0UtsZsPYeixbZ7LrFqE/s1600/Wedding+Table+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspFckI5xq92ffAdc1C25WnCghNKiKUpO6F14MlF8VX1WjaAP_Cu8JYqQnJtu5UC_iwG3DL-s2oEFwvVVDhV80WGtEDMCpfKFEy7Brdgr393LAOfCLdrMIupmy0UtsZsPYeixbZ7LrFqE/s320/Wedding+Table+01.JPG" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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One of the most popular grapes in our region of the country also happens to be my husband's favorite red: Cabernet Franc. It's so popular in this area--relative to other major wine producing regions--that when "Cabs" are recommended to us in restaurants, I also have to clarify, "you mean Cab Sauv, and not Cab Franc?" A Cab Franc varietal tends to taste of black pepper. What better way to represent this spicy red than with a pepper shaker? Unfortunately, it looks like we don't have a good picture of the front of this marker so far. But we do have a picture of the back!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhq4voZT8hfpI06VifN8J4Ztp-2RWluGnvf9cZNyy57pa8S1EE1mhLlj-1VB6Khw6_aInirOqasI0NJ4MtgnNlNh8Kt132QbVHWFyMtIywDJtzc5n0vvzYv99IHNEQ4zDU93x1Bb0f8w/s1600/Wedding+Table+03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhq4voZT8hfpI06VifN8J4Ztp-2RWluGnvf9cZNyy57pa8S1EE1mhLlj-1VB6Khw6_aInirOqasI0NJ4MtgnNlNh8Kt132QbVHWFyMtIywDJtzc5n0vvzYv99IHNEQ4zDU93x1Bb0f8w/s320/Wedding+Table+03.JPG" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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The final red, Norton, is the only grape native to Virginia that still grows there. It was taken out during prohibition and brought back in after prohibition ended. A Norton wine is bold and earthy with lots of tannins. Unfortunately, I ran out of inspiration on Norton -- a shame, as it's my all-time favorite wine -- and just drew a wine glass for this grape.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKueD0N2t0Bwum5DGmu8IkUh3GZBCxmtnVGyvUoXXuv6AfLq-86aX5OKq9TLPTlXN0xeYJSjPFf1J_xXlZSg1vzG_rey_18wnH9pxHaieApusCTDkxCs7BAEgp55MXBQGtX5CbB-_bqU/s1600/Wedding+Table+06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKueD0N2t0Bwum5DGmu8IkUh3GZBCxmtnVGyvUoXXuv6AfLq-86aX5OKq9TLPTlXN0xeYJSjPFf1J_xXlZSg1vzG_rey_18wnH9pxHaieApusCTDkxCs7BAEgp55MXBQGtX5CbB-_bqU/s320/Wedding+Table+06.JPG" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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Chardonnay, the husband's favorite white, is also a popular grape in our region. Locally, Chardonnays are made both in steel (crisp, bright acidity) and in oak barrels (creamy). The oak barrels that are used in our region are typically French or Hungarian oak -- you don't see a lot of American oak around these parts, although some wineries do use it. In contrast, California Chardonnays are frequently aged in American oak -- hence the barrel to represent Chardonnay.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X7Uo7yUARK8ogg5Uzj9NGfqZMfvRtqVxH27msjDT4usSKSxe7j3JazIbpOxjf1dQA2_2q_8m0512yZQFG5KAWC6J9xoyurVkJtAvFWuCnA3M6D31KAvmTHen4AlOXgsstTp0FNXhqMc/s1600/Wedding+Table+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X7Uo7yUARK8ogg5Uzj9NGfqZMfvRtqVxH27msjDT4usSKSxe7j3JazIbpOxjf1dQA2_2q_8m0512yZQFG5KAWC6J9xoyurVkJtAvFWuCnA3M6D31KAvmTHen4AlOXgsstTp0FNXhqMc/s320/Wedding+Table+10.jpg" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dan F.</td></tr>
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I'm not the biggest fan of Chardonnay, but I love another regional rising star, Viognier. Viognier tends to be creamy and light -- inoffensive and perfectly paired with cheese, as the round of brie I drew to represent Viognier can attest. Again, however, we have no picture of the front of this table marker so a picture of the back will have to do.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI7BFLThvL2y8bEonH43Z14hXLMKdqcn1uY0JXfY5rkojHjpgTqXN9MeLB-ynzk5nlrUqSxflFKjpwP17rqlRGk0dH8kCk9AJJWLR8JWLdTiQ10rsoNrPlgH6Kw_lIdulnHM2Ldd75QM/s1600/Wedding+Table+05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI7BFLThvL2y8bEonH43Z14hXLMKdqcn1uY0JXfY5rkojHjpgTqXN9MeLB-ynzk5nlrUqSxflFKjpwP17rqlRGk0dH8kCk9AJJWLR8JWLdTiQ10rsoNrPlgH6Kw_lIdulnHM2Ldd75QM/s320/Wedding+Table+05.JPG" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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Finally, my favorite white is the child of Gewurztraminer, Traminette. Traminette is a beautiful floral varietal that makes for a surprising white wine. The wineries that carry this varietal typically describe it as a polarizing grape -- people either love it or hate it. I guess you know what camp I come down in! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraLeWiiHGl_WBwxXnfmjbzMLgPWC9camzybXpsEq_9XRnY0KGI_Sqkcf0fjqgiF0MRyOSTn943kwHS1GwQujobDhKT0SFX5qntZ9QwtfPyvz2sj9X1iJC0dwjqrjyZVORRa0WjqTCtXE/s1600/Wedding+Table+09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wine Wedding Table Marker" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraLeWiiHGl_WBwxXnfmjbzMLgPWC9camzybXpsEq_9XRnY0KGI_Sqkcf0fjqgiF0MRyOSTn943kwHS1GwQujobDhKT0SFX5qntZ9QwtfPyvz2sj9X1iJC0dwjqrjyZVORRa0WjqTCtXE/s320/Wedding+Table+09.jpg" title="Wine Wedding Table Marker" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Rabiah</td></tr>
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The slices of wood we used for the table markers were cut by my husband and my father -- fresh from my parent's woods! The pine cones and quartz were likewise from my parents' woods, and the glasses used on the table markers were scrounged from various antique malls.<br />
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For the record, photo credit for these and other photos I'm posting from the wedding are entirely credit to the magnificent Dan F., Rabiah M., and my dad.Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-2068601971066414612013-01-27T10:20:00.002-05:002013-02-01T21:38:17.110-05:00Wedding: Octopus Cake ToppersI love octopi. My love for octopi initially grew out of my fascination with the plural. "Octopus" actually has three acceptable plural forms. The first, <i>octopuses</i>, reflects the Americanized plural. The second, <i>octopi</i>, reflects what many people think should be the proper Latin plural, assuming that "octopus" is a second declension Latin noun. Finally, the most correct plural is <i>octopodes </i>-- as it turns out, octopus is not Latin, it's Greek! So, octopuses/i/podes were initially fascinating to me from an intellectual angle.<br />
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Then, I started seeing octopus art. And, wow. I never thought about it before, but those eight tentacles make for some fluid and striking artwork, both two- and three-dimensional. Rapidly, octopi became my favorite animal. So when it came time to make cake toppers for the wedding, I knew I had to make octopi in love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0V6vi8pFKUQqJKSRQQYivBj8AbWP2G4srf5PS4SnUtHX9ooi4ZpdFpokg_egKgQgA_sJRRnfUUYyNMOsQJI1WpXQsXlFYQ_AatbjjvSK0BqQl7yuahLt0M_WoCHtj8DCW0nCL9iyobI/s1600/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0V6vi8pFKUQqJKSRQQYivBj8AbWP2G4srf5PS4SnUtHX9ooi4ZpdFpokg_egKgQgA_sJRRnfUUYyNMOsQJI1WpXQsXlFYQ_AatbjjvSK0BqQl7yuahLt0M_WoCHtj8DCW0nCL9iyobI/s320/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+02.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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Did you ever play with sculpey when you were younger? I definitely did. I have little aliens up on my bookshelf from some early sculpey explorations. But what I didn't know when I was younger was that you don't need a fancy oven for baking sculpey -- your regular oven, just sitting in the kitchen, will do! So, I had the hubs get me some turquoise, red, and black sculpey, and got to work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY8vY3WK8qIDLWhef4tsSD5EVOEp1EcD3xWhKZfi0Uj37vjbinjLagPA4JiXuDktdW6EMuQ5dg30Y-v2bhFjhm9p6B66Nu7QH7TIhp12JZISCvwXsgFIA3Nd7AE9lqJIDnj-bf2aEZcQ/s1600/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY8vY3WK8qIDLWhef4tsSD5EVOEp1EcD3xWhKZfi0Uj37vjbinjLagPA4JiXuDktdW6EMuQ5dg30Y-v2bhFjhm9p6B66Nu7QH7TIhp12JZISCvwXsgFIA3Nd7AE9lqJIDnj-bf2aEZcQ/s320/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Rabiah M.</td></tr>
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These were pretty easy to make -- the body was just a cylinder, pinched and shaped by hand to approximate an octopus shape. The tentacles were just rolled out (using the palms). Suckers were created by initially putting flat circles on the tentacles. Then I pressed the tip (without lead) of a mechanical pencil into the center of each circle to give the donut/sucker look. Mostly, the tentacles stayed put during baking. However, the tentacle from each octopus that was intended to form the heart when they were placed side by side wilted, and eventually broke, in the oven. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f1rTMsbANFWOG8RmrThzNotRNDSEr7JsiAhRofRHQYrXdRItsSXKJb9sWPV0uN3ccNncZhKi0kFgZBHOCdXzGlGgV1Yc6a-k3xdoUMXCHLMZIfGvZ8WoQD_BgU9PNiPEg2gglyV83kw/s1600/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f1rTMsbANFWOG8RmrThzNotRNDSEr7JsiAhRofRHQYrXdRItsSXKJb9sWPV0uN3ccNncZhKi0kFgZBHOCdXzGlGgV1Yc6a-k3xdoUMXCHLMZIfGvZ8WoQD_BgU9PNiPEg2gglyV83kw/s320/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Rabiah M.</td></tr>
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They ended up not being able to form that heart anyway -- the beautiful cookies and cream (my husband's favorite flavor) cheese cake we got from our favorite bakery, <a href="http://www.capitalcitycheesecakes.com/">Capital City Cheesecake</a>, just barely fit these cute little monsters facing each other!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmwVQUv01lZIk0tyhprSUD764EWH1vcsJ38ehCCEaRJweUqOPvbcouqBzfkZcGSjxx2Gq7Na6uM-IanZ0k902ZDjKQ4ODCNiJFO4u21r6LuWxh5KPPgeSQuUkQV_mg0p7k3QeiOpuTh8/s1600/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmwVQUv01lZIk0tyhprSUD764EWH1vcsJ38ehCCEaRJweUqOPvbcouqBzfkZcGSjxx2Gq7Na6uM-IanZ0k902ZDjKQ4ODCNiJFO4u21r6LuWxh5KPPgeSQuUkQV_mg0p7k3QeiOpuTh8/s320/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Unknown?</td></tr>
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Of all of the decorations, handouts, etc. that I made, I am most proud of two: the gifts we gave to our guests and these cake toppers. And it seems as though I am not the only one who liked the cake toppers -- since our wedding, I've now had the honor of making llama and muskrat cake toppers for a friend's wedding (I'll post those soon enough) and will have the honor of making penguin cake toppers for one of my oldest, dearest friend's weddings this June! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9qbvKNZv6VFmxIwibcEg-Z_feZb172ZLnfiq69RbcOxhR6fhCn3vsqxtZKaBhK59GlizzLdhXxn7ippNc75D18yhQXpscyMwrtQ7Vu1KkvtG3BJEFHssKSprUytxB5VvlEEmR4CiP2w/s1600/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9qbvKNZv6VFmxIwibcEg-Z_feZb172ZLnfiq69RbcOxhR6fhCn3vsqxtZKaBhK59GlizzLdhXxn7ippNc75D18yhQXpscyMwrtQ7Vu1KkvtG3BJEFHssKSprUytxB5VvlEEmR4CiP2w/s320/Cake+Toppers+Octopi+07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dan F.</td></tr>
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<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-83372838337620348012013-01-25T17:39:00.003-05:002013-02-01T19:12:19.198-05:00Wedding Outdoor SignsWeddings are incredibly expensive. I didn't realize exactly how expensive they are until my husband and I began planning our own. Keeping costs down was difficult, but ultimately rewarding: instead of spending money, we opted as much as possible to spend time. As you already know, my friend and I baked the cupcakes for the wedding, and I also made some corn muffins for dinner. In addition to food, however, the husband and I also made most of the decorations. The wedding felt really intimate and really "us" as a result!<br />
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My parents live in the middle of the woods -- a perfect place to gather materials for sign-making. My dad and husband bonded over cutting and assembling the signs we had outside the mill on our wedding day. Then, my husband and I each painted our own sign. Mine? Beware of Bride, of course!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyu0pWDdA_X4vZhaM6y5gG-modtXrFo0VdaIdKQW6oRCRbBJDcKRKwbzcS51A-lNppobxAhAxJzpDPdhSkbT284i7y2Fp3zEC8RRKiORcZCWpcW4kCTozJU0ot4kSrusw8nybDIq9TTE/s1600/Wedding+Signs+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding sign, Beware of Bride, DIY" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyu0pWDdA_X4vZhaM6y5gG-modtXrFo0VdaIdKQW6oRCRbBJDcKRKwbzcS51A-lNppobxAhAxJzpDPdhSkbT284i7y2Fp3zEC8RRKiORcZCWpcW4kCTozJU0ot4kSrusw8nybDIq9TTE/s320/Wedding+Signs+01.JPG" title="Wedding sign, Beware of Bride, DIY" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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My husband made a groom crossing sign, with an octopus chasing the groom. These ended up being an enormous amount of fun to pose with for photos.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qPO_KYcCFFEaERfSlgeoZPqg8fTa_vtheszpR6CGxMM58uj696bjFTM1WtNhYPYdQFcrcwsWO26vjgAoHUAooog_6Qy6ZGCZMZU0Ia8QEvBFreBsnNdFtZgKN6S-bK00AmGuJ_txhOk/s1600/Wedding+Signs+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wedding groom crossing sign, DIY" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qPO_KYcCFFEaERfSlgeoZPqg8fTa_vtheszpR6CGxMM58uj696bjFTM1WtNhYPYdQFcrcwsWO26vjgAoHUAooog_6Qy6ZGCZMZU0Ia8QEvBFreBsnNdFtZgKN6S-bK00AmGuJ_txhOk/s320/Wedding+Signs+02.JPG" title="Wedding groom crossing sign, DIY" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dad</td></tr>
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Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-46512475217903406192013-01-23T22:27:00.003-05:002013-01-23T22:27:57.526-05:00Browned Butter Cupcakes with Coffee ButtercreamI'm phoning this one in; I'm wiped after roughly 14 hours of work and traveling to and from and between work locations. I know, I know, everybody has those days. Unfortunately, knowing that the experience is shared doesn't make it less exhausting when it happens!<br />
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Shortly after the wedding, I decided to make one last batch of cupcakes for fun: <a href="http://www.bakeyourday.net/brown-butter-cupcakes-with-coffee-buttercream/">Brown butter cupcakes with coffee buttercream</a>. I don't remember enough about them to give them a full rating, but I do remember two things: 1) browned butter is not as hard to make as I expected it to be, thanks to the great instructions over at <a href="http://www.bakeyourday.net/">Bake Your Day</a>, and 2) these were ridiculously delicious! My lack of memory notwithstanding, these are totally worth trying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkO-PcKmzDd73ZTa7r92eEjZTs_6KCjVIZSy2u4ITtmGknOAU0bH3dHaYO5j6UMe6Z0vUhNx6Opi92IFJh1yqDIA3onFOcDXwHRitWwmBQgKgt9dhRGOsjzsi1EbQHHWAl87akJ29VWU/s1600/Brown+Butter+Cupcakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Browned Butter Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkO-PcKmzDd73ZTa7r92eEjZTs_6KCjVIZSy2u4ITtmGknOAU0bH3dHaYO5j6UMe6Z0vUhNx6Opi92IFJh1yqDIA3onFOcDXwHRitWwmBQgKgt9dhRGOsjzsi1EbQHHWAl87akJ29VWU/s320/Brown+Butter+Cupcakes.JPG" title="Browned Butter Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-5744789591424753312013-01-21T19:02:00.000-05:002013-01-21T19:02:46.665-05:00Cheddar Ale SoupLet's fast-forward to a more recent meal. I've been making more soups than usual lately, mostly because they're a little less expensive to pull together. Given my love of cheese, it is probably no surprise that this <a href="http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/01/cheddar-ale-soup-with-homemade-croutons.html">cheddar ale soup</a> was irresistible to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YG474mGmv8Nt8Y1q7Uc5DqOJ3o08pr57yyrIiOqZycK8BjUiXLZYWieQS0ULvtdcqByAFMnZZurf4cLy29PrM4N1QBOBK-GCSOCfbtQ1TtT7ilU9zmvTgujK2sglc1MX2sfb5Y7NQvc/s1600/Chedder+Ale+Soup+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YG474mGmv8Nt8Y1q7Uc5DqOJ3o08pr57yyrIiOqZycK8BjUiXLZYWieQS0ULvtdcqByAFMnZZurf4cLy29PrM4N1QBOBK-GCSOCfbtQ1TtT7ilU9zmvTgujK2sglc1MX2sfb5Y7NQvc/s320/Chedder+Ale+Soup+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>We had leftover cipollini <span class="il"></span>onions -- not vidalia for a change -- and they are the worst onions I've ever dealt with. Not only did I cry more cutting up these onions than any other onion I've ever encountered, but their smell clings to the kitchen for hours, and even a day, later. Ouch! My husband had to chop the onions for the soup, because I just couldn't stop crying. <br />
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The soup was fine -- it was tasty but not mild-blowing. I added basil and chile powder to give the soup more oomph, as it is rich but kind of bland otherwise. I actually liked it more re-heated, but bear in mind that if you re-heat the lazy way (in the microwave) it will separate into gloppy parts and thin parts. Still tasty, but a strange texture. Still, if you like cheese a lot, you might as well give this a try!<br />
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<b>Cheddar Ale Soup</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">barely adapted from <a href="http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/01/cheddar-ale-soup-with-homemade-croutons.html">Tracey's Culinary Adventures</a></span><br />
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2 tablespoons bacon fat<br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
2 carrots, peeled and diced<br />
3 celery stalks, diced<br />
3 teaspoons minced garlic<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided into 1/3 and 1/6<br />
1 cup pale ale<br />
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce<br />
2 cups milk (I used skim)<br />
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth<br />
1 1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1 tablespoon mild new mexican chile powder<br />
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Combine bacon fat and butter over medium heat and melt. Mix in veggies, cover the pan, and cook for 20 minutes or so. The vegetables should be softened. Toss in the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to one minute. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the veggies and cook, stirring pretty much constantly. Then add beer and cook for 2-3 minutes until it resembles a paste. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, milk, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth. Increase heat and let soup simmer at medium-high. Once the soup begins to simmer, reduce heat to medium-lower and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes. At medium-low heat, add the cheese a little at a time, sprinkling the rest of the flour in at this stage to finish thickening. Don't let the soup boil. Add in the basil and New Mexican chile powder at the very end, and enjoy! This gives you about 8 servings of roughly 1 cup each, with each cup being about 400 calories.<br />
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Taste: 7.5<br />
Ease: 7<br />
Comfort: 8Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-77783927680897456642013-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:002013-01-19T12:00:12.383-05:00Fruit Loop and Cookie Dough Vodka CocktailsI am a big fan of cocktails made with strangely flavored vodkas. My first vodka discovery was <a href="http://vangoghvodka.com/">Van Gogh Vodka</a>. At the time Van Gogh had such exciting flavors as Acai-Blueberry, Mojito, and my favorite, Double Espresso. More recently, I've been getting into <a href="http://www.threeolives.com/">Three Olives</a>. At first, I bought their Triple Espresso for the sole purpose of comparing it to the Van Gogh Double Espresso; Three Olives blew Van Gogh out of the water. Then I fell in love with Bubble -- Three Olives' bubblegum flavored vodka. Ridiculous and delicious. The husband and I even have <a href="http://www.bakonvodka.com/">bacon vodka</a> (hint: scary) and <a href="http://www.alaskadistillery.com/">smoked salmon vodka</a> (good for Bloody Marys!) on our shelf. I know a lot of people are not huge fans of vodka, especially weirdly flavored vodka, but I can't help but love things that make drink-making easier. Typically, to allow the flavor of the (weird!) vodka to come through, all you need to make a delicious cocktail out of a flavored vodka is one to two other ingredients. It's simplicity itself.<br />
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When I visited my sister most recently, I left my hubs at home so we could have some quality girl time. To facilitate said quality girl time, we knew we had to stock up on strange vodkas for the weekend. Our choices? Three Olives Loopy (fruit-loop flavored vodka, what?!) and <a href="http://www.pinnaclevodka.com/">Pinnacle</a> Cookie Dough vodka. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R0R7U8l6sQjEQiD5nLJBu4u-2EPyenqRF3FEULGjcxtjdscqGkfgN0-dB5g-pWxQCq4T7mIC87hKE8YQBnmOsWORUI9Tgja1EPFO2EDD7VEoDr87QRVRGBQbE_OM1eKd_ZOPk1zkfEs/s1600/IMAG0275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fruit Loop Vodka with Sprite" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R0R7U8l6sQjEQiD5nLJBu4u-2EPyenqRF3FEULGjcxtjdscqGkfgN0-dB5g-pWxQCq4T7mIC87hKE8YQBnmOsWORUI9Tgja1EPFO2EDD7VEoDr87QRVRGBQbE_OM1eKd_ZOPk1zkfEs/s320/IMAG0275.jpg" title="Fruit Loop Vodka with Sprite" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>For a quick cocktail with the Loopy, just grab your favorite plain-ish soda -- Sprite zero was most convenient for us. Then, mix 1-2 parts Loopy to 3-4 parts soda (depending on your love of strong drinks). Stir, and sip -- or gulp. It tastes exactly like drinking fruit loops, which is surprisingly not nearly as weird or disturbing as it sounds.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvso7piR3n_UTBAmMsz5_5U3IjvO0Jfu5Sc_V-ARI7044yDp7VaSuCblXv05MJUA-ed1NIzugufYNph0YiIWotk3qjmYGqsg3sNBSk2MTekBTx2YxwG6FNDWcXDsPnmCNAbcNDMjayT4/s1600/IMAG0276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cookie Dough White Russian" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvso7piR3n_UTBAmMsz5_5U3IjvO0Jfu5Sc_V-ARI7044yDp7VaSuCblXv05MJUA-ed1NIzugufYNph0YiIWotk3qjmYGqsg3sNBSk2MTekBTx2YxwG6FNDWcXDsPnmCNAbcNDMjayT4/s320/IMAG0276.jpg" title="Cookie Dough White Russian" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I saw the cookie dough vodka in the store, I knew that it would go perfectly in a cookie dough White Russian. And boy, was I right on that -- the result was rich, creamy, and ever so vaguely cookie-ish. This was the best White Russian I've ever had. Want to make one yourself? Just 1 part coffee liqueur, 2 parts cookie dough vodka (or get creative! Try another flavor!), and something creamy to top it off.<br />
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These drinks were amazing. Seriously, if you're weirded out by strange vodkas, try to fight past it. There's a lot of fun flavors out there, and some truly outrageous ones: Van Gogh recently came out with PB&J (?!). I still haven't worked up the nerve to try that one, but maybe someday.Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-52812519664197316782013-01-17T19:01:00.002-05:002013-01-18T22:27:12.196-05:00Thanksgiving - DinnerAnd here's the doozy: The big feast. Prior Thanksgiving feasts have heavily featured food baked in ovens. For example, the cider scalloped potatoes we <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/03/thanksgiving-dinner.html">made in 2010</a> obviously required baking. You just don't get that kind of gooey cheese without a working oven. In <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-part-iii.html">2011</a>, we made at least four dishes in the oven: Cornish hens, Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, and cider scalloped potatoes. Oh, and this year? Found out the day before that my parent's oven was down for the count. Only the broiler was working.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzT7kUW3AftSL1MBKsGrs_Dsq4VrrF1_uFdsJ2uIESnimLB1LUSXZOVts9BDM32gwpAOd7C8W5UKmD9gZhq4ivRPKtDOj6qPV8D7s_o4vL8bNP6WreDtY93ZazZP1uoXfUUVqWsRVhB0/s1600/IMAG0407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dill bread" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzT7kUW3AftSL1MBKsGrs_Dsq4VrrF1_uFdsJ2uIESnimLB1LUSXZOVts9BDM32gwpAOd7C8W5UKmD9gZhq4ivRPKtDOj6qPV8D7s_o4vL8bNP6WreDtY93ZazZP1uoXfUUVqWsRVhB0/s320/IMAG0407.jpg" title="Dill bread" width="191" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Thankfully, I made the <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/06/family-dill-bread.html">dill bread</a> in advance, which left us with only a few things that we needed to figure out how to broil. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNXD_pJpuac4cog8Gq2b-ljwnAHL9HumRUH8suH_HgFNW_5BwpxvuCktLpkiKwFTosX7fxZbYsIkFETYVFwgmE1jxBTyklJJhlfV_Ttgi9PBFIQ1uTCgDckNWdhLu06-P9aEoCzjftZI/s1600/IMAG0398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted chile brocolli and root vegetable gratin" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNXD_pJpuac4cog8Gq2b-ljwnAHL9HumRUH8suH_HgFNW_5BwpxvuCktLpkiKwFTosX7fxZbYsIkFETYVFwgmE1jxBTyklJJhlfV_Ttgi9PBFIQ1uTCgDckNWdhLu06-P9aEoCzjftZI/s320/IMAG0398.jpg" title="Roasted chile brocolli and root vegetable gratin" width="320" /></a></div>
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We made a beautiful <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-chile-garlic-broccoli-50400000112001/">roasted chile broccoli</a> dish in the (broken) oven (featured on the right in the above photo). It took much longer than anticipated, probably because, you know, broken. This dish was delicious, but not outstanding -- the combination of flavors was pretty straightforward.<br />
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Taste: 8<br />
Ease: 7.5<br />
Comfort: 5<br />
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Per my sister's suggestion, we also made a <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/root_vegetable_gratin.html">root vegetable gratin</a> (featured in the picture above, center right). That was a terrible idea. While the beets were beautiful (I know, you can't tell under all that cheese), and it tasted fabulous, this was by far the hardest dish to prepare. The beets were so difficult to cut that I managed to slice my finger -- ouch! I will never make this recipe again. Stupid fussy root vegetables.<br />
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 3<br />
Comfort: 6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiGks4cYRZbWy4YbikErgb1wUaSHebZmAadFGxoLD-i58I-dVJiuPdh_Y3aEDey6B-lFouBvwsTfBqjUjo_fRAPmGR5QRHIKPaY7obukyzTfSlhjX7Y_FnYXySsRfyZCelv4fWkRn18Q/s1600/IMAG0403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grilled venison with a cherry Cabernet sauce" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiGks4cYRZbWy4YbikErgb1wUaSHebZmAadFGxoLD-i58I-dVJiuPdh_Y3aEDey6B-lFouBvwsTfBqjUjo_fRAPmGR5QRHIKPaY7obukyzTfSlhjX7Y_FnYXySsRfyZCelv4fWkRn18Q/s320/IMAG0403.jpg" title="Grilled venison with a cherry Cabernet sauce" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also made a beautiful <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rosemary-salt-crusted-venison-with-cherry-cabernet-sauce-10000001545728/">grilled venison with a cherry Cabernet sauce</a>. My dad adeptly grilled the venison for us while my sister and I whipped up the cherry Cabernet sauce. This, I think, was the better of the two meats we made for Thanksgiving. Although, I'd have trouble replicating it by myself since I am useless with a grill. Good thing I always have my dad and/or hubs to help me out with that!<br />
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 7<br />
Comfort: 7<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK5rNAY9Y9e4aWwksQg9eOEpMYrTPfS-w9U0d8X3GyBvbygy3pGzI9w23eE4PatIA6my9Kyvs0i2OqFJiuzRhHJa8fhE8mUF_CI6IqK19rEYOe4zjHFESV-u2z2b5Lu_Ny0mCOmS60sw/s1600/IMAG0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creamed corn with bacon and leeks" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK5rNAY9Y9e4aWwksQg9eOEpMYrTPfS-w9U0d8X3GyBvbygy3pGzI9w23eE4PatIA6my9Kyvs0i2OqFJiuzRhHJa8fhE8mUF_CI6IqK19rEYOe4zjHFESV-u2z2b5Lu_Ny0mCOmS60sw/s320/IMAG0402.jpg" title="Creamed corn with bacon and leeks" width="320" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamed-corn-with-bacon-leeks-10000000686154/">creamed corn with bacon and leeks</a> seemed like such a good idea on paper. Ultimately, though, it was pretty blah. I guess I should have anticipated that -- creamed corn is not known for having tons of pizazz. It nevertheless was still comforting in a smooshy, bacon-y kind of way. Maybe next time I'll throw in a handful of New Mexican Chile powder. I bet that would wake it up in a jiffy!<br />
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Taste: 6<br />
Ease: 7.5<br />
Comfort: 8<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7u2qCcuEWYrqyg7f_FG9VdTisR6lNTwkfZqbSctCYUf_1NTa4huZ6MUy0HyW8rDDOKOHJ9RGNZdPpASrVjaZiSFWgQ9WVAWpsA5DS5YJyQRp63KdgNxh8rEyoW8JeNLj2-iOI0yLglw/s1600/IMAG0399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted sweet potato salad with cranberry-chipotle dressing " border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7u2qCcuEWYrqyg7f_FG9VdTisR6lNTwkfZqbSctCYUf_1NTa4huZ6MUy0HyW8rDDOKOHJ9RGNZdPpASrVjaZiSFWgQ9WVAWpsA5DS5YJyQRp63KdgNxh8rEyoW8JeNLj2-iOI0yLglw/s320/IMAG0399.jpg" title="Roasted sweet potato salad with cranberry-chipotle dressing " width="320" /></a></div>
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The evening's show-stealer was the <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-sweet-potato-salad-50400000115807/">roasted sweet potato salad with cranberry-chipotle dressing</a> (above, bottom). I really don't like sweet potatoes. Of course, I have always had sweet, sweet potatoes. Not for me, let me tell you. But savory sweet potatoes? What a revelation! These were slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly savory, and completely mind-blowing. If I ever consider making sweet potatoes again, these will be first on my list.<br />
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Taste: 9<br />
Ease: 8<br />
Comfort: 7.5<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWsFBzO7t4RSouRihgoQ1uqq5WBgz_QxpFZijlO8aqVYg1WEt_QYlnI7iBoZnFC0XuywUIbc93_tkV6sOCkZrS15eBTvL4EqLSOhWQ__nDOsLdHvJ3QFg_AJ65qFo-ruHa-KDgFR4Sn4/s1600/IMAG0405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWsFBzO7t4RSouRihgoQ1uqq5WBgz_QxpFZijlO8aqVYg1WEt_QYlnI7iBoZnFC0XuywUIbc93_tkV6sOCkZrS15eBTvL4EqLSOhWQ__nDOsLdHvJ3QFg_AJ65qFo-ruHa-KDgFR4Sn4/s320/IMAG0405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our last meat, and the last part of dinner, was <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-honey-chile-glazed-duck-breast-10000001673028//">grilled honey-chile glazed duck breasts</a>, which I apparently was too spacey to take a picture of. Don't worry, you're not missing much -- they were fine but not outstanding. Not my favorite duck recipe by far. We did whip up an orange marmalade sauce that went well with them, though.<br />
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Taste: 7.5<br />
Ease: 8<br />
Comfort: 6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtKxVgYxIM1Wz1-bt22l2MvqlApBWzM0TPglZFF-nJzQ_2zt7j4QAM0w9_zZSGM-WoqYoEDFBzHqLhmbFYbljVa_KaZzKs4H6XsGeOvq5pkfIKbHtYQTApwvKEPJl9M-AIR1yxEZK2hw/s1600/IMAG0408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtKxVgYxIM1Wz1-bt22l2MvqlApBWzM0TPglZFF-nJzQ_2zt7j4QAM0w9_zZSGM-WoqYoEDFBzHqLhmbFYbljVa_KaZzKs4H6XsGeOvq5pkfIKbHtYQTApwvKEPJl9M-AIR1yxEZK2hw/s320/IMAG0408.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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For those of you who know me, you know I am a statistics nerd. My parents, who obviously love me dearly, found a "Probability" red wine and got it for the family to drink on Thanksgiving in honor of my nerdiness. And man, it was delicious!Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-27344350603316128602013-01-15T20:27:00.001-05:002013-01-18T22:23:28.736-05:00Valkyrie OutfitMy husband likes to go to the Ren Faire. I am okay with the Ren Faire, but it exhausts my introverted heart. To help me enjoy the Faire more, hubs makes me an outfit each year. One year, he made himself a Viking outfit, and me a Valkyrie outfit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYyzQSnk5OQqg4khRNKULbNED37HXy39rOJboeEyYcHPTfgHHthOIqSSMpKjkNvAhctdEJo1Kgix6Qp5mKTmBafnDkYiNPlSfqxfn2Azyfu4qCjH6sSDJlPlwGsnebdDftuGA7ctBTr0/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Valkyrie outfit" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYyzQSnk5OQqg4khRNKULbNED37HXy39rOJboeEyYcHPTfgHHthOIqSSMpKjkNvAhctdEJo1Kgix6Qp5mKTmBafnDkYiNPlSfqxfn2Azyfu4qCjH6sSDJlPlwGsnebdDftuGA7ctBTr0/s320/IMG_0047.JPG" title="Valkyrie outfit" width="240" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>I love Norse mythology, so I was super excited to get a beautiful, shiny Valkyrie outfit. In addition to making me a gold scale maille corset, he attached scale maille gauntlets to gloves and sewed a soft white cap.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZSiQRywu_iVdM83NHVqVqc6yG9_NyDQeksDliWaqvXh2MkqnIcTZ_8zb2Rg78WLXugQ5vc-qlr4_zSmLcl_Cg57fnffCMgKUSAYiABPqoTrjASS-tCh9Sgahh20UsvO0Yn_GH-DUeOQ/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scale mail gloves" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZSiQRywu_iVdM83NHVqVqc6yG9_NyDQeksDliWaqvXh2MkqnIcTZ_8zb2Rg78WLXugQ5vc-qlr4_zSmLcl_Cg57fnffCMgKUSAYiABPqoTrjASS-tCh9Sgahh20UsvO0Yn_GH-DUeOQ/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" title="Scale mail gloves" width="320" /></a></div>
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I added white fur to the gloves and hat, and designed and added wings to the white cap. Viola! Valkyrie complete!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAKHXeIZkfaQtcP07Oi1u1PT4slOZsb18RXcC89ie3cyu9b60ML9OtNaz2cGccQshfeg3g13kKCYrotiB5wgmA89F1MCJYOxgpHtAYWV5Sqf1YVqKKHo-y7_adwDZsSmK6DQ-SqsfPmY/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Valkyrie hat" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAKHXeIZkfaQtcP07Oi1u1PT4slOZsb18RXcC89ie3cyu9b60ML9OtNaz2cGccQshfeg3g13kKCYrotiB5wgmA89F1MCJYOxgpHtAYWV5Sqf1YVqKKHo-y7_adwDZsSmK6DQ-SqsfPmY/s320/IMG_0057.JPG" title="Valkyrie hat" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-32305606914786910992013-01-13T08:33:00.001-05:002013-01-18T22:22:01.323-05:00Thanksgiving - LunchIn addition to making a quicker, less labor-intensive breakfast for Thanksgiving 2012, we also prioritized making a quicker, less labor-intensive lunch. Of course, as in prior years, we heavily featured cheese and wine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrqOnSCOV0nUDyzDVRzKqDT-r-4RFjT5BONbVaCXY47NdYGPT8h8SYNIlCEcxgGYcApOR5x2D7D3XdF3Im5ylaJpVJnGiQoF6rek2X3jKKNfl69cH0liHaOpltjDV4l1EnAbmP1hOmKA/s1600/IMAG0395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cheese" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrqOnSCOV0nUDyzDVRzKqDT-r-4RFjT5BONbVaCXY47NdYGPT8h8SYNIlCEcxgGYcApOR5x2D7D3XdF3Im5ylaJpVJnGiQoF6rek2X3jKKNfl69cH0liHaOpltjDV4l1EnAbmP1hOmKA/s320/IMAG0395.jpg" title="Cheese" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71yyiYydzptnBgLM4FEqyoYXUZUP_ZO-2K1lC-TDvVfTbdP9IRl2BuP9IbUMGzmmPGtN7NGas6W_sjT6ji1B_UAIYR4kAZ1qzlS-QGDGfqwNlJyWHh4jFOc_HiNYHW19SIQ8eWTut0GU/s1600/IMAG0396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71yyiYydzptnBgLM4FEqyoYXUZUP_ZO-2K1lC-TDvVfTbdP9IRl2BuP9IbUMGzmmPGtN7NGas6W_sjT6ji1B_UAIYR4kAZ1qzlS-QGDGfqwNlJyWHh4jFOc_HiNYHW19SIQ8eWTut0GU/s320/IMAG0396.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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In prior years, we also included several other recipes to round out lunch. Cranberry meatballs were included in the Thankgivings of <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/02/cranberry-meatballs-and-goat-cheese.html">2010 </a>and <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-part-2.html">2011</a>. For Thanksgiving 2010, also made <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/02/cranberry-meatballs-and-goat-cheese.html">goat cheese crisps</a>, and for Thanksgiving 2011, we made both <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-part-2.html">marinara zucchini coins and and celery pear salad</a>. This past year, in the interests or keeping lunch light and easy to make, we pulled together a <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/balsamic-carrot-salad-10000001206190/">beautiful balsamic carrot salad</a>. This ended up being one of the hits of the day -- it's amazing how something with so few ingredients can taste so amazing! It was refreshing, flavorful, and a perfect complement to the cheeses. Highly recommended.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkipXeXJbJfvFOI6A2GsgvVu8_RoqIR5aFDtcA3qegU2ZpeJssWe0nFYCiu4RXOsyz7PJq3Z4A23H3MUAg3Y1EZAPhW0Q7sibcSaZRUJjrwzq35OBxNvWvm1wLCxjvIoqw1Iy8_7uy9OY/s1600/IMAG0393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Balsamic carrot salad" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkipXeXJbJfvFOI6A2GsgvVu8_RoqIR5aFDtcA3qegU2ZpeJssWe0nFYCiu4RXOsyz7PJq3Z4A23H3MUAg3Y1EZAPhW0Q7sibcSaZRUJjrwzq35OBxNvWvm1wLCxjvIoqw1Iy8_7uy9OY/s320/IMAG0393.jpg" title="Balsamic carrot salad" width="320" /></a></div>
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 9<br />
Comfort: 6Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-76885550489157102652013-01-10T21:44:00.003-05:002013-01-18T22:21:07.544-05:00Savory Chocolate BreadFood just goes well with my family. Not only do we all love to cook -- and eat -- but we also are all driven to share our food finds with each other. Nothing makes a meal taste as good as sharing it with someone you love. My sister has especially good taste in artisan foods, and likes to treat us to delicacies they make in small shops in her city. So, when sis brings fancy food down to us, we gobble it right up. One food gift was a beautiful loaf of savory chocolate cherry bread. Unsurprisingly, it didn't last. While I temporarily forgot about it in the bustle of living and working, eventually, an obsessive hunt across the internet for exciting bread recipes yielded a recipe for <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bread%20-machine&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe">savory chocolate bread</a>. The game was on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw5ydpetzUMEJ2QBDCfEk3JzX94bkwXmLU-JTxZAjmeG_b4TZP18dFy8y_imelz1BOPvEWx7GcLAH9BOIb0A8XLcRoAh98_pekJmJRF2Vt3RWla8Ievcbu2eVbAEdDTBTDz2oyM8EdZU/s1600/IMAG0312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Savory Chocolate Bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw5ydpetzUMEJ2QBDCfEk3JzX94bkwXmLU-JTxZAjmeG_b4TZP18dFy8y_imelz1BOPvEWx7GcLAH9BOIb0A8XLcRoAh98_pekJmJRF2Vt3RWla8Ievcbu2eVbAEdDTBTDz2oyM8EdZU/s320/IMAG0312.jpg" title="Savory Chocolate Bread" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see in the above photo, the bread raised wonderfully. The recipe quickly and easily came together; I still can't remember why I ever thought that bread recipes were truly "hard". Now, don't overgeneralize that statement. I still am not an expert--and probably never will be, thanks to having alarmingly little patience--in getting the perfect texture or the right rise, and I will adamantly defend the difficulty of making a loaf worthy of being sold in a bakery. However, it really isn't that hard to get something tasty and bread-like out of the oven with fairly little fuss.<br />
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While the bread had a nice, rich, savory flavor -- perfect for eggs (surprise!) or sandwiches -- it was a little on the dry side. It also tended to crumble whenever I sought to cut it, but the firmness of the loaf allowed for fairly thin slices, which I personally prefer. So, six of one, half dozen of the other. On the whole, the bread was solid, but not as mind-blowingly rich and moist as the bread my sister brought us, and not as irresistible as the <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2013/01/guinness-bread.html">Guinness loaves</a>. And so, the hunt continues.<br />
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Taste: 7<br />
Ease:8<br />
Comfort: 5.5Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-21002604038397747902013-01-08T19:22:00.002-05:002013-01-18T22:22:10.691-05:00Thanksgiving - BreakfastBy now you all know that my family knows how to rock out Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving 2011 was exhausting -- my sister and I were on our feet all day. We cooked so much for Thanksgiving <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-in-review-part-1.html">breakfast</a>, <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-part-2.html">lunch</a>, <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-part-iii.html">dinner</a>, and <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/02/thanksgiving-dinner.html">dessert</a> last year that we didn't get any time just to spend with our family. This year, we wanted to spend more time with our family, and consequently went for much, much easier recipes. Let's begin this Thanksgiving review with our fast and delicious breakfast, cooked entirely by my sister while I took the role of sous-chef.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVbMgWzaNXVdXzSlp-DH6J7tuPfIXFmBFTFArBm8zYf_7JSZM_tsMcyslIqNfyrmRsWAV6MPrIPZQa16a2kGDxp8rPo-mpXcvaiAvLbOHcYSLbAuT7XGHpQ2-QgMVVBVOZMeOSSORk5o/s1600/IMAG0364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pancakes and eggs" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVbMgWzaNXVdXzSlp-DH6J7tuPfIXFmBFTFArBm8zYf_7JSZM_tsMcyslIqNfyrmRsWAV6MPrIPZQa16a2kGDxp8rPo-mpXcvaiAvLbOHcYSLbAuT7XGHpQ2-QgMVVBVOZMeOSSORk5o/s320/IMAG0364.jpg" title="Pancakes and eggs" width="191" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Everyone in my family -- with the exception of my mom -- is an egg fiend. So, like Thanksgiving <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-in-review-part-1.html">2011 </a>and <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/02/sour-cream-cheddar-chive-potato-waffles.html">2010</a>, we scrounged up some veggies and some eggs and made a lovely scramble. My sister served up a beautiful southwestern scramble with salsa and sour cream. Since my mom is not as much into eggs, however, she also had to whip up a nice carbohydrate: pumpkin waffles courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDg-vVrW4Ii1Cn3ioOlIjPd4Odt-Pk82TAS1SKi7l6j7ZfIOW_BIeoLmCSVvaXxTrMtGwM8vbxdgSal8D3FHth4ovQyktkZkjzQHxW6j5Ewzks6qD9SVi_1PnWLlmFsKiPShm5z-Ut_4/s1600/IMAG0368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Champagne cocktail" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDg-vVrW4Ii1Cn3ioOlIjPd4Odt-Pk82TAS1SKi7l6j7ZfIOW_BIeoLmCSVvaXxTrMtGwM8vbxdgSal8D3FHth4ovQyktkZkjzQHxW6j5Ewzks6qD9SVi_1PnWLlmFsKiPShm5z-Ut_4/s320/IMAG0368.jpg" title="Champagne cocktail" width="191" /></a> </div>
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Finally, because we know how to do it right, we launched off Thanksgiving with a lovely champagne and creme de violette cocktail. Bliss!<br />
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Edit:<br />
I forgot to note that we also had some fruit to round out breakfast with the final food group (the scramble took care of dairy, protein, and veggies). How's that for a sort-of balanced breakfast?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGqShqQsAjow9q8AyOsc6vrq1Kpxd2hbAiClScVAH-XtTZXUm2d4vRVF-0uQbYtef7AD5BMNgxCwHEsfv8AhxtnXVwSSElm3x2_XlCmkx-iJVH3lqrB02dkrTD_N8rMBUJpcCp0oKMY8/s1600/IMAG0363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGqShqQsAjow9q8AyOsc6vrq1Kpxd2hbAiClScVAH-XtTZXUm2d4vRVF-0uQbYtef7AD5BMNgxCwHEsfv8AhxtnXVwSSElm3x2_XlCmkx-iJVH3lqrB02dkrTD_N8rMBUJpcCp0oKMY8/s320/IMAG0363.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-53232359017929062612013-01-06T09:57:00.001-05:002013-01-18T22:19:14.854-05:00Blueberry MilkLike any good kid, I loved chocolate milk when I was younger. In high school, the farm right down the road began carrying other flavored milks, including strawberry and orange cream. Orange cream rapidly became the love of my young life -- I never imagined that flavored milks could be so adventurous! While I have not been able to find orange cream milk for years, much to my dismay, I recently ran into a beautiful recipe at <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/">gimme some oven</a> for <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/blueberry-milk/">blueberry milk</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL18pGbBSeD_LKRV5JgP78g-3wYjLvfqwyb_EhaMFVcgYqn6wqr7Vkogr4YYqaS-gAxvriYHgGqwksyXfTUmuiFxIu8Q_wLnMoMANUbRjBTJY4eESy3IUPi_GEYFPHPNLLadyFZd6PfY/s1600/IMAG0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueberry Milk" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL18pGbBSeD_LKRV5JgP78g-3wYjLvfqwyb_EhaMFVcgYqn6wqr7Vkogr4YYqaS-gAxvriYHgGqwksyXfTUmuiFxIu8Q_wLnMoMANUbRjBTJY4eESy3IUPi_GEYFPHPNLLadyFZd6PfY/s320/IMAG0191.jpg" title="Blueberry Milk" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Blueberry milk begins with a simple blueberry syrup of blueberries, sugar, and water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYxO0Yek5NhYmpy2Wmb1xorjxSU8s4o2EPnkbyK_UXt4wvERyBE6BKtR4DPy5apGzLPtI3PqlXVr42Ex34Chyphenhyphen4eg5RcjJEh-M2mf58YjyDSy7DwQ71o4qjqyyhzwaEQIptCdVx_BjHCQ/s1600/IMAG0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueberry Simple Syrup" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYxO0Yek5NhYmpy2Wmb1xorjxSU8s4o2EPnkbyK_UXt4wvERyBE6BKtR4DPy5apGzLPtI3PqlXVr42Ex34Chyphenhyphen4eg5RcjJEh-M2mf58YjyDSy7DwQ71o4qjqyyhzwaEQIptCdVx_BjHCQ/s320/IMAG0185.jpg" title="Blueberry Simple Syrup" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bring to a boil, let simmer until reduced.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72y8Ps3N8EzB9cAPTbSE_bwkW44RJ-L9ZC3yS2gLr24_I50g3b4z6xUS4BibyDA0zLNV3Oj-3Dv-eh09HkMd5vOAGYG7cWVO3i9BAEhAPnZk0Y8Z4Kn-GX-YjqB3gF9Tg8mOw7lMf9kA/s1600/IMAG0187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueberry Simple Syrup" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72y8Ps3N8EzB9cAPTbSE_bwkW44RJ-L9ZC3yS2gLr24_I50g3b4z6xUS4BibyDA0zLNV3Oj-3Dv-eh09HkMd5vOAGYG7cWVO3i9BAEhAPnZk0Y8Z4Kn-GX-YjqB3gF9Tg8mOw7lMf9kA/s320/IMAG0187.jpg" title="Blueberry Simple Syrup" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, strain if desired (I didn't -- yum blueberry chunks!), and refrigerate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9hABrnXb_ezyYutzQt_lK9hbijAXr0nKNSvvjyDH7CzRgTdUhBtxKPsjYeMooaM1Ur_q3DrPLYtzWVDojazTE2irW6X3U-HLGbZfWAX7mSB39juyLmTJYMvIZkf0G6Srm_x1uPmE-LE/s1600/IMAG0190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueberry Simple Syrup" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9hABrnXb_ezyYutzQt_lK9hbijAXr0nKNSvvjyDH7CzRgTdUhBtxKPsjYeMooaM1Ur_q3DrPLYtzWVDojazTE2irW6X3U-HLGbZfWAX7mSB39juyLmTJYMvIZkf0G6Srm_x1uPmE-LE/s320/IMAG0190.jpg" title="Blueberry Simple Syrup" width="320" /></a></div>
To make the final concoction, just put up to 1/4 cup of blueberry syrup into 1 cup of milk and enjoy. Pure, sweet, decadent bliss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfkotr9Cq_MHojjf77z6yXY_fsPSLNaPfpRtuFSJLVWAeeoU4SyxR2XZuZ7wJRe90WXwKl5YU0WCqBkBensi0TibIEqdkkH1h3PPH19pyXiqkmcj8ViqxE3APPpvsoVwx-W1c_G1ivao/s1600/IMAG0193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueberry Milk" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfkotr9Cq_MHojjf77z6yXY_fsPSLNaPfpRtuFSJLVWAeeoU4SyxR2XZuZ7wJRe90WXwKl5YU0WCqBkBensi0TibIEqdkkH1h3PPH19pyXiqkmcj8ViqxE3APPpvsoVwx-W1c_G1ivao/s320/IMAG0193.jpg" title="Blueberry Milk" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ease: 9<br />
Taste: 8.5<br />
Comfort: 9 - oh, childhood relived!Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-8441705076288199122013-01-03T19:46:00.002-05:002013-01-18T22:17:54.926-05:00Guinness BreadHappy New Year! I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and productive 2013. Me, I'm trying to get back into good habits. I won't say that I'm making resolutions -- the guilt when I fail would crush me -- but the end of the holiday season is as good a time as any to work harder on eating healthy, getting some exercise, and posting to the blog.<br />
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As you all know by now, I am an absolute egg fiend. A day without eggs is a day without sunshine; a breakfast without an egg will ensure that I am hungry again in an hour. Sometimes, when I have time to chop and shred in the morning, I grab whatever veggies and cheese we have in the fridge and we start the day off with a veggie-egg-and-cheese scramble. However, many days have early meetings, and early meetings combined with a reasonably long commute mean I need to whip up something fast.<br />
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While my husband is walking the dogs and making me coffee (bliss!), I'll quickly grab some eggs and some bread and make the classic <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/04/eggs-in-basket.html">eggs in a basket</a>. When I'm feeling even more rushed (or lazier, let's be honest), I just toast some bread in a pan and top with an egg over easy. Now, I've had lots of different types of bread with over easy eggs, or with eggs in a basket. But hands down, the best bread for a hearty bread-and-egg breakfast is this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/guinness-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bread%20-machine&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe">Guinness Bread</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDSaU9KofNuyVrTmzqIPwZhlLfAjDMojdO7Ka49IE-SqFN8VxuEGuxqqMDi3g7BehnSVahUirhOPd0Uqa2-zrszDyNeZfREPNtwX1Z8iLTuhFby-T3A-5ROMBDOCWYivMh0T_yKH_k2I/s1600/IMAG0230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Guinness Beer Bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDSaU9KofNuyVrTmzqIPwZhlLfAjDMojdO7Ka49IE-SqFN8VxuEGuxqqMDi3g7BehnSVahUirhOPd0Uqa2-zrszDyNeZfREPNtwX1Z8iLTuhFby-T3A-5ROMBDOCWYivMh0T_yKH_k2I/s320/IMAG0230.jpg" title="Guinness Beer Bread" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>This is such an easy recipe to whip up. No kneading is required. All you have to do is toss several ingredients together and bake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ2HlNPyPlM7R13hxWwc5ZyLGegZmujTshLJb_hgTNjFkCLixbWzkorszuBrWudmuXwkd5mh7fI7eu8jQ4ARhM7R3W4cBn4M-o6lyOcOGaig__4AYai9hfcy3NRLbWRVl69MQq5lyxs8/s1600/IMAG0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ2HlNPyPlM7R13hxWwc5ZyLGegZmujTshLJb_hgTNjFkCLixbWzkorszuBrWudmuXwkd5mh7fI7eu8jQ4ARhM7R3W4cBn4M-o6lyOcOGaig__4AYai9hfcy3NRLbWRVl69MQq5lyxs8/s320/IMAG0221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB4KyrZHgPlhjlja0krNHR2fBppX219LvA-AnimrAvx-NErbJ1hKyPzUzVd0xYXbuPALts2dcDUQXFv-YzZbnN27EGb-cPnFZ3yLdDXE1lj0jSDlLWQjbDDL3QUjxBHhPkWuKAzMdeuw/s1600/IMAG0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB4KyrZHgPlhjlja0krNHR2fBppX219LvA-AnimrAvx-NErbJ1hKyPzUzVd0xYXbuPALts2dcDUQXFv-YzZbnN27EGb-cPnFZ3yLdDXE1lj0jSDlLWQjbDDL3QUjxBHhPkWuKAzMdeuw/s320/IMAG0222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But be warned: This bread does not rise the way yeast breads rise. I thought I would be clever and split it into two slightly smaller regular loaves, but I ended up with two flat loaves. I simply could not make eggs in a basket with this bread, given how depressed it was; it was all I could do to toast it in the pan and toss on an egg over easy. And, if and when I make this bread again, I will definitely just make one loaf. That being said, this bread was absolutely made for egg yolk. The rich, slightly bitter flavor of the bread melds perfectly with a creamy yolk, yielding an absolutely decadent breakfast with only two ingredients. Well, if you ignore whatever you use to coat the pan. And of course all of the ingredients you use for the bread.<br />
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While I'm not sure that the bread will hold together wonderfully for sandwiches, you need to make this bread, if only for breakfast and for secretly shoving into your mouth slathered in butter and honey when no one else is looking. Your loaf will be gone before you know it.<br />
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Taste: 9.5<br />
Ease: 9<br />
Comfort: 8.5 with eggs!Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-11053144640671566122012-11-21T10:07:00.003-05:002013-01-18T22:17:11.671-05:00Sweet Corn and Bourbon Ice Cream.When I was growing up, I had a serious sweet tooth. My parents were convinced that I would give myself diabetes. If it was sweet, I loved it. Cookies, cakes, candies, and of course, ice cream. It took until I got to college to get rid of that sweet tooth. While my college was awesome in many ways, the food was uninspiring and the ice cream -- soft serve, mostly -- sub-par. The desserts were likewise somewhat bland. So I fell out of my love affair with all things sweet and never quite got back into it. The nail on my sweet-tooth coffin was the discovery of weird, bizarre, unique ice creams. Sweet corn, creme fraiche, olive oil -- delicious! I rarely eat "regular" ice cream anymore (honey-lavender was the last non-homemade flavor I had), but I will occasionally whip up a batch of something strange and exciting at home. If you too are a fan of unusual ice cream flavors, I strongly recommend that you invest in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jenis-Splendid-Ice-Creams-Home/dp/1579654363">Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPMmm7ySMeVQphH_nxL4aOis30e6_9KDqrfdLy4zFVs9LFiRwaS8iiiIcgQiHSepNfS4VR1DMw-BbYJjarz87jP7gr5fwylaVxzXj4ruiF5A-lkp2gIXlX72DB8V_wQBm71Zdjp-y7K8/s1600/IMAG0212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bourbon Ice Cream" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPMmm7ySMeVQphH_nxL4aOis30e6_9KDqrfdLy4zFVs9LFiRwaS8iiiIcgQiHSepNfS4VR1DMw-BbYJjarz87jP7gr5fwylaVxzXj4ruiF5A-lkp2gIXlX72DB8V_wQBm71Zdjp-y7K8/s320/IMAG0212.jpg" title="Bourbon Ice Cream" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Even if you've made ice cream at home before, Jeni's are different. To start with, she uses a totally different base -- milk, cornstarch, cream cheese, corn syrup. Wait, cream cheese in ice cream? And no eggs? Yep, you betcha. And it works beautifully.<br />
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There's some mixing, some boiling, some chilling. All said, it's pretty straightforward and easy.<br />
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I started off my Jeni adventures by making two ice creams for my mom's birthday: Sweet corn and Bourbon. Sweet corn used fresh, delicious corn (mm!). Irresistible.<br />
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Unfortunately, at the time, my ice cream machine was on the fritz so I had to make it the old fashioned way. If you've never done that before, it's easy. Just pour the ice cream into a shallow freezer-proof dish and let it chill in the freezer until it starts thickening. As it cools, beat the ice cream every 30 minutes or so to break up the ice crystals. In some ways, while it's a little more babysitting, I prefer ice cream made this way. Since less air is incorporated, it tends to have a more gelato-like consistency than ice-cream machine ice cream.<br />
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The bourbon ice cream froze better but was less of a hit, as I expected. It was delicious, but, well, a little more normal. I probably won't be making it again myself. The sweet corn, on the other hand -- out of this world! There is nothing like sweet corn ice cream. It is exciting, and textured, and truly delicious. By the time we'd sampled the ice creams, everyone was a Jeni's ice cream convert.<br />
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<b>Sweet Corn Ice Cream</b><br />
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Taste: 9<br />
Ease:7.5<br />
Comfort: 6<br />
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<b>Bourbon Ice Cream</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW8o1tH1yXQG667yw_I7vjnfMc9RVF5YbB3HBWi4lBJM2HEDGpFUugrul2zuK8nPCo2hNgr7PlaqbYxVD_gMsvV-FpWYCUZd7abwI7SVW41IfvEhUx5UEtO4Kvk1POs0kqFkO-0FM1uk/s1600/IMAG0211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bourbon Ice Cream" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW8o1tH1yXQG667yw_I7vjnfMc9RVF5YbB3HBWi4lBJM2HEDGpFUugrul2zuK8nPCo2hNgr7PlaqbYxVD_gMsvV-FpWYCUZd7abwI7SVW41IfvEhUx5UEtO4Kvk1POs0kqFkO-0FM1uk/s320/IMAG0211.jpg" title="Bourbon Ice Cream" width="320" /></a></div>
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Taste: 7<br />
Ease: 8.5<br />
Comfort: 5.5<br />
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Low comfort scores from me because I am just not a huge ice cream person. When I need comfort, I turn to cheese, not sweets -- but truly delicious nontheless. A final word of caution: Neither of these kept very well for very long in the freezer. This could be because I didn't freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance (whoops), because I didn't use the right ice cream maker (oh well), or because I froze them in less-than-ideal containers. Still, if you like ice cream, and you eat it quickly (I'm looking at you, sis!), I strongly recommend trying out Jeni's.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y11FLjC-bZyhBKb81hPWPjBjNyQWRdNl7cKuNJBQKFv1jDIbzMXy-DK_OzqPTi4J2RB6OC7iPhJNil5M3IpPt05MrVielP7zJEMI0HHE4lsu535YSnXH7wPFP2eS7f0343m0nPduTWI/s1600/IMAG0214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sweet corn ice cream" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y11FLjC-bZyhBKb81hPWPjBjNyQWRdNl7cKuNJBQKFv1jDIbzMXy-DK_OzqPTi4J2RB6OC7iPhJNil5M3IpPt05MrVielP7zJEMI0HHE4lsu535YSnXH7wPFP2eS7f0343m0nPduTWI/s320/IMAG0214.jpg" title="Sweet corn ice cream" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-56815732617149732672012-11-19T18:07:00.000-05:002013-01-18T22:15:51.080-05:00Watermelon SpritzersObviously this is an out-of-season post -- when summer comes around next year, I strongly recommend trying out these <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/06/watermelon-spritzers/">watermelon spritzers</a>. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>These delicious spritzers are super easy and super refreshing. Just blend . . .<br />
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Strain . . .<br />
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and drink. My mom added some vodka and proclaimed it amazing. Give it a try!<br />
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 9.5<br />
Comfort: 7Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-88175266523176382812012-11-16T18:06:00.004-05:002013-01-18T22:14:41.784-05:00Homemade TortillasAs you know, for several months we did not buy baked goods; I made them all instead. But, there are only so many loaves of bread you can make before starting to get bored. In my quest to find a different starch to bake, I ran into a recipe for what looked like delicious <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-flour-tortillas/">homemade tortillas</a>.<br />
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I replaced the lard with butter and threw in some dried basil and New Mexican mild hatch chile powder (surprise!). The dough was super easy to assemble. The ease of pulling the dough together duped me into a false sense of security about the ease of the recipe overall -- until I began rolling the suckers out, that is. It takes awhile to get into the hang of rolling out tortillas, especially since they're so darn sticky, so the going was very, very slow. It didn't help that I had to juggle frying them one-at-a-time while simultaneously trying to roll out the next tortilla. Tricky, tricky.<br />
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These took way longer in hands-on time than any bread recipe I have EVER made. They are also SUPER delicious, but I'm 50/50 on whether I would do these again given the time investment required. Plus I got flour absolutely everywhere, but to be fair, that happens every time I bake. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKacb6ns5pOgdykkcZ1y3bkkWjH90KcQCkKsXGWe-JqNMEZgza_xWN8ZXCeLh4FAn0iS73CsFh9bWqMWApxeLUKdNZ7LddiL6xJN5SwNe4el7hNtZGP92eGvKO_5fXdlXEX0gq0N0Ijs/s1600/IMAG0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKacb6ns5pOgdykkcZ1y3bkkWjH90KcQCkKsXGWe-JqNMEZgza_xWN8ZXCeLh4FAn0iS73CsFh9bWqMWApxeLUKdNZ7LddiL6xJN5SwNe4el7hNtZGP92eGvKO_5fXdlXEX0gq0N0Ijs/s320/IMAG0290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 5 (time penalty and the difficulties of rolling/stretching)<br />
Comfort: 7Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-38023433840066480042012-11-14T19:38:00.001-05:002013-01-18T22:13:58.916-05:00Pizza breadAs a child, visits to my great grandmom always involved a stop-over at a local bakery. We would pick out a coconut cake for her, sweets for my sister and I, and most importantly -- pizza rolls. I lived for those pizza rolls. They were amazing. You could heat them up and eat them for a quick lunch or eat them cold, either way, they were amazing! So, when I saw a recipe for a <a href="http://picky-palate.com/2011/03/31/cheesy-pepperoni-pizza-quick-bread/">cheesy pizza bread</a>, I knew I had to try it and reclaim some of those memories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JXqJKTYpB4M1oaTiCY34MCqeI63_KS6ewbjUI3Qbreip_rHDD5axuRjQC8Wa0hne1AgPLRdX8xLTnMoZquXRi3TdKiPgBTVFJ6hajF3A0gPGogj8_oFWu-hnPvMhukp_rlBziLu6h5c/s1600/IMAG0246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pizza bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JXqJKTYpB4M1oaTiCY34MCqeI63_KS6ewbjUI3Qbreip_rHDD5axuRjQC8Wa0hne1AgPLRdX8xLTnMoZquXRi3TdKiPgBTVFJ6hajF3A0gPGogj8_oFWu-hnPvMhukp_rlBziLu6h5c/s320/IMAG0246.jpg" title="Pizza bread" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>This is a ridiculously simple recipe, and while it looks like it calls for a lot of ingredients, they are mostly pantry staples. It's really delicious as well, although I'm not sure I cooked it all the way through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60RcGSpX19vgLhybFCZf2VyoJvHdi7ixUvxW1UG-6opPhotKUDR_whjXsIlb0LWP1l_kspYSSyLvOYOCui52h_ibk7VZG9v0iXiarQH_RGU80BPkZTYvVXwYJ7LtEWCBQvweyq50MZmA/s1600/IMAG0241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pizza bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60RcGSpX19vgLhybFCZf2VyoJvHdi7ixUvxW1UG-6opPhotKUDR_whjXsIlb0LWP1l_kspYSSyLvOYOCui52h_ibk7VZG9v0iXiarQH_RGU80BPkZTYvVXwYJ7LtEWCBQvweyq50MZmA/s320/IMAG0241.jpg" title="Pizza bread" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was still pretty smooshy on the inside, but fortunately I love bread/pizza bread like that. The husband and I took a slice in for lunch until the loaf was gone, which really only took a few days. Delicious, cheesy, pizza-y, and altogether awesome! Next time I'm definitely adding even more cheese.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdTECiomlzd8VDQk__Ewv-fPnFpKsQ6mgzGArrTAP2QqpMUahyphenhyphenswfMM-rOGaKEfKk-sLRLno1kT6LgeGJVABXpIb0FuX4zmrBU85H7jK_4bOIcapvAcb_-F8tWjUmyX3TupDMuou5mDc/s1600/IMAG0242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pizza bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdTECiomlzd8VDQk__Ewv-fPnFpKsQ6mgzGArrTAP2QqpMUahyphenhyphenswfMM-rOGaKEfKk-sLRLno1kT6LgeGJVABXpIb0FuX4zmrBU85H7jK_4bOIcapvAcb_-F8tWjUmyX3TupDMuou5mDc/s320/IMAG0242.jpg" title="Pizza bread" width="320" /></a></div>
Taste: 8.5<br />
Ease: 8.5<br />
Comfort: 9 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja38UOsTA9dSgdfz0hxfkExm7brHZjU3BlAr3Lhe8Xlid9otTNuMRMqpUdyE9_AfoeFGKEdhVa-vCxpH9RqxpMegWZrT9g6_nFZhYYsz58jrolv5xQ6jHd-RkbQZOgMb3Cly3EZjYTLig/s1600/IMAG0251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pizza bread" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja38UOsTA9dSgdfz0hxfkExm7brHZjU3BlAr3Lhe8Xlid9otTNuMRMqpUdyE9_AfoeFGKEdhVa-vCxpH9RqxpMegWZrT9g6_nFZhYYsz58jrolv5xQ6jHd-RkbQZOgMb3Cly3EZjYTLig/s320/IMAG0251.jpg" title="Pizza bread" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-7112461833433194362012-11-12T18:02:00.000-05:002013-01-18T22:12:58.882-05:00Lavender SodaLavender is not for everybody, but it is definitely for me. I love a delicate floral flavor and can't resist it in anything -- hence my undying love of Traminette. Some days -- rarely, mind you -- I have nothing to do, get bored, and need to distract myself by making something delicious. The result of one such day was lavender soda.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfFFMvv9ylxQJWY-yXDEzU6zv_lLQS97QIbkVwRaEwTvL7nHonyrrh3-ZG8B-LYRB4qui6hr83D0m4dOvtLn7PHYgjqlkmadyyU1yF_m6gYLHfSC9TWVI4opg2GPSXbOcsWhyphenhyphencQ2n_kQ/s1600/IMAG0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lavender soda" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfFFMvv9ylxQJWY-yXDEzU6zv_lLQS97QIbkVwRaEwTvL7nHonyrrh3-ZG8B-LYRB4qui6hr83D0m4dOvtLn7PHYgjqlkmadyyU1yF_m6gYLHfSC9TWVI4opg2GPSXbOcsWhyphenhyphencQ2n_kQ/s320/IMAG0178.jpg" title="Lavender soda" width="191" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Lavender soda is very easy to make. All you need is the following:<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1. Club soda<br />
2. Lavender buds<br />
3. Sugar<br />
4. Water<br />
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1. First, make lavender simple syrup. Put about equal parts (for example 1 cup each) of sugar and water in a saucepan. Fill a tea infuser with lavender buds and put in the sugar/water mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring periodically.<br />
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Boil long enough for it to thicken and for the lavender flavor to be fully infused in the simple syrup. I colored it at this point because I wanted a pretty purple hue, and managed to color my hands as well!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLq8i_IST4nFKkzkGlZctnssavE5rUO6JBvE35fYeSHMRz9rYYtScqq25dbhEdpehmZkU6gjN_t1RcFlwnzjU2lIEXhnUCK-72tgOd37VKDbbD3WgeRbtyg4rBCICgpvyCf_82KyEvEI/s1600/IMAG0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lavender simple syrup" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLq8i_IST4nFKkzkGlZctnssavE5rUO6JBvE35fYeSHMRz9rYYtScqq25dbhEdpehmZkU6gjN_t1RcFlwnzjU2lIEXhnUCK-72tgOd37VKDbbD3WgeRbtyg4rBCICgpvyCf_82KyEvEI/s320/IMAG0175.jpg" title="Lavender simple syrup" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Let cool. Possibly refer to a fridge for this step.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupCigICLkcapynDZRVOT7LH8aGdaMXuICMx4Qj4D005UkY5TuGXWhFuc8e3CkfD-eDR7v0-LsVHJWLa1sGKXbbid4cQUFpovZBYtTLL5JdcMsbQoyHuOS7hNwpO4ed9wL-qVHOwz3k00/s1600/IMAG0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lavender simple syrup" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupCigICLkcapynDZRVOT7LH8aGdaMXuICMx4Qj4D005UkY5TuGXWhFuc8e3CkfD-eDR7v0-LsVHJWLa1sGKXbbid4cQUFpovZBYtTLL5JdcMsbQoyHuOS7hNwpO4ed9wL-qVHOwz3k00/s320/IMAG0177.jpg" title="Lavender simple syrup" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Fill glass with ice. Put in some lavender simple syrup -- maybe about an inch. Fill with club soda and add more lavender simple syrup to taste.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyVHqADnZmbJF7KUuMbd8-aFdThaTz0pJ9vk74C-zp8-YkvE-T7hL1UyuQnS-GR7eptBw9nM9Cw6O78jUUFR8x_fsOaf74r2x5LTsJ6PpONUeP351ZDDWRsmtb-4sJ7e7JpvzD5l7L9k/s1600/IMAG0179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lavender Soda" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyVHqADnZmbJF7KUuMbd8-aFdThaTz0pJ9vk74C-zp8-YkvE-T7hL1UyuQnS-GR7eptBw9nM9Cw6O78jUUFR8x_fsOaf74r2x5LTsJ6PpONUeP351ZDDWRsmtb-4sJ7e7JpvzD5l7L9k/s320/IMAG0179.jpg" title="Lavender Soda" width="191" /></a></div>
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Welcome to refreshing!<br />
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Comfort: 7<br />
Ease: 9<br />
Taste: 8.5Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-70608522133736777772012-11-10T17:26:00.002-05:002013-01-18T22:11:41.952-05:00Coyote Beaded MaskThe first function I went to with my now-husband and his friends took place in late 2007. It was a masquerade birthday party for one of his college friends. I was only a week or two out of ACL surgery and still on crutches at the time. By 2011, I was as firm a friend with the same woman as Hubs, and when she hosted another birthday masquerade party, I knew I had to make a very special mask for the occasion. Enter the coyote mask.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWTPC81bUeAzsgCix3MQU66dpbdH8QMVKDux286MbJ_GJUl3lvJw-_CPtuZecEU_jZlSzafl0QGfWz-PPBQdcaTo9k5owpr6Chgn_V9LPc6EVv7ld0endk9TqLFK7Csm0W9hn9X7AjM/s1600/IMAG0150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWTPC81bUeAzsgCix3MQU66dpbdH8QMVKDux286MbJ_GJUl3lvJw-_CPtuZecEU_jZlSzafl0QGfWz-PPBQdcaTo9k5owpr6Chgn_V9LPc6EVv7ld0endk9TqLFK7Csm0W9hn9X7AjM/s320/IMAG0150.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="186" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>I have always been fascinated by mythology. I especially enjoyed stories about trickster figures -- Loki from Norse mythology, Raven and Coyote from certain Native American tribes. Since my interest in mythological trickster figures has not waned over time (Tom Hiddleston as Loki in recent major motion pictures doesn't hurt!), I decided to make the mask for her party the first of a series of trickster masks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tlj7pYFfwseJBVaucOB4CgOFnoRprc0FJ6XhMQe3Cx9NMnBU6zTo8Ix2zFQTgJuF5edn8o07tvkn5bl-OVRHL1t-xThvWAHLSk6tK4qPRu3LNSsI50MeErJjxKtLbzJ4es4InKsfzUI/s1600/IMAG0156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tlj7pYFfwseJBVaucOB4CgOFnoRprc0FJ6XhMQe3Cx9NMnBU6zTo8Ix2zFQTgJuF5edn8o07tvkn5bl-OVRHL1t-xThvWAHLSk6tK4qPRu3LNSsI50MeErJjxKtLbzJ4es4InKsfzUI/s320/IMAG0156.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="320" /></a></div>
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For coyote, I wanted to make a mask that, while drawing from traditional symbols, also reflected modern conveniences and fashions. I began with a basic half mask and wire, and sculpted a frame of the face. I used paper mache to flesh out the mask, then painted it with a dusty colored paint. Sand was incorporated directly into the paint to ensure that it would stick and that the mask would have a sandy texture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftRq1N8BuHGK9vddhYgX4DOMzlQGZxXT-9bdtQ7d0er1Ue33_KAdr5XI40SDpH4fMEvoMaTkP0ogjZYUgQx7_lb7gJvj0KB8MwGuDbXPjylY6KVN1pq_Y_yNK0KXohGyceUxKCazGr3g/s1600/IMAG0151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftRq1N8BuHGK9vddhYgX4DOMzlQGZxXT-9bdtQ7d0er1Ue33_KAdr5XI40SDpH4fMEvoMaTkP0ogjZYUgQx7_lb7gJvj0KB8MwGuDbXPjylY6KVN1pq_Y_yNK0KXohGyceUxKCazGr3g/s320/IMAG0151.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decorated the mask with wire, beads, and crystals, drawing from traditional symbols of several southwestern Indian tribes, including a personal favorite, Kokopelli (across the left eye of the mask).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr9FKn6vMkx8kcUa4pmKShvJLAooKypOtchB2VetYYsowrwJ3cE8sAEdZePK4DKa0zLsq2TS5rSEM9yVPc5WYK3Z7Lcofd0VcDM-sGSyHcm-u-y7j8UQkWesDwLPBYpNI-d1pvzgQW4c/s1600/IMAG0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr9FKn6vMkx8kcUa4pmKShvJLAooKypOtchB2VetYYsowrwJ3cE8sAEdZePK4DKa0zLsq2TS5rSEM9yVPc5WYK3Z7Lcofd0VcDM-sGSyHcm-u-y7j8UQkWesDwLPBYpNI-d1pvzgQW4c/s320/IMAG0152.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFW5MWbmwktZo5eica7b1LsgYtu8UZ3Me-vM6Tad0OfjuHD22gzIONygWJuLIVYnnzDAUfXnPosdr4TWd_lW4umA9JG412VHZ2jPPf6eZo-wNScU1Bx9nZE2YXM7UrPaI0Pdln7a5vZc/s1600/IMAG0153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFW5MWbmwktZo5eica7b1LsgYtu8UZ3Me-vM6Tad0OfjuHD22gzIONygWJuLIVYnnzDAUfXnPosdr4TWd_lW4umA9JG412VHZ2jPPf6eZo-wNScU1Bx9nZE2YXM7UrPaI0Pdln7a5vZc/s320/IMAG0153.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, I also decorated the stick with crystals and beads. Overall, I like it -- a little bit old and a little bit new! I think this might be one of the nicest, if not the nicest, craft projects I've ever made.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDls1yrGIceuq7nLfwSQpPzEGN2oOSVlMhyphenhyphennMj-dJwp8p-970PyGqPMk6Gp1kCQ5js4heL0BVNVlfqS-DohxUMWAnfYAb07QUGb7JMzHSgzCwXla9f2_vThxqxPyD6HhS89Scfd_qmDmA/s1600/IMAG0154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coyote Beaded Mask" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDls1yrGIceuq7nLfwSQpPzEGN2oOSVlMhyphenhyphennMj-dJwp8p-970PyGqPMk6Gp1kCQ5js4heL0BVNVlfqS-DohxUMWAnfYAb07QUGb7JMzHSgzCwXla9f2_vThxqxPyD6HhS89Scfd_qmDmA/s320/IMAG0154.jpg" title="Coyote Beaded Mask" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-40588781799958307132012-08-21T17:13:00.003-04:002013-01-18T22:10:05.935-05:00Pumpkin PastaOne of my super fabulous sisters-in-law is coming down to visit me tomorrow. While I'm super excited to make something tasty and fancy for dinner for the two of us (some variant of <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2012/05/duck-and-cherries-for-win.html">duck burritos</a>, anyone?), I realize that I've been remiss in posting the final foods I made for my husband (and his previously-mentioned fabulous sisters). So, without further ado, let's talk about <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/11/14/pasta-creamy-pumpkin-sauce/">pumpkin pasta</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qmwNfaZrt7Po3COGIUadhvOwQvao70FHbncTqHZvmt_XZC7iCwg1yavrNk3FS7asq74ZX_KNZqwQ4sPScQU5QWSEsIZQ-udS28id5lrMJJdf2ORJU5bBZWQD0kHkQ4if4eHdKJD2_pM/s1600/IMAG0263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pumpkin Pasta" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qmwNfaZrt7Po3COGIUadhvOwQvao70FHbncTqHZvmt_XZC7iCwg1yavrNk3FS7asq74ZX_KNZqwQ4sPScQU5QWSEsIZQ-udS28id5lrMJJdf2ORJU5bBZWQD0kHkQ4if4eHdKJD2_pM/s320/IMAG0263.jpg" title="Pumpkin Pasta" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Most pumpkin pasta recipes I see are ravioli-style, with the pumpkin in the pasta itself (such as the previously aired <a href="http://drjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-favorite.html">pumpkin ravioli with Gorgonzola sauce</a> . . . yum!). However, in the spirit of a lighter, simpler pasta dinner, I spent some time looking for recipes with a pumpkin sauce. And my goodness, was I pleasantly surprised.<br />
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The recipe I settled on already looks easy on paper. I also admittedly took my usual shortcuts. No shallot, but a little extra garlic -- pre-diced. Dried basil and dried thyme instead of sage. Fat-free milk instead of low-fat milk. A wedge of Williams and Sonoma spreadable "cheese" instead of Parmesan, as that's all we had in the drawer. In short, I managed to make a delicious pumpkin pasta using only ingredients that already existed in our cupboard. If that isn't magic, I don't know what is.<br />
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Everyone loved this -- or at least was polite enough to claim to love this -- and you will too. It is light, yet creamy and rich. Definitely worth firing up your burners for this fall!<br />
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Ease: 8.5<br />
Taste: 9<br />
Comfort: 8.5<br />
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<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-73714153842202578562012-08-11T11:30:00.002-04:002013-01-18T22:09:11.111-05:00Mango Margarita SorbetFor hub's birthday, we were visited by his two beautiful sisters. I made a pasta dinner -- which I will hopefully remember to review soon -- and a dessert. Since I've been doing so much baking lately, I wanted to make something a little different for dessert. Naturally, my mind immediately went to ice cream or sorbet. When I went to the store to pick up food for the week, I was immediately inspired by the massive sale on mangos. And so, the Mango Margarita Sorbet, adapted from and inspired by this <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mango-agave-sorbet-10000001880009/">Mango-Agave Sorbet Recipe</a>, was born.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-ruI0EU6WmrGlMua3AUnaWO9MLgX-YmMOSKHQX2tT3aJqC30Kd5Ix0vln_ILo1_G1R6YUQ9BNqz82dMdtf6ibllYCga-pPXhF0de_6xDUxPurwy-Pg9QKWVtCTfXrpmIZXFoyIjquh4/s1600/IMAG0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mango Margarita Sorbet" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-ruI0EU6WmrGlMua3AUnaWO9MLgX-YmMOSKHQX2tT3aJqC30Kd5Ix0vln_ILo1_G1R6YUQ9BNqz82dMdtf6ibllYCga-pPXhF0de_6xDUxPurwy-Pg9QKWVtCTfXrpmIZXFoyIjquh4/s320/IMAG0264.jpg" title="Mango Margarita Sorbet" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><u>Ingredients</u><br />
4 cups cubed peeled ripe mango<br />
Juice of 2 limes<br />
1/3 cup tequila<br />
2 shots limoncello<br />
3/4 cup agave syrup<br />
1/3 cup water<br />
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<u>Directions</u><br />
1. Pulse ingredients in a blender until super smooth and creamy.<br />
2. Let cool in fridge<br />
3. Process in ice creamer maker, as per maker instructions<br />
4. Freeze until appropriately solid. Bear in mind that this will take some time thanks to the alcohol in the sorbet<br />
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The result? Grainy, because using real fruit always adds a texture, but quite delicious. This is not, mind you, the kind of sorbet you'll want to eat a pint of straight. This is the kind of sorbet you have a small scoop of and linger over. The flavors are complex, a little spicy (thanks, mango!), and sweet-sour. Perfect for a nice, light summer treat. The downside? Turns out I forgot that one of the sisters was allergic to mango. So, hubs scrambled to heat a peach with brown sugar so that no one went without. <br />
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Ease: 8.5<br />
Taste: 7.5<br />
Comfort: 4<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM2vzym1YPdmH1WL4N2T3jM1Lj6Wa3lbQ6uSNc9gZFWnGY6SeppDvQrRpKenaPCnGnRcO87yMSZM94KqIIUfrShfTJ_10nY0LZWvk59z0BhwmIeEYTgwn5lco9ZKcgKk4O8ooeM-D2Uc/s1600/IMAG0266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mango Margarita Sorbet" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM2vzym1YPdmH1WL4N2T3jM1Lj6Wa3lbQ6uSNc9gZFWnGY6SeppDvQrRpKenaPCnGnRcO87yMSZM94KqIIUfrShfTJ_10nY0LZWvk59z0BhwmIeEYTgwn5lco9ZKcgKk4O8ooeM-D2Uc/s320/IMAG0266.jpg" title="Mango Margarita Sorbet" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342661834286055196.post-20143576090547674892012-07-30T18:40:00.004-04:002013-01-18T22:08:05.329-05:00Pumpkin Bread PuddingMy husband loves loves loves bread pudding. He also always complains about the bread pudding we get in restaurants -- no matter where we are, or what variant the bread pudding is, there is always something wrong with it. So, when I set out to make pumpkin bread pudding for his birthday, I was a little nervous that it wouldn't turn out well. And to be honest, while he raved about it, I think it can still be improved upon somewhat. We shall see if and when I make it again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYLxlD83n7SkEqjh1NY8G7626NqlXm4W_VBb3qG60VCXcQddIfX4s55uL-dmr8vXZxHuA4-9Fwu0SjiAUWWyTileBsKLun49WprMBfpCbJL-T7HdsqbHwY7oNgOQwF-NXdvjrgveUr4o/s1600/IMAG0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pumpkin Bread Pudding" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYLxlD83n7SkEqjh1NY8G7626NqlXm4W_VBb3qG60VCXcQddIfX4s55uL-dmr8vXZxHuA4-9Fwu0SjiAUWWyTileBsKLun49WprMBfpCbJL-T7HdsqbHwY7oNgOQwF-NXdvjrgveUr4o/s320/IMAG0270.jpg" title="Pumpkin Bread Pudding" width="320" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><u>Ingredients</u><br />
3/4 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
Pinch allspice<br />
Pinch cloves<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
3 cups (roughly 3.5-4 slices) of cubed bread<br />
2 tablespoons melted butter <br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 4 ramekins<br />
2. In a bowl, toss cubed bread with melted butter<br />
3. In another bowl, mix all of the other ingredients together<br />
4. Combine slush with bread cubes<br />
5. Divide squishy bread into the 4 ramekins<br />
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean<br />
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Bread pudding, by the way? Very, very easy to make; just toss a whole bunch of ingredients together and bake. And the result was also fairly nice, but admittedly lacking in a little pizazz. I'm not sure what I'd change next time -- maybe swap in cream or add butter to make it richer? I'm pretty sure there's no meal that can't be solved with more butter, much to the dismay of my eternally failed attempts to eat healthfully.<br />
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Ease: 9<br />
Taste: 5<br />
Comfort: 6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmWXM-vyZflXuKClvi8-7-suZt6r9ttgqEekS7YKMDZ6GFw3mtNsRHYwKTQlBXdzXDAtGPSccY5idUl-qiUfcr0rrNLa0BAJc-Qb0hfLkft5TggmRwkfD2nSUY91LhHht9OrTnNLJ5SY/s1600/IMAG0268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pumpkin Bread Pudding" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmWXM-vyZflXuKClvi8-7-suZt6r9ttgqEekS7YKMDZ6GFw3mtNsRHYwKTQlBXdzXDAtGPSccY5idUl-qiUfcr0rrNLa0BAJc-Qb0hfLkft5TggmRwkfD2nSUY91LhHht9OrTnNLJ5SY/s320/IMAG0268.jpg" title="Pumpkin Bread Pudding" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dr. Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446363533513070147noreply@blogger.com0