Bacon?

Lately I've been coming across this craze. Bacon? For dessert? Everyone loves bacon, but really? It's quite odd. We found out about this chocolate bar a few weeks ago while having dinner with a few friends. One told us about her obsession for this unique Vosges chocolate bar. The taste of sweet chocolate with salty pieces of bacon was just heaven. And at 8 dollars a bar, it better be a treat. I could see how the combination of salty and sweet would make such a great pairing. Chocolate covered pretzels, for instance? Chocolate covered potato chips? Mmmmm... that was surprisingly delicious. I will have to make some one day.... Anyway, back to bacon and chocolate. I came across the candy bars while perusing through the Ferry building this weekend. Tempted to try, I picked up the chocolate bar. Is it worth it. I put it back, unsure I wanted to spend 8 dollars on something I might spit out. As I scanned over the rest of the flavors, I found a smaller mini chocolate bacon bar. At 0.5 oz, $2.50! Ok, that's doable. I bought the bar and packed it away safely in my ecobag.
Later that evening, we decided to try it out. We unwrapped foil to find a delicate chocolate bar with an inscription that said " Inspire the people around you." Hmmm, a motivational chocolate bar. We broke apart a few small chunks to see the bits of bacon embedded into the bar. We took a nibble, and let the chocolate melt on our tongues..... Interesting... We took another bite. The decision so far has not been made as to whether it gets a thumbs up, well no thumbs down. It is almost fantastic, but maybe the idea of bacon and chocolate is still something I cannot wrap my head around. Well, it is an acquired taste, I suppose. What do you think?

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Since discovering Bi Rite Creamery in San Francisco, I have been obsessing about ice cream. We brought home a pint of their famous salted caramel ice cream and I was hooked! The the unique flavor is hard to describe. Rich and punchy, almost like a slightly burnt sugar. But of course, I have been plotting and planning on how to recreate that wonderful taste. I've searched online for different recipes and came across David Lebovitz's version, whose recipe has been posted on his fantastic blog. It was my first time making caramel and found it amazing to see sugar transform in the a nice, rich caramel....


and the finished product....



Ok, not the same as the one from Bi Rite, but still so fantastic! It was more rich and caramelly( if that's a word). Maybe it was the sugar i used. Maybe it was the Fleur De Sel. Anyway, I'm quite happy with the finished product! Going back to David Lebovitz for a moment. I have also been obsessing over his new book "Ready for Dessert"
I stumbled across at the bookstore last week. I went back this weekend to pick it up, but instead, I purchased his other book "The Sweet Life in Paris" and I have not been able to put it down since.


If you are a foodie, and plan to visit Paris someday, you must read this book! It definitely puts Parisian culture into perspective, which may have given me a different outlook when I went last year. He really answers the questions we Americans have about this completely foreign place, and why the Parisians act the way they act. Maybe one day we can go back and enjoy Paris in a different light. Even if you aren't planning to visit someday, read the book. It is hilarious!!

Fantastic choc chip cookies

So glad that everyone ( well everyone who got a chance to have one) at work yesterday enjoyed the cookies! This is probably my favorite recipe for chocolate chip and will share so everyone else can enjoy them too! They are slightly crisp, but hearty and chewy, which to me makes them perfect! There is whole wheat flour, which I think also adds a little depth to the flavor too.

(makes 3 dozen)
Here it goes:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 sticks butter ( room tempurature)
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips ( I used the trader joes brand- yummy and cost effective )
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a cookie sheet, or 2 with parchment paper
With mixer, mix sugars and butter until nice and creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well by hand. Add flours, baking soda and salt and mic well. Lastly, fold in chips and nuts. It will be tough, but a little elbow grease will get everything nicely incorporated
Form a cookie dough into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place them on cookie sheet spaced 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with palm of hand.Bake for 12-15 minutes on center rack. Remove from sheet and cool on cooling rack. The will be quite soft at first but will firm up when cooled. Eat a few while still warm, then share with others!

-- Posted from my iPhone

Tommy's Winter hat

Ok, sorry, I know it took forever to send this hat to you little guy. It's been sitting on my sewing table for the past month. Hope it's still cold enough to wear for a while. Is it still snowing in Maryland? Something warm in there for your mom too! Heh heh heh.....

-- Posted from my iPhone

As promised..... Lemon tart

Hmmmm.... Ok, I actually made this last week, but with the crazy work schedule, I didn't have time to post. It came out fantastic if I do say so myself!. This is "the most extraordinary lemon tart" from Dori Greenspan's "Baking..From my Home to Your's". I have found that with all the baking and cookbooks I have, this is my go to. If you have basic baking skills, everything in this book is fool proof...almost. Anyway, it is a work of art, but I have not been able to finish it because the thought of how much butter was used make me want to... I don't even want to think about it. Sometimes those details are better left unknown.
-- Posted from my iPhone

Yellow love

How can one fruit give someone so much joy? When you see the bright yellow flesh, you can't help yourself from feeling happy. Meyer lemons! The intense color, the sweet, fresh citrusy smell they have. I can't wait turn you into a yummy tangy tart. "When life throws you a lemon, turn it into lemon tart!"

-- Posted from my iPhone

Lazy.....

Ok, I know it's been a while since I've made a post on this blog..... Partly because I've been busy, and lazy.... Mostly because I feel like no one is out there reading and I'm just some lunatic who talks to herself. Ok, I know there have been a few lovely friends on facebook who read because it updates on my wall. Thank you, and I really appreciate it. If you are out there.... please leave a comment ... In my blog... and let me know your listening, please? Ok, enough with the begging and groveling. Happy New Year everyone! New year, new commitments.. First,I will try to make more effort to keep this blog alive. Second, I will try to start an etsy site thus year. Yay! I'm sure I can keep one of those commitments, right? I have come accross a few people who had other people show interest in my knitwear. If only I had a place for them to send these interested people to.


I went to Imagiknit this week and picked ip some stuff... mmmm.... Malabrigo... Yummy! It's a start. I will definately start making some inventory soon... or as soon as I finish my Citron shawl. (Photo coming soon)
-- Posted from my iPhone

Lavender Cardi

Yay, it's done!!! Ok, its been done for about a week and a half now, but I have been to lazy to take photos, although I have been wearing it every chance I get. The pattern is Rosamunds Cardigan from Interweave Knits, Fall 09. I used Zaol Camelon. Zoal is a Korean brand that is begining to pop up here and there at my LYS (plural). I have tried their angora blend before, and was not too fond of it. I found this one on sale at Article Pract. Camelon is combination of 20% Baby Camel and 80% Merino Wool. I love it! It is the perfect weight. It is light, but warm. It almost feels like a cotton/wool combination. I really enjoyed making this. It knitted up quickly, and I love the reversible cable trim. The finishing touch were the large contrasting dark green buttons. I didnt have a clue it would work well. They just caught my eye among the overwhelming wall of buttons at Britex Fabrics. They are the perfect mismatch.

More yummy cake

Ok, yes another cake! This time it was for a special occasion, my birthday. It has been something I've been craving fir quite some time. Simple, classic yellow butter cake with dark chocolate frosting. Thank you once again Marth Stewart for giving me another foolproof recipe. Sorry, no photo of the whole thing. It didn't look nearly as lovely as Martha's, so I decided to keep it out. As much ad l love baking and my ability has improved greatly, I still need a little practice on presentation. Partly, I think it has to do with the excitement of eating your masterpiece... I tend to finish in haste so I can bite into it as soon as posible.



-- Posted from my iPhone

Yummy Cake

I came across the recipe for this cake on Molly Wizenberg's blog site Orangette. I just recently found her blog, and have become quite intrigued by her and her husbands ventures in opening a their own restaurant. This is her rendition of another recipe, which she calls "Everyday Cake". I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I loved the simple taste if the cake and it the nutmeg gave it a nice kick!
Below is the first slice... ( well , whats left of it). I also find it is a great companion for ice cream. We enjoyed it that evening with homemade avocado gelato and whipped cream. Yum! Thanks so much for sharing!

Botanical Garden at Berkeley

This weekend, we bummed around. Too lazy to get out of town, we decided to check out the Botanical Gardens in UC Berkeley for a few hours. We've been meaning to go, and almost went prior.... but laziness got to the best of us. Anyway, I always seemed to be amazed to find such fantastic treasures literally in our own back yard. Here are some photos i took of some interesting plants and shrubbery at the Botanical Gardens...

Green Sock

My 2nd attempt at making socks. My first attempt a few years ago was not so successful. I ended up "almost" completing a sock that didn't fit. It took so long and felt so tedious, that i just got bored. I put it away, never to be found again. This is more promising. The trick really is to keep trying it on while your knitting....and to cast on really loose. The yarn is a hand dyed merino from Piedmont Yarn and Apparel on Piedmont Ave. The owner hand dyes the yarn herself and no two skeins are alike. I love the variegation of this yarn. This is the first of the pair, and so far I have not lost interest ( thank god, I've got a few works in progress that I've abandoned).

Latest Baby Quilt

It took so long for me to post. This is the most recent baby quilt I've made for a baby show a week and a half ago. I found this fabric ( below) at Stonemountain and Daughters fabric store in Berkeley. I thought the squares were so kitchsy and cute. I decided to make a log cabin patchwork around the squares and put the squares together to form the quilt.

I used as much blues, greens and reds to make it as "masculine" as possible for a boy. I guess, masculinity is out the window when you are first born, but at least it would work for the next one which might be a girl. I love it. It came out well, if I do say so myself. I am now making another variation of this one on a smaller scale. Will post when that is done too.

Really? Ice Cream?

Wow! Really? Ok, if you were to tell me that I'd be making ice cream a few weeks ago, I would have thought you were crazy! Who would have ever thought. Well thanks to Sur La Table for waiving the ice cream machines in front of me...everywhere I go.. I made a impulse purchase, wondering.... "I'm I going to spend my money a one time use thing?" I have been hooked ever since. Ok, this isn't the first thing I've made, but this is the best so far. And this is what got me hooked! I have never been a fan of strawberry ice cream, never been much of a fan of strawberries at all! Inquiring what my mom would like, if I were to make her some ice cream, she said "Strawberry Ice Cream, please." So I bought some strawberries.... and it sat in my fridge. I opened it one day and , oh crap, they were going bad. In a rush, I took them to the sink and cut off ALL the moldy stuff. Then I made the cream and left for work. That evening i churned. I churned and churned. Wow! who would have ever thought. It is one of the most delicious things I've ever had! Its is like fresh strawberries, but better!

Anyway, I'm hooked. I spend my days thinking about coming home to it. I dread the day it will be gone....

oops, all gone. =(

Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

For the sake of making my Matt happy, I decided to make his favorite dessert... carrot cake, in cupcake form. The recipe comes from Flo Braker's "Baking for All Occasions". The cake is moist, with a good amount of carrots! Hmmm..... not only yummy, but a good source of vitamin C. The frosting is fantastic. A traditional cream cheese frosting with a twist of citrus. I'm quite happy with the turnout. By the way, the basil plant lovingly nestled behind the cupcakes is not the original seedlings posted earlier. The seedlings did not grow...... they just went to the trash....

For the love of Cheescake

My first cheesecake. I decided to make the ricotta cheesecake from Martha Stewart's " Baking Handbook" What was supposed to be an easy cake to make, i found pretty difficult. Mine (above) kind of got squashed while transporting from pan to rack, so it's not as pretty as hers (below)

but man was it good! Sorry, didn't take it for a test taste at work. There wasn't any left to take!

New Bake Books!

Really, Borders has got to stop sending me these coupons. My book obsession is just out of control. I just acquired the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook last week and have been obsessing over a variety of recipes I hope to make in the near future. It's so fantastic. So many pictures of techniques and of the baked goods themselves. For a baking beginner, or for someone who is stimulated by pretty pictures, I highly recommend this book. Anyway, back to my book obsession.... I was watching the Martha Stewart Show ( hmmm... it just happened to be on TV), she had a lovely baker named Erin McKenna on as a special guest. She had come out with a new book called Babycakes, filled with recipes of vegan, gluten free and sugar free baked goods. I have never tried making goods for special diets, but it looked so delicious on TV. I have never been impressed with vegan treats I have tried before, but there is always a first. I think the first thing I make will be the Carrot Cake Cupcakes.... of course only after I make the Ricotta ( completely un-vegan) cheesecake from Martha's book.

Loppem

Yay, I'm done! The loppem sweater from Nora Gaughan Vol 3. I first saw the sample at Imagiknit and had to make it. It also helped that I got to try it on too. After the frustration of making two sweaters now that didn't fit me this year, I just couldn't bear yet another one. I used Palace, from Berroco yarn. It is 50% Merino, and 50% Silk, and it feels like butter. Very light and has a nice drape. Not much for keeping warm, so I think I'll save it for when it gets a little warmer. Yes, below.... another ridiculous attempt to photograph myself with it on.

First Signs of Life!

Oh my first plant from seedling. I thought i would share with you the early stages of my basil plant growth. I bought this basil plant starter kit at Ikea last weekend, and already it is sprouting! Wow, it is so amazing how one could progress so quickly. " Ahhh, one day you will be a fully grown basil plant... and one day... you will become pesto.... " More to come in the days and weeks ahead.

Early Mother's Day

Finally, FINALLY!!!!! After 8 months ( OK, so it was stashed away as WIP for about 6 months) I finished the Cap Sleeve Eyelet Sweater from Closely Knit by Hannah Fettig . Once again I have made a sweater that doesn't fit. This is the second time this year! Unfortunately I think I knew it wouldn't fit from the moment I started knitting it. I brought it home to mom and dad to to use their floor ( blocking space), and who of course decided it would be hers to have and to hold?

It does look fantastic on her. Ugggh, my cashmere blend yarn!! Well I think I still have two balls left. Maybe I can make a hat for myself one of these days..... I told her " It is your Mother's Day gift! You can not wear it until Mother's Day!" She's wearing it on Easter.....