tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78520934678421919802024-03-13T07:18:18.480-07:00Chocolate Covered LoveKatrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-76323876340231876442015-02-25T10:17:00.001-08:002015-02-25T10:17:20.168-08:00Books Lately<div dir="ltr">
I love seeing other blogger book reports because it inspires me to try new books and really read more. <a href="http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Elise</a> has some great book reports, and we have similar interests in books so I like taking her book advice. :) </div>
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So here are books that I've been reading lately:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Box-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424887925&sr=1-1&keywords=divergent+trilogy" target="_blank">The Divergent trilogy</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062387243/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424887925&sr=1-4&keywords=divergent+trilogy" target="_blank">Divergent</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024051/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424887925&sr=1-2&keywords=divergent+trilogy" target="_blank">Insurgent</a>, & <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424887925&sr=1-5&keywords=divergent+trilogy" target="_blank">Allegiant</a> are the books in this series. I actually started reading them because I saw the movie and wanted to know what happened next! I really enjoyed books 1 & 2, but have mixed feelings about the third. The writer changes her style slightly for the third, writing from two points of view instead of one which I think is part of the reason I like it less. I also felt like the characters changed personalities a bit, although that would be natural considering what they go through, it felt off to me for some reason. I was not a fan of the ending, but it was written well. </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Objects-Gillian-Flynn/dp/0307341550/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424888117&sr=1-1&keywords=sharp+objects+by+gillian+flynn" target="_blank">Sharp Objects</a> - This is by the same author who wrote Gone Girl (another fantastic book) and this one was just as good. I read/watch a lot of mystery/crime stuff, so this was right up my alley. I love trying to figure out whodunnit before the author reveals it. With this one I figured it out partially, but was still surprised at the end! Great read! Couldn't put it down!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-B%C3%A9b%C3%A9-Discovers-Parenting/dp/0143122967/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424888127&sr=1-1&keywords=bringing+up+bebe" target="_blank">Bringing up Bebe</a> - Another great read. I went through this one more slowly since it's partly a story and partly parenting advice. But it totally made me want to move to France. I like a lot of the ways the French raise their kids (according to the book) and I do it similarly in a couple ways. She does compare the middle class French to more wealthy Americans, so that's not super relatable but I understood the references nonetheless.</div>
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I've also been reading a lot of gardening books and cookbooks, some recent favorites : <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Acre-Farm-Kept-Patio-Family/dp/1580053408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424888168&sr=1-1&keywords=the+quarter+acre+farm" target="_blank">The Quarter-Acre Farm</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Front-Yard-Grow-More-Beautiful/dp/1604691999/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424888201&sr=1-1&keywords=the+edible+front+yard" target="_blank">The Edible Front Yard.</a></div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-68010010315769264322014-12-02T18:54:00.001-08:002014-12-02T19:00:06.274-08:00Worst blogger ever<p dir="ltr">So...I'm pretty much the worst blogger ever. I have some good excuses and some not so good ones. I took a break from blogging because my little family moved in with my in-laws and we were internet-less for awhile. Then once we got the internet back, it just took me way too long to get back in the swing of things. I blame the new baby (who is now 8 months!) </p>
<p dir="ltr">I stayed active on Instagram, so if you check me out there (@uncagedfreedom620) you can go through all my photos of food and babies that I didn't blog. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm probably still not going to be very good at posting regularly, but I'm going to try my best! Yell at me on <a href="http://Instagram.com">Instagram</a> if I take too long!</p><p dir="ltr">Below are some snipits from Instagram.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p>
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Aria's 3rd birthday was February 7th! I can't believe she's three years already!</div>
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For breakfast we had Birthday Pancakes, Aria loves helping me out in the kitchen so I let her help me mix the batter - I used<a href="http://www.seededatthetable.com/2012/08/15/birthday-cake-pancakes/" target="_blank"> this recipe</a>. The pancakes themselves aren't actually that sweet, I didn't want to have "icing" on them though. I diced up some strawberries with a couple tablespoons of sugar and set it aside in a bowl so it could start releasing its juice.</div>
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Aria ate all the strawberries first, then ate her pancakes. No shocker there. She would happily survive on nothing but strawberries and cheese if she could.</div>
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For dinner we had homemade pizza! I made a double batch of homemade dough which came out to 3 large pizzas and 2 small. Above is a feta/goat cheese pizza, half with pesto sauce and half with marinara. We also had pepperoni pizzas and a meatlover's pizza (below).<br />
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For Aria's cake I made a chocolate layer cake with a fresh strawberry filling and pink buttercream frosting. The cake is ad odd rectangle shape because my round cake pans are in storage at the moment, so I used a 9x13 pan and then cut it in half to create the layers.<br />
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I was excited to try out the rose piping design on the outside of the cake and I'm glad it turned out as good as it did. I had some troubles with the buttercream breaking because the kitchen was too hot - so I had to keep re-beating the frosting on high and chilling the cake in the fridge every few minutes.<br />
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Aria was super proud of herself for blowing out all the candles and kept talking about it for several days afterwards.<br />
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^^After eating Aria played with some of her new toys with her cousin Josie.<br />
They were making soup. :)<br />
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Happy Birthday Aria!<br />
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-35152325444951821152013-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:002013-12-28T17:53:15.961-08:00Swedish Kringle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a tradition in my family to have Swedish Kringle for breakfast on Christmas morning. My grandma is Swedish, so my mom got the tradition/recipe from her and this is the first Christmas I've made the same recipe. Not being able to be with family on Christmas is hard, but continuing family traditions definitely makes it easier. </div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3boV2LrwiwyiKzS3kvADGfyXNeoD5OZVQJPuICccp7N-hF12m1U_PVsVuVejuIjJCQ1gBhsloYOgdP4n9L2hpXNvAGythcFSbCKm2bcynaTKPC8gHeL3emW-nZ1gbpN0784GAjJTu5fS/s640/IMG_6828.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Swedish Kringle</b></div>
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<i>serves 4-6</i></div>
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<i>Bottom layer, crust</i></div>
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- 1 cup flour</div>
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- 1 stick butter, room temp.</div>
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- 2 TB water</div>
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<i>Top layer, choux pastry</i></div>
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- 1 stick butter</div>
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- 1 cup water</div>
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- 1 tsp almond extract</div>
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- 1 cup flour</div>
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- 3 eggs</div>
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<i>Glaze</i></div>
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- 1 cup powdered sugar</div>
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- 1/4 tsp almond extract</div>
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- small amount of milk until desired consistency is reached</div>
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- sliced almonds for topping</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb5v-WxJyLBWbuR-hAlwGVlNGK5ERqPD-_KFXRPFu6vRIKc0hgaHt0oVDDrKj-NAMQ4c3KA9ok2aEvLgT3WWXzzv2d7BDfRrm0yQbSJCzbjSomJTByW9L1FOcEHcq6OUhoW296IbDKvTt/s640/IMG_6830.JPG" width="425" /></div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div>
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Begin by preparing the choux pastry (top layer) of the Kringle. </div>
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Bring the water and butter to boil - in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat once boil is achieved and butter has melted completely. Add in almond extract. Whisk the flour in until it becomes a cohesive dough. Set it aside to cool.</div>
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While the choux dough is cooling, prepare the crust (bottom layer). </div>
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Mix together the flour, butter and water like you would a pie crust, do not over-mix. Divide into two equal portions and pat into long strips next to each other on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Should be about 1/4 inch thick.</div>
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Return to the choux dough and add in the eggs one at a time - taking care to mix in thoroughly and carefully so as not to scramble the eggs. Spread the choux dough evenly over the crust.</div>
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Bake for at least 50 minutes, or until the pastry is a deep golden brown.</div>
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Remove the Kringle from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan while you prepare the glaze. (The pastry will be puffy when taken out of the oven, but will deflate as it cools, this is normal.)</div>
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Mix together the powdered sugar, almond extract and milk, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Spread/Drizzle on pastry while it is still slightly warm. Top with sliced almonds.</div>
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Swedish Kringle is best eaten fresh, but it can keep in an airtight container for at least a week - although it won't stay as crisp as when it is fresh and warm.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRFFGw5hohyesl3hLATuKywOZcbTWpwFcywcNpBcLfdKRweJqF0NDgRQofIzvTroC3Z9B05inzQbaWAZgnIPsIqEIt38gZ30vSstLd3topxnucbtivtUGkrwCVuhdwwT6mgUEyKTRVGQm/s640/IMG_6852.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
<br />Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-46615808395100153412013-12-24T22:18:00.001-08:002013-12-24T22:18:52.954-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMocCTAFOKIMVMZDhLUwwfpQfSgW8NTCe1EGxF6rEJMBOnov6oOlnFxfIlyC2s13IVzZS1yU0GyUblNiLIXBv0vj31z9xPyCVuB425R8iOBSV5tJmQ4fgBq9bhe3a-FFo-ja1uqHQo5i1F/s1600/a2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMocCTAFOKIMVMZDhLUwwfpQfSgW8NTCe1EGxF6rEJMBOnov6oOlnFxfIlyC2s13IVzZS1yU0GyUblNiLIXBv0vj31z9xPyCVuB425R8iOBSV5tJmQ4fgBq9bhe3a-FFo-ja1uqHQo5i1F/s640/a2.jpg" /></a></div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-41720554543235720782013-11-04T14:32:00.001-08:002013-11-04T14:32:04.663-08:00Wedding Photos<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;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV3-SnGLEoHvkqEp-u1jZZKN3MBAftrCWtusOVdysfliRA8DLaidlwKcUE4SN-ssIVwHt6frzoKMu-aeq8Fy1HPWA_qBF7eokhh_p4IABtpsNaGMmbCuU6gwWx9z3XFw_4vyb1zFNn1mv/s640/Castaneda-470.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.thomasphamphotography.com/" target="_blank">Thomas Pham Photography</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I just put up a post on our wedding photos on<a href="http://uncagedfreedom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> my photography blog</a>. </div>
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I also talk about how I did some of the DIY stuff for my wedding. </div>
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Head over there and check it out!</div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-38975844586453954612013-09-16T14:42:00.000-07:002013-11-25T09:50:15.252-08:00Thai Basil Pesto<div style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday and today I spent a couple hours making pesto! I made pesto out of italian basil and thai basil. This year I had a small herb and vegetable garden in my backyard, and I grew basil. My italian basil plant got huge! It grew into a "bush" nearly 4 feet tall! So once the weather turned colder I went outside and chopped down both plants. What to do with all that basil but to make pesto? :)</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC5Ov2CdCHrQ2BJ5LUpEnexCLZik_NS4FqDgtvLFYZmRqmh0K_h6pjq1HHY5SwT-4YGsRr8cDPLxPNTL2ZOd44jsKAhpnOUnWWb89BlMZ7CfC4q3Mxz05mDBqlSZ8DYL5HhDvPY7-a7m5/s640/IMG_5627.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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In both pestos I used nearly the same ingredients. For the italian basil pesto I loosely followed <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> from Simply Recipes. I substituted almonds for pine nuts because that's what I had. And for the thai basil pesto I just left out the cheese and used less garlic and nuts.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KTT5lbmfofqpp7yUQdn-eg-ySsYT1CvgdTroDC6pm8Y0kiSalYkx2PuvsUKu9JLz-eLaWHv5DpFI-f_-XYJIuhI-ZMirTrd1JRUkKpszZYluatVbDebrrYW_OMEOTCwEB6WPj-j11vb8/s640/IMG_5569.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b style="text-align: center;">Thai Basil Pesto</b></div>
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adapted from <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/" target="_blank">here</a>, makes about 1 cup of pesto</div>
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<i>(the recipe listed here is not the total amount that I made, which will be obvious in the pictures. Since I used an entire plant my pesto was made in several batches that produced quite a lot.)</i></div>
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- about 2 cups thai basil leaves, packed</div>
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- 1/4 cup almonds</div>
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- 1 clove of garlic, chopped</div>
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- extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil</div>
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- salt and pepper to taste</div>
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- food processor (a blender would work, but not as well and might have to be done in even smaller batches.)</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAXIA0xe0BMxk_lElJm2nqePHiF4zcBalDmagmfrs5goYab3rRD-GNZ6ip5lhr8LoPxWHCWdcEOWQWXM4mcc5afj1NHnMOgnplBrP_cH-_wvlqczcf1SSuRkx57OzmiWv2maWj6EQ8QAE/s640/IMG_5581.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Add almonds and basil to food processor. </div>
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Turn it on and let the ingredients whiz around until they are finely ground/blended. You may have to stop it to scrap down the sides with a spatula to make sure all the leaves get blended.</div>
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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;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95M7U7djz5HF9S63QlRH2HPadNwlpm3jNqoOrTVyqD-wShFnjrGnMVdCeYyHFZdy3e8SxxJsL4YXb8RgntUPrAG6SiKgjdjLh-NPpU55ygmsK2km6SbfN3UIpRM0QI2l7QhgwrUH070zM/s640/IMG_5598.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^Thai basil flowers, Thai basil is most easily recognized by it's purple stems and flowers</td></tr>
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With the food processor running, add in the chopped garlic. Stream in the oil until the mixture forms a loose paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse to combine.</div>
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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;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE3qNFzU08pZ2D2plggVYmOV3dsrCJp67qYpp3xD0nGhfj3QiJLP9jnrqw3IjlE67qBThkDYUBkSvBojEIsSSacBEaQQdPNJOzLWw7OR8mJDPVSjPzFYqSXzkvrPkjnkWXUagIOAccKkP/s640/IMG_5615.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^the larger bottle is full of the italian basil pesto, while the smaller jar has the thai basil pesto. There is a slight color difference between the two, due to the color of the leaves.</td></tr>
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If you're making a large amount like I am, store your pesto in a jar or bottle with a thin covering of oil at the top to preserve the pesto from going bad. The layer of oil keeps the pesto from air exposure which will discolor it. Every time you use some pesto, ensure that there is still a layer of oil at the top. It will keep this way in the fridge for up to a year.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7p6ui187zaPU54lbG5zB-ZtQiRQ56H8Tj7SNKMTxfYl6ho1x-YYPUuixgHS7ZBok9VdtQpKJrg7XzGi721OVGU0d_OP2utjhYxRR6A7NisGCZq292-ujKuB_QrydiIiHAJ7bVWC-S52XQ/s640/IMG_5624.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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</script>Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-87118210435493233652013-08-21T14:07:00.000-07:002013-08-21T14:07:33.036-07:00Blueberry-Coconut Ice Cream (Vegan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2XfFfYEzDXaEFMBH5qeFZd6pbgPKhdKjYFkSy8pucBClcz5BaN8-NqS3VbbjERNY0_OfcsH3nB7Yv-AcfMbX0Y17OHvWN68ziNkwQkllQzTd8kN4tPgZnUtghbSE_xEVGVmmBdbNoYtY/s640/IMG_4117.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, although sometimes I eat like one. Especially when it's just me and my daughter, my husband usually demands some sort of protein for every main meal. I'm less picky. My midday meals tend to be a bit odd. Kale/Swiss Chard salads, Roasted sweet potatoes, easy pasta dishes, almonds, soups, etc. :) Of course a lot of midday meals are catered to Aria, so it's whatever's easiest and nutritious for her. I made this recipe as a combination of two that I found online. </div>
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I had been seeing different recipes for Blueberry-Buttermilk ice cream circling on Pinterest and that made me want to make some sort of blueberry ice cream - but buttermilk ice cream just doesn't sound appetizing, however delicious it may be. My cupboard is always full of coconut milk, so I decided that the rich and creamy flavor of coconut would be much better. And it was AMAZING! Definitely making again. Although with slightly less sugar, it was slightly too sweet and the coconut flavor was definitely more prominent because of that.</div>
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<img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCnvyoQ5zz1nCzNfdqaD4VYA50m5u9wqLcINR4La_cJ5IBMFpEF_sJXB0fynFNd3MHJHt3eYupruiQNPInSkeP5YK-8ewZgZLNqMNfU1hbBRJgO4ybew_lmEiapqop8_udVmyQZ0EFNe9/s640/IMG_4100.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Please pardon the wonky colors in the photos, I had to use Picmonkey to edit these since my Photoshop wasn't working. This image ^^^ is the closest color match.</i></div>
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<b>Blueberry-Coconut Ice Cream</b></div>
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<i>makes 3/4 loaf pan</i></div>
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<i>adapted from <a href="http://bashcakesanddesserts.blogspot.com/2013/07/blueberry-buttermilk-sherbet.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/07/raspberry-coconut-milk-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">here</a></i></div>
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- 1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries (about 3 cups)</div>
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- 1 cup sugar (I think next time I'll lower it to 3/4 or a 1/2 cup, so feel free to make it as sweet as you like)</div>
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- 2 cans full fat coconut milk</div>
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- Zest and juice from one or two lemons</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX3lhuOCJDjAP9A7tJ2QVXDdEYeoqI64oGnCQFY_tNQdL3CBdODDouiYy7BdbS7tfKqnL7st-VuTgrDQzeYFxajWypmqrhnsHBwdVb4HrZRZ_fclm1DU1EZ0Zwp6dPogT6j5Goejwyt8B/s640/IMG_4122.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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Puree blueberries and sugar in a blender until smooth.</div>
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Pour through a fine sieve over a bowl and discard solids. You will still have tiny flecks of blueberry throughout the ice cream, as you can see in my pictures.</div>
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Whisk in the coconut milk, lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more lemon juice or sugar if needed.</div>
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Pour mixture into your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. While your mixture is churning, place a loaf pan in the freezer to chill it. When the ice cream is finished, transfer to the chilled pan and freeze until hardened; at least 2 hours.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4q3T7yV7NeZS4ifp__URLEACmutvUwlhLGsbDtt7rA5jRAZ_XjMSBmRxqBeg3HPcfuKAez91m9ukqSlalyh5JflcSLpGjYphv2aLBy9M_j5XOC-OtiEmDX_J2BNBSmPvL0Js0k9e6XUaP/s640/IMG_4131.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-15077449910097076512013-07-30T14:49:00.001-07:002013-07-30T14:49:59.393-07:00Camping with the Family<div style="text-align: center;">
I know, I know... Another long gap in blog posts. </div>
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This month has just felt rather hectic. Next month will be too.</div>
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My family is here this summer for their furlough from Cambodia. They only get to come every other summer, so everyone's trying to cram in as much time as possible with each other. However, my sister is now going to be going to school about an hour out of Chicago! Super exciting. So I'll be able to see her much more often now. </div>
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Before my family moved to Cambodia, we would go camping every summer to Peninsula State Park in Door County, WI. Now my family goes for 2 weeks every other summer when they are back in the States. This year I got to join them for one week! It was just me and Aria this time because my husband had to work. We had a great time! I hadn't gone for 4 years, so I was really excited. It turned out to be a super muggy and hot week, but we still had fun. And Aria and I came back a couple shades darker (yay).<br />
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Fair warning, there are A LOT of photos.</div>
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^^Above is a hammock that my family takes with every time they go camping, and I learned something new about it this year. It is 37 years old! My mom bought it on a trip to Venezuela when she was younger. As my dad puts it, "Mom has known this hammock longer than she's known me!" Wow.</div>
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^^ Every 3-4 years these fish come close to the shores around the peninsula to breed, but due to the heat of the shallow water, many of them die. So all the beaches we visited had a lot of these little dead fish everywhere. Not too bad, but kind of smelly.</div>
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^^ We rented a bike cart to take Aria on a bike ride with us. She was so excited to wear her "hat". She only slept for about half an hour, but of course that was when we stopped to take a photo, courtesy of my sister who happened to be jogging past.</div>
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^^We stopped at a Farmers Market in Jacksonport on our way to <a href="http://www.thefarmindoorcounty.com/" target="_blank">The Farm</a>. We bought some homemade strawberry fruit roll-ups, which were delicious. Unfortunately when we got back to the campsite later that day we forgot to take them out of the ice chest at night and a raccoon family ate them all. :(<br />
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^^Aria loved the goats. I thought she was going to love the kittens best, we always did when we were younger, but she loved following the goats around more. Probably because they were an animal she had never seen before and she could feed them out of her hand. Much more exciting than sleepy kittens.<br />
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^^Climbing up Eagle tower. We attempted to fly my dad's kite like we usually do, but there really wasn't enough wind.<br />
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^^Aria woke up at about 6am every morning we were gone camping, so I had to find something to occupy her until everyone else got up... So here we are at about 7am, beach to ourselves.<br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT7hif4mjg7i666VsXYSs-RwSagDEy5Qxp8JU8UDfIf64JibKVlR51DxQ5AtMH5SWx8mICyY0v30UZBK7N81rdV_Suq02PQ2babWafUOCLIryfG5fh9PE6KyHaB9pF1hwee229ycnr0QR/s640/IMG_4943.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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We had a great time at Peninsula State Park, and I highly recommend it. I may put up more photos later after I get the ones off my mom's camera. :)</div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-1217340490749354302013-07-05T18:36:00.000-07:002013-11-25T09:51:32.396-08:00Life Lately : Wedding Prep and Life After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoNc63fdyLG6ATnGY7zvZPkqmHHofBnxuG8pxg9gUOz5nTRS2fpMloki4PMRiISB6NAMBGrjZVmiWroQSX4nx6K-ltT9D-6seTREDDYwfcLuBzy8olhjaUkbOiS9vUuUUgyvO7pdDy-ZG/s640/WP_20130627_002.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I know it's been FOREVER since I posted something. I just got married on June 29th, and to save money I did almost all DIY. So I was extremely busy in the weeks leading up to the wedding. </div>
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We did our own flowers for the wedding. It was a mix (half and half) of real flowers and fake. I ordered wholesale roses, carnations and dusty miller leaves online and the rest were fake. I got all my floral inspiration off of Pinterest and it turned out exactly the way I wanted. </div>
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Of course my family was a GIANT help. Everyone pitched in. I made the bridal/bridesmaid bouquets and large vases, my grandma made all the boutonnieres and corsages, and my mom and sister arranged all the bud vases. My family also helped to keep the flowers alive until the wedding day by trimming the stems and changing the water everyday. :)</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsftyNPZ4CWtj4yRcwp9Q452HIY2s739e9WtbTB0bWUZnQOtw2QBLCBaujxpgjKY7Mj6dXTcK9FfUaZ1vNOwjG7n1czgq548DIAi_yOpCADGHYgWPCP2_cbVQHMvSN5rMAeInrDHR_JyXn/s640/WP_20130627_004.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I took these photos at the wedding rehearsal while we were setting up the decorations. I didn't take a finished photo, you'll have to wait until I get photos back from my family and the photographer. I came up with the idea to make lace "ribbons" as a backdrop for the wedding. </div>
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My church has a long metal pipe set up to hang banners from so it was perfect! My grandma and I bought lace fabric and curtains from the thrift store and cut them into 2-inch wide strips and then sewed them together to make long enough ribbons to hang. I cut the strips at slightly varying lengths after it was all hung up and my brother and cousin helped to hang white Christmas lights behind which gave some sparkle.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD_PFgDdZvIlh5CbX7ghMqnNeedKRfmkTkOVQjBM8Wqc5nAaWel9Plq9gah8ie1aFT1V3DovNzG3WRq1QVOcker_8k1OVj2JeEsIeb1gvV1TEG75EmYZC-PK-mn4o7dFOU-aDonbZT6sp/s640/WP_20130628_012.jpg" width="360" /></div>
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One of my bridesmaids and myself off to take portraits before the wedding!</div>
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<img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvYDZ9ky_IRV7JjPr-ASsnTpJQBanDVeQVBxS5WnUoUP62QogMi-MunsJD4VGyr-nG9McyyWKlh0ZOuTvSh6_59k3tCV9cd5RfgwGpFnsUe3zT6NN5lNUHIyjw3bmp6z9wxTtIk34B6NF/s640/WP_20130701_00120130701155102.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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New teapot wedding gifts!</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQeVRTx_LhZLcGmvuNCmcMbRiOg-gM0Kc_jd9K4JjsQ2e8Ll99hxaRaT7YNg369VdxbXDWlCDPWx7fAbWw9NCJi0Qc0vFc26VxbG665U30vsHUSJVLi7AOSu4qFqv9JwFK8-8h2u1XaLj/s640/WP_20130703_0142013070316233620130703162444.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-garlicky-grilled-kale-salad-with-grilled-bread-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191608" target="_blank">Grilled Kale and Bread salad </a>using wedding gift grill pan.</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o44fkRjZKCttJMgTr20ty_2gvYlemcG4yFQUe2b2PdvqZB65ibSbZNJZnabzMN5km_x8kJWGuI6WoSrHaHAc7LBnVuxRKV46KKhZbsWQBIADTOFpJimHf4P67yM6AsIGt5siyOonoQup/s640/WP_20130704_007.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Lemon-poppyseed waffles with blueberry sauce using wedding gift waffle-maker.</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfDBZpQ6NBk0A6VSoBSjO9Bjd-86xSfWDnY67vsoL1-qJavtKLasExXWsRbeId2yzytsQQfyRGpq0VD-5XdDYaoPTxp4Rr11XTiyP8ajvLq-eSMOyWMfVvYzoZEb3KgWhWKVaZ0fPd6wz/s640/WP_20130705_003.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Homemade frozen vanilla bean custard with wedding gift ice cream machine. The texture wasn't quite right because when I chilled the custard (before putting it in the machine) it developed small lumps which I didn't bother straining out. Oops. Now I know for next time. Tastes great though.</div>
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</script>Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-40673098735592038862013-07-01T08:54:00.001-07:002013-07-01T08:54:33.058-07:00Bloglovin'<div style="text-align: center;">
Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' since Google Reader is closing down today!</div>
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I know I haven't posted in a long while but this past Saturday was my wedding day! It was pretty much all DIY so we were all incredibly busy up until the wedding and completely exhausted afterwards. :) This week I'll be doing thank you cards and trying to find homes for all our new wedding gifts, including an ice cream maker - which I'm super excited about. :D</div>
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Below is one of our wedding invitations, I made them myself. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQo10xVr_0EbyIAUMWdLAAqrhagnn5MmdlHa72RivrssC_xuUkjIXpbMiox7S2ZJKbZEIP9hUid9l82qAogdAxRljvCPlh-ZB-TBfwMiwbZxWcFg7F7mP7i7oXWjSAMSI-VlIxweAyu2rI/s1600/invitation1final+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQo10xVr_0EbyIAUMWdLAAqrhagnn5MmdlHa72RivrssC_xuUkjIXpbMiox7S2ZJKbZEIP9hUid9l82qAogdAxRljvCPlh-ZB-TBfwMiwbZxWcFg7F7mP7i7oXWjSAMSI-VlIxweAyu2rI/s640/invitation1final+(2).jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-73619287470367542882013-06-09T14:11:00.003-07:002013-06-09T14:11:36.066-07:00Style Update: Wildflowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmo5qRc6lxudLaMaO69DZmuTPBCnien83LWYRn0A7wyrUONI7GT6DaLcOCrI3TlzwJebpNpKV0Lk4iahapHR8Mi1x8DtIzqronMfYj1YhRfamwbPyuBKCMPFAshcj_AaFXXIU_E9JZ-ZA/s640/IMG_3993+copy.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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The wildflowers are blooming! They are so gorgeous and bountiful at our local nature park. Aria and I even picked a few and have them in a vase at home.</div>
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Yes I am wearing a skirt over my dress. I bought this skirt without realizing how short it was on me. I may give it to my sister even though I love the stripes! I was looking to wear a longer skirt under the striped one but I ended up deciding on the dress, you can see it peeking out the bottom of the skirt a little bit. I've also worn the same dress here.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXnAxxGBRsOnRYSSh1lMiXYXDI3hTum-7yW2so4szw_1zMfm4BTaqlgidbnrDQuMyalq9IHW17VvlfCdnSXfZt4T8Rnp_756Li09ORvoFJWx6gOGHKcLU8ktE1DuE8cGpkXjm-eA_lce6/s640/IMG_4047+copy.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Cardigan: Sweaterworks</div>
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Scarf: gift</div>
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Necklace: Pink freshwater pearl necklace from Thailand</div>
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Vest: Forever 21</div>
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Dress: Xhileration for Target</div>
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Skirt: Forever 21 (xxi)</div>
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Belt: unknown brand</div>
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Tights: unknown brand</div>
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Photography by <a href="http://uncagedfreedom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Uncaged Photography</a></div>
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Linked up with:</div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-421645125245955732013-06-07T23:07:00.000-07:002013-06-07T23:07:23.910-07:00Life Lately...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Photos from the past month from my phone</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkCVBYc2UfoC4IFWE3nGxMcnZUp6KGByOSadG84P8n4bHSECNffFAkogdDLNDBxRPbKJTWzIKiQe8t8e0rVytn_PzM0BJlt8D45A_pbr-ybSO5WWwiZplgrc5Q6OfmtqVf18YODwPWiMH/s1600/Lomogram_2013-05-06_01-28-33-PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkCVBYc2UfoC4IFWE3nGxMcnZUp6KGByOSadG84P8n4bHSECNffFAkogdDLNDBxRPbKJTWzIKiQe8t8e0rVytn_PzM0BJlt8D45A_pbr-ybSO5WWwiZplgrc5Q6OfmtqVf18YODwPWiMH/s640/Lomogram_2013-05-06_01-28-33-PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C6-HepEYsFkq1SF4ubdggAPnN9TwL98gJ66luhnIx4ptVWRMLuOK9nv5aPTyzL7VKFI5GpWWFxORBQbF28iHZCW94F4yOnbHPbBu7t0FQEqsjpSpna5Ms52rTtSL2aGDERYEbJ9KQx6Q/s1600/Lomogram_2013-05-11_09-09-31-PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C6-HepEYsFkq1SF4ubdggAPnN9TwL98gJ66luhnIx4ptVWRMLuOK9nv5aPTyzL7VKFI5GpWWFxORBQbF28iHZCW94F4yOnbHPbBu7t0FQEqsjpSpna5Ms52rTtSL2aGDERYEbJ9KQx6Q/s640/Lomogram_2013-05-11_09-09-31-PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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^My little succulents growing in the front window^</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG8KGbmduuwefuHgrKTTRoucVsFa2UrVP-p3_9Ch24Jo9OstAcOYsiqA-L7q8dW-WNGsra6V5Zqy1Wam0XmAKfUekic8BhfAQFtCYfbF1c1yFQA6YVxEb8qSFw6yjOfp9YUPifLP_Cspb/s400/Lomogram_2013-05-11_09-05-34-PM.jpg" width="282" /> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65zLDutSgYHC9-x19U_Q21qkPGrjO96f9TTmL7M3kMdNH0gJvlr3SX8nrM4SCk76SLDVHz7spj8dHoM-zXU2hpfGHUxI1wuC53cCIeo8S82Ip4MobEDmnAD7XAWeX-cFXqyVqzhGoSwXf/s400/Lomogram_2013-05-13_07-17-31-PM.jpg" width="291" /></div>
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Salted caramel filled chocolate cookies, recipe <a href="http://chocolate-coveredlove.blogspot.com/2013/05/salted-caramel-filled-chocolate-cookies.html" target="_blank">here</a>^^</div>
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<img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWOwlwvzJOIRuRSLCpeNuOvcuZ4CsXIemah9xAndcHIWniYoAupextoa9miq38xczKZ3tsLvcwCOOCn7A4CUfqv0I6CMSMZwlFdUrIRhVUlYb79qAPQ7S9Df46-Md8tBc5dg3RNbo1guB/s640/Lomogram_2013-05-16_06-04-21-PM.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3e05CWy8xa4Dy0EjdZ4Lg3-Nfb15HjkOhz7OkrrnTVoWDS-HC9ZPU_lc3caocrOLTcJmurxHqNyLCf6BNGQ5muuPg4HeXSk3nY7XgmqI6YT_7jY6Nf2Y_ZZYST4yMt7XmO5yA6Z52uBi/s640/Lomogram_2013-05-25_06-22-43-PM.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Chorizo, over-medium egg, crema, queso fresco and basil w/ corn tortillas^</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYOvbFlpJ-10P0dtXD70yed5h8HUaYpG8jgzfGj8HkgPRwzAHJALkhievpIo53xlXrAB5ug6B0yxfSeB2hrR57Y2tbLkLP2KfuqK6YRDtGELkbxPTdLPlehphm9LqoEUDoGXuQDbIxLHL/s640/WP_20130601_00520130601135437.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Gnocchi with tomato-basil sauce^ </div>
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^Little porcelain rabbit that holds my ring while I wash the dishes^</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJbRqWQlcDohwe2D9V87LC01maZc2WFgeZczL4YfP4cq60kPwnzr3kzjvYlneckpJN3Qlx4KOGRPz0eRLMcRaZxrVlXWQUfoB8HS_ED1NzRdC-MtioOkwG4T3l5FpmdQRKKGPhykNsqzT/s640/WP_20130605_00220130605173628.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^^baby strawberries! Just picked them the other day, even though they are tiny they are so sweet and delicious!</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBbDSgYI-gByyoqyPFArmTHWppRPRvY_VqZZc9iCZPA1F1M11BQrkJC1FOPUp9u8pcZtb-kOO3wEmGK0bIFF_T6aQRWedJDNNpYZrhKv6_BnSdp8MkV75op5wCmGPhPoJ3pzR-vtqlUMh/s640/WP_20130607_0022013060715435320130607154634.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Nutella mousse, recipe to come!^</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlb-LfnWmAUWwxDqIp_z4bREN8fpFMr0KKoy9qFbxZd8TX65xnjqjZJL0c_fy8fthZSojjfHzAm8h-2NIGZWoiM3NSAiCiOHn0iM6q3TwX2iH5PYOexW1DrUYFgWpOwLn76nBprhV1QTo/s640/WP_20130511_002.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Homemade stove I made for Aria from a cardboard box.^</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioui5Gngo5O3MFzCd1de8eo1E588SnU8nM1CbnRfIxY-D_IG0e6nCWM9_SUfK_nC5V_keV64gKy8fyLJa_9Fxv-JHGjz_UtZsGctOjt5N4nZzq1z0Zv9IgaXZqBk8f2aPceIMDypn1bSSU/s640/WP_20130518_002.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYxitb1VdOulA6X8XrwXZ3IuLbslhMcIY5nudwB1EQsoDsaV2xgYGM6oUFa9_2W90DXaydBAf5e5resxd2sld-eg8RhmVRANF3fh-S3JQjh3P1IJlRKkvTmbggYA9jeWNK5_17cLxhFYe/s640/WP_20130526_001.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Aria fell asleep mid-meal after church one Sunday!^</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji48OQH0TO_mhcb3DQiTBkgeyCz2038a-Y05HOXiayCSljTsXelFdeiixM7tTPLD5ACJ83sj6gbv2EVPBtw6VAPYbiOFC9MwGYDi8BG97ApzMZqNVbel_bNwAKyKXCbYlVOj5aLN2HawUo/s640/WP_20130603_022.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Goodies I found at the Chinese grocery near my house. So excited!^</div>
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m_E2rfeHNAvTmW_28ls1oINkAOsBG7qoOSswSTHgIpeyAUkJawoLGjXRQVVJtiTFpcJQmI2m71yLUU1HTsDUr20FJr7Ly-VpTT2zN1DeWb6GyaT-jC0CAI7aLni-3oCzEUs26raFQ4-L/s640/WP_20130603_025.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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^Edamame with salt^</div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-70070082787799652922013-06-07T22:37:00.001-07:002013-11-25T09:51:51.554-08:00Magic Custard Cake<br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVTPxsr1bbkzMwVQe8VyArcQhf9PAExvcHtqwxyJxGPQ3f0wJFYG2qI9NvocG8RSXPk7rA2cLNzxo_RLTSBOuex84rJa4kyf3LZqpB-YMCa7WQqYpDydwFzC5QBmwQcsTAAD5z1bAcxbs/s640/IMG_1059.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I got this recipe from <a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/magic-custard-cake/" target="_blank">White on Rice Couple</a>. They have a lot of fantastic recipes with AMAZING photography (due to the fact that they are both professional food photographers). I'm not posting the recipe here because I didn't really change anything about the recipe. I did use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract just so I could see those specks of vanilla in it. </div>
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I LOVE this recipe. I've already made it at least four times. It's one of those desserts that's not too sweet so you can justify eating it as breakfast. It also doesn't make a large amount. Only an 8x8" pan, so nine square slices. I have eaten an entire pan by myself over the course of one and a half days. It's so good. You feel like you can eat so much because it's not overly sweet. I describe the taste as "a really thick pancake" to other people. It obviously isn't the same texture as a pancake but it has that same lightly sweet flavor. </div>
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I bake mine for about 45 minutes. I actually slightly under-bake my cake so the cake layer is thinner and there is some soft custard right between the cake layer and the firm custard. I find it just so delicious and I hope you do too!</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXDDpRDzO6smrlj7vWbZRdwwDdVN8z37CwQOcvEy4SmCOj_mt-kXVTpI28HI6YznFAai35Ko17JKWM3CqdZp-ZA1zr9lOIYsu24So-d-9sNH0Hw6a2Mjtd05ctrv8AphgWQdI7JWbm0xc/s640/IMG_1061.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DGxy8dJyPBNygZ_PvuP2qrv7FOVw_gfHlxy9gYQxRTKC5JIm6FNxvl99LAVPQXP7uQ4LOKjI7tzb16_CIS8ZDF_aWEX2bJZ5IM3zlvEUh-_lOeeKu6SScpwTnhQSJnHdqiXN6AGQwNv2/s640/IMG_1066.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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</script>Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-41998482702350033402013-05-22T15:20:00.001-07:002013-05-26T13:10:05.385-07:00Style Update: Two-in-One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfysgntgjBY-ouAndYpP2qqKdjc5Ud7urYI-qtiPwqmrC4g4dF1fSqROD8xDtpfVaq15zIzihm1zHvLNCg_oMrEsH7jRtGG36CgRtQbl-FqXRRfTBG1mmDBZ6yTKxnjTEtFPS3nJKey6W/s640/IMG_2949.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I am not spacing out these blog posts too good. I was trying really hard to post every other day or so but things have gotten so stressful and busy over here! Wedding planning combined with the beginnings of starting our own business (we = me and my cousin) is a very hectic mind.</div>
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This style update is a two-in-one! Which means I took these photos about a week ago and didn't post them on time so they got stuck together!</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf29X7J-VSpUJfqmV2RwQaVIpvOOkQT89PMZUJ2HL83A5men9K5VxQshavJdfCccGQlGxKnZcifJxq1UyR6LR3gBk3aqtOGP8A_F4O4K3mKE7SoG6EK5DS-tMtojNzxsj8xo6PJg0y3Fck/s640/IMG_2978.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Dress: Xhileration (Target)</div>
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Tights: unknown</div>
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Shoes: Franco Sarto (I think my new favorite heels!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw81cH-vZvFNWSe3dYka1WTjZqB9H43I_p405qXtyu-FahXG4vt_XYiaRNFvaLCVBjiepDZsJE9WayMTEhwH_J6qnaGbEoek0kUg-zaFu6QATSC1jeGENc-PBgWZn_OUs45iWoI7xhHGwb/s1600/IMG_3030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw81cH-vZvFNWSe3dYka1WTjZqB9H43I_p405qXtyu-FahXG4vt_XYiaRNFvaLCVBjiepDZsJE9WayMTEhwH_J6qnaGbEoek0kUg-zaFu6QATSC1jeGENc-PBgWZn_OUs45iWoI7xhHGwb/s640/IMG_3030.JPG" width="640" /></a><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7PfI0emQo7B94XlAQjmorfeBZ_gXyhnV9ELg3z44s5pIn292zrFvz7aEh_J98lW6GTsOqn2HNR24j-sRqb11pH6F_CDnJrcx9kUuoaKoITEwfSHfAdO-sISeplZZF87pC9PUtgz21h9U/s640/IMG_3097-Recovered.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Shirt: Wet Seal</div>
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Skirt: Cathy Kardwick</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOC6GJdQ1YkTGhkOJfWi6IQLl4gIC5IxfNQkvWsysLuS7JMhCWrUrNby6rK6G6AWUPiuXH9e_XK0lhg-mDsNhi4JYL81aG_5IYkbUmrPk4ycErx7UWxNHbAwnSQo9JT4BYk6BkDJHZw8R/s640/IMG_3137.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRMx3Q5vZbGL-NHiK8B4QUxcJ5Frfs5wceTXqx2jMAZM-uLjmrYWnvp2YNQUl1rnKsaF5Wce5dYPEn05MEiDzNYHWjLyTwWtCz2KvaekXSd222exUKqZfUzufPgJTQcX75j-qwZXhP4wC/s640/IMG_3140.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Photos by <a href="http://uncagedfreedom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Uncaged Photography</a><br />
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Link up with:<br />
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<a href="http://www.planepretty.com/search/label/sunday%20style"><img border="0" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/jennyjellybean02/planeprettysundaystyle.jpg" /></a></center>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-71155263443980827452013-05-17T18:42:00.001-07:002013-05-17T18:42:23.245-07:00Salted Caramel filled Chocolate Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJ53Rl-AtclKflJMHy_keNSFkbqTqpoAsPoXFU-zbFohxzbM0iB0AVcBY_gGu4EltH-JISBzhqINt0e-CC0S4qE6ghZuH69BqllwY0_FN7mL4FplcOW2ajsZqQcD-vxsPJwpsHe4maRll/s640/IMG_3288.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I saw a recipe similar to this on Pinterest, but when I looked at the recipe it was made using a brownie mix! I didn't want to do that, so I modified a recipe I already had to make these using a similar method.</div>
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These are super delicious but best eaten fresh and warm. You <i>can</i> store them in an airtight container, but before you eat them heat up the cookies in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to loosen up the caramel - otherwise it will be difficult to eat.</div>
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<b>Salted Caramel filled Chocolate Cookies</b></div>
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<i>makes about 20 cookies</i></div>
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- 1 1/2 cups flour</div>
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- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div>
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- 1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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- 1/4 tsp salt</div>
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- 1/2 cup butter, at room temp (1 stick)</div>
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- 1 cup white granulated sugar</div>
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- 1 TB vegetable oil</div>
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- 1 egg</div>
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- 1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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- about 20 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Traditional-Caramels-14-oz/dp/B0005Z6F5O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368840440&sr=8-2&keywords=caramels" target="_blank">packaged caramel candies</a></div>
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- coarse sea salt</div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. </div>
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.</div>
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In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.</div>
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With a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Beat in the vegetable oil (<i>makes it easier to shape the cookies, without it the dough is too sticky</i>). </div>
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Using a tablespoon scoop, scoop out heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough and flatten it in your hands. Take one of the caramel candies (unwrapped) and place it in the center of the dough. Top it with a pinch of the sea salt. Pinch the dough around the caramel and roll it in your hands slightly to form a uniform ball. Place it on the parchment paper lined baking sheet as you go. Do this until all the dough has been formed into cookies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDFY_hfnivJEZYAHtTuPVzLnsUuUCddUtDBnpF-kDRQgQp5kk93Xth9pzUiq7hS1GL4MlQOdFBJmOLkobRPSPAeOqC1H5WIZ4Ejycc97nkZYu-ImtOJS8nutiB3HtKD6NzKKKlZAOwxue/s1600/IMG_3274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDFY_hfnivJEZYAHtTuPVzLnsUuUCddUtDBnpF-kDRQgQp5kk93Xth9pzUiq7hS1GL4MlQOdFBJmOLkobRPSPAeOqC1H5WIZ4Ejycc97nkZYu-ImtOJS8nutiB3HtKD6NzKKKlZAOwxue/s640/IMG_3274.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYsVffcZoUNK09CcCcN3MFnAbjcgMHYhyJfOgNzkd6NnHj9z6svNGhEgr_daFaL3C6M-KCU4kVcDof5e4U4w01hy687wbmtVZZMTfxIH6A9H6q5k_hoM9sMZP2npZXg8CO4X0HQqz4DEW/s1600/IMG_3282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYsVffcZoUNK09CcCcN3MFnAbjcgMHYhyJfOgNzkd6NnHj9z6svNGhEgr_daFaL3C6M-KCU4kVcDof5e4U4w01hy687wbmtVZZMTfxIH6A9H6q5k_hoM9sMZP2npZXg8CO4X0HQqz4DEW/s640/IMG_3282.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY8Yc9onO3bIDua-5hN2aOkPA2tAHZKOIj2MnvkQVuCNsCM43sISg0UtaJjPXeqLuesSympqoalR0E-JW9kjf2h2uPhpMaMw91sa-qUmuPiPALlDEGqcASL-IV65cB1BsH2wIld7xYilZ/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY8Yc9onO3bIDua-5hN2aOkPA2tAHZKOIj2MnvkQVuCNsCM43sISg0UtaJjPXeqLuesSympqoalR0E-JW9kjf2h2uPhpMaMw91sa-qUmuPiPALlDEGqcASL-IV65cB1BsH2wIld7xYilZ/s640/IMG_3284.JPG" width="640" /></a>Bake for 5 minutes at 350 and then raise the heat to 375 for 10 additional minutes. </div>
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The cookies are done when they are puffed and the tops are cracked slightly.</div>
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Let them cool slightly <i>on the baking sheet. </i>If you move them to a wire rack the caramel will leak out onto your counter.</div>
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The cookies will deflate and flatten slightly as they cool, this is normal. They still taste delicious.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27NWgDho3t4uoMdBzA9bCIiy7YzaTZg_zOPTwaCqpVvmgEqkLKI5eHR1kEW8-oBtZUoVV99ey12T1_v1R_dqxdIcoBG_UojzMJZW8O7eLc2ZNYmotuwWGptH63qeZSjOr28zQgchGGyYF/s640/IMG_3285.JPG" width="496" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXTz7OBXdP-bVehkxFotmQStBvlYd-fg7PSc-i-_7CHaD36tSELNYXeXcVe00mww3JjwbCfESA_4D40FQNJEJBQKl1cNj99zgW97L6WgKGhF_tCI80cLYDXnDwt9_IgKgIAsYGodsDd6e/s640/IMG_3300.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Enjoy warm with a glass of milk!</div>
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<br />Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-75088965040293719472013-05-14T20:18:00.001-07:002013-05-14T20:18:10.533-07:00Lasagna with Homemade Ricotta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3_3IMuAkmZJ2K_BLRAhf4Wfjzie4yhvWnbhrdpvurbqib98t-YRco_8BWPMjRHXdk0fS8eQC413yHILJvMshWXl9OTemSsvGBD0frUmo0yq9dQJBuqwLm9TvZyLpWqbdN5f_IlMnJovJ/s640/IMG_9651.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I want to start off by apologizing for not posting all that regularly as of late. </div>
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I am super busy these days because I am in the midst of planning and preparing for my wedding at the end of June! I'm basically doing everything myself to keep it extremely low-budget, so that means a lot of work and planning on my end. Whew. And on top of that, I have Aria to keep an eye on. PLUS, my cousin and I are in the planning stages of starting a small business which I'll tell you more about as we get further along.</div>
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So. A lot going on as you can see. With all that said, here is a new recipe!</div>
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This meal started off as being Jhony's job. He offered to make a lasagna meal (which doesn't happen that often despite the fact that he <i>can</i> cook). But I ended up taking over because I had found a recipe for homemade ricotta that I wanted to try out, plus I wanted to make the sauce from scratch, and at that point I was basically already doing most of the work, so I just did everything. Not that I minded terribly. I love to cook. And it was the fact that he offered to do it that counts. :)</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1Y9cop5k0ko8d7pGkFdhRTNbAyxydxQLn4kJuSo2jy83UADghC_G6i68UMdJyo7XXvmWGR_lgIaSa5TEH3O9UtiOIhOZ_arQV8BSEeTAdc2dkEUVpo1AMJudS5VRFNk2-f8zpJ9lrfVx/s640/IMG_9600.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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<b>Lasagna with Homemade Ricotta</b></div>
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<i>serves 4-8</i></div>
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<i>Ricotta</i></div>
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<i>(recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.framedcooks.com/2011/08/how-to-make-fresh-ricotta.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</i></div>
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- 4 cups whole milk</div>
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- 1 cup buttermilk</div>
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- 1/3 cup heavy cream</div>
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- salt</div>
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- candy thermometer (optional)</div>
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<i>Lasagna</i></div>
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<i>(recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lasagna/" target="_blank">here</a>)</i></div>
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- 1 lb. ground beef</div>
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- 1/2 medium onion, diced</div>
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- 1/4 cup sugar</div>
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- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes</div>
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- 1 15 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes</div>
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- 3 oz. tomato paste</div>
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- 2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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- 1 tsp onion powder</div>
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- 1 tsp dried oregano</div>
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- 1 tsp dried basil</div>
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- 1 TB apple cider vinegar<br />
- pinch of dried red pepper flakes</div>
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- salt and pepper<br />
- 1/2 lb. dry lasagna noodles</div>
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- 1 1/2 lbs. grated mozzarella cheese</div>
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- 3/4 lb. Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdIys60M6o7uwzPW421ptvF9uUi3lZM2E5854RQLLnAr0DMJQKTGStP_gPAJ4i-qlLD1wpJ0H3bR5U1fsYKYtuLoCy1XdP0N4J_Favw13vzGwzr2u9lSGNMcL0d4wGBBaa-t23SYYRnN9/s640/IMG_9595.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Ricotta</i></div>
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Line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth (folded over several times) and set it in your sink.</div>
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Combine milk, buttermilk and cream in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.</div>
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Bring to a boil until thermometer registers 185. If you don't have a thermometer, keep an eye on it to see when the curds are mostly separated from the whey. This will take about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.</div>
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Remove from heat and using a slotted spoon, scoop spoonfuls of curd into the cheesecloth-lined strainer; sprinkling it with a little salt every 3-4 spoonfuls.</div>
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Let the ricotta drain for 5 minutes, then taste to check consistency. If you like it drier, let it drain more. If you like it wetter, add a tablespoon or so of milk. </div>
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(It's best used right away but can keep for a couple days in the fridge.)</div>
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<i>This ricotta tastes so fresh and delicious I had to keep myself from eating it all before I finished making the lasagna. This recipe made enough for the lasagna with about a half cup left over.</i></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvd-Knt_zY9gPo72U8nvo6scfI5WcVsWt1SvzLo3wdrn95MMFH_7onHx-kg07Fnm-Yw2PPyCYgnGXlQpOh4HITIRXnlqTZHcc7fn3fGU_FXNkMqNV_ksPOw6PYmnwwsZaFZ8WtlvireQ3/s640/IMG_9625.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Lasagna</i></div>
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Brown ground beef in dutch oven or large saucepan until cooked through. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain excess fat. Add in diced onions and pinch of dried red pepper flakes. Cook until browned and softened and then add the ground beef back in. Season with salt and pepper.</div>
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Add tomato paste and stir to release the flavors, cook one minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and dried basil. Add apple cider vinegar. Then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired level of sweetness -- no more than a 1/4 cup.</div>
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Stir and allowed to simmer for 20-35 minutes to thicken. Stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I like lots of black pepper.)</div>
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Cook lasagna noodles to al dente according to the package directions (this may be done in advance). Stir often to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other. Add in 1 TB of salt to the boiling water for more flavorful pasta. Drain noodles in a colander and keep in a cool water-filled pan or bowl to keep the noodles from drying out and sticking together.</div>
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In a 9x13 baking dish (I used parchment paper that has aluminum foil on the other side to line the pan to make the lasagna easier to remove) ladle in one cup of sauce and spread along the bottom of the pan. Apply a layer of noodles 3 length wise (edges overlapping). Apply spoonfuls of sauce sparingly over the noodles. Spread a layer of mozzarella cheese over the sauce and place ricotta cheese dollops every 2 inches on top of mozzarella layer, sprinkle a thin, even layer of parmesan on top of the ricotta. </div>
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Apply second layer of noodles, topped again with sauce and cheese.</div>
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Finish with another layer of noodles, topped with extra sauce and cheese. Tent lasagna with aluminum foil (not touching noodles/cheese/sauce).</div>
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Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. </div>
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Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_rUWuQZxjh8uXjcnlzYFzsS5jUWEzyrlFxOdV2sN00cILhNxbs9OKt63bgKdkxLToq68IcWTbN9oGKHEQl_0Ptxu0lklI-Lvnzo5TasNDL6rAQr_0ud8ej4faegKbg9zdaolr_AZkjjU/s640/IMG_9628.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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Flavor improves if made ahead of time and reheated in the oven. Leave aluminum tent on for storage - do not allow to touch the lasagna.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSZiisvp8ml0K7bJY_0ASWJk06b_dSml-r27aQNe1a4fwpKdS2oM23s-AgtkXAJxQNwooucQhvar4pz5C9BOA5DOL7qpYLFO5sy0RRqGbuZ1GPSNpkF9R1qioWYgE9pg8uuByENXAhr-T/s640/IMG_9644.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuePy4QkCvTafzpR7UPCBEBcX6u7ajE8GIFLL6928a1EZjTr0Q2v73Bp2UgS9DLmrf2RWZ4K9pTG7vFB3EwbYFuvj5g3RqbPe3YYMzC5iq2zc4avDTllXlHifGhe1oCSPzggfREm-PMKky/s640/IMG_9646.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I served the lasagna with fresh salad (I like to grate my carrots for salad) with homemade dijon vinaigrette.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFZ2m9EckapzOPVvRGcgEroCMTbKaGumU5nVaHqQriyIYJMzaWvNTaD_xaYgiyjqXlALZsHLjkGLIhTWF80WWAit9-cKG6-oBW_gn6BuiNc9yXMqJMVeF_ZSu861YE3phNJByUcyWikUN/s640/IMG_9639.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-84387008613169360602013-05-06T18:49:00.000-07:002013-05-06T18:49:02.774-07:00Cinco de Mayo* Flautas<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuK2KYqcnBVR7otmNOcWg50Au-6obSP0WOESurYHNhm1LvPhFyboVsfRLCFiATLcTWDyhdL2qA1GmrjQpkBQdoIMm6rGKt2uAW0mWRnMmTr9prv7uv7RcoG1X-GCkhKrwhl66ii7MiVZb/s640/IMG_2055.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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*Note: I was going to post this on Sunday but my computer decided to go on the fritz, so I couldn't upload until today. Sorry the recipe is a bit late. :)</div>
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Whenever I make flautas it's to re-use some leftover shredded meat. I've made it with leftover shredded chicken, pork and beef from various recipes. This go-round I made it from leftover <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/salsa_verde_carnitas/" target="_blank">Salsa Verde Carnitas</a>. Of course you could also make the carnitas for the purpose of making flautas. I changed up the recipe a little bit to suit my own taste - and the flautas part is really easy.</div>
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I made a couple filled with queso fresco (as you will see in the pictures) for my daughter because the carnitas were too spicy for her. </div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrOoQr82boCfTChreU4EpRgsggBVKRbzP0kcEyU6kQoy1xpx6T-xQA7fFfVktvhc41mVrv67QZjer7I4-xt8edPxYByuoc_M5oUiM3XlbiKx6IT4Earbc6rQhC3ITeTJj7ruSNV8LItqr/s640/IMG_2033.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Flautas </b></div>
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(filled with carnitas and cheese)</div>
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<i>makes a lot*</i></div>
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<i>recipe for the carnitas adapted from <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/salsa_verde_carnitas/" target="_blank">here</a></i></div>
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- 2-3 lbs pork shoulder</div>
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- 2 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/La-Costena-Green-Mexican-Sauce/dp/B0000GGHQU/ref=sr_1_24?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1367887757&sr=1-24&keywords=salsa+verde" target="_blank">salsa verde</a> (that's the kind we always use)</div>
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- 1 onion, chopped</div>
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- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed</div>
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- 3 cups chicken stock (or whatever kind you have on hand)</div>
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- 2 tsp cumin seeds</div>
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- 1 tsp fennel seeds</div>
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- 2 tsp ground coriander</div>
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- 1 tsp dried oregano</div>
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- queso fresco</div>
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- corn tortillas</div>
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- frying oil</div>
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- toothpicks</div>
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- toppings (crumbled queso fresco, crema and cilantro)</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0IB6RJWYWPCe8eO9Ra5gF3SYK9C4GSTvshZ5OojRAvgJnHGqKsLW4e6taDCBfXKvZhV47YO1m5fYkFHCbGlKxOr2Q81RvS9fypTO6gHsHJCZw8f-qrZ8XOG7GUQFv4Ox5EUjFvD2s7zM/s640/IMG_2039.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Salsa Verde Carnitas</i></div>
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Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder roast. Put the roast, salsa verde, onion, garlic, stock, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, and oregano in a large, thick-bottomed pot over high heat. </div>
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Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.</div>
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Cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, or until meat pulls away easily with a fork.</div>
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</div>
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Remove meat from liquid in pot and put meat into a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. With 2 forks, tear the meat into large shreds. Spread out in an even layer. </div>
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Roast for 15-20 minutes until the shreds are brown and crispy.</div>
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While the meat is roasting, reduce the liquid remaining in the pot to about half.</div>
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Return the browned meat to the pot with the liquid. Season with salt.</div>
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<i>Flautas</i></div>
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Pour about 3/4 of an inch of oil into your pan (I use my cast iron pan here) and heat to about 300 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, test the oil by sticking in the handle of a wooden spoon, and if bubbles appear around the spoon the oil is hot enough.</div>
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While the oil is heating, start assembling the the flautas. (If the tortillas are too stiff, microwave them in a stack for about 30 seconds to make them more pliable.) Lay out one tortilla and fill it down the middle with a couple tablespoons worth of carnitas and fold the sides of the tortilla over and secure with a toothpick. Continue assembling flautas until you are out of tortillas or carnitas (I made one package of corn tortillas worth, makes about 15 flautas, with plenty of leftover carnitas for later.)</div>
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Place the filled tortillas in the hot oil and fry on each side for about a minute or until they are crispy and golden. Place the fried flautas on a paper towel lined plate as they finish. </div>
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<b>Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before you serve them!</b></div>
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Top with crema, crumbled queso fresco, and chopped cilantro.</div>
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Serve immediately.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoANM7BUFZS8RLcGB4gUWyAWRQBvXY-f23BQLFi6Ac7BcV9LwQJ7bDFhcltS17J1xbYMLf9BazmAmz6Btuhg-m1gq02pB5ZqT09ouZ-fxexWMGfiRgD0fNpfCxHzDbb8tsVubPpS3o0nBG/s640/IMG_2053.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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The above picture is of my daughters flautas. They are filled with chunks of queso fresco and topped with crema and more queso fresco. She loves them as you can see below.<br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnEH0dTEkg2GecwuXKSQeondbUh_E4W8BgjeOIhcKnQGfuz6cUNm0SW_ImznDwbqdUgYCloTiHB74EyBAN0NR0nGdeT-bqNXhlSKzP0qgVZKj7HLX11wpcDU1_A11X6tCuwdyXaIbUnK-/s640/IMG_2070.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcSMM61nkyG6I7hXlX4u0JOkrMgO7SQSsufacMYEaIpU3pAqsAMfYgrwsuLcWVr6UL8iEIv80ZaS4-fbHOVuoQvNpJDso916lXCccPs8ahMZ77PytFP5HM3vXnSIwC1AYqFt6IQ75KZB4/s640/IMG_2064.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-26953675720468669142013-05-01T01:00:00.000-07:002013-05-01T01:06:17.180-07:00Style Update: Modcloth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMXAN6BZHTrTYOjz94hXnVj0ww7v5I6jgzh7iMHhHQIj4AUxOwlumJFEJs1tQMheafi3nbKuGgbV_OX_KGiChnyDgThuixzNOwZcEi7Y1_os_8RZ2SPvPlWEV_7UiT6JQGEYg1pep-wIn/s640/IMG_2559edit.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Aria has started photo-bombing my style photos. She copies EVERYTHING we do, so her assumption is probably that when I have set the camera to the timer, she must also pose. Sometimes she also makes crazy faces - but that's for the next style post.</div>
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Aria is also wearing new shoes, jacket and dress - all of which I love.</div>
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Aria's shoes: Target</div>
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Aria's jacket: London Fog via Unique</div>
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Aria's dress: also Unique, unsure of brand</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TQdrt2t78qamnWyjGYuRYFFfK_NXpG2CM3IKFeaAtDNBRhf3VSwEJ9uHpgAiDUTrm5UfsBnioTwljLJE4U0zaEHAKb8ekOB0zADoL89PpfHLRz1s9NQWaMAVY8Oaaj2THUJSInT8fZVv/s640/IMG_2572edit.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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Jacket: H&M</div>
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Necklace: Cambodia (my name in Khmer)</div>
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Undershirt: Express</div>
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Dress: Tulle Clothing by Modcloth</div>
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Belt: Unique thrift store, unknown brand</div>
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Tights: Unknown </div>
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Black flats: Charlotte Russe</div>
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White heels: Spring</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LcTfysm8r1mVsWs3Xt0-aHSkmUyrzrIvJQVcuoDQ7VYV5iwm3t6cCcFTEUAt8WJpYPtWoDaqwPavB6zRYkf7XllaAOnd1JcRT0sTVb3ly-fsP-n0vFE4TK-n-EjW-8eo-6S9hXwqWFhI/s640/IMG_2616edit.jpg" width="402" /></div>
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I only wore the heels for the photos and then switched to the flats to walk around in (Aria and I were walking around to several parks/playgrounds since it was a warm day and I didn't feel like doing that in heels).</div>
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Link up with:</div>
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<center>
<a href="http://www.planepretty.com/search/label/sunday%20style"><img border="0" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/jennyjellybean02/planeprettysundaystyle.jpg" /></a></center>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-19179715733169139042013-04-26T14:09:00.000-07:002013-04-26T14:09:15.423-07:00Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes, that is the theme song to Mr. Rogers.</div>
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A couple nights ago we were watching YouTube and came across this video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xck2ByutMg" target="_blank">35 facts about Mr. Rogers</a>.</div>
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Apparently Mr. Rogers was the exact same person on and off screen. A genuinely nice person.</div>
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We need more of those in the world.</div>
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Today's version of Mr. Rogers is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood on PBS.</div>
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Aria's current favorite show. </div>
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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/AVvXsEjHT7i9sn7FSgDJ9qYAq15UrTMg6ANw8o0B-tztagb61Gusa8U5RSazsgRTJ_tFBPi7E_aRiSJBxZ5q9RNEwoCH1MyYr6il08EaHLqrsUaEves450gMocUZEzKVA5XpjaSVeV_57RRl2EFD/s1600/IMG_2274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT7i9sn7FSgDJ9qYAq15UrTMg6ANw8o0B-tztagb61Gusa8U5RSazsgRTJ_tFBPi7E_aRiSJBxZ5q9RNEwoCH1MyYr6il08EaHLqrsUaEves450gMocUZEzKVA5XpjaSVeV_57RRl2EFD/s640/IMG_2274.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ This house's number is on a cute dachshund sign.</td></tr>
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It's been a very warm past few days here in Chicago and it has been AMAZING. This whole week is supposed to be in the 60s and possibly even reach 70 degrees. And then the following week is supposed to rain. :( Boo. So we gotta enjoy this weather while it's here. </div>
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We've been taking lots of walks around the neighborhood and to the parks nearby.</div>
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Lots of photos in the post. Just warning ya. :)</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyKYeir3cr6IQQTEzhDli3mzNITS1MrTF0zBSYkVY1wtKSV3rCDwLGsQpg1osD54BE-KXmCz1Qyt7t1QWCPF8HzxdEo_KSsFWkWqWI0LRyRCBdnOCQaZogz4iwpMyE0rAUIvkOE3Klv1X/s640/IMG_2278.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I was so shocked to see this willow tree along the street - I'm used to seeing them around ponds or down at the beach.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvXJpO1FId0kdiUTTDB0HE2SX90O7eT4n0D8YEhCIE2VzJ05oR_VCeFIRcYPU7NflYM4EdebAkXfU-HLMUJgi2NtivDEe3JtUS1n1hja8qpcPonL6pW_xkHvx3jkU-dfGtUwoGQ1X3VIq/s640/IMG_2280.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFtpN8b4mLRMVTUqSoVFU2NCTrd6l_ySe5ZcOCabzDmt60b-OGOxd3HT8hJv45MMvsZbe7QCGhFmF8vqWNA8T0sIWkInmS0j9ehrr95VxMwccsxFjPyjsT9PFsS8DUAEGaR08Ot1fzbdU/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFtpN8b4mLRMVTUqSoVFU2NCTrd6l_ySe5ZcOCabzDmt60b-OGOxd3HT8hJv45MMvsZbe7QCGhFmF8vqWNA8T0sIWkInmS0j9ehrr95VxMwccsxFjPyjsT9PFsS8DUAEGaR08Ot1fzbdU/s640/IMG_2297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ Magnolia trees are so beautiful. My favorite flowering tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH4PR9X7ctZ_AOSUyHP3gJ7pGzB5BsMWsIqAJYE8c0MEnBaN4vtNekYfh0Q7EvzezMzIvaCl8EKHgRifcTsa9Ttn7snBlpSUV0rHCCHp8iqlqPj6uknuKVW365DXm7ML-dZVX_sRRjKqS/s1600/IMG_2299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH4PR9X7ctZ_AOSUyHP3gJ7pGzB5BsMWsIqAJYE8c0MEnBaN4vtNekYfh0Q7EvzezMzIvaCl8EKHgRifcTsa9Ttn7snBlpSUV0rHCCHp8iqlqPj6uknuKVW365DXm7ML-dZVX_sRRjKqS/s640/IMG_2299.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ I thought this was funny. </td></tr>
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On the left is <a href="http://pleasanthousebakery.com/" target="_blank">Pleasant House Bakery</a> and on the right is <a href="http://community-bar.com/" target="_blank">Maria's Community Bar</a>. A friend of my cousin's says that Maria's is the best bar in Chicago! They have a large choice of beers - many local and artisanal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF4pV5leGI_bzwB2_EWq5EeGOxzcaKucCQZpB2eiOYMNjEdtn8C23ZQb7CpG03LHh67SJqsQ_d14owworR8WV5RkWM7_FHF4BYEzlFhkLIBZu4UJP8qQFmXj7VHYM3YC1N1I2ub_7lWGV/s640/IMG_2313.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^<a href="http://www.bridgeportcoffeecompany.com/" target="_blank"> Bridgeport Coffee</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R0yEStbXaEFhfrhT1abjtLjOx7TFHRYw4D-RBrbvW0ad7UIo1xAqPCxGSpoABK_TVgbRTV9rLk4fPnHTbF5joggg-tbz2Uxf3gUqQPTFVk2bWAi3I54aw5YsF1SlLZy8bt8dh-QJdoEy/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R0yEStbXaEFhfrhT1abjtLjOx7TFHRYw4D-RBrbvW0ad7UIo1xAqPCxGSpoABK_TVgbRTV9rLk4fPnHTbF5joggg-tbz2Uxf3gUqQPTFVk2bWAi3I54aw5YsF1SlLZy8bt8dh-QJdoEy/s640/IMG_2317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ Saw this little house hanging high in a tree along the street. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6S65xW49oqL26tRtv9FoWyG72KL-kSaBuJsM9onqnvRy6vaQ8y1u-MxdqkLZuzE18PIPxfYZPURq5mJst_eksAr4FuX9pIck-NH7aMCjtedw4LWUeWIbRFiMEWt_l96KTXOQ3rhoPq3P/s640/IMG_2537.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ saw this little bell hanging on the tree branch, cute and random. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">^^ saw a big turtle at the nature park</td></tr>
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Hope you are all having a warm and wonderful week as well! </div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-516584439587081672013-04-20T10:55:00.003-07:002013-04-20T10:55:59.399-07:00Eclairs with Nutella Icing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3cBsg2gtLUjU8rj5JMWkauU8T5DnC5uE2dDA9FRkvpA2Z_goLGat9ZZXKSHqwM4p0NyvM1y5562HQ8RTawnsKfgONjEbPAg7LqP_Xx5Xkc_dOd77alCiM5BO9swtz2IN24poqIgLcbRT/s640/IMG_9584.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I LOVE eclairs. Or cream puffs. It's the same recipe, the only difference is the shape of the pastry.</div>
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I got this recipe from my cookbook: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/143918352X/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Baking with the Cake Boss</a>. I made a few changes that I made while doing the recipe. I've actually made this recipe twice, and I've been doing my version of it because I found some problems with it when I was making it.</div>
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For instance, the original recipe calls for the custard to be thickened with flour - but it just wasn't thickening fast enough - or at all - so I use cornstarch instead. I also noticed that the pastry dough recipe says that it makes 24 eclairs/cream puffs but BOTH times I made them it only came out to 18. I also changed the icing to use Nutella instead of chocolate chips.</div>
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The finished pastry can be cut and filled two ways: either sliced completely in half and filled like a sandwich (pictured here) OR puncture a hole in the bottom and fill the inside with a pastry bag (I did this method when I made cream puffs the second time around). Both methods work, it's just a matter of preference. Although when you fill the pastry from the inside, you can't really tell how much it's filled on the inside. I had to tell by the weight of the pastry.</div>
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When making this dessert, keep in mind that it either must be started early in the morning or over the course of two days. The custard must chill for at least 6 hours, so this is not a dessert that can be made and eaten quickly.</div>
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<b>Eclairs (or Cream Puffs) with Nutella Icing</b></div>
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<i>makes 18</i></div>
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<i>Italian Custard Cream</i></div>
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- 2 1/2 cups whole milk</div>
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- 1 TB vanilla extract</div>
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- 1 cup sugar</div>
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- 3 TB cornstarch</div>
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- 5 extra-large egg yolks</div>
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- 1 TB salted butter</div>
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<i>Choux Pastry Dough</i></div>
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- 1 cup water</div>
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- 6 TB (3/4 stick) unsalted butter</div>
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- 1/8 tsp salt</div>
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- 1 cup flour</div>
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- 4 extra-large eggs</div>
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<i>Nutella Icing</i></div>
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- 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar</div>
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- 2 TB water</div>
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- 2 heaping TB Nutella</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0PIpgJxjeATVJ5fmjOriGP9yeEuqov52Qxpuy4kauqGDPsA0JVsA7hSw3qAtnuyLzg7074FAUkNqXXFh90Wn_jW1B7UGQ1UXysRTbSdiKB73-kMCj2HjmqjiKCQq597l72m5q4PX-HYe/s640/IMG_9590.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Italian Custard Cream</i></div>
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Pour the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.</div>
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In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks. Slowly ladle a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bowl and whisk in to temper the eggs.</div>
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Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thick and creamy. Lower the heat slightly and keep whisking until the custard becomes very thick. </div>
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Remove from heat and add the butter. Continue whisking for several minutes.</div>
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Transfer to a bowl. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap (with the plastic touching the custard surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for a least 6 hours.<br />
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<i>Choux Pastry Dough</i><br />
Put the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.<br />
Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the ingredients come together into a smooth, uniform dough.<br />
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Start paddling on low speed, then add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly absorbed, mixing for one minute between eggs. Finish with the final egg and mix for an additional 2 minutes. The dough will be very thick and sticky.<br />
Use the dough immediately. It does not refrigerate well.<br />
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<i>Assembly</i><br />
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.<br />
Transfer choux dough into a pastry bag fitted with a #6 plain tip (I used a # star tip instead; you could also use a large ziploc bag with the tip snipped off). The dough should be piped (1 inch wide and 3 inches long*) two inches apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.<br />
Bake the eclairs in the oven, in batches if necessary, until they are golden brown and have set enough that you can pick them up easily off the baking sheet; 15 - 20 minutes.<br />
Remove the tray from the oven and let the eclairs cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes, you don't need to transfer them to a rack to cool.<br />
Use a serrated knife to slice through the eclairs.<br />
Fill a pastry bag with the custard and pipe the filling into the eclairs (you can use the same bag you used for piping the dough, just rinse it out and dry it first).<br />
Ice the eclairs following the recipe below.<br />
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<i>Nutella Icing</i><br />
To ice the eclairs, spoon the heaping tablespoons of nutella into a small, microwaveable bowl with the water. Microwave for about a minute to melt the nutella slightly.<br />
Whisk in the sugar until the mixture is uniformly smooth.<br />
Use a spoon or small spatula to use the tops of the eclairs.<br />
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Serve the eclairs right away.<br />
They can also be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen in the freezer for about a month. Eclairs can be eaten straight from the freezer as well if you wish (makes them kind of taste like they are filled with ice cream).<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvojeBKv-0jheSIzwpD3CSRzYgpPKkLajQPrYZBNjYlBlDVHmCSJGQQXb9Cick3ntXCY-OxlhdECJLX-pX7ZP6pYDRqJmCVMjJ0mdyOXPM45LylH5Spz-jGYG_aghEppksWXlPQT7bK7_R/s640/IMG_9592.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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*To make cream puffs instead of eclairs, use the same pastry bag tip. Pipe rounds onto parchment paper lined baking sheets that are 2 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch high, leaving 2 inches between puffs. Bake at the same temperature for the same amount of time.</div>
<br />Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-56179676864684472732013-04-12T20:21:00.001-07:002013-04-13T09:59:12.779-07:00Chai Pancakes with Cranberry-Vanilla Compote<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LEXLSxIYPz27slBliMwKbhFvCgjQZErcsoa-cNxLq5dTctF5Zf3TC4Ynz0IslvadbEI26S7ANVSYdyGk7bxfB0KRuQms0E8HxDK5bprm-GjsdliNRkoCupY7eiAW5XhmCeSdd3ouml4K/s640/IMG_9291.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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I originally found this recipe on Pinterest, I changed it up a little bit for my tastes. And the original recipe says that it serves 3-4 but I feel it just makes 2 servings. My pancakes were fairly small, just about 3 to 4 inches across. Plus, they are pretty light so I ate this entire stack myself. :) The compote is absolutely delicious. A perfect blend of tart and sweet; both the cranberry and vanilla flavors equally prominent. I will definitely be making this again.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmzp3qso4VWPFtiSXoX2jRAInzz9Uqni_bZBqny__Fke3DJqygQ8eoA7L4cttBRdCVhIETRIteyBscKIp2S1rupexzvHwd6jXiTJS-VodQZz2GXrAJK9T7m3P25n4-NJOaDpHUURQsF9J/s640/IMG_9285.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Chai Pancakes with Cranberry-Vanilla Compote</b></div>
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<i>recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.thefirstmess.com/2012/10/03/dirty-chai-pancakes-recipe/" target="_blank">here</a></i></div>
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<i>Pancakes</i></div>
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- 1 1/3 cup milk</div>
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- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar</div>
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- 1 1/4 cups flour</div>
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- 2 tsp baking powder</div>
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- 1 tsp baking soda</div>
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- pinch of salt</div>
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- 1 tsp ground cinnamon</div>
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- 1/2 tsp ground ginger</div>
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- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom</div>
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- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</div>
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- pinch of ground cloves</div>
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- 2 TB honey</div>
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- 1 TB melted coconut oil (or butter), plus more for the pan</div>
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- 1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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<i>Compote</i></div>
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- 1 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries</div>
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- 1/3 cup water</div>
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- 1/4 cup honey</div>
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- 2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvrhN4DKANBzMKuLxk4_BEjLApNIADm_VsYM9SQQdNwGDEbLjPootWd3saMgnpeR0ruvq1XdLeouei8g-2bC7MjVKSf-h1Ab4JXqzdXw79qfbxalrb4JEHEQgWYYq2dEDDjnQ5e88vGrR/s640/IMG_9296.JPG" width="514" /></div>
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<i>Compote</i></div>
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Place the cranberries, water and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add more water as needed to keep compote moist. As the cranberries soften mash them with the back of a spoon to get more of a saucy consistency. Once the texture is more like a liquid-y jam, add the vanilla. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.</div>
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<i>Pancakes</i></div>
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Combine milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and set aside to curdle for five minutes. (You could also omit the vinegar and use buttermilk instead.)</div>
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In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Stir in the curdled milk (or buttermilk), honey, coconut oil (or butter) and vanilla. Take care not to over-mix.</div>
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Heat a skillet over medium heat with some coconut oil or butter. Drop batter in the pan by 1/3 cup measures. Allow first side to cook until you see bubbles appear and edges appear slightly dry and browned. Flip the pancake and cook for another minute. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. </div>
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Serve pancakes with compote spooned over the top.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Check out the other blogs on this blog hop I've linked up with this week!</div>
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<a href="http://www.chantillysongs.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Chantillysongs Blog hop" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8029/8014378460_14a1e017e5_m.jpg" /></a></div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-21561205705063513192013-04-08T16:04:00.000-07:002013-04-08T16:06:57.091-07:00Style Update: High-Waisted Skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDH4ZVnAhiQpb-cig5u7BcQs4xSB5dG6LBgFncrGZX6TuvYgfCkTUvGtCvp_Hy3HEa0cGfRQpBEnUSY3Lk5jA7Urco-iJHxTxdDVyau-gpMK32eteuY8EOXBjg8kUwusJfj7Vm7DNpMuN/s640/IMG_1843+copy.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Aria joined me for a few of the photos, of course she had been having fun digging in the dirt, so she's covered head-to-toe.</div>
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Cardigan: Wet Seal</div>
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Shirt: Gap</div>
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Skirt: Body Central</div>
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Tights: Target</div>
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Shoes: Alex Marie </div>
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<img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAusNvwSHFHJCoSzl-vj_TZHqT9PYRZavHEjo235uNz6ANK4-2tbgSBMIi88HAIBdN2ndldUwRwb3-vb9haShbEPpZOW5kHQ2blKqdLY_ofl-DWybAMc0xI43qj6El8RNi5XRjNPBWFhkC/s640/IMG_1941+copy+2.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3qWxkiR5ZrZWXXOifD0ldFux3Xtf3NySn05e0HvbLxF0g1fp3YbcrC3fNm3ccotE0mGYQnYkcUBhqeAQv9j8xZYYnAHVyb_FWLJ7CbzUMTbrK_qelXK-L3n7rTv5ePMiEMNRJZAclAK6/s640/IMG_1965+copy.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEcS9mP4vIEe3G9kWhUugrynaium0Op2-wRgsnYC9AHEHjVXDMZNO9T05KaINCN-6WY29ZZ6PHI2GqNtYWkw_RrfDvAAnGURyJg7IGS1uzLI8VovxiTflBaalYe9uZQVOHW3vHfc8P65F/s640/IMG_1918+copy.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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photos by <a href="http://uncagedfreedom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Uncaged Photography</a><br />
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Link up with:</div>
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<a href="http://www.planepretty.com/search/label/sunday%20style"><img border="0" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/jennyjellybean02/planeprettysundaystyle.jpg" /></a></center>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-15801930226234792622013-04-08T12:24:00.001-07:002013-04-08T12:24:55.934-07:00Homemade Doughnuts with Chai Glaze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjVlAXMhbA-0K7nf7GO0iT4wNDpdjiyHWmY3fSipVpTFhBXZlHk4tozoBZnc1XNdj-GQK9d7QE5CGglC90bVZTIV-dNkjkEQ05hloOX-UB10X15epXtJBRNm55SIpav9NYY7xF8Aq5wXT/s640/IMG_9245.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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This was my first attempt at making doughnuts. I am tentative about frying stuff because I'm always scared of oil flying out of the pan and burning me. Before I fried anything I did some research on the smoking points of different oils, which actually scared me to death because it made me scared of setting the oil on fire. Which of course didn't happen. I used my cast iron dutch oven and my candy thermometer to regulate the temperature of the oil.</div>
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I actually made two batches of doughnuts. The first one (the ones with the white sprinkles) I made exactly the way the recipe said to. Except I used lard to fry them, because I had heard lard would make them crispier and less greasy. Unfortunately those did not turn out very well. The lard did not work out at all. It left a thin residue on all the doughnuts which left them tasting very lard-y. </div>
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So for my second batch I used corn oil - which worked much better. I also changed the flavor of the glaze. </div>
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The original recipe is from <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/" target="_blank">A Beautiful Mess</a> for <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/01/grapefruit-donuts.html" target="_blank">Grapefruit Donuts</a>. The grapefruit flavor did not come through very well, in the glaze or the donuts, so for the second batch I made the glaze chai flavored, which tasted much better in my opinion. I also made donut-holes instead of whole donuts, this was just my decision, you can make traditional donuts if you desire.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Ok5W4fk8YD6cza28CuAG3Wbf1ZnIt7dw4EfPAkQxbuYhZByShDv5bWsuNzxHbkl_hN0f-UpTQzj6st8EXiDwVqNap8o_QbGW9Rfc2WN-zd_sgdwQuTbFIYgJK5MPvDrCeP9a1FZXpM0/s640/IMG_9249-Recovered.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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<b>Homemade Donuts with Chai Glaze</b></div>
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<i>recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/01/grapefruit-donuts.html" target="_blank">here</a></i></div>
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<i>Donuts</i></div>
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- 1 cup milk</div>
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- 1/4 cup sugar</div>
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- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast</div>
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- 2 eggs</div>
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- 1/2 cup, plus 2 TB butter</div>
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- 4 cups flour</div>
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- 1/4 tsp salt</div>
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- oil for frying</div>
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<i>Glaze</i></div>
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- 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar</div>
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- 1/2 cup water</div>
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- 1 tsp ground cardamom</div>
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- pinch of ground cinnamon</div>
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- pinch of ground cloves</div>
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- pinch of ground nutmeg</div>
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- optional sprinkles</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfEykV6loBev2NvKRpPGIqVBA2quAYPd21n8Cp42g-G9r7UbncyfxeJ5KGT9kYaea_iX2-1COMUepQE8CSQRcZYqfZaZhRKD6gVdvEWcmHQFOfQHk_NkwoYN-SCQ4IZc6dbFFNmlMTRNy/s640/IMG_9420.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, and stir in sugar until it dissolves.</div>
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Pour in the yeast and let it proof for 5-10 minutes.</div>
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Melt butter in microwave until it's just nearly melted. Whisk in the eggs and pour egg-mixture into the bowl of your mixer with a dough hook attachment turned on low (I use a hand mixer but a stand mixer would work as well). Pour in the yeast-milk mixture. Add in flour one cup at a time followed by the salt. Now turn up mixer to medium and let it knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoqny0GhrdePDL0ija3sCAAalzc58IfYZntNIw1ftiv6tCL7zCcKmC3ry3kbSbZtpNug6QdHR4t42yqI1dVc4zKm0LSyxeaj85JZSYrl-Cvoj6ZLCkGrk3dvw_D231nbEMuSnwIXvnS7I/s640/IMG_9435.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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The next day roll out your dough and cut the donuts while the dough is still cold. You can use whatever you like to cut your shapes, I actually used a narrow glass cup to cut my donut holes. Lay donuts on a baking sheet, cover with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. (I had to used my oven because my kitchen was too cold. Warm up your oven to 200 and then turn it off.) </div>
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Pour enough oil in your pot or dutch oven so that your donuts have room to float (a few inches deep). You want your oil at 375 degrees, so use a candy thermometer. The donuts should cook 30-45 seconds on each side, or until golden brown, and then remove them onto a bed of paper towels.</div>
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<img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFynQjr8pQ9fqbRat6OP0TTCrXdL0GKy2HRihIcGPVoQjCKsGSTtt5qwah4g-43y_RsXFIEdvPikk8sKaXRJnO9sY517-W38Wcm3I9_8XSnR7-MX078Wa3VyOYIFofYWx61rankjAmsqD/s640/IMG_9433.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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For the glaze whisk all the ingredients together (water, powdered sugar and spices) until a smooth glaze is formed. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze and set on a wire rack with parchment paper beneath. Before the glaze hardens, add the sprinkles or they won't stick.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852093467842191980.post-65758360359104364722013-04-06T12:15:00.000-07:002013-04-06T12:15:56.101-07:00Chocolate-Strawberry Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlKj1dxJyiGyi4vySJGKbvRDJQIGGaqc6dK955FMbJO-DnxCdt_QreRVLImwG5Epyvn8EXSltKnS14OD4mxsS3CdC-rv4Bbv4OQ_L34vJbvDOe50m9v9k1VLByPkpmd_MSGbJNHQl1ZBb/s640/IMG_9187.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Unfortunately I forgot to take a cross-section picture of the cupcakes so you could see the strawberry filling, so you'll just have to trust me that it's there. I got the recipe for the frosting and cupcakes from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Cake-Boss-Recipes-Decorating/dp/143918352X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365273144&sr=8-1&keywords=baking+with+the+cake+boss" target="_blank">Baking with the Cake Boss</a> cookbook. Both worked out great. I made these cupcakes for my daughter, Aria, since she loves chocolate and strawberries. Plus I wanted to try out my new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D47RWK/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">decorating supplies</a> I had gotten. :)</div>
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I made some minor changes to the recipes when I made them, with the cupcakes the original recipe called for cocoa powder and melted chocolate. I just put in cocoa powder and it was still chocolate-y enough. And with the frosting the original recipe called for a mix of butter and shortening, so instead I used margarine which is 60% oil and 40% butter.</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYSg_qJvRBNGinmxyjSmVHqKH3B-04va-cUm-JZcE9MWVTYSs1MALF1kRvtW3QlnlhtfXT7jDEIjpLu9BhcEOHYlEtEAwLyi8wma8nmAz1cWotl8jTG11bw6ZnKtURsSt2g-aBBhXG8gc/s640/IMG_9184.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Chocolate-Strawberry Cupcakes</b></div>
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<i>makes 12 cupcakes</i></div>
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<i>Cupcake batter</i></div>
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- 3/4 cup flour</div>
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- 3/4 cup sugar</div>
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- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temp</div>
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- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder</div>
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- 1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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- 1/8 tsp baking powder</div>
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- 1/4 cup hot water</div>
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- 1 extra-large egg</div>
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- 1/4 cup buttermilk</div>
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<i>Frosting</i></div>
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- 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar</div>
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- 1 1/2 cups margarine</div>
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- 1/2 TB vanilla essence (or 3/4 TB vanilla extract)</div>
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- 1/8 cup plus 1 TB cold water</div>
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<i>Strawberry filling</i></div>
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- 10 medium strawberries, finely diced</div>
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- 2 TB sugar</div>
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- 1 tsp cornstarch</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Gu-2PdVM-HZV5O5Gt5mFnjyJFstSHVD6rcVFWMWhDdhbTNwtYrGXXOp6f78aoP9TPLzgSF1DgvhyphenhyphenyejpkOAcGmubqamkz5ohg38b4csfAPvnL8NNJRac4y2RAAQqH9tyhfO7rlSvK7gy/s640/IMG_9188.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<i>Cupcakes</i></div>
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Preheat oven to 350.</div>
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Put the flour, sugar, butter, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are blended together, then increase speed to med-low for one minute to mix until smooth.</div>
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Add in hot water with mixer running. Add in the egg. With the mixer still running add in the buttermilk. Make sure to scrape the bottom with a spatula to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Mix for an additional minute on med-low speed. </div>
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Put paper liners in a standard sized cupcake/muffin tin and divide the batter equally into each cup.</div>
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Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake.</div>
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Let the cupcakes cool to room temp before removing them from the pan and onto a wire cooling rack.</div>
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<i>Frosting</i></div>
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Put the margarine, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, about 3 minutes.</div>
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With the mixer running, add the water in a thin stream and continue to mix until absorbed, about 3 minutes more. At this point you can add whatever coloring you like and mix until well combined.</div>
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(Leftover buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)</div>
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<i>Strawberry Filling</i></div>
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In a small bowl combine diced strawberries and sugar and let it sit until the strawberries release their natural juices. Then add the cornstarch and mix to dissolve.</div>
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<i>Assembly</i></div>
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Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, take a paring knife and cut a triangle-hole halfway down the center of the cupcake (you can eat the cut-out scraps). In the hole of each cupcake put a spoonful of the strawberry filling (you may have leftovers), and top with the frosting. </div>
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I used a star tip to frost the cupcakes but you may used whatever you want. I also added some sprinkles to the top of each cupcake as additional decoration.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
Katrinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09202512630427567256noreply@blogger.com0