Cake Ball Catastrophe

I kept hearing Cake Ball this and Cake ball that and then one of my friends brought one in to the office and I realized what everyone had been talking about. They were such an amazing treat. Sweet, gooey, moist cake dipped in chocolate...wow! Then about a month ago a Resident of mine brought in some Bon Bons and I almost died so I decided it was my time to give it a go.

I started off in the baking isle trying to decide what combination I was going to try. There was red velvet cake and of course chocolate cake but since my birthday is coming up, I decided to make what I love. CARROT CAKE! I just love carrot cake and every year for my birthday, Jason's Grandma makes me one of the best carrot cakes without scabs (raisins) known to man. I literally wait all year to eat her sinfully good carrot cake. I am drooling and day dreaming about it at this very moment.

So here is how the Cake Ball Catastrophe started.....

Lookin' good and ready to make Carrot Cake Balls. As you can see my first mistake was the white chocolate chips. Did you know the best type of chocolate to use is Almond Bark? And did you know Almond Bark does not have almonds in it?? Who knew?! :)

Next, you cook the cake according to the directions and allow to cool. Once cooled, crumble the cake into a large bowl and add one can of cream cheese frosting. Get your hands nice and clean because you are going to need to get in there and combine...combine away! Once the icing and cake are combined you will need to scoop balls out of the mixture lay them on a parchment lined baking pan. I used a small ice cream scoop so they would be equal in size. Next, roll your cake balls between your palms until they are smooth.

Please do not do what I did and melt your chocolate and then add your room temperature balls into the hot melted chocolate. You will end up with crumbs in your chocolate and you will feel like a terrible failure. Place your rolled, naked cake balls into the freezer or into the fridge until nice and cool. Please make sure they are really, really COLD. I didn't have space in the freezer so I kept them in the fridge.

This is where it all went wrong....

DO NOT USE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. Please! It was all wrong! It never got thin enough to coat and the temperature was so temperamental. They ended up in big gooey globs. Now, I am a firm believer that you can never have too much chocolate but this was just too much. My precious cake balls were too sweet and they were not pretty. This is exactly why you will not see a picture of my ugly balls...did I say that? Errr...I mean my not so pretty balls!

I have a friend who vowed to teach me the ins and outs on making cake balls and I so appreciate it. Thanks Ally! I so needed a baking buddy and I can't wait to see and eat what we dream up.

Now go and make Cake Balls! But beware and don't be sad if your first batch doesn't come out perfect. It's just a good excuse to make them again and eat! :)

Cecilia  xoxo

The Best Banana Bread

I hate seeing bananas go bad. I just really, really dislike it. We have really been trying to watch our expenses and stay on a budget so I feel so guilty and twitchy when I see food go bad. And while there are days Brayden will eat a whole banana by himself there are those days that he won't touch them. I just see them on the counter getting all brown and pathetic and I feel like a total failure. So as they say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, the same can be said about bananas. When your son refuses to eat bananas and they go bad...make banana bread!!!

I looked for a recipe online and decided to add my spin to it.

Here is the original recipe:

1 cup granulated sugar



8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature


2 large eggs


3 ripe bananas


1 tablespoon milk


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


2 cups all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoon baking soda


1 teaspoon salt


 
This seemed like a good recipe but it just needed a little pizzaz!
 
My Best Banana Bread Recipe:
 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter- room temperature
2 room temperature eggs
3 really good and ripe bananas
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract (you just need it!)
2 cups all-purpose flour (you can even do 1 cup WW flour and 1 cup AP flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
 
 
Directions



Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.


Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla last.


In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.


Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Once all ingredients are mixed then add chopped pecans.


Pour batter into buttered and floured pan (lining top with 5 pecans for presentation) and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.


We loved it, our friends loved it, and you will too!


~Cecilia

Operation Get Fit

It has been 14 months since Brayden was born and I am still holding on to these last 8 pounds that NEED to go away. Not only do I work in the land of the beautiful but I have a 5K terror race in exactly 4 months. I, along with the Hubs and our friends, have decided to run this 3.2 mile race known as the Warrior Dash. I am excited but terrified. I mean, who does this sort of thing? Me I guess because we are about to sign up in the next few weeks. Also, I only agreed to do this because of the free beer and Warrior helmet at the end. Ok, I am also doing it because it looks fun and I always said I would do something like this after I had Brayden. One of those silly little goal things.

Now to get to excersizin'! Saturday morning I decided I was ready to get back to running and I began with a jog around our block with Brayden in his sweet little jogging stroller. By the way, has anyone out there ran with a jogging stroller lately? It's NOT easy contrary to what the ads and extremely fit people may tell you but it is a great work out. After approximately 15 minutes my legs were burning, I was itchy and I'm absolutely sure this was my punishment for taking the last 2 months off from excercising. We made it 30 minutes and I was happy with that. This is just the beginning after all.
I kept with the pace by dragging the whole family out yesterday morning to get some excercise . I made a good protein rich breakfast and we set out to run/walk Pflugerville Lake. Pflugerville Lake has a 3 mile track around it and is usually pretty quiet so you can feel free to run your tiny little heart out and not feel like you're being laughed at. We set the pace to a nice brisk walk and then eventually ran here and there. Go M family!! We are on our way to fitness....until.......THE FREAKIN' STROLLER BROKE!! Did you hear that?? The stroller broke in the 200 degree heat with a crying baby who ran out of Mum Mums and a Mom and Dad who might die of heat stroke. So after we decided that we could not set up camp and we forgot our road flares in the truck, we decided we had to make it to the end. So Jason had to balance the stroller on it's back wheels while I ran with the dog. Can you imagine my poor husband running with a giant stroller balanced on it's back wheels.? We were a sight to see that's for sure. Poor Brayden, he definitely hit the family jackpot.

Well, we made it and I am alive to send this out into the Internet universe. I am really hoping to get some recipes posted soon and have really slacked because my camera broke and it's just not any fun without pictures, right?

Recipes to come:

Pear and Pineapple Crumble
Pasta with Chicken, Artichokes, and Mushrooms
Eezy Peezy Pesto Chicken
My Take on Pioneer Woman's Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks
and last but not least...My Famous Amous Breakfast Tacos.

~Cecilia :0)

Best part of my day....

Every weekday morning I wake up and do the same things...punch the snooze button at least 4-6 times, stumble to the shower, turn on GMA, sip hot coffee and put on my makeup, all while waiting for Brayden to signal me to get him out of bed. This is the best part of my day.

When he does wake up and yell for me to get him out of bed, I usually peek my head in his room and say "GOOD MORNING BOOGER BEAR!". Yes, I am that Mom and I could careless what anyone thinks of me. I love this part because he usually squeals and then calls for his favorite dog, "Aleh". Ali is our 3 year old boxer who could care less about him unless he has something edible in his hand, preferably eggs or bacon. Then and only then, are they best friends. There is no shouting out, "Mama", or, " Dadda".. or anything of the sort, all he wants is his "Aleh". What ev man!!!! I gave birth to him and not an easy, he flew out type of birth. I mean, 36 LONG, arduous hours then a C-section type of birth. I deserve a Momma, right? Oh well, he is cute so I'll forgive him.

This is my favorite part of the day because I get to spend quality morning time with him while he is at his happiest and most cuddly. I love when his hair is messy and with sleepy eyes he watches The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while sipping his milk. He makes me happy and yearn to hold him all day long and never let him go. The pain of a mother.

This also makes my day....

Boys and their balls! Do they ever get tired of them? This was taken at a friend of mine son's birthday party at The Little Gym. He was such a big boy and could care less about me. Every now and then, he would scan the room, locate me and then he was off. Of course, he was particularly fond of the balls but what boy isn't. It is his favorite word after all. Jason also told me that no, they never do get tired of them. Nice.....

This too.....

This is probably the best part of daycare for a Mom. Besides, the social interaction and curriculum/learning thing...blah..blah..blah. It's the tiny artwork! It's the best and I have to say I have started a little gallery at my work to show off all my little Picasso's masterpieces. I mean, who wouldn't want to look at that??? 

Lots of  love,

Cecilia

Babies....

I love it! I love that everywhere I turn babies are making there way out into the world. I love seeing the joy and love through the parents eyes and I love seeing the fear. Oh the glorious fear that every parent goes through the moment they see that little pink line on that dreadful stick. I myself felt it and the fear hasn't entirely gone away still. I had that fear when I told Jason that we were expecting, when Brayden took his first step, and I have that fear leaving him at school. I constantly check the car when I get to work every morning for fear that I might leave him in the car. I mean it's literally debilitating. Maybe I should stay home?

Lately, the conversations have turned to us and when will we add to the family. We know we want to add to our family and we know that we don't want to wait until Brayden is 18 to pop out another but then there is another type of fear.Will we be ready? Will we be able to afford it? Will my body go back to it's natural state after another? It changes from day-to-day but I think I just don't know. I'm not sure I am ready for God to decide yet but I don't think you can ever plan for these things either.

Any who, I am so happy for all the lovely friends and family I have out there procreating and I just love all the new babies!

On another note, I bought a ton of food at Sprouts this weekend and I plan to try some new recipes. I can't wait to share!

Love,

Cecilia

Smoky Buffalo Burgers

Smoky Buffalo Burgers

Jason and I never go out to eat on Valentine's day. I know what you are thinking but it is a tradition that began on the first Valentine's day we ever shared together. He simply told me he really wanted to share this day at home, just the two of us. At first, I wasn't particularly happy about this because I loved the whole idea of getting dressed up, fighting the crowds and going out to have someone cook for us. He on the other hand, is not that way at all. This is a simple man. Happy with life however it might be and fine with just staying at home enjoying himself on the couch with a beer and a remote control. I on the other hand, LOVE to go out to dinner, have that experience, and enjoy life outside of the house. I do envy this man because while we were dating his bank account was always full and mine was almost teetering on empty. So, I put my trust in him and on our very first Valentine's day, Jason told me he was going to cook for ME and that I needed to prepare to have my socks knocked off because this was going to be a meal to remember. I was excited and couldn't wait to get home to see what this man was going to create. Well, him being as awesome as he his, had went to Whole Foods and bought the best 2 Buffalo steaks he could find all because he the guy at the counter told him how lean and healthy it was. Oh yes, he is amazing and from that day on my love of Buffalo was created (I already sort of loved him but don't tell him i said that). I loved that it was full of flavor, lean, and so heart healthy. So, when I saw some  ground buffalo at HEB the other day, I knew I just had to have it. I bought it with no recipe in mind or way to cook it but I knew I would figure something out. I mean the possibilities are endless.

Yesterday, I found this recipe and thought it would be perfect with a beer and a Friday night. It seemed simple enough and what man could turn down a burger? Especially if it has cheese and barbecue sauce all over the place. It was meant to be. Now, I substituted the rice with Basmati Rice and left out the horseradish so definitely make this your own. I paired my burgers with a simple green salad but this would be wonderful with some Rosemary Potatoes or Mac N' Cheese if you are feeling super hungry. Yum Yum!

I hope you find this Recipe as great as I found it to be.

Pardon the picture quality but my camera broke so this was taken by my trusty ol' phone. Think it looks the same?? :) haha

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Cecilia

NEW BLOG

Well, life has gone and changed things up again. I am back at work and missing my boy like crazy. Things are all hectic and busy and while that's great, I haven't really cooked a creative meal since Sunday. And before then...who knows. I look forward to grabbing my creative cahones (that is balls in Spanish in case you aren’t familiar) and running with it. I went back to my old company and I really like it so far. I feel blessed to contribute and thankful I had a job to come back to. I am definitely feeling tired, stretched in way too many directions, and guilty. But this is life and what would it be without challenge and overcoming.


So, as I feel that life is changing yet again, I felt it appropriate to change my blog. My life will always be about family and cooking but now I have so much more to do. I am learning to find my balance and how to prioritize. I am also finding the task of cooking healthy and fast is a rather large challenge. I am going to try and find some new recipes and hopefully keep sharing.

I am happy to be back and I am sorry I stepped out for so long. I hope to reach out to more people who are going through all the same things and feeling the gigantic pressure to be all and everything. In case no one cares, I will still find this therapeutic and fun ( I hope someone cares though!). Lol


Thanks and lots of love,

Cecilia

Strawberry and Rosemary Scones

It is Friday and in Austin, Texas the weather is rainy and humid. Usually when I am stuck inside on a rainy day, I always get the urge to cook. I had one eye on Brayden and the other on Giada at Home. Of course, right? I can't help but love her. Anyways, she had a recipe for Strawberry and Rosemary Scones and I couldn't help but drool. They look so good and I think I might just try and make them.

Here is the recipe and if you decide to make them please post pictures!

Ingredients


Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon

2 cups powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Special equipment: a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter
For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Cecilia

45

Thursday I have a lunch for 45 people!! How exciting! I mean, I am fired up and ready to rock that kitchen! I am going to be making a lovely pasta with chicken meatballs, Roasted Tomato Basil soup, caesar salad, and tons of crusty bread. OH...OH....I can't forget my chocolate tarts!! Drooling yet? I made the soup last week to perfect the dish, it was very yummy if I do say so myself.

Thank goodness for referrals also known as word o' mouth. I really feel so blessed and I can't wait to feel the pressure and stress. It makes me feel alive, what can I say.

Talk soon,

Cecilia

Fruit Trays

Last Wednesday I had an order for 30 fruit trays! I recieved the call while at lunch and my client needed 30 trays for a promo by Noon the next day. I love a challenge and got right to work.

I really love doing these trays. These are really fun and I was able to throw them together in just a few hours!

I also did these very cute bags for a client a few weeks ago. I filled them with wonderful chocolate treats and chocolate-pecan popcorn. YUM!

What a fun job I have!

Have a wonderful week,

Cecilia :)

So......SLOW

I like to think I work better on chaos. I like to be busy and sometimes I complain about it but on the inside I thrive on it. These last 2 weeks have been excruciatingly S-L-O-W. I mean don't get me wrong, I have been busy being a Mom and now I have a sick kid so that has taken up some of my time but I haven't been able to cook...for people! I haven't been stressed about being on time with hot food and it has been very sad. I was hoping by now I would be halfway to New York shooting my own TV show. Kidding but really I was hoping I would be doing more. I have even been thinking of applying for jobs with an active caterer to get experience and have some fun. We'll see.


So, yes, my blog has been slow because I haven't had any great inspiration in a little while. BUT....that won't stop me! I will prevail. :) I will keep watching Giada at Home and old episodes of The Barefoot Contessa and cooking odd dinners for my family. I will be perfecting dishes for my future restaurant and getting ready for the baby shower I am throwing in May. I also have Brayden's birthday coming up too! Those are going to be fun to cater.

Hopefully I will have a lot to say soon. If not, you will still hear my ramble about recipes I would like to try or the ones I make up. I'm hoping for more inspiration so if you have any ideas, let em' rip.

Thanks for reading,

Cecilia

Better Homes and Gardens Strawberry Bars

I decided to make this scrumptious looking dessert for my lovely In-Laws on Easter. I usually always bring something that everyone is scared to eat so I decided to go with something they can't resist, fresh Strawberry Bars. I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine and by the picture alone this dessert just screams spring and happiness. Definitely not something you can pass up on, right? I look forward to massive amounts of delicious treats sitting on Meme's table (that's Jason's Grandmother) but I hope this one can stand up to the challenge. It looks relatively easy and if you have baked anything before you should have all if not a majority of the ingredients on hand. I just grabbed a 1lb. clamshell of fresh strawberries at the grocery store and I plan to get wrist deep in some flour tomorrow night. Here is to a wonderful day with family and remembering what Easter is truly about. Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup strawberry jam

4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Vegetable Lasagna

Trying to eat better....Maybe try this! I made this for a lunch a few weeks ago and it was a hit. Jason told me that the clients were a little hesitant but after they tasted it they were pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Usually people think vegetable....no flavor. I saw a recipe for a Veggie Lasagna in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook but it called for a lot of previously frozen vegetables. I thought we could do better than that so I improvised! I decided to use fresh ingredients and sauté them for some much needed flavor.

Here is my recipe:



10-12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (3/4 cooked)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups low fat cottage cheese

1 15 oz container of Ricotta cheese- I used part-skim

2 1/2 cups fresh sliced Cremini mushrooms

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

6-7 oz of baby spinach

2 large heads of broccoli

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup parmesan

1 8-oz package of mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Panko breading

2 TBS of parsley



What I did was coat a large stockpot with olive oil and let it get nice and hot. I added the onion and let it sweat for about 5 minutes and then started to sauté all the veggies. I added S&P to taste and let it all cook together. Meanwhile, I combined all the cheeses (except the mozzarella), the egg, Panko, parsley, and S&P. After all the veggies were all soft and delicious I layered the noodles, veggies, and cheese. Top all layers with the mozzarella. I let it cook in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until nice and golden brown and bubbly. Super delicious!



If you have any question let me know!



Have a wonderful week,



Cecilia

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze

I decided to make these cookies as dessert for my dinner guests this week. I will be doing a lot of cooking and I wanted a dessert that can last through a few dinner parties. Of course this recipe is not my own and I must give the chef her thanks. So, thank you Giada!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients


Cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.



Cookies:



In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.



In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.



Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.



Glaze:



Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.



I will post some pics of the final product as soon as possible.

Have a wonderful week,

Cecilia

Coconut Macaroons

I LOVE a good Coconut Macaroon. I actually prefer it drizzled in chocolate....a lot of chocolate. As I was feeding the baby today and feeling particularly uninspired, Ina Garten was effortlessly whipping up a batch of lovely Coconut Macaroons on her show. They looked so good and I just had that feeling… the "I want macaroons right now" feeling. I decided to go through the cabinets and gather ingredients. I figure all I can do is try and if I mess up, I bet they will still be good and no one needs to know but me and well, you.


I also decided at that very moment that I want to try and expand my recipe horizons. I want to try new and more difficult recipes that will test my culinary know how. Depending on how busy I am I would love to try a new"out of the box" recipe a week. So, in that spirit here is recipe #1 courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa.


Ingredients



14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.


I'll let you know how they turn out!

Cecilia

Greenling

I was introduced to this fabulous website the other day thanks to another fabulous website, Groupon. I love getting a deal or even just feeling like I get a deal for that matter. Most of the time I am not because I am just not that darn savvy. As a matter of fact, I am going to write that down on my things to work-on list. Anyways, about Greenling. I recieved a $25 coupon for $50 worth of amazing organic or sustainable food from this cool website who delivers. I love, I think I may have said this a time or two, using fresh from the garden and organic food. To me it just tastes different and it makes you feel so much better. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I just felt some sort of duty to eat better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you can find pictures of me stuffing my face with Whataburger French Fries or pizzas by the box but I really try. I also watched the movie Food Inc. and I watch way too much Oprah, so I felt inspired to slowly change the way my family eats. I also just love food so trying out great food seemed like a no-brainer. 

Tuesday I made my order and by Friday my Greenling box was waiting for me on my doorstep. I was so excited. I had ordered bone-in ribeyes, quinoa, veggies, and the Farmstead Box. The Farmstead Box was supposed to have local and non-local artisan favorites. This box just so happened to have fresh homemade pasta, 2 of the most lovely smelling and tasting french loaves, some kind of woodsy cheese, and this amazing Sesame Garlic dressing. The best thing was knowing all this food we were eating was supporting local farms and we actually knew were our food was coming from. Sorry, not trying to get all hippy on you or anything.

Saturday and Sunday I went to work creating meals made of most of my new ingredients and this is what I came up with.

This was Saturdays dinner.

This was the most delicious bone-in ribeye I have ever had. I simply seasoned it with salt and pepper and threw it on the grill. About 4-5 minutes on each side and it was medium-rare perfection. The fingerling potatoes also came from Greenling and I just dressed them in olive oil, S&P, and thyme. I have never made artichokes and I really haven't had one since I was a kid so they threw me for a loop. I was pretty much confused by them all together. Jason looked at them like they were some some sort of alien creature and was even more upset when I told him that we were having these awesome looking vegetables for dinner. Thank goodness he is such a sport and always tries what I make or he wouldn't eat anything but Totino's pizzas. So, I steamed the suckers and made a fancy sauce of mayo, my new sesame-garlic dressing and lemon juice. Not bad! Jason was not a fan of them because he said they were too much work and I have to agree so any ideas are so welcome! :)

Sunday night I was really looking forward to the fresh pasta and the bread, I told you I come from a long line of carbaholics, right? I set out to try and create something since I hadn't put much thought into dinner until we were all starving. I hadn't set out any meat so I had to tell the ol' hubs the worst news possible, there would be no meat in tonights fare. I had a left over yellow bell pepper, spinach (of course!), the onion, and plenty of olive oil, parmesan cheese, and garlic. I started by carmelizing the bell pepper and the onions. It takes a little while but so worth it.

Then I added the spinach....

This was the pasta, it was a little spicy so I'm guessing it had red pepper flakes in the dough. Pardon the terrible picture.

Yes, I know I should have taken a picture of the actual pasta but I have a 9 month old and my brain just doesn't work like everyone elses.

AND...... finally, time to EAT!!!

It was truly delicious. So delicious in fact that Jason asked for seconds. Incredible! AND, it didn't have a single dead animal any where near the plate! I could of passed out.

 It was really satisfying too. The carmilized onions and yellow bell pepper added a sweetness that really matched the subtle heat of the noodles. DELISH!

I really can't wait to experiment again and try out some new dishes. This was an amazing weekend and I really look forward to this week coming up. I have a new client and I really have my work cut out for me so I have a lot of work to do! Wish me luck....

Till next time,

Cecilia

Something More

What a great week so far! I feel like I have no idea where it's gone...Where are you week? I feel so very bittersweet about the weeks, months, and years flying by like this. On one hand, we get the weekend/family time here fast and on the other hand it means the faster Brayden grows and the older I get. Don't get me wrong, I love watching Brayden grow but for goodness sake boy, SLOW DOWN! I just know he is going to be walking any day now and then it's over for me. I will never sit down or for that matter see my baby be a baby ever again. I fear the day that he no longer needs me and that day is inevitably approaching.

On the business front, the time passing means more experience and jobs. I am so excited about the things to come. The possibilities are endless! On that note, that brings me to the headline of my post. The Sugarland song,
"Something More",  has really stuck with me. These are the lines that spoke to me:

I could work my life away, but why?

I got things to do before die

some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate

I believe that happiness is something we create

You best believe that I'm not gonna wait

'Cause there's gotta be something more

What it said to me was that I have to take my life in my hands and do with it what I can. I have recently had the chance to expand my "business' and possibly take on more clients than just the one who can't fire me. Now, this just scares the pants off me. Why would I want to take a chance and fail? Why would I possibly think I can do this after only being in the business for 2 months. Jason and I had a talk the other night and we had to talk about taking this business to the next level. We had to ask ourselves important questions like, "is this what we want?", "what could we do with this?", and more importantly, "is this what I want?". I had to really think. This would be huge, lots of work, and dedication. All I do know is I like to cook and I know that this is all I really want to do. Luckily Jason loves business. So I can stick to what I do best.

I guess this means we will be jumping in this fire and becoming a full fledged baby business and heck, what's the worst that can happen?  Fail? Yes, it's very possible. Would I hate myself if I didn't take the chance? Absolutley.

Anyways back to the fun stuff, I made some great looking trays for a client meeting this week. They came out wonderful and I am so proud. Take a look.

These were some good last minute wraps that I threw in as a taste test. I thout they were so good so I needed feedback. I really loved doing these party trays and I would love to try out more. I thought they were 1,000 times better than the last ones.

We had some great dinners this week and if I ever own a restaraunt one day I fully plan on adding the quesadillas I made last night. Monday I made Herbed Chicken with Orzo. This was definitely not one of my faves. Too much parsley equals HOT MESS. Literally. Who knew parsley could create some heat? I always thought it was some garnish herb, WRONG. Do not underestimate parsley. It comes packin'. Tuesday was Salmon Florentine with Rice, Walnut Pilaf. So good. The recipe came from a really good cookbook I have called So Easy by Ellie Kreiger. She is a chef on Food Network but is also a nutritionist and mother of 4. There are a ton of easy, fast, full of flavor and lower fat recipes. I modified this recipe a little and it came out so yummy.

That pale looking poridge thing is mashed red potatoes. Not attractive but pretty tasty.

 Wednesday, I was this close to going to Chic-Fil-A and pulling out my hair when Jason and I could not figure out what to eat. I offered to make spinach and mushroom quesadillas but the carnivore also known as my husband  shouted, "WHAT ABOUT THE MEAT? NO MEAT? NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Oh for heavens sake. I had thankfully defrosted some chicken (I heavily advocate buying in bulk and using Ziplock freezer bags with the little pump thing) the night before so I went to work. I had spinach, cremini mushrooms, a red pepper, left over corn, scallions, sun-dried tomato tortillas, and swiss cheese. I know it sounds wierd but the jack cheese went bad and I had to use what I had. For a hodge-podge of a meal it was freakin' g-o-o-d! I also added a little chipolte spice and it added a little kick. I'm tellin you, on the menu at my future restaraunt.

 

Thank you so much for the support I have been getting lately, you have no idea what it means to me. To be following a dream while having the support of peers and loved ones makes it that much more meaningful.

I look forward to updating you on what I am going to try and concoct this weekend after my Greenling box gets here tomorrow. I have organic ribeyes, quinoa, fingerling potatoes, challah bread, and a Greenling Farmstead box on the way. I'm excited! :) 

Till next time,

Cecilia 

Marketing Bags

Yesterday I had a fantastic oppurtunity to help out a dear friend who is an Austin apartment locator. I asked him, knowing that he has to market himself, if I could help and suprisingly he said yes. I felt that once being in the Apartment Industry myself, I might know what the office ladies would like. He took a chance on me not knowing what I could do or having any ideas, so I knew that I had to really step up. He really let me have free reign to try whatever I wanted.

I found some really cute gift bags on sale at Target and started to put together an idea. I wanted them to look elegant and I really wanted them to stand out. I was nervous because I didn't want this be the end all of this fanastic oppurtunity. So I went to work. Jason really loved my Dark Chocolate-Almond-Cranberry Mounds and they were so beautiful but yet simple to make so I decided they were perfect for these bags. They came out perfect, I realized where I went wrong the last time and they were so tasty.

I also made a few batches of chocolate chip cookies to add to the bags.

Here are the bags.

These bags were really fun and I look foward to creating many different varieties. Last night I couldn't sleep thinking up great ideas. I was thinking of coconut and almond, marshmallow and graham cracker, cranberry-cherry, I'm so excited. I also saw some really cute boxes online.

After I delivered the bags, I was pleased to hear that they were a hit! I have to go today to drop off cards and samples to all the agents that are interested in using this form of marketing for their business. I couldn't be more excited, thrilled, thankful, and ready to create some wonderful treats!

I couldn't close this post without showing off my little amazing, now 9 month old Brayden. Wow, it has been such a ride and each day gets better and better. We are so blessed.

Have a wonderful day!

Cecilia

This week,

has not been half as busy as last but in it's own right, busy enough. It has been a wonderful busy and I have a lot to be grateful for. I have had a couple Mommy playgroups, yesterday I had a lunch, and lots of cleaning and shopping. This week I found out the I am the mother of the "Mean Kid", meaning my child is the one hurting all of your kids...EEEK! I don't think there is anthing more embarassing then your son making a little girl cry. How do you say your sorry? How do you tell your 8 month old to stop beating up all his new friends?....challenge #87. I vow not to be that Mom who's child can't do any wrong because I think he is so darn cute. And I promise not to say things like, "not MY little boy", or, "Brayden??? Not possible!". Yep, he's the mean kid.

This week was so busy that I only made 2 meals and the rest were Chic-fil-A nights. Tuesday I made Buffalo Chili with Jalapeno Cornbread and Brownie Pudding in light of the rare snow day in Texas. I went to the store to get some beef and when I saw they had buffalo burgers, I just couldn't resist. Buffalo is so much leaner and when I can cut fat, I seize the oppurtunity. The Chili was super easy and I used a premade mix for the cornbread. I put half a can of corn and a jalapeno and it turned out really finger lickin' good.

What do you think?

This is Brayden enjong the snow day with his Daddy.

Now, I had a lot of help from Ina Garten for the brownie pudding. I have never made anyof her recipes because honestly they usually look so complicated. She uses a lot of ingredients and a lot of things you usually don't usually have on hand. This recipe looked simple enough and I had most of the ingredients. It was also supposed to turn out half way between pudding and a brownie so I knew I couldn't mess it up.

 Here is the recipe:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.
When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.


It was so amazing. You have to try this one out!

Then like any Food Network show, I had to throw a homemade cocktail in the mix. If you knew me before I had Brayden or even now for that matter, you know I love a good Margarita. Well, I was craving a margarita and having a child means you no longer jump up, throw on your shoes and go out for a night out on the town. So, we brought the margaritas to us! 

You probably know this but in case, this is what you need for an awesome margarita.

From left to right, orange juice, lime juice (6 juicy limes will give you about 4 drinks), Grand Marnier, a good Tequila (we like silver Tequila), and simple syrup. I used to bartend so I didn't measure but use your judgement and if it's strong, oh well! :)

Here is the result....pure goodness!

Yesterday's lunch went well. Jason had made a note that they wanted chicken and something with an Asian influence. Really? I have never made anything Asian BUT you gotta do what you gotta do. I found a really simple recipe for a wonderful peanut sauce with noodles and chicken. I added a Chinese-inspired salad with mandarin oranges, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. I tossed it with a toasted sesame dressing and it came out really good. He said they cleaned there plates and asked where the food came from...YAY! I was really pressed for time so I didn't take any pictures, Darn.

 Now, I had said that I would document my messes and successes, right? Well, last night was a MESS! We had some good friends over and I was planning to wow them with the SIMPLE Asian dish I had just made....WRONG! You know how the say don't go to the grocery store while hungry? They should have told me to not drink and cook and try to hold on a conversation at the same time. I could have cried. It was horrible! First off, I put too much water in the sauce so I added more peanut butter to thicken it and it ended up being basically all peanut butter. The noodles were over cooked and soggy, I left a fork in the blender and turned it ON, put a hot pan on a plastic cutting board, and almost ruined my garbage disposal. The salad was good though. Oh, it was a disaster! I literally almost cried. Everyone including my sweet husband said it was good through lots of laughs but I still felt horrible. I mean this was supposed to be easy! I had just made it 8 hours earlier for goodness sake! Jason made a good point this morning, as soon as you start taking things for granted, you mess up. I thought I was big and bad and I FAILED. Big FAT FAIL! Point taken and now to redeem myself!

I have marketing bags to make for my friend Justin by Monday so I'm off to bake!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Cecilia :)

Ratatouille

I'm sitting here on this snow day, Ratatouille (the disney movie not the dish) playing in the background while envisioning fresh baked bread, bisquits, and chili coming out of my kitchen. My back yard looks like Tahoe and it's a little chilly in the house. I have Brayden all warm and bundled up and Jason is working in the office. I always feel better when I can see Jason on these bad weather days. I hear all too often of accidents and traumatic events when the weather shifts in Texas and when you have a husband who drives from office to office, it makes you feel better knowing everything that makes your life happy and better is safe and at home.

You know, I have always liked the movie Ratatouille and I have watched it about a million times. As a matter of fact, when I was pregnant and sick as a dog, Jason would put the movie on and make or bring me food. It always made me feel better. Watching this movie makes me think about what it is about and what it really means to me. For those who have never seen this Disney classic, it is about a rat who fights his way to happiness by doing what he loves, cooking. I feel like maybe I am that tiny chef fighting her way to happiness and doing what she loves through adversity and lack of experience but true love for an art. Does that make sense? I know it sounds corny but I just love this darn movie.

On another note, last night I made a little creation and it was pretty good. I sauteed some onion in olive oil until tender, then added chicken tenderloins and cooked until browned on both sides. I seasoned with s&p and a little bit of oregano. Halfway through browning the chicken, I added chopped proscuitto and garlic. Once the chicken was browned, I deglazed the pan with chicken broth and added fresh baby spinach. I am not a fan of canned or frozen spinach. Baby spinach is easy to find, inexpensive, and delicious. I forgot to mention that all the while I have cavatappi pasta cooking in boiling, salted water. After the liquid starts to reduce I add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce the chicken broth and starchy water creates. I add tiny pearl mozzarella and julienned basil and you are done! Easy peasy and your husband will thank you! You could toast some bread and top with basil butter. That would be de-vine!

 Here is a picture of what it looked like while cooking....

Plated...

 Cherry tomatoes would have been great in this and added some much needed color.

So, I think in the spirit of this snow day and one of my favorite movies, I will cook! I am just not sure what I want to make yet. All I know is I want to get lost in my kitchen.

Have a nice day,

Cecilia

Week 4

Last week was pretty busy with lunches and snacks. It was fun and I tried out a few new recipes too. The lunches went well although Jason said he didn't feel that great about them professionally. I hate hearing that. He's amazing, who wouldn't love him? That's the nature of the beast I suppose.

Here is my snack, I wish I had a better picture. I was running out of time and I stupidly left the plastic on. I made 2 platters of fresh veggies and 2 kinds of hummus, fresh fruit and a marscapone/ricotta cream, and caprese salad with toasted baguette slices.

This was a learning experience because I am not happy with the presentation at all. I would have liked better bowls, some greener lettuce, and maybe some mint for the cream. Oh well, next time. I have been learning a lot about presentation lately and it is equally as important that your food look as good as it tastes. I don't think anyone would like to eat anything that looks like poo, ya know?

Then, Saturday night my in-laws came over last minute so Jason and I could go see a movie. I made Almond-Cranberry-Ganache-Clusters for them. They were really inexpensive and VERY easy to make. Jason loved them, in fact, he told me never to make them again.

Sunday, I wanted to make something sweet for breakfast and I had lots of inspiration from Giada. I made her Berry Strata and it was really good. It tasted better then it looked on my camera. It was sweet, it was crunchy, it was creamy, it was heaven. I almost ate the whole thing myself. It was also very simple to make and I had almost all the ingredients already. I love that! I really seek out recipes that I can make with ingredients I already have. Cooking is expensive and while I would love to shop at Whole Foods everyday, I just can't. So, I use what I have and improvise. Here's the Strata....YUM!

This was before I cooked it. You can see all the berries and the custard. :)

After it was baked and tested.....

Oh so good.

I have been making my own baby food for about 4 months now and Brayden really seems to like almost everything. I haven't tackled meat yet because frankly I'm scared, but I will try it one of these days! I make him all types of things like, peas, parsnips, carrots, squash, lasagna, and peaches. Super easy and yummy and this is a face that just don't lie!

This was blueberry night and he was a fan. He has entered an new phase and that would be the food in the hair phase. Oh boy!

I look forward to this week and my new trials. I also look forward to this new FREE cooking place I found. They do free and low cost cooking classes and they are all healthy. I am super excited because cooking school is on hold till we have an extra $13,000 laying around. By looking at their schedule they have knife skill classes, bread making classes, and specifice meal classes. Can't wait!

Have a wonderful week!

Cecilia