To Thine Own Self, Be Food

I like chocolate. I like wine. It was only a matter of time until I would put the two together. Red Wine Cupcakes (recipe courtesy of the ladies at We Are Not Martha ) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 5 oz. chocolate chips 1/2 cup boiling water (two to three minutes in microwave) Combine these three until chips are completely melted. Set aside. 2 sticks butter, room temperature 1 1/2 C sugar 4 eggs Cream the first two, and add one egg at a time, beating in completely. 1 1/4 C flour 1 1/2 t baking powder 1 t salt Combine these dry ingredients and mix into egg mixture. 3/4 C red wine (I went with a local favorite) Alternate melted chocolate and wine into flour-egg mixture. When all in combined, fill muffin cups to near full and bake for 20-27 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cupcakes cool slightly and remove to wire rack. Then...in lieu of the cream cheese frosting recipe posted at the website, I opted for a simpler one. Red Wine Frosting Beat togethe...

Infallible = incapable of being wrong or making mistakes Some time ago, I procured a recipe for Lemon Lemon Cake from a friend.  I finally got the ambition last week to make it.  I just today have the courage to blog about the experience. Only two things went wrong, really...but they were massive.  First (and the most dastardly), I attempted to remove the cake from the pan...pretty much immediately after it came out of the oven, which is why it looks like such: The other (most minor) infraction occurred before this, as the cake was baking. As  I prepared the glaze (powdered sugar and lemon juice), I was struck by a bolt of inspiration (later: 'bolt of stupidity').  Adding a box of cherry-lemonade jello powder to the glaze woulf render a little extra flavor and color.  WRONG.  I wound up with a gritty mess.  Imagine mixing sand with water - that's the kind of texture I'm talking about. So yeah, all-around epic failure here.  However...

May is nuts. With four kids in soccer - dinnertimes vary every night.  Sometimes we're eating at 4 pm, and sometimes we're eating at nearly 8 pm.  So, to maintain my sanity, I'm keeping mealtimes pretty simple.  Sandwiches, pasta, frozen pizzas, crockpot dishes, etc.  And I'm falling back on my standards...my easy dishes: chili, sloppy joes, etc. So I apologize - with the exception of my pie crust adventures, things are rather unexciting right now. But...in a shameless plug unrelated to food, I've been tackling my five-month-old To Do list.  And as of today, the novel I wrote in 2009 (My Father's Daughter) is finally available as an Ebook here at Smashwords .  Yay!

Pie crusts scare me.  So do big fancy wedding cakes with spun sugar and fondant... But, anyway, back to pie crust.  I dunno, it's hard to explain...I mean, it's just butter, flour, and water....how difficult can that be?  But pie crusts are cagey...that's what.  Too much handling, kneading, and they don't turn out right. About twice in my whole life, I've interacted with pie pastry - the store-bought kind.  Today, though, I felt empowered enough to try my own. 1/2 c. butter (entire stick) 1 1/4 c. flour 1/4 c. ice-cold water Cut butter into flour (I used the paddle attachment on my mixer) until mixture looks like coarse meal.  Gradually trickle in the water, until clumps of dough form.  The less you handle the dough, the better.  Roll into a ball and press out into a six-inch circle. At this point, the dough needs to be chilled in the fridge for at least an hour.  Beyond that, it can be chucked into the freezer for a later use, or...

My iGoogle page has a fun countdown widget, and I've found myself using it frequently.  While I try not to live and die by the countdown, I like having the visual of time passing. This past Monday, I took the next step on the path of major change.  I registered for my fall term classes at the local community college.  About two months ago, I'd been accepted in the school's culinary arts program, and a few days ago, I was able to secure the courses I need for the first term. I'm 37 years old, and I feel a bit as if I'm starting all over again.  When I chose to go into education nearly fifteen years ago, I did think my choices (at that time) were limited.  And while I don't regret being in the classroom for the last decade+, I'm excited NOW at the prospect of choosing a career again - this time, with my eyes open. Everyone wants to know if I'm going to be a chef...as if that's the only avenue open to an AAS in Culinary Arts.  I don't know ...