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Love, Katydid

Snow

Saphira, our Great Dane, trying to catch a snowball

Time to relax!

The two biggest holidays are here! Well at least the seemingly most stressful ones. Everyone seems to go a little crazy trying to shop in the wee hours of the night, while working over time, and the kids are out of school! So a nice thing to look forward to would be...A MASSAGE! Not just a massage but an entire relaxation package!

Head on over to http://www.sassyscoops.com/spa-services/aveda-life-salon-and-spa-huge-giveaway

One SassyScoops.com reader is going to win a 30-minute massage, 30-minute facial, haircut and simple style and makeup application with eyebrow sculpting!

Giveaway ends December 10th!

Hurry and enter so you can relax before Christmas :)

The Learning Tower & Giveaway at Go Graham Go

Let me just start by saying my son is a climber and a helper. He loves to help me clean dishes in the sink. He isn't even two years old yet!

The downside is that if something is out of his reach, he goes for it! For example, we own a bar height dining table. One day while talking to a friend, I all of a sudden had this epiphany, its too quiet! I said wait where is he? My friend replies, "uh Katy, he is on top of your dining room table drinking a coke. He was fine but I on the other hand, never looked at my dining room table the same again. This was the beginning of Nowee's "if I see, I'm gonna get it" stage.

Which brings me to the Learning Tower. I don't mind if my son reaches for the sky, as long as he has a safe way to reach. The Learning Tower is a safe way for your child to feel like he or she belongs. Anyways, I had to post this giveaway! For more information about the Learning Tower go to www.littlepartners.com and you can also visit www.gograhamgo.com for more reviews and giveaways.

Please visit http://www.gograhamgo.com/2010/11/learning-tower-smartest-step-stool.html

This giveaway ends November 29th!

Part Two: Carrot Cake!!!

By far my first and best Carrot Cake ever!!! At least my sister thinks so!

And here it is!

Serving 10-15 slices or mini cakes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrot

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• In a mixing bowl combine Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
• In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla.
• Gradually add flour to mixture, don't over mix!
• Then Stir in carrot, pineapple, and coconut.
• Now if you are making a cake use two 9in cake pans or really any size, this cake does not rise much so fill the pan :)
• In my case I was making this for a party and needed to make bite size mini cakes. SOoo I used two pyrex baking/ casserole dishes, lined them with a sheet of tin foil, and sprayed the foil with non-stick cooking spray. This was so I could lift the cake out without any problems and less clean up :)

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean(that is my suggestion, since every oven is different). Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Buttermilk Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

• For cake: Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Crush walnuts and apply them to the sides of the frosting.
• For Mini Cakes: Get a small 2-3in cookie cutter (I didn't have these so I used the top of a baby food jar, and knife) Cut out the rounds (each pan made 15 rounds with the jar top)

The frosting was extremely thick and the carrot cake very fragile so I piped the frosting in between the layers. I add more frosting to decorate the top. If you have a whipped cream cheese frosting that could be a lot easier, if you are trying to cover the entire mini-cake.

Frosting

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

As for the walnuts on the mini-cakes, I forgot about them :( So be creative!

Engagement Party Part One: Dirt Cake

By request I had to make a dirt cake...Hmm Never heard of it before but thanks to google I found a few recipes. I made this average dirt cake a bit more complicated because I made my own oreos!! Thanks to Smitten Kitchen for the oreo recipe :) The dirt cake was delicious according to all party guests!

The night before I made the dirt cake beginning with the homemade oreos

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

I did not make the filling but I'm sure it would be great if you added it in!

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes (mine only took 7 minutes so watch em!), rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Pure Cane Powdered Sugar
2 packages (1 ounce each) instant vanilla pudding mix (I used one package of French Vanilla, to give it extra flavor!)

MILK! for the pudding mixes (see directions on package)
1 tub (12 ounces) cool whipped topping
All of the Homemade Oreos!! ground, crushed

Directions: In a large bowl, beat cream cheeses and confectioners' sugar until smooth. In a large bowl, make pudding mix according to directions. Gradually stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Spread 1-1/3 cups of crushed cookies into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Layer with half of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining cookies. Repeat layers. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 20 servings.

Update

Hello friends

Just to let you know I haven't forgotten about you :)

This week is my sister's and fiancé's engagement party! Yay! Now they have requested two VERY different dessert, so I'm not going to try and produce a miracle delicious combination, but keep it uniquely simple. Right now I'm trying to make a Carrot Cake and Oreo Dirt Cake into bite size desserts :(

Recipes coming soon!

I'll post pictures on Sunday and let you know how it TASTES!

BEST Pizza EVER!

I loved this pizza recipe! This was my first homemade pizza crust attempt and it was perfect! I used fresh mozzarella & sharp cheddar cheese, Muir glen pizza sauce. However, I did not use any oregano, basil, bell peppers or turkey pepperoni. Trying to keep it simple and it was delicious!

Simply Cheesy Tammy's Easy Pizza

12-16 slices

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup water (110-115 degrees, preferably)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablesppoons butter, melted or very softened

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon yeast

Other Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pizza sauce

12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

sliced onions, optional

chopped bell peppers, optional

turkey pepperoni, fried turkey bacon, or fried hamburger, optional

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. If using a bread machine to make pizza dough, put ingredients in bread machine in order listed and set to dough setting.

If making dough by hand, mix water, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Add part of the flour and stir. Add the rest of the flour and the yeast, and stir into a dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Set dough in bowl and grease the top. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.*

2. After dough has risen the first time, punch down and knead until air bubbles are removed.

3. Liberally butter a 16-inch round pizza pan, and press dough onto pan. Carefully lift one-half of the crust and fold over (to expose half of the pizza pan). Sprinkle 1/2 Tablespoon cornmeal over pan. Lay crust back in place and repeat on other half, so that there is cornmeal sprinkled between entire layer of crust and pan.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over top of crust and then spread with 1 cup pizza sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and any optional toppings desired. Sprinkle on oregano, basil, and parmesan cheese last.

5.** Place pizza in oven and turn heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate crust and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until top is browned. (Be sure to watch so it doesn't burn; every oven is different!)

6. When pizza is browned, turn off heat and open oven door. Leave pizza in oven until ready to serve. Then remove from oven, cut, and serve. If there is leftover pizza, we often put the pieces directly on a cooling rack to cool, which prevents condensation forming between the crust and pan.

Another fresh start in the cooking world

Shout out to all the parents and married folks out there who love to cook! Yay! I love to cook but not with a one year old strapped to my leg, so I cook during his naps! Today I made Blueberry Pancakes! I made one to try since, I'm new to homemade cooking. The rest I stuck in the freezer for another day. Here is the recipe I used, it's very delicious!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries
Unsalted butter to cook the pancakes

PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

2. In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk and melted unsalted butter and mix well.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently, preferably with a spatula, just until the ingredients are all wet. The batter should be lumpy. Do not over mix!

4. In a pan, melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Ladle the batter into the pan 1/3 of a cup at a time. Depending on the size of your pan you can make 2 or 3 pancakes at a time. If you want smaller pancakes use less batter.

5. Sprinkle the blueberries over the pancakes and cook until bubbles appear along the edges and surface of the pancakes. The edges will begin to brown slightly (should take 2 or 3 minutes).

6. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

7. Serve the pancakes with butter and maple syrup.

8. Enjoy!

Fondant 101

I have a few tips about messing with fondant...

• Don't wait until the last minute to make it, for the first time :)
• It dries out really fast
• Watch others put it on, first. (Youtube worked for me)

That being said...

Welcome to Batter Be Delicious!