A Craigslist Must Have

Craigslist is a favorite of many friends of mine, I have only purchased once from the site, I got a heck of a deal on a glider cradle for my son for 50.00 and when I got the cradle home, I looked up the retail price... $300.00 - Whats more, the couple never used it! 

Needless to say I was pleased - Now I have my sights on something else... I hope to purchase these two lovely pieces:

Gorgeous Solid Wood Desk and Matching Credenza. Great Preowned Condition. Asking $280 for both pieces. Call or text if interested. 

Desk 83.5x42x29

Credenza 87x20x29

I can just see these two wonderful pieces of furniture painted either white or something exciting like teal or even a shade of tangerine. What would I be doing with such large furniture you might ask?

Very shortly, I will be decorating my very own office space, I am going into business with another young entrepreneur, I am so excited about my business venture and praying I make a difference in the lives of the clients I hope to service very shortly. I am sure this desk and credenza will help me think clearly and creatively.

Wish me luck on the purchase, I hope the seller still has it -

Red Velvet Cupcakes (My first attempt)

Happy New Year Everyone!

First, let me thank each and every one of you for following my blog - I started a blog in hopes of sharing a bit about myself, and learning from others and I am pleased to say, I have been able to do that. 

Since the holiday season was a whirlwind for me, I was unable to blog as often as I would have liked, I did however, bake pretty much every tree days or so.

(who knew taking a picture of a cupcake was soo much work)


Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

For the cake:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 ounces red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1 pound box confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

For the Frosting:

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla.  Use frosting to fill and ice cake.

A Kid in the Kitchen (Jai's Walnut and Chocolate Chip Slices)

My 12 year old daughter "Jai" is a real mini me, she loves the same types of music, food and decorating I enjoy - I have been a little hesitant about baking with her because I have a fear of the kitchen looking like someone came in and just poured flour everywhere... I know, I know... she's gotta learn right??? Well - I stumbled across a cookies and bars book just for her in JoAnn's fabric several weeks back and here is her first attempt at baking with only mommie's supervision...

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (plus extra for greasing)

1 Cup Walnut Pieces

7/8 Cup Sugar

Vanilla Extract (about 1 tablespoon)

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Coarsely chop walnuts to about the size of chocolate chips (I did this part for her)

Grease a 9 x 13 pan

Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy

Add vanilla extract

Stir in flour

 Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips

Press mixture into pan 

Bake for 20 -25 minutes

 Remove from oven and allow bars to cool

Cut into slices and arrange on cake plate

I was very proud of "Jai", she stayed in the kitchen to make sure her bars came out perfect, she even helped with dishes! To celebrate her first time baking, I had her open my new cake dish set so she could be the first to use it! The bars were super easy to make and really tasty with vanilla ice cream.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

Good Morning everyone!!! I decided to use my leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving to try this recipe and it is absolutely delish!!! Super easy to make and I wish I had more turkey to do it again... Enjoy!

Turkey Noodle Casserole (Source Fine Cooking Magazine)

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the baking dish 
Kosher salt 
3/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs 
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 
1 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage 
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 lb. assorted fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick 
3 Tbs. minced shallots 
2 medium cloves garlic, minced 
2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour 
6 cups low-fat milk 
3-1/2 oz. (1-1/2 cups) grated sharp white Cheddar 
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
8 oz. egg pappardelle pasta 
3 cups shredded or diced roast turkey  

---

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.


Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Mix the breadcrumbs, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, Parmigiano, and sage in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.


Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil to the pan and then add the mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden on the edges, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.


Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until it colors slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in enough of the milk to form a thick, smooth paste. Set the pan back over the heat and whisk in the remaining milk in a steady stream. Add 1 tsp. of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the Cheddar and parsley. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Set aside.


Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, about 1 minute less than package timing. Drain and spread the pasta in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the turkey and mushrooms over the pasta. Pour the sauce on top and use a fork to distribute it evenly.


Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the entire casserole. Set on a baking sheet to catch drips and bake until golden-brown and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 500; Fat (g): 24; Fat Calories (kcal): 210; Saturated Fat (g): 11; Protein (g): 28; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 43; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2.5; Sodium (mg): 760; Cholesterol (mg): 100; Fiber (g): 2;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 107 , pp. 55

September 2, 2010