My cousin John got married this past Saturday. When I think of him, in my mind, he’s still  12. I remember not wanting him and my other cousin (his sister) Michelle to go home when they would visit us on long holidays. I remember the time John accidently threw orange juice on Michelle and the way it dripped off her nose. I remember torturing him in little ways. Giving him cookies that were spiked with hot sauce or some other crazy concoction. I remember hiding undersheets and asking our parents to just let them stay 1 more day.

I remember the time he got upset at his sister and decided to throw our dry towels in the pool with us so we couldn’t get dry properly. I remember the time he was a little dare devil and set off fireworks at his house…Inside. I remember laughing all the time when he’s around… As a matter of fact, I still do laugh all the time when he’s around. He’s definitely one of the most funniest people I know. One of the most caring. One of the most Kind. One of the most loveable. And I’m glad he’s found love, that he’s happy and I wish the newly weds nothing but fantastic things.

He was so handsome. It was such a busy day for him while we were there, and every time I saw him I wanted to cry. Partly because I was happy for him and the other half because he was all grown up. His tuxedo was sharp, he was radiating happiness and you could tell he was ready to get the show on the road.

She was a beautiful blushing bride. Her dress was GORGEOUS! She smiled the entire time, she cried during sentimental moments, and you could tell she was so in love.

And the cake… well come on… who doesn’t enjoy a good peice of wedding cake. And it was b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. It echoed their colors (red, white and black), it matched the mood and it was dee-licious.

And even though I’m happy for him, I feel old. My baby cousin just got married. I saw him grow up. I think I can see crows feet forming around my eyes as I type this. I hear my phalanges cracking with each press of the keyboard keys. My eye sight is getting worse I think, and my hearing is going. It’s depressing. So I had to bake.

Cream cheese pound cake with cream cheese icing would do the trick. The cream cheese icing that was supposed to go on it, some how turned into a frosting and I’m not sure how. I even added like 1/2 cup of milk and it wouldn’t thin out. So I went with it.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
3.5 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheesea nd sugar for about 6 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla and milk until combined.
Add flour mixture until completely combined.

Pour into two greased and floured 9×5 loaf pans (I used 1 loaf pan and a mini bundt pan)

Stir in 2-cups hulled and diced strawberries for each loaf if desired.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and milk until thoroughly combined.
Spread on top of cake.
Store in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Bakerella

Vanilla Bean Cake Strawberry Short Cake

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split and scraped (I used Madagascar)
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temp
2 tsp-1 Tbsp Tahitian vanilla (I used regular)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line two 8-inch square pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Split and scrape the vanilla pod into the butter, discard pod (or reserve for another use). Beat for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional 60 seconds.

Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl before each addition. Add the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an off-set spatula. Lift up the pan with the batter, and let it drop onto the counter top a couple of times to burst any air bubbles and allowing the batter to settle. Center the pans onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is lightly brown on top and comes away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Let cool completely in the pans before removing the cakes and frosting.

For the Strawberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Icing
1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound strawberries
2 – 3 TBS of sugar
Stem all of the strawberries and cut them into quarters. Put them in a bowl and add the sugar. Let them sit for about 30-40 minutes and them mash them up slightly.

Once your cake is cooled, make the frosting by combining all of the ingredients together until very light and fluffy.

To Assemble:

Cut the rounded part off of each the cakes. Divide the strawberries into 2 batches. Put one batch on the bottom cake with a little of the juices with a layer of frosting. Put the top cake on and the other batch of strawberries. Frost the cake with the rest of the frosting.

You can easily store this cake in the fridge and as a matter of fact, it’s best served that way.

Happy Early 4th of July!!

Lately I’ve been so busy between working doing x-rays and then school, homework, cooking etc. that by the time it comes to baking something I have no time to bake it, let alone take pictures of it before it gets devoured by someone.

I’ve had cravings for mousse and bananas so I thought why not combine the 2 to make a banana mousse? And what else goes better with bananas then caramel? Add some ginger snaps in the mix for crunch, put it in a small glass, and bada-bing-bada-boom you got a fantasmic dessert!

Banana Mousse with Caramel Verrines

For the mousse:

2 large ripe banana
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

In food processor combine banana and sugar and puree. Scrape puree into a bowl and gently fold in whipped cream. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours.

For the caramel:

1 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1  TBSP light corn syrup
1/4  cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a medium sauce pan, heat the sugar, water and corn syrup until it turns an amber color. Remove from head and add in heavy cream and butter. Stir the caramel so the bubbling subsides. Stir in vanilla.

To assemble:

Take some ginger snaps and pulse them in a blender until you have crumbs. Alternate the mousse, caramel and crumbs in a glass until it’s reached the top. Serve.

With that being said, it was still depressing to see it all unfold on t.v. My heart ached for them. I can only imagine what their hearts must’ve felt like in that moment. So needless to say I needed comfort food, and if I was there to cook for the Red Wings for all of their hard work, I’d cook them this pasta dish.

Pasta is comfort. Mmmm.

It’s originally a shrimp dip, but it can be turned into a pasta dish like I’ve done it. I’ve had it both ways and you cannot go wrong. Trust me.

Hot Scampi Dip

1 pound deveined, peeled raw shrimp
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced shallots
3 TBSP minced garlic
3 TBSP dry white wine
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped green onions or chives
2/3 cup half-and-half
8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces Fontina or White Cheddar Cheese, grated
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp chile flakes
2 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
pepper to taste

1 lb. pasta, cooked to the directions on the package

Chop the shrimp.
Heat 3 TBSP of the butter in a saute pan to bubbling. Add the shallots and saute to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute, stirring, until pink and firm, about 4 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to loosen all of the pan juices. Set aside.
Combine the basil and green onion in a bowl.
Heat the half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in the cream cheese in chunks until well blended. Add the Fontina cheese and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese by handfuls, whisking until thoroughly melted. Add the chile flakes, thyme, half of the green onion mixture and all of the cooked shrimp mixture. Whisk to blend and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a ½ quart serving/baking dish. The dish can be completed through this stage and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and drizzle with remaining TBSP of melted butter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until browned and bubbling. Served sprinkle with remaining green onion mixture.

This also goes really well on top of pasta. Just skip the pouring into a baking dish and toss with some prepared pasta. Yum.

Recipe adapted from northwest noshings

The other day we saw the shuttle go up… I love seeing it go up. There’s just something about it – it’s amazing… and the night launches are the absolute best! We decided to take my dog Angel along with us for the ride (she loves car rides), she loves sticking her nose outside of the window (and that usually includes half of her body).

I’ve tried doing this… and I don’t understand why dogs like this. When I do it, I cannot breath. I immediately have to stick my head back inside the window – gasping for air. It happens everytime I try. I’m not sure why I keep trying it.

I’ll let these pictures do the rest of the talking as I’ve babbled enough. Oh – and please pardon my dirty mirrors.

They have the life… I wish I was a dog.

P.S. For all you space geeks and nerds out there… there’s only 8 shuttle launches left – ever. So if you haven’t seen a launch, if you’re planning on going to see one but procrastinate, if you’ve thought about going but have never done it… now is the time. There’s not many left.

That anything with goat cheese, is going to be good. I’ve made 3 recipes with goat cheese in them and they all rock. R-O-C-K. The addition to this simple pasta really gives it a totally different taste and texture while somwhat being able to taste the base flavors. So hard to explain, but if you trust me – try it. Please.

On another, far more depressing note, I’ve started my clinicals. 8-5, Mon-Fri. I’m learning stuff but… no one is breaking any bones from the times from 2pm – 5pm. Which leaves me bored. What do I take xrays of if no one is in the waiting room?

So, to pat myself on the back, I’ve decided I’m going to drive down to Key West and stay down there for a few days to get some photography days in. I haven’t been in some time and I’ve got the itch to go, take pics, relax, enjoy the Florida weather and not have to work 8-5.

I deserve it, don’t you think? Back to the recipe…

Speghetti in a Tomato Goat Cheese Sauce

1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup vodka
1 can tomato puree
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta
1 cup grate Parmesan cheese
4 oz. goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in chopped onions and garlic. Stir and allow to cook for two minutes. Pour in vodka. Stir and cook for three minutes.
Add in tomato puree and stir. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Allow to simmer, being careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if it needs it, Stir in Parmesan cheese and Goat Cheese.
Pour mixture into large serving bowl.

Altered from P-Dub.

This past Friday was a big day for me. I had a final for the class I was in; and it’s the class before I start my clinical rotation. *hyperventilates* Good news is, I passed and I’m on a week long Spring Break vaction. Bad news, I’m nervous as hell to start my clinicals.

After the final, the class was going to have an “appetizer party” in the room so we could have something to do while we waited on our teacher to finish our grades. We knew about this 2 weeks in advance so everyone could think about what to make. It took me a week and 4 days to figure out what I was going to make. I struggled back and forth wondering if I should make the stuffed jalapeno’s but my class is sort of picky. So I opted for good ol’ spinach dip.

I prepared everything the day before so the flavors would have nicely melded together by then, and even bought bread that I was going to hollow out to have a “bread bowl” to hold the dip. Friday morning I get up early, get dressed, all in the mean time going over things for my final, quizzing myself and leave for school… withOUT the dip. Ugh! *slams head repeatedly on the desk* By the time I realized it, it was too late – I was too far gone. And though the class didn’t get to enjoy the dip, I did

Let’s make it, shall we?

First, let’s do all the chopping. Take 3 green onions and chop them, white part included… do not waste.

Have you had water chestnuts before? If you haven’t, they really don’t have a flavor to them so please don’t be afriad by them. It just adds a little crunch into whatever you are making. It’s hard to explain but it’s like biting into the taste of freshness. So open up yourself a can of water chestnuts

Dump them on your cutting board and get to chopping them up until they’re in small pieces…

Now grab yourself a bowl and add your sour cream and mayo into it.

<insert picture here…I forgot to take a picture of it, so use your imagination>

Now, take your chopped green onions, your minced water chestnuts and knorr veggie packet and dump it in the bowl

Mmm, can you see the goodness in that packet? Dried onion, peppers, spices and other good stuff? I’m drooling. Now mix it up and squeaze any excess water from your thawed (frozen) spinach and add it in to the mix

Stir it in… and here’s the hard part. You have to wait atleast 2 hours before serving this. The dried goodness in the knorr packet needs to become one with the other ingredients. The wait till be well worth it, I promise you. And when the 2 hours have passed…

You have dip godly-ness.

Knorr Spinach Dip (Can be found on the back of the Knorr vegetable soup mix box)

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1 pkg Knorr’s vegetable soup mix
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, minced (optional)

Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together in a bowl. Pour in the soup mix, water chestnuts, spinach, and green onions (optional). Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Stir before serving.

I recently found out I love almonds at the local art fair. I mean, really love them. While I had the almond cup cake, my mom, who LOVES guava, had the guava cup cake. And even though I’m not a fan of guava, I thought I’d try to re-create her guava cup cake with a cream cheese frosting which is a classic combination in latin desserts. This is basically just a moist yellow cake with guava paste (which can be found at many mega-marts) bits in it. Next time I make these, I have a Guava liquor that I might add into this recipe to give it an extra kick. Until next time…

Guava Cup cakeswith Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 – 8 inch round pans (or line cup cake pans). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.

Click here for the frosting recipe.