Home Sweet Home

A lot of work has been done on our home here in Medford, but I haven't put up any pictures. I took a few after cleaning last weekend. My uncle got married down here- so my Dad stayed with us and we even got to overnight babysit my sweet little kinda-cousin who is 5 months old. There is still work to be done on the house (like closet doors, an entryway floor...) but we are loving it :)

The kitchen and breakfast nook, through the door is the laundry room. So nice to not have to pay to do laundry anymore!

Dining Room and Living room

Living Room with a nice, big fireplace!

The master bedroom, looking into our addition: office/sitting area

Our master bathroom, shower and toilet behind the door

Tiramisu- success!

So last time I made tiramisu for my mom's birthday bash, it was runny- boo. But I made it again for my stepdad's birthday, and YEAH! it was perfect. And so I must document exactly what I did, not so much for all of you... all 3 of you, but for me, so I actually know what to do next time. This recipe is a combination of ones I have seen- so it is kinda my own creation...

World's Best Tiramisu (or at least I think so):

ingredients- 2 packages of authentic ladyfingers (these should be very crispy, not soft and cakey like the ones they sometimes sell), 2 8-oz cartons of mascapone cheese, 1 1/2 pints of heavy whipping cream (this recipe is def. not good for you), 6 egg yolks, 2 cups of sugar plus an additional 4 TBSP, vanilla, 1-2 cups espresso or very strong brewed coffee, 2 TBSP Kahlua and 2 TBSP brandy, cocoa powder

Mix the hot coffee with 2 TBSP sugar and the alcohol, set aside- you will be dipping the lady fingers in this.

In a glass bowl, mix 6 egg yolks with 2 cups of sugar, whisking in 1/4 cup at a time. Put over a pan of lightly bowling water (a double boiler, the water should not touch the glass bowl) and whisk for 7-8 minutes until thick, light, and it makes a nice ribbon when you lift up the whisk. Your arm will be tired- so you can pass this job off to your significant other like I did.

In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cartons of mascapone cheese until smooth. Now in a separate bowl (you will be dirtying many bowls) whip the heavy cream until semi-stiff peaks form with a tsp or so of vanilla and the remaining 2 TBSP of sugar, it doesn't need much because the egg mixture is so sweet. Once the egg yolk mixture has been whisked for 7-8 minutes over the double boiler and lightly cooled to room temperature of so (I don't recommend putting it in the fridge, it gets really hard) add it to the mascapone cheese. The fold in the whipped cream. Your filling is ready!

I use a 13x9 pan because I like having a lot of tiramisu. To make the first layer, dip the ladyfinger in the coffee mixture- the perfect amount of time is like 2-3 seconds, I always slowly say "dip, flip, up and flick (lightly shake off the excess coffee) this is up to you, but I think it helps. Do this until you have a solid layer of ladyfingers in the bottom, top with 1/2 of the filling and repeat. Dust cocoa powder on top and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, then enjoy! And don't forget to spend you significant other away while you clean up, this way you can lick the filling and whipped cream bowls in private :D

Mexican: Part Three/Four

So I have no pictures.. but we also made fish tacos and enchiladas during our Mexican feasting. They were both really good, but I am done with Mexican for awhile :D Enchiladas making is pretty basic and nothing special- make some burritos, top with enchilada sauce, cheese, and olives and bake. We made our fish tacos with mahi-mahi, I rubbed the fish with olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, and some taco seasoning and baked until flaky. We bought fresh corn tortillas at the farmer's market (my most favorite place ever) and stuffed the tacos with the fish, fresh guacamole, tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, and a cabbage slaw I made. These recipes don't count for the endless leftovers and quesadillas I have been making with the extra ingredients, Good- but bring on the Italian.... or Thai!

Mexican Inspirations Part Two

My experience with making chili rellenos was both good and bad. The good- they were very tasty! The bad- well, the anahiem peppers were MUCH spicier than the last time I used them. Just from cutting the tops off and taking the seeds out then touching my mouth- my lips and tongue were on fire and red, my fingers burned for 2 days after, and worst of all I found out that the oils stick around for a long, long time no matter how many times you wash your hands- therefore putting my contacts in the following morning was the most intense pain ever!

On to the recipe...

I used half anaheim peppers and half poblanos- I would recommend using only poblanos because as I found out the hard way, sometimes anaheim peppers are very, very hot (if you do use these, make sure you wear gloves, honestly these were way hotter than any jalapeno I've worked with, or at least this patch was). I put the peppers on a cookie sheet and roast at 400* until black and blistered on the outside. Remove the peppers and cover tightly with foil to steam for 15 minutes. The pepper skins will remove easily after this, also remove the stem and seeds to prepare for stuffing. For the stuffing: I shred 2-3 chicken breasts, 1/4 or so of chopped cilantro, 3-4 sliced green onions, 3 ears of lightly grilled corn- cut off the cob, 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese, 1/2 cup of queso fresco cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream to help bind, salt and pepper and mix it all together. I then stuff them into the peppers, lay into a baking dish (I do not bread and fry my peppers), and top with a little more queso fresco. I bake until they are brown and bubbling on top. We topped ours with sour cream and served it with refried black beans... and lava-flow pina coladas (regular on the bottom, add strawberries- mix, and pour on top).

Update/Recipes Part One

Again, I have been neglecting my blog. Since being in our new home for almost two months now, we have had many new adventures. We had David's family over for a visit which was great! Then our friends Wade and Elizabeth came down and we went rafting! While it was very fun, the sun apparently did not get the invite because it was so cold.

Being in my own kitchen once again, I have been cooking... especially a lot Mexican food. I'm not sure why, I just find it fun to create new Mexican inspired meals. I will have to post in sections as I am very behind- and missing pictures for many meals and fun activities...

We had my parents and sister over for dinner a few weeks ago and I made my chicken tortilla soup that I made up awhile ago. We ate, went in the hot tub, and drank pina coladas!

Recipe #1: Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a large stockpot, saute one medium diced yellow onion, one finely chopped jalapeno, 3 diced carrots, 3 stalks of celery chopped, and two cloves of garlic-minced. Add salt and pepper to taste and one packet of taco seasoning. Once onions are soft, add 1/2 chicken stock, 1/2 water to fill the pot 3/4 of the way. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 3-4 (can be frozen) chicken breasts and mildly boil for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Once chicken is cooked, take out and shred. Then add 1/2 bag of frozen corn, 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans, and the shredded chicken. Cook for about 15-20 more minutes. We top our soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, fresh lime juice, hot sauce (if you want) and serve it with warm corn tortilla strips. I cut corn tortillas, lightly spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt, and bake until lightly brown. YUM

6 Years

Sunday was mine and David's 6 year anniversary. Every year we go on a picnic and we plan to keep it going forever. This anniversary was extra special because it was our last one before becoming husband and wife. Next year we will be getting married the day before our 7 year anniversary! I am so lucky to have him in my life and to marrying my best friend!

Our picnic didn't last too long due to the yellow jacket attack!

SURPRISE!

We have been planning a surprise dinner party for my mom's big birthday for while now and finally pulled it off Friday night. We managed to keep it a surprise even though she almost ruined it by stopping by my house on the way home from work. We spent the day cleaning our house in Medford so everyone could come over after for dessert, coffee, and wine. Maggie and Caleb even drove down and surprised her along with her friends at La Fiesta in Jacksonville. Her face was priceless, especially when she saw my sister! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful mom and were glad to give her first ever surprise party. Matt even bought her a black diamond necklace she has been dreaming of...

Maggie and Caleb brought 48 mini cupcakes from Saint Cupcakes in Portland. There were yummy and looked very cute on my new cake plate!

I made tiramisu and chose not to take a picture, it was soupier than other times I've made it (I didn't have a recipe this time so I guessed from making it other times), but was still yummy. We had a fun weekend full of eating, talking, drinking, and play. We went to the lake and Mugsy swam for the first time, he loved it! Him and Boomer even went for a ride on the boat. What a fun weekend!