tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83593138704225201182024-03-08T04:33:52.950-07:00Dimples & DelightsAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.comBlogger541125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-26618632006406125492016-10-25T10:40:00.002-06:002016-10-28T13:50:24.301-06:00Pumpkin Snickerdoodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello again, blogging world! I know I've been absent, but I couldn't let October pass without at least ONE fabulous pumpkin recipe! Some of you may have seen me sharing about these life-changing cookies all over social media, you might even have the first draft of the recipe! Well, after four batches and three different adjustments, THIS is the perfect pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe! I squeezed in some more pumpkin and evened out the spices, so pencil in the changes on whatever version you may have saved!<br />
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One of the things I dreamed about when we were waiting to bring our daughter home was baking for her. Filling her to the brim with delicious treats! Well, that didn't go quite as planned, since she arrived with a wariness of all things bread and a sweet tooth that only liked candy. Instead, she made me up my noodles and meats game. Slowly but surely, she's getting a taste for baked treats, and I have found the secret weapon: pumpkin!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPwed5nhxs3lB0ay89urc2vKP-OnPT8ax_KDYriTh_U4oyWdMpX_6r5WH45O9-qFuDCbiozPXy7GM07YGgzxIeLMIsYPgX0dRh3wYIlu9_DepKEp8s91cJ4X3d7Y2GWHPOjiJi3WVWQ6q/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPwed5nhxs3lB0ay89urc2vKP-OnPT8ax_KDYriTh_U4oyWdMpX_6r5WH45O9-qFuDCbiozPXy7GM07YGgzxIeLMIsYPgX0dRh3wYIlu9_DepKEp8s91cJ4X3d7Y2GWHPOjiJi3WVWQ6q/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
She loves EVERYTHING with pumpkin in it! (Not to mention actual pumpkins) Heck, she'd eat pumpkin out of the can with a spoon. And I just might let her... These cookies are hands-down her favorite! They just might be the Geologist's new favorite cookie too... So basically, if you haven't tried them already, you MUST!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1crLsBXcwk-_cwDrY7VzvlrFidx3W-VkL8qE0sOdPsPzn3aePNmtpfM3fxITNM4MubzNciXPxeqIJKRV7zaOwfw1dXmpOrlUQPAMA7QIgWGO18R9ieRfRV9PI6h7Ryer3bnKVWcA6Hnjv/s1600/P1120767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1crLsBXcwk-_cwDrY7VzvlrFidx3W-VkL8qE0sOdPsPzn3aePNmtpfM3fxITNM4MubzNciXPxeqIJKRV7zaOwfw1dXmpOrlUQPAMA7QIgWGO18R9ieRfRV9PI6h7Ryer3bnKVWcA6Hnjv/s640/P1120767.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Pumpkin Snickerdoodles</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/pumpkin-snickerdoodles" target="_blank">Printable Recipe</a><br />
Makes about 2 dozen cookies<br />
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1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled*<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/3 cup pumpkin puree<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 tsp cornstarch<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
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1/4 cup of sugar plus 1 1/2 Tb cinnamon for rolling<br />
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*Note: You can use the butter warm and melted, but you'll have to chill the dough to stiffen it up. I like to stick the melted butter in the fridge ahead of time so it's nice and solid when I make the cookies and I can put them right in the oven.*<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease a baking sheet.<br />
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Cream butter and sugars together. Add pumpkin and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add all of the dry ingredients (yep, you read that right!) and mix until well combined. Roll the dough into 1-2 Tb balls, and roll in cinnamon sugar until completely coated. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly (I like to use the bottom of a glass). Bake for 10-15 minutes. They should look not quite done, that will keep them nice and soft. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.<br />
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These cookies have everything a good snickerdoodle should have: Soft, chewy, barely crispy edges, lots of cinnamon and sugar...<br />
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...Minus the eggs, and plus all the pumpkin spiced wonderfulness!! If that doesn't sound like a match made in heaven, I don't know what does. This is our fourth batch, and I'm making one more to send to Joe's class Halloween party. Happy October!!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-64123100554248214382016-08-20T16:12:00.000-06:002016-08-20T16:12:30.784-06:00Homemade Salsa<div>
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Re-post today, because this is one of our family's summer essentials, and I just happen to be making a behemoth batch of it today! The Geologist requires plenty of salsa for football season, but we usually just barely run out after the Superbowl, so hopefully this batch will last a little longer. :)</div>
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<i>Essential tips for making homemade salsa:</i></div>
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First: Wear gloves. Don't be a hero, you are slicing up<i> jalapenos</i>, and I don't care how tough you are, NOTHING gets jalapenos off your fingers. I tried it all, lemon, rubbing alcohol, baking soda, dish soap... Nuthin. You WILL put your finger in your eye. Or use it to put on lip balm and have spicy lips. Just wear the gloves. </div>
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Second: If there is any possible way for you to move your food processor outside for the chopping of toxic veggies, do it! Extension cord, outdoor plug, whatever. It helps SO much!</div>
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Third: At some point you will have to cook this concoction, even if just for a few minutes. Make sure all of your doors and windows are open, all fans are on<i> first</i>, you are simmering<i> tear gas</i>. You will run from your kitchen, eyes streaming, seeking shelter from the fumes! Ventilation, people!</div>
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Fourth: Keep ventilating as long as possible. All night if you can. Your <i>whole house</i> will smell like salsa. Which is kinda fun while you're making it, not so much when you wake up the next morning... and your pancakes taste like salsa... Took me 48 hours to get the salsa smell out of my house!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXo6IsTXRmeVnOPKgEP7cZbfMYV0H1ABbKIHhplDm5uy93JtenJmEXMoMQQruhef2I2e1GP6rVeBW7i7q95I8Pv3d0Jb86D79EhDpBVCkRjZvjAo1D52ACaumDl93peU4FDWGYLs_Pkk/s1600/P1030301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXo6IsTXRmeVnOPKgEP7cZbfMYV0H1ABbKIHhplDm5uy93JtenJmEXMoMQQruhef2I2e1GP6rVeBW7i7q95I8Pv3d0Jb86D79EhDpBVCkRjZvjAo1D52ACaumDl93peU4FDWGYLs_Pkk/s640/P1030301.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><u>Homemade Salsa</u></div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/homemade-salsa">Printable Recipe</a></div>
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5 cups fresh tomatoes, quartered and peeled<br />
1 white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered<br />
4 cloves of garlic, <i>roasted</i> (drizzle head of garlic with olive oil, wrap in foil, bake in 400 degree oven for 35 minutes)<br />
2-4 jalapeƱo peppers, quartered and seeded (2 makes mild salsa, 3 for medium, 4 for hot!)<br />
2 yellow peppers<br />
1 green or red pepper<br />
2-3 poblano or anaheim peppers (optional: <i>we love poblanos for their sweet smokiness, but be careful, because either of these peppers will add extra heat! But also extra flavor, so if you're concerned, skip 1-2 of the jalapenos</i>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We had never seen a purple pepper before, so of course we had to get one!</i></span></div>
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Sanitize jars and lids in a hot water bath or dishwasher. Remove to a clean towel on the counter or table to dry. Bring hot water bath back up to boiling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDSMhxs5yF72Hyj2NoVVcd3K4j3OJzxvCXPiUmBRqZWmnsjZnxWEwfY0hyN7gjq9UL3Dyz7k0PJo3aDZoS8CDj4TGjW_9QC8KmSNCiKL8HPsZvFEbhQgN89APdEX_VMNflhgkYABXhvg/s1600/P1030279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDSMhxs5yF72Hyj2NoVVcd3K4j3OJzxvCXPiUmBRqZWmnsjZnxWEwfY0hyN7gjq9UL3Dyz7k0PJo3aDZoS8CDj4TGjW_9QC8KmSNCiKL8HPsZvFEbhQgN89APdEX_VMNflhgkYABXhvg/s400/P1030279.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you have a food processor, pulse all veggies until the chunks are as small as you like them. With the food processor OFF, run your fingers through to make sure there are no huge chunks left. Or, just chop everything as small as you want and run the tomatoes through your blender to crush, but not puree them. Pour all processed veggies into a large pot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm45LzLTOcBCff5m6DKZQHGQuGV9hdySbcIasY6E61YKldfcCXj63aKWoasqFKov4qacqC4IdKOVP3kxfk_uZPJ3FaV2xRxYDe1sE7r6v25xjbYdqt5Rj2TFv0h3EAVzoICDHN_k0-FY/s1600/P1030282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm45LzLTOcBCff5m6DKZQHGQuGV9hdySbcIasY6E61YKldfcCXj63aKWoasqFKov4qacqC4IdKOVP3kxfk_uZPJ3FaV2xRxYDe1sE7r6v25xjbYdqt5Rj2TFv0h3EAVzoICDHN_k0-FY/s400/P1030282.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">So pretty! I love the little purple bits :)</span></i></div>
Stir in:<br />
1 Tb fresh lime juice<br />
1 1/2 Tb white vinegar<br />
1/2 Tb salt<br />
1/4 tsp. cumin<br />
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro<br />
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Bring to boil, lower to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Makes 6-7 cups. </div>
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Spoon salsa into sanitized jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Screw lids on tightly. Process in hot water bath for 45 minutes. Remove and set on clean towel to cool 24 hours. Check lids to make sure they are sucked down tight, and don't pop up when pressed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41NraRYeuOIT8HUbWz6TpehEVXaDI-wVuxVkcVgnauo3p-osVGP43MKN4YGbtmoFcB76HBnEhTMLFO16u4srXLlNp00y4LWt3m4nH4apBUI7Wbf08s16OEZfQs_3DKx_ZgRBFszkep3w/s1600/P1030297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41NraRYeuOIT8HUbWz6TpehEVXaDI-wVuxVkcVgnauo3p-osVGP43MKN4YGbtmoFcB76HBnEhTMLFO16u4srXLlNp00y4LWt3m4nH4apBUI7Wbf08s16OEZfQs_3DKx_ZgRBFszkep3w/s400/P1030297.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
My husband is in heaven! He likes his salsa as fresh-tasting as possible, and this is a variation on his Mom's recipe. He also loves the little tiny bits, because you can taste more components in each scoop. If you like your salsa thicker and more ketchup-y, this salsa is not for you. You can toss your garlic in un-roasted, but it's much yummier roasted!<br />
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Full of ripe, sun-soaked peppers and tomatoes, cilantro, a hint of lime. It doesn't get much more summery than this! Feel free to adjust, play with different peppers, add some tomatillo... Make it your own!</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-43235057338601480092016-07-09T15:52:00.000-06:002016-07-11T11:12:42.439-06:00Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice<div style="text-align: center;">
Can I just quit my "job", move to Korea, and learn how to rap in Korean? No? Okay fiiiiine. Ugh. I'm <i>obsessed</i> with this stuff you guys. Korean music is spoiling me for American Top 20 nonsense. I've got this new song on repeat and my boys learn the lyrics faster than I do. In fact, they created a game where I pick them up from school, they roll down the windows, we crank a Korean song up nice and loud and they see how many "weird looks" we get. Although I suspect a good half of those looks are due to Joe's rap faces. He's pretty hardcore. I'm pretty sure the other parents think we're obnoxious... little do they know that our Korean rap/pop is squeaky clean! Pardon my nerd-ness, I'm done for today. :)</div>
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Well, not completely, since I'm also a food nerd, and watching all of these Korean dramas (cuz somehow you just can't have the music without the dramas!) made me run to the internet searching for recipes for all the amazing looking things they're eating. I've loved kimchi ever since I was 14, when one of my best friends used to bring her Mom's homemade kimchi to school for lunch. Yum!! Anyway, in the midst of my TV-fueled Korean cravings, I discovered a new favorite food blog called <u><a href="http://www.beyondkimchee.com/">Beyond Kimchee</a></u>. I found this crazy dish there, and it's my new <i>favorite </i>thing to eat for lunch. It may sound a bit odd, especially among my pies and muffins and things, but it's deeeelicious!All you have to do is find yourself some decent kimchi, (or <a href="http://www.beyondkimchee.com/easy-cabbage-kimchi/">make some!!</a>) and you should have the rest hanging around your house! Oh, and if you need some music to listen to while enjoying your kimchi fried rice, let me know and I'll be happy to recommend a few songs. ;)<br />
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<a name='more'></a><u>Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice</u> (adapted slightly from <a href="http://www.beyondkimchee.com/kimchee-bacon-fried-rice/">Beyond Kimchee</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/kimchi-bacon-fried-rice">Printable Recipe</a><br />
Serves 2-3</div>
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1-1 1/2 cup cabbage kimchi, chopped<br />
4-6 bacon strips<br />
2 cups cooked rice<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
dash black pepper<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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Top with:<br />
fried/sunny-side up egg<br />
scallions<br />
sesame seeds<br />
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Dice the bacon strips into small pieces and start browning them in a frying pan/skillet on medium heat. While your bacon is cooking, chop your kimchi coarsely. My kimchi is pre-chopped into big chunks, if yours is still in head-of-cabbage form, make sure you discard the extra stuffing.<br />
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When your bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan and set aside. Remove about half of bacon fat from the pan. Add the chopped kimchi to the pan and saute it for a few minutes until nice and tender. I like mine to still have a little bit of crunch.<br />
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Add your cooked rice to the pan and drizzle the sesame oil over it. Stir into the kimchi until it's well mixed and your rice has soaked up all that awesome kimchi flavor. Add a tablespoon or two of kimchi juice if you want more spice or your rice needs more moisture. Add a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of pepper and continue to stir until heated through.<br />
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Turn off the heat and stir in bacon. Top with fried egg, sesame seeds, and scallions. Serve immediately.<br />
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First of all, the comment I hear most when I talk about kimchi is: "Isn't that stuff really stinky?" Maybe I'm spoiled because my first experience was with 100% homemade kimchi, but I really don't think it's that stinky. To me it smells strongly spicy with some sour pickle-ish smell to it. But rotten-stinky? Nah. </div>
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So you have spicy, tangy kimchi mixed with your rice, with that nutty, toasted sesame oil, salty-crisp bacon, and a rich yummy egg on top. Honestly, I only added the scallions for pictures, ha!</div>
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Breaking that egg into the rice and mixing it all around in my FAVORITE part! It's kind of hard to describe the flavor of kimchi if you've never had it, but I think it's the most deeply flavorful spicy ingredient out there. Be adventurous! Give it a try and let me know what you think! </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-75777120382049303172016-07-04T16:14:00.002-06:002016-07-04T16:16:37.762-06:00Grilled Sesame Scallion Steak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy 4th of July!! </div>
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I know I'm a little late for your Independence Day parties, in fact most of you probably won't see this recipe until the fireworks are all cleaned up and normal life has resumed, but hey, if you're not sick of grilling yet, try this one! We've put it on the shelf for years, lacking a decent grill, but now it's back in rotation and oh, how I've missed it!</div>
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<a name='more'></a><u style="background-color: white; font-family: "crimson text"; font-size: 18.7px; line-height: 26.18px;">Grilled Sesame Scallion Steak</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/grilled-skirt-steak" style="background-color: white; color: #274e13; font-family: "Crimson Text"; font-size: 18.7px; line-height: 26.18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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<ul class="recipe_ingredients" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Crimson Text"; font-size: 18.7px; line-height: 26.18px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Marinade:<br />2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil<br />1 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks </ul>
<ul class="recipe_ingredients" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Crimson Text"; font-size: 18.7px; line-height: 26.18px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2 medium scallions; remove about 2 inches of the green ends and the white bulb at the other end, keep the middles<br />2 cloves garlic</ul>
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<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Steak:<br />1 pound-ish skirt steak (also known as "flap meat" or flank steak), patted dry with a paper towel<br />kosher salt<br />black pepper (fresh-ground if possible)</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /><b>The Night Before:</b></ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><ul style="font-weight: normal; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Put all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend till smooth. A few small chunks of ginger are fine.</ul>
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<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Spread about half of the marinade in the bottom of a casserole dish large enough for your piece of steak. Just over the area where the steak will be sitting. </ul>
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<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Season the top with kosher salt and gently spread the remaining marinade over the top of the steak. </ul>
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<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Cover with plastic wrap (<i><u>on</u> </i>the steak) and refrigerate overnight. (Or as long as possible)</ul>
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<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">If you forget to start it overnight, start it in the morning the day you want to eat it. Basically, the longer this marinade stays on, the better!<br /><br /><b>Before Serving:</b>Whether you are using a charcoal or gas grill, get it HOT. Preheat to about 600 if using a gas grill. Wait till the coals look ashy if using charcoal. You shouldn't be able to hold your hand above the flame for more than a couple seconds. This is a quick-cooking steak! We've tried this with a small charcoal grill and could not get it hot enough, so make sure your grill can get VERY hot.<br /><br />Use a paper towel to wipe the paste off the steak as well as you can. We like to leave just a bit in the nooks and crannies of the beef. Sprinkle both sides with a bit of pepper. Grill steak (covered), directly over heat until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. The time is a range because time should be adjusted for the thickness of the steak. To test done-ness, make a <u><i>small</i></u> cut into thickest part of meat; if meat is slightly less done than desired, transfer steak to cutting board (meat will continue to cook as it rests). If steak is significantly underdone, move it so that the thinner side is over the cool side of your grill and the thicker side is over the heat and continue to cook until the thickest part is slightly less done than desired, then transfer steak to your cutting board. </ul>
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</b><b>Note From the Grillmaster: </b><i>There is no such thing as underdone in my opinion. It should moo at me when I poke it.</i></ul>
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You know how sometimes, when you season, rub, or marinate meat, you can only really taste those flavors on the outside? Not with this!!</div>
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It is <i>sooooo</i> juicy and tender, and those wonderful flavors permeate every little millimeter of steak. The sesame oil is my favorite part, it somehow gives the meat a buttery flavor, offset by the sharpness and tang of the ginger and scallions. This is so full of flavor, you'll be amazed!</div>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-25992582852188330352016-05-15T22:02:00.001-06:002016-05-15T22:03:11.831-06:00Raspberry Rhubarb CrunchI. Love. Rhubarb. Unfortunately, it is kinda hard to find around here, at least reliably. If it wasn't so early in the year, I'm sure I could count on our awesome farmers markets, but sadly, they start up right after rhubarb season is ended. So every time I go to the grocery store I eye the tiny space that holds the rhubarb for a few weeks... usually they're too big, too tough, too old, too green... But every once in a while I get lucky, and they're<i> just right, </i>slim and snappy and ruby red. And when they are, I bring home a big bag and make this, my favorite rhubarb dessert ever! You could use just rhubarb; or add strawberries, the classic combo, but I love the tartness of rhubarb and like to complement it with tangy raspberries. Either way, it'll be delicious!!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><u>Raspberry Rhubarb Crunch</u> (adapted from <a href="http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/03/rhubarb-crunch.html">The English Kitchen</a>)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/raspberry-rhubarb-crunch">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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1 cup flour<br />
3/4 cup old fashioned oats<br />
1 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)<br />
2 cups of diced fresh rhubarb<br />
2 cups fresh/frozen raspberries<br />
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For the sauce:<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 Tb corn starch<br />
1 cup of water<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 8-9 inch square baking dish (or a nice big round one). Set aside.<br />
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Stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and spices together. Stir in the melted butter until completely combined, with no more dry bits. Press half of the crumbs into the prepared baking dish. Place the dish into the oven to toast while the oven preheats, or for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes, and scatter the rhubarb and raspberries over the bottom crust.</div>
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Combine the sugar, corn flour, water and vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thick and clearish. Pour this mixture evenly over top of the fruit. Top with the remainder of the crumb mixture, pressing it down gently.</div>
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Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.</div>
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Let sit about 15 minutes to cool. Serve warm with ice cream, custard, or just plain cream! Yum!!</div>
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Sweet, tart, summery heaven on a plate!! The WHOLE family loved this one! I must be honest, when I looked at the actual recipe, it seemed too simple to me. A sugar cornstarch syrup? Whaaat?? I should not have doubted. My dear friend Marie is the MASTER of simple! She can take a handful of ingredients and create absolute magic. Don't mess with this one too much folks, I <i>swear</i> it's fabulous!</div>
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And so pretty!! The crumbly stuff by itself is <i>scrumptious.</i> Really. In fact, I'm logging it away for use in future recipes. I just know I can create something awesome with it. Crunchy and cinnamony and warm and heaven! Of course, you can just use rhubarb for this. In fact, I would bet you could use any fruit or berry you wanted! You know how I like to play with things. I just wanted to try raspberries instead of the classic strawberries. YUM!! </div>
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You've GOT to try this one. Seriously. If it is the first, next, or ONLY thing you make with rhubarb this year, you <i>won't</i> regret it!</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-63800109790336973322016-04-16T13:54:00.000-06:002016-04-16T20:02:23.218-06:00Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee CakeTA-DAH!!! How do you like the new look?? I felt it was about time for a teeny bit of sprucing up around here! I have to figure out a way to move my recipe index to one of those tabs, but other than that, it's all ready to go! I love it, it's cleaner and brighter and makes me happy! Plus, I did it ALL by myself! *pat on the back* Code and everything, woohoo! I hope everyone likes it. :) Please leave a comment if you find any errors or malfunctions! Also, I finally joined the social media parade and created a Facebook page for Dimples and Delights, and you can follow it with that cute little red Facebook button in the right column. See you there!<br />
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Time for something yummy and sunny, because yet again we're getting dumped on by a snowstorm! Supposedly, we're going to get 8-14 inches, but it's going to have to take it up a notch if we're going to get there. I shall snuggle in and bake some bread (very excited about this recipe!) and try to resist the urge to bake gingerbread (it's just so Christmassy outside!) and pray that this storm doesn't destroy what is left of my poor lilac bush. The last one that we missed while in Utah broke a few crucial branches. Sadness. Oh well!! At least it's still alive! I can't help it, even now, snowstorms are fun. The slushy muddy days after them, not so much, but I'll always be a sucker for snow.<br />
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<u>Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake</u> (inspired by Cooks Illustrated)<br />
(<i>High altitude adjustments in italics</i>)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/lemon-cream-cheese-coffee-cake">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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Lemon Streusel:<br />
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zest from 1 lemon<br />
1/3 cup white sugar<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour</div>
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a pinch of salt<br />
1 stick (8 tbsp. butter), room temperature<br />
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Cake:<br />
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (<i>plus 2 Tb</i>)<br />
1 1/8 tsp baking powder (<i>1/2 tsp</i>)<br />
1 1/8 tsp baking soda (<i>1/2 tsp</i>)<br />
1 tsp table salt<br />
10 Tb (1 stick plus 2 Tb) butter, softened but still cool<br />
1 cup plus 4 Tb sugar (<i>minus</i> <i>2 Tb from the 1 cup</i>)<br />
2 Tb lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />
4 large eggs (<i>5 large eggs</i>)<br />
5 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 cups sour cream<br />
8 oz cream cheese, softened<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (<i>365 degrees for high altitude</i>) Grease a 10 inch tube pan and set aside.</div>
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Start with your streusel: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar, add the flour and salt and whisk together. Add the butter and cut/rub together until all dry bits are incorporated and your streusel has clumped together like slightly dry cookie dough. This takes a little while, but it's so worth it! Set your streusel in the fridge while you get your cake ready.<br />
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Now the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Rub the lemon zest into 1 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter and beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides again. Add 4 tsp vanilla and mix till combined. Reduce speed to low and add one-third flour mixture, followed by half of sour cream, mixing until combined after each addition. Repeat with the last two thirds of the flour mixture and the remaining sour cream.<br />
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Reserve 2 and 1/4 cups batter and set aside. Spoon remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Return now-empty bowl (no need to wash it out) to mixer and beat cream cheese, remaining 4 Tb sugar, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and remaining tsp vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 and 1/4 cup of the reserved batter and mix until combined. Spoon cheese filling mixture evenly over batter, keeping filling about 1 inch from edges of pan and smooth the top. Dollop the remaining cup reserved batter over filling and smooth the top. It won't cover the filling completely, that's okay! With butter knife or offset spatula, gently swirl filling into batter using figure-8 motion, being careful to not drag filling to bottom or edges of pan. Firmly tap pan on counter 2 or 3 times to get rid of any bubbles. Sprinkle lemon streusel evenly over batter and gently press into batter to make sure it sticks.</div>
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Bake until top is golden, and long skewer inserted into cake comes out clean (skewer will be wet if inserted into cheese filling), 45 to 55 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool in pan on wire rack 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet (cake will be topping-side down); remove tube pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and invert cake sugar-side up. It will have fallen a bit, that's okay! It's just the filling deflating. Let it cool completely before slicing!! This may take another hour or two, be patient, if you cut into it while still warm it will fall completely!</div>
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This is my favorite coffee cake in the whole wide world!! Tall and decadent, topped with the most perfect streusel (with just a hint of lemon), this cake is a showstopper no matter what the occasion!<br />
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Mmm, that cheesecake ribbon. Just enough, rich and tangy, floating in the middle of a soft, buttery, vanilla and almond-scented coffeecake, it takes this cake to a whole new level of deliciousness!<br />
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Don't be intimidated by the instructions, just read them through once or twice before you get started and you'll be fine, I promise it's not as hard as it looks. And you will be SO glad you did!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-55608737184732975032016-03-30T06:00:00.000-06:002016-04-07T05:34:03.157-06:00Meet Mei Li Kay!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The blogging itch has been growing the past few weeks, and last night I got a pretty huge boost of motivation! Some of you may have seen it, but just in case, Buzzfeed posted a list of 25 High-Altitude Recipes and FIVE of them were mine! I had over 3000 hits in 24 hours! Welp, turns out that was the final push I needed, and I'm baaaack! I posted some epic chocolate cupcakes yesterday, and today I'm catching you up on life. Specifically, my 4 year old distraction from blogging, Mei Li Kay!</div>
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We met her officially, in person, on Jan. 3. There is so much to tell, so I'll give you highlights! Somehow, miraculously, she bonded with us immediately! The talking photo album we sent might have helped, and I know her incredible foster mom had a lot to do with it, but it felt (and still feels) like a miracle!</div>
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She especially adored her brothers from the first minute, and they love her to bits!</div>
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She fits right into our family, we call her our missing piece. She's definitely girly, but can completely hold her own with her brothers, whether they're wrestling or hiking or climbing trees!</div>
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She's learning English incredibly fast, almost never says anything in Chinese anymore, and refuses to acknowledge anyone who tries to speak Chinese to her. She even started preschool just a few weeks after we got home, and loves it!</div>
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She was terrified of our giant beastie at first, but now she and Bracken are best buds. She's still not sure about other dogs, but loves our beast. </div>
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We just got back from a road trip all over Utah and back to Colorado, and she's just as amazing a traveler as the boys are! Not a bit of whining or crying!</div>
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She love love loves music, we have dance parties ALL the time! She's silly and sweet and chatty and giggles ALL the time. </div>
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Her goofy brothers are probably her favorite people, and she wants to do anything they're doing!</div>
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If it isn't raining or snowing, she's probably outside on her scooter. She loves being outside, and pretty much doesn't stop moving!</div>
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Her favorite color is dark blue, with black a close second. No, really, she picks them herself! She's definitely got her own sense of style! She's super tough, gives the best hugs, is the happiest little waker-upper I've ever met, and ridiculously smart!</div>
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Not to mention completely and totally adorable. But hey, I'm biased. We love her SO MUCH, and we have to keep reminding ourselves that she's only been with us for 2 months, because it feels like she's always been here! Our family is complete!</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-12243021944734948642016-03-29T06:00:00.000-06:002016-04-16T13:56:13.109-06:00Ultimate Chocolate Ganache CupcakesYou might notice that this is the very first cupcake recipe on this blog. Ever. In 5 years. That's because I'm not a huge fan of cupcakes, to be perfectly honest. They're just too sweet for me! But this is not just any cupcake. Noooo, this is THE most chocolate-y cupcake I've ever encountered. This cupcake is so amazingly delicious that it even earned itself a nickname and a cute backstory. We call these babies "Chocolate Puppies". Why? Well, my Mom used to be THE resident treat-maker for my Dad's office. Considering this office changed every three years, thanks to the US Air Force, that was quite a badge of honor. Certain cookies and breads of her making became famous across multiple Air Force bases! So one day she hauled a few dozen dozen of these cupcakes to the office and one of the captains, a fellow chocolate fanatic, was so enraptured with them that after his first bite, he was going on and on about how good it was. He was cradling it by his face and my mom said, "Terry, get a hold of yourself! You're holding that thing like it's a puppy or something!!" Thus the nickname Chocolate Puppies was born. I actually posted them forever ago, but the pictures are simply atrocious, plus I tweaked them (of course!).<br />
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<u><b>Ultimate Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes</b></u> (adapted from <u><a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/5954-ultimate-chocolate-cupcakes-with-ganache-filling">Cooks Illustrated</a></u>)<br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/chocolate-puppies">Printable Recipe</a><br />
Makes 12 Cupcakes<br />
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*<i>High-altitude adjustments in italics</i>*<br />
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<b>Ganache Filling:</b></div>
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2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1 Tb powdered sugar</div>
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pinch of salt<br />
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<b>Cupcakes:</b><br />
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped<br />
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa<br />
3/4 cup hot coffee (REALLY hot)<br />
3/4 cup bread flour (<i>plus 1 Tb</i>)<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar (<i>minus 1 Tb</i>)<br />
1/2 tsp table salt<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
6 Tb vegetable, sunflower, or coconut oil<br />
2 large eggs (<i>3 eggs</i>)<br />
2 tsp white vinegar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 batch chocolate buttercream<br />
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For the ganache: Place chocolate, cream, and powdered sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill, no longer than 30 minutes.<br />
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For the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 (<i>365</i>) degrees. Line a muffin pan and set aside. Place chocolate and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in separate bowl and set aside. Your chocolate mixture doesn't need to be cold, just cooled so it won't cook the eggs when you add them!<br />
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When your chocolate mixture is cool, whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.<br />
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Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups (cups should be about 3/4 full). Place one rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. (Don't worry, it will sink while it bakes)<br />
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Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.<br />
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<b><u>Chocolate Buttercream:</u></b><br />
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10 Tb butter, softened (I prefer salted!)<br />
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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In a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and salt; beat slowly until most of the sugar is mixed in, so it doesn't poof all over you. Scrape down bowl, add vanilla, and beat at medium speed until smooth, then reduce speed to low and gradually beat in chocolate. Increase speed and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl once or twice.<br />
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I don't know about you, but baking ANYTHING in a muffin pan, especially cupcakes, at high altitude, is a little stressful. Okay, okay, MORE than a little stressful. Those domes!! Flat muffins and deflated cupcakes are so sad!! But these beautiful little cupcakes came out of the oven with PERFECT little domes. I literally danced with joy!<br />
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Part of the reason I don't like cupcakes is the pile of super-sweet frosting. BUT. This frosting is so chocolatey, so buttery, so silky, I can't stop licking it off the spoons, bowls, table, my arm... Yeah, first time frosting cupcakes, it was all over the kitchen. And dining room. Anyway! The Geologist loves it cold, because it basically becomes a truffle. Truffle frosting. Seriously.<br />
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Do you SEE that little pocket of ganache?! Perfect, rich, velvety ganache? Yeah, you might be tempted to skip that extra step, but trust me, it's so worth it.<br />
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Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes. The end. Go forth and bake!! :)</div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-57059907240951944662015-12-22T15:22:00.005-07:002015-12-22T15:22:57.214-07:00Favorite Christmas Treats<div style="text-align: center;">
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I said I wasn't going to post, but I'm sitting here waiting for my second batch of caramels to hit "soft ball" and realized that heck, there are a few more days until Christmas, maybe a few of you are looking for a last treat or two to whip together, so here is a compilation of my very favorite Christmas treats. Enjoy, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!</div>
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First up, since they're the one that gave me this idea, <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/12/classic-caramels.html">Classic Caramels</a></u>. Perfect, chewy, buttery caramels, and not as tricky as you might think!</div>
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If you're in the mood to play on the wild side just a little, try these <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2013/12/apple-cider-caramels.html">Apple Cider Caramels</a></u> instead! (Or also...) They're my new favorite, so I make both every year now! They're insanely addicting, seriously.</div>
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These <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/12/soft-thick-cut-out-sugar-cookies.html">Soft & Thick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies</a></u> bring in the most holiday "traffic" for this little blog of mine, which makes me VERY proud because they are my favorite holiday treat of all time! The frosting is perfect, beautiful AND delicious, and the cookies are thick, soft, and scrumptious. Love. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6RVcJaSbOUcZWoG4Rt4Q__RMQBWtBWqfkYxrRcIGvRY4oFvyPLBRNk4dk7Aea-XldTXGQjJi9wyVaRKjwPd0bpeOOp28BCWcsw6bjR0AXlE5l1k5YEKmC8huwg_laU9YOFc3rctQHZUC/s1600/P1080365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6RVcJaSbOUcZWoG4Rt4Q__RMQBWtBWqfkYxrRcIGvRY4oFvyPLBRNk4dk7Aea-XldTXGQjJi9wyVaRKjwPd0bpeOOp28BCWcsw6bjR0AXlE5l1k5YEKmC8huwg_laU9YOFc3rctQHZUC/s400/P1080365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If I'm not in the mood to spend hours decorating cookies (cuz with me, it takes hours), these are my close second favorite cookies, <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-favorite-molasses-spice-cookies.html">Molasses Spice Cookies</a></u>. Lots of ginger, deep molasses, totally classic!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnPxxXsvb77W6Db9R2hrjYFzQH8v46SysF2knU5FdDTB3zHlsqmxLne7Q0VpXb-Kg97-E8Zcw1fAyt3bPUbhz1dwtNlk3J3S1krgdPG-LKc2Y-U2a5wtIwLlDxqiKz8G2idEfy48PWjr8/s1600/IMG_4573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnPxxXsvb77W6Db9R2hrjYFzQH8v46SysF2knU5FdDTB3zHlsqmxLne7Q0VpXb-Kg97-E8Zcw1fAyt3bPUbhz1dwtNlk3J3S1krgdPG-LKc2Y-U2a5wtIwLlDxqiKz8G2idEfy48PWjr8/s400/IMG_4573.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My three boys agree that next to caramels, these <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/12/7-layer-cookies-wassail.html">7-Layer Cookies</a></u> (bars?) are their favorite. Without a doubt the easiest thing on this list: dump a bunch of stuff in a pan, bake it, and eat. Surely you could squeeze them in!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI_-a4GFhmrvF5x6pDpkv04CF98C9j4yLE7wzfLBsnk8xn2bQt2iOT3qvsHY1kiJKPgmgyvdooZ8lEoE3hzj9j0F3gwFjf6IZKNR3PqD2PFxBSvc92PSgCEHMCwSxYzHxf4EYO4i1qjkI/s1600/IMG_4357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI_-a4GFhmrvF5x6pDpkv04CF98C9j4yLE7wzfLBsnk8xn2bQt2iOT3qvsHY1kiJKPgmgyvdooZ8lEoE3hzj9j0F3gwFjf6IZKNR3PqD2PFxBSvc92PSgCEHMCwSxYzHxf4EYO4i1qjkI/s400/IMG_4357.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These were the first biscotti I ever made, and still my favorite. If you've never made (or tried) biscotti before, these <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/12/egg-nog-biscotti.html">Egg Nog Biscotti</a></u> are actually pretty easy! And completely delicious!</div>
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Another childhood favorite, not entirely sure what it's called... We called it <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/11/lion-house-wassail.html">Wassail</a></u>, it might actually be "Russian Tea", whatever it is, it's hot, citrus-y, cider-y, with cinnamon and cloves and trust me, you need some. Not to mention it will make your house smell heavenly as it simmers!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s0XJpUyIjJbdp-17_jn2yP338SX48hNsEPppnlHaotdLwIW191JCKY8o4DUcIv9AkFsRCALwEt8dWH1BegVQfiF7ucVFCITSLCJ8GnzPnis6g26nvwK9to9Cejbf0iLA59BQGhS94HKm/s1600/P1080326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s0XJpUyIjJbdp-17_jn2yP338SX48hNsEPppnlHaotdLwIW191JCKY8o4DUcIv9AkFsRCALwEt8dWH1BegVQfiF7ucVFCITSLCJ8GnzPnis6g26nvwK9to9Cejbf0iLA59BQGhS94HKm/s400/P1080326.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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<u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/12/polar-express-hot-chocolate.html">Polar Express Hot Chocolate</a></u>. "...<span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars..." '</span>Nuff said. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7c_wn0yuZreM5LKbYtKow2PZfIKUbQHUyG1JaVO3-39iQbkJ6PqaHtLP7i25_bqq8_IWZa4eJkXXIQ8riueKTGMN_j0gi-AE_cZJpxswk8sExqcD38DiffmhFsFmub0nx0fsfb7UKtiTr/s1600/P1080199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7c_wn0yuZreM5LKbYtKow2PZfIKUbQHUyG1JaVO3-39iQbkJ6PqaHtLP7i25_bqq8_IWZa4eJkXXIQ8riueKTGMN_j0gi-AE_cZJpxswk8sExqcD38DiffmhFsFmub0nx0fsfb7UKtiTr/s400/P1080199.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last, but not least, because you might need a Christmas dessert, just maybe, and this is my favorite cake ever, PLUS it's pretty festive with all that rich molasses/treacle/date/toffee nonsense going on, <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/11/sticky-toffee-pudding-cake.html">Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.</a></u> </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-27801444111023169222015-12-22T10:48:00.001-07:002016-04-16T13:56:44.081-06:00It's been a while...<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello friends! I kinda dropped off the face of the earth there, didn't I. Last thing you heard, I was off to the UK! Our trip was glorious, heavenly, an absolute dream come true. As excited as I was for Scotland, the Yorkshire Dales totally captured The Geologist's and my heart, so if the bottom drops out of the petroleum industry, we're totally moving there and opening a B&B. And we'll go camping in Scotland and Wales on the weekends. That's the plan!</div>
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I'm sorry I haven't been posting, this whole adoption thing kind of took over my life. 85% of my brain is in China with Meili, and I am not good for much else these days! In fact, so much has happened, things have moved along pretty quickly, and we fly to China NEXT FRIDAY. Just like our trip to the UK, I can barely wrap my head around it, but I will be holding my little girl on January 4th!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbiobQSDqK6deNKDt6YzeUe98XXqXbq5RNXDByJdU9b3_ogkF5-QP7X34M9vymn0vbiDqXqeANz96tOKP5Q5hsMlrVKqxqGfcj89ngi_Y1wOOVDAkJYm4SdtCTsKnIkNeGnQxUlYkmWGP/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbiobQSDqK6deNKDt6YzeUe98XXqXbq5RNXDByJdU9b3_ogkF5-QP7X34M9vymn0vbiDqXqeANz96tOKP5Q5hsMlrVKqxqGfcj89ngi_Y1wOOVDAkJYm4SdtCTsKnIkNeGnQxUlYkmWGP/s400/IMG_0450.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
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I don't want to abandon or close this blog, I WILL be back posting recipes, I just don't know when. It depends on how well Meili adjusts to life as part of our family, how well I adjust to having a toddler around again, how much sleep we're all getting... so many unknowns!! But I hope to be back in a few months. Until then, Thank you for reading!!</div>
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And just for fun, here's a handful of pictures from our trip :)</div>
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Lyme Park, aka Pemberly</div>
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Leaving Ingleton, Yorkshire Dales</div>
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Waterfall Trail, Yorkshire Dales</div>
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Ribblehead Viaduct, Yorkshire Dales</div>
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Dinas Head, Pembrokeshire, Wales</div>
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Fishguard, Wales</div>
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Somewhere in Wales, lol!!</div>
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Kilchurn Castle, Argyll, Scotland</div>
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Sunset from Kilchurn Castle</div>
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Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland</div>
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Northern Coast of the Isle of Mull, Glengorm Estate</div>
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Single-track road from Tobermory to Fionnphort, Isle of Mull, Scotland</div>
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Isle of Mull, somewhere between Tobermory and Fionnphort :)</div>
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Iona Abbey, Isle of Iona, Scotland</div>
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Isle of Staffa, Scotland</div>
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Isle of Staffa, Scotland</div>
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Loch Sunart, Scotland</div>
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Elgin Cathedral, Elgin, Scotland</div>
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Dunottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland</div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-1307126995271192872015-09-18T15:06:00.000-06:002015-09-18T15:06:00.250-06:00Chicken Gyros & Homemade Pita Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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WE LEAVE TOMORROW!!!<br />
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I can't believe it. That's just one of those things we say, but honestly, I don't think I'll 100% believe I'm <i>actually </i>going until the plane leaves the ground. I have zero experience with international travel. The Geologist has been to Egypt and the Bahamas, but the furthest I've been outside of the USA is a drive down into Mexico with my best friend and her family when I was eight or nine. Considering that the only things I remember from that trip are olive trees and gross <i>cold</i> fish tacos, I'm going to have to say that doesn't count. But now I have a <i>passport</i> and I'm going to be flying over an <i>ocean!</i> Heck, we have a layover in Iceland! I probably won't have a chance to leave the airport, but still!! <i>Iceland!!</i> I'm... just... floored. Okay. Gathering myself together, ha!<br />
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Today's recipe is a re-post, because it's one of my favorite recipes I've <i>ever</i> discovered on a fellow food blog (shout-out to <u><a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/">Half-Baked Harvest</a></u>!!) and the pictures from my original post are... kind of awful, lol! Some day I'll get the hang of rolling them up, so they actually look like gyros... Oh well!</div>
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<a name='more'></a><u><b>Chicken Gyros</b></u> (adapted from <a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/saucy-chicken-gyros/">Half-Baked Harvest</a>)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/chicken-gyros">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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<b>Chicken:</b><br />
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4 cloves garlic, smashed<br />
juice of 1 lemon<br />
3 tsp red wine or balsamic vinegar<br />
3 Tb extra virgin olive oil<br />
3 Tb plain Greek yogurt (I used 2 %)<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
1/2 tsp dried dill<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless chicken, trimmed cut into thick strips/chunks (we had 2-3 pieces per chicken breast)</div>
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<b>Tzatziki Sauce:</b><br />
16 ounces plain greek yogurt (I used the rest of that 2%)<br />
1/2 English cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded and diced small<br />
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed (or finely minced)<br />
1 Tb white wine vinegar<br />
1 tsp, dried dill<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
half a fresh lemon, juiced<br />
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil<br />
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<b>To Serve:</b><br />
Homemade Pita Bread (<b>recipe below</b>)<br />
cucumbers<br />
tomatoes<br />
feta cheese</div>
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mixed greens (or lettuce)</div>
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thinly sliced red onions, marinated in a few Tb balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sugar</div>
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olives (the <a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/saucy-chicken-gyros/">original recipe</a> has an olive tapenade recipe, if you like olives!)<br />
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Chicken first! Combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Greek yogurt, oregano, dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. (I estimated about 3/4-1 tsp of salt) Whisk together until smooth. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour or overnight. (Or you can combine it all in a ziplock bag)<br />
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Next, the Tzatziki! First, pour any liquid off the surface of the Greek yogurt. (Full fat or 2% work best, nonfat is a bit thin) Combine the cucumbers, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then put them in a wire mesh strainer over a small bowl. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This helps get rid of extra water in the cucumbers that can make your sauce watery. Mix together the yogurt, marinated and drained cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, dill, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and another drizzle of lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.<br />
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When you're ready to cook, preheat your broiler. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on the baking pan and broil the chicken for 10 minutes until cooked through. Let the chicken rest about 5-8 minutes, then slice up into smaller pieces. Pour the remaining marinade in a medium size skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and then toss the cooked chicken with the sauce. Heat pitas (in pan or microwave). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, and your favorite veggies. Serve immediately.<br />
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<b><u>Homemade Soft Pita Bread</u></b> (also from <a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/traditional-greek-pita-bread/">Half-Baked Harvest</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/homemade-soft-pita-bread">Printable Recipe</a></div>
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1 cup pretty warm water<br />
2 tsp active dry or instant yeast<br />
2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil<br />
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Combine the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. If using a stand mixer attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour if needed until you have a smooth dough. (I didn't need any more) If kneading by hand, sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much.<br />
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Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour. *At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.*<br />
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When you're ready to bake, gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. (I did 8, and my pitas were a bit thin. If you like them thicker, divide into 6 pieces) One at a time, roll each piece into a circle(ish) shape 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick.<br />
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Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get the hang of it you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)</div>
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Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Drizzle a little oil in the pan and <i>wipe off the excess. </i>Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you see big bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn't or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas. These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.<br />
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Okay, first of all, this pita bread is <i>completely</i> delicious. It's soft and fluffy, with a bit of that pita chew, surprisingly flavorful for the simplicity of its ingredients. Next time I'm going to make a double batch and just snack on the bread! Someday I want to try garlic-ifying it...</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start;">Ah, the perfect chicken gyro. We used a package of mixed spring greens, we like the extra flavor they have. Sometimes when you use lettuce it just kinda tastes like water, you know?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start;">Creamy cool tzatziki, crumbly salty feta, all mixing together with the sauces from the chicken... That extra sauce is what puts it over the top for me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpIOhS8H9oHEBE26t_5Rm05uqZpyktWL9jeF_aGoP64fOZm3Gck86_U7c5TTHDWveqoyBpM8-bykCUjUUV86MDAK7w7JpnM3oPlTddg05RJn7aQRdwChXjaHbxj4gD1XteX7RV4dQ7ksi/s1600/P1090063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpIOhS8H9oHEBE26t_5Rm05uqZpyktWL9jeF_aGoP64fOZm3Gck86_U7c5TTHDWveqoyBpM8-bykCUjUUV86MDAK7w7JpnM3oPlTddg05RJn7aQRdwChXjaHbxj4gD1XteX7RV4dQ7ksi/s400/P1090063.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">Honestly?? </span><i style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">Heaven in a pita</i><span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">. Easily as good as the best authentic gyro I've ever had. Sometimes we use the leftover tzatziki and chicken just to top salad, and it's one of the few times we can get our boys to eat salad!</span></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-19945830345578573032015-09-15T14:59:00.003-06:002015-09-15T14:59:44.746-06:00Double Chocolate Banana Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Wow, it's been <i>forever</i> since I posted something chocolate-y on here!! Looking through the archives... Back in March? Jeepers! It's about time I share this one then! This is the second attempt to post this recipe, the pictures from the first attempt I just... couldn't. Nope. I'm off to run errands and finish re-painting the basement, so until tomorrow, friends!!</div>
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<a name='more'></a><u>Double Chocolate Banana Bread</u> (adapted from <a href="http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2014/06/double-chocolate-banana-bread.html">Erica's Sweet Tooth</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/double-chocolate-banana-bread">Printable Recipe</a></div>
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3 ripe bananas, mashed<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used half regular cocoa powder and half Hershey's Special Dark)<br />
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease/line a loaf pan. Set aside.<br />
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In a large bowl, mash the bananas and stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the banana mixture and stir until just combined, with no more dry floury bits. Gently stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.<br />
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Pour batter in your prepared pan and generously sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, and bake 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick/cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNmdsLi6XOfzSps2cxVjvHyfn6XNugBk_9kiMvvEjqk2AnZqsOh-BvTXiOqbQSXRS2Dko8It3BNtGNtfww8c92X9dkI_DAnbhDOqyRPO4BBKorYU4T3-twC0zcKccIGIHEzcX_W0Uc58C/s1600/P1080762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNmdsLi6XOfzSps2cxVjvHyfn6XNugBk_9kiMvvEjqk2AnZqsOh-BvTXiOqbQSXRS2Dko8It3BNtGNtfww8c92X9dkI_DAnbhDOqyRPO4BBKorYU4T3-twC0zcKccIGIHEzcX_W0Uc58C/s400/P1080762.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm not going to try and convince you that this is healthy in any way. It's basically chocolate cake, let's be honest. But hey! There are bananas in it! Surely that counts for something, right? I like to warm my slices up in the microwave so those chocolate chips get all warm and melty again. Mmmm...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DLIhGj2jpq-P_AsGIxjqBjPdOMxeE1nHQWCbf0hdZsVRaVAKJl3Jkp3kT-sBkpYTXLLrEYSF9N4AXBFc8Y4UpHwuxFHOhUfFpnULNdr4zdJjG9Yp0KB3Q8YiVHmgFV7hE3QFSedomYg/s1600/P1080743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DLIhGj2jpq-P_AsGIxjqBjPdOMxeE1nHQWCbf0hdZsVRaVAKJl3Jkp3kT-sBkpYTXLLrEYSF9N4AXBFc8Y4UpHwuxFHOhUfFpnULNdr4zdJjG9Yp0KB3Q8YiVHmgFV7hE3QFSedomYg/s400/P1080743.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're craving some rich, moist, chocolate cake, but don't want to bother with layers or having a huge cake to yourself, grab some chocolate chips and bananas and whip up a loaf of this gorgeously scrumptious chocolate banana bread. I am learning that chocolate and bananas are very good friends when baking!!</div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-17755140507870739022015-09-14T10:14:00.002-06:002015-09-14T10:14:26.880-06:00Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You GUYS. I leave for the UK on Saturday!! Only FIVE days!!! I don't even know what to do with myself. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back on the blogging "horse", but I'm finally coming out of my adoption brain fog and will give you a nice full week of recipes before I leave, and set up a few to post while I'm gone. It's still depressingly hot and summer-y around here, even though I am SO ready for Fall, so I'll give you a handful of my last Summer recipes, because as far as I'm concerned, it will be Fall when I get back. I decree it must be so! </div>
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Starting off the lineup today is my new favorite Summer side. My little sis made this when she was home for the early summer term and I couldn't stop eating it. It's ridiculously addictive!! I never got a chance to bring it to any BBQ's or picnics, but I made it for myself a few times! If fresh corn is still as yummy where you are as it is here, you need to make some of this awesome stuff ASAP!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYllFJnqP_TmM5x4vMT3Twk4ejzYRY6jHdXRRI5JcYfRM5XXn3fWzr_7KZ7iIQeg75O1Pj__0ALIEq42IjE1bx3CoJqz3BM1CFsVqWmOtj1hRfAvlb-XomsmIRI1c_ofxnuBjgrFEou3h/s1600/P1080941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYllFJnqP_TmM5x4vMT3Twk4ejzYRY6jHdXRRI5JcYfRM5XXn3fWzr_7KZ7iIQeg75O1Pj__0ALIEq42IjE1bx3CoJqz3BM1CFsVqWmOtj1hRfAvlb-XomsmIRI1c_ofxnuBjgrFEou3h/s640/P1080941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><u>Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime</u> (adapted slightly from Bon Appetit)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/roasted-corn-with-manchego-and-lime">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked<br />
1 Tb extra-virgin olive oil<br />
2 Tb butter<br />
1-2 jalapenos, seeded, finely diced<br />
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1 cup finely grated Manchego cheese<br />
scant 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (or chives, which were in the original recipe)<br />
2 tsp finely grated lime zest<br />
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1 lime, quartered<br />
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
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Preheat oven to 450Ā°. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning halfway through, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs.</div>
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Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and sautƩ for about a minute. Add butter and half of the diced jalapenos; saute until some of the kernels start to brown a bit. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The cheese will add some saltiness, so be sparing with the salt)</div>
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Transfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; toss with remaining jalapenos, scallions/chives, red pepper flakes, and lime zest. Squeeze lime wedges over and sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm.</div>
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Sweet roasty toasty corn, tangy lime, salty nutty cheese, a smidgen of heat... this stuff has EVERYTHING!! Somehow there's even a little bit of creaminess... I'm not even sure how that happens...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY_76Aoxpw4uAXX7B1gQtoqyLaHu4aaIoo94bzVpJwyE29YfuZIHAINhrtQeurzEK870WoYbyQGJbPlJ7sUZguJQvKgAUjfBBrXzUR2PQCwLz43zL9avX3EnWw7VkJq1HBxZB99arCNGw/s1600/P1080944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY_76Aoxpw4uAXX7B1gQtoqyLaHu4aaIoo94bzVpJwyE29YfuZIHAINhrtQeurzEK870WoYbyQGJbPlJ7sUZguJQvKgAUjfBBrXzUR2PQCwLz43zL9avX3EnWw7VkJq1HBxZB99arCNGw/s400/P1080944.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This recipe is tied with grilled corn on the cob for my absolute favorite way to eat sweet summer corn. I hope you try it! It will be the star of just about any meal it's included in! It goes well with Mexican food, obviously, but is also delicious with BBQ, just about anything off the grill, sandwiches... yep. You need some. Trust me. :)</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-3409235399013469442015-08-23T15:28:00.001-06:002015-08-23T15:28:56.287-06:00We Found Her!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLsFntBH4rW1QEGM76xZMsPrBzOpo1hfpsm3LIUrBCRvJ3NgVqHQv4Wi40hVopxMbzH0w3jvm585Z6DGX3sY3hwLHQ9WP-7-AnSetIZtoOYIA9sfr2jsjO8UpVSpQOBu5ehCVfXLu75Ko/s1600/2210ae30a1700d978593a26b4efd7ab7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLsFntBH4rW1QEGM76xZMsPrBzOpo1hfpsm3LIUrBCRvJ3NgVqHQv4Wi40hVopxMbzH0w3jvm585Z6DGX3sY3hwLHQ9WP-7-AnSetIZtoOYIA9sfr2jsjO8UpVSpQOBu5ehCVfXLu75Ko/s320/2210ae30a1700d978593a26b4efd7ab7.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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It's true!! It finally happened!! <b>We found our little girl!!</b> I can't post pictures or give many details for a few months, until China approves the match, but I can tell you she just turned three, we still hope to travel in January to get her, and we are ALL in LOVE!! We honestly weren't expecting to get our first referral for a child for weeks yet, maybe months, and now we know who she is! I barely even know what to do with myself! I'll be back with food tomorrow, today is all about being <i>beyond</i> joyful!!</div>
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I also wanted to let you know that we are doing just a <i>smidgen</i> of fundraising, no pressure, but if you're interested, come take a look at the beautiful t-shirt we designed :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.bonfirefunds.com/phillips-china-adoption">https://www.bonfirefunds.com/phillips-china-adoption</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">PS- YAAAAAAY!!!!!!</span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-12128815053209167672015-08-21T11:09:00.004-06:002015-08-22T00:26:35.673-06:00August 20 Daybook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7VDvb7FXIUomVtG6juUP-K9oqyDOe1lff5C0y6VoNeyKeJ_WCV3FGLGfficY_VZgXAxrn7bEKXiAo33KUzsZ8Pv1fPkAhgYmOHwfUm9wXKW06tqkwmEPsCAZDeLYMD81efetDlNws26q/s1600/tumblr_ntbdanv7BG1uvhhaho1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7VDvb7FXIUomVtG6juUP-K9oqyDOe1lff5C0y6VoNeyKeJ_WCV3FGLGfficY_VZgXAxrn7bEKXiAo33KUzsZ8Pv1fPkAhgYmOHwfUm9wXKW06tqkwmEPsCAZDeLYMD81efetDlNws26q/s320/tumblr_ntbdanv7BG1uvhhaho1_500.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://alittlebitofsillinessreally.tumblr.com/post/127081239592/floralac-flora-blog">alittlebitofsillinessreally</a></span></div>
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<b>For today, August 20 ... </b>I'm back!! I had every intention of blogging all summer, but between adoption stuff, entertaining the boys (aka living at the pool), vacations, and life in general, my brain was just on constant overload. I sat down in front of the computer a few times and stared blankly at the screen for a while before realizing that I had <i>nuthin</i>. :) Luckily I kept taking pictures of food, so I have fun stuff saved up for you!<br />
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<b>Outside my window... </b>We had a few cooler days in the 70's and it felt heavenly! One day even had a hint of that Fall chill in the breeze, but today we're back up to 80's and sunny. I may be imagining things, but the sunshine is starting to feel different, less scorching and more mellow. One more month of summer!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/497788565038083942/">Pinterest</a></span></div>
<b>I am thinking... </b>You guys. I have a one track mind today. Our adoption paperwork left for China on Tuesday, and <i>the next day</i> we got our very first little girl's file to review!!! We have an appointment today to talk to a doctor who is looking over her medical file for us, and are waiting until then to make an official decision, BUT things are looking extremely positive! Just a few days from now I might have a HUGE announcement for you!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/287104544971665354/">Pinterest</a></span></div>
<b>I am going... </b>30 Days until Scotland!!! <i>I can't flipping wait!!</i><br />
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<b>In the kitchen... </b>I have to admit, not much has been happening in my kitchen lately. There is something about summer, maybe it's those 90 degree days, that kinda kills my cooking and baking desires. We've eaten lots of pancakes and fried egg sandwiches this summer. :)<br />
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<b>I am reading... </b>I am on a Patricia A. McKillip marathon. I just finished Winter Rose, read The Changeling Sea before that, and starting The Book of Atrix Wolfe next. The Changeling Sea might be one of my favorite books ever! She's a very original writer, incredible descriptions, unique characters, no classic fantasy cliches. Reading her books is like wandering through a dream, I'm completely addicted!<br />
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<b>I am looking forward to... </b>Uh, Scotland, obviously, Fall, knowing for sure who our little girl is, going to the cabin next weekend just for fun, 6 months of free school days, travel to China, naptime... many things. :)<br />
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<b>I am learning... </b>I learned this past weekend, when we went camping, that<b> </b>Joe has an eye for photography! To start, this kid has serious eagle eyes. His favorite outdoor activity is finding flowers and mushrooms and tiny bits of beauty, and he wanted to show each and every little discovery around our campsite to my mom and me. We were being boring grownups and just wanted to sit and BE, so I handed him my phone and let him take pictures. Quite a few of them were truly lovely! (Like these two!) He's going to ask Santa for a camera for Christmas. I approve of this development. :)<br />
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<b>Around the house... </b>We've had some major house projects this summer!! First of all, I gave my front flower bed a complete makeover, but that will get its own post. Second, we moved our boys downstairs into the big study-type-room that had a wall open to the TV room. They needed more space! Their old room will be transformed into their little sister's room. In the process of planning the best way to close up that wall, The Geologist decided to expand the project, close up the weird triangle-shelf-hole thing behind the TV, AND open up the stair wall. All of the construction is done, now we just need to paint. Currently it's just sitting there waiting for us to summon up some motivation, ha!<br />
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<b>Try your own Daybook! Get ideas <u><a href="http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/">here</a>!</u></b></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-77302573687664148612015-05-27T18:18:00.005-06:002015-05-27T19:12:24.628-06:00May 27 Daybook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTypadGMlNDNdL-DsmR1bagUCzD-FPUvT9R1PCTODv-9NNGsfXgfjMpWq83RZ52NYJy4JxfRjfrZG2tx-PC6f7tPm8MGkGo0LqJOTjivMPX2nB4WbcG3bXnDz1S0DBZ-jbs_btLHGSdHSG/s1600/tumblr_nnsdwiJ2CS1sj8erzo1_540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTypadGMlNDNdL-DsmR1bagUCzD-FPUvT9R1PCTODv-9NNGsfXgfjMpWq83RZ52NYJy4JxfRjfrZG2tx-PC6f7tPm8MGkGo0LqJOTjivMPX2nB4WbcG3bXnDz1S0DBZ-jbs_btLHGSdHSG/s400/tumblr_nnsdwiJ2CS1sj8erzo1_540.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="http://seasonalwonderment.tumblr.com/post/118784287695" style="font-size: small;">seasonalwonderment</a></div>
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<b>For today, May 27 ...</b></div>
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<b>Outside my window... </b>After weeks and weeks of rain, it's finally starting to feel like Summer around here! The sun is out, the sky is clear, and it's warming up! We wanted to go camping this past weekend, even planned on driving 16 hours to Sequoia National Forest in California, but everywhere we looked the forecast was cold, rainy, and snowy. So we stayed here and did nothing. Well, not quite nothing, The Geologist read most of Far From the Madding Crowd... but basically nothing. Vacation fail! I was seriously outnumbered around here, loving every minute of the rain while most people wanted it gone! You know me and rain. :)</div>
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<b>I am learning... </b>I am learning to let go of timelines. We wanted to send our dossier to China by the end of April... Nope. Okay, then we wanted to by the end of May...? Negative. I'm learning to wait and see. And breathe. It will happen. Our little girl is out there somewhere!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/110971578292368297/" style="font-size: small;">Pinterest</a></div>
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<b>I am thankful... </b>I have never in my life been so grateful for social media.<b> </b>Ten years ago there were support groups for adoption, books, magazines, newsletters, some websites, but if there were no physical resources in your area you were kinda out of luck. We've been encouraged from the beginning of this adoption journey to make friends and become part of the community, but that intimidates me SO much! Showing up to a group of strangers ad hoping they like me? No thank you!! Luckily, there's Facebook. Seriously people. There are different groups based on agency, wait time, travel time, there's one for China special needs and then groups for each special need! I made a fantastic new friend through my first agency group, and she got me in to half a dozen other groups! Made a few more friends, and we were having so much fun chatting that I started another group! Antisocial introverted little me created a Facebook group! These groups are so wonderful, we learn from each other, support each other, everyone knows someone who has dealt with whatever you're working on, it's almost overwhelming, but <i>such</i> a blessing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="http://loveliegreenie.tumblr.com/post/119610303522" style="font-size: small;">loveliegreenie</a></div>
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<b>I am hoping... </b>Ughhhh. Guys. Remember the massive fiasco we had a year ago after finishing our <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/06/fluffy-pineapple-cookies-with-orange.html">old homestudy</a></u>? Turns out our new agency needs a copy of that old one. Which shouldn't be a big problem, honestly, there's nothing wrong with it, but just dealing with those people again makes me feel like I've been kicked in the stomach. AND we can't submit our new homestudy until we get the old copy. I've emailed and left a message, if I don't hear back from them soon I'm going to become a pest. SO! Hoping! I'm hoping they get back to me soon, and this is quick and painless and we can move ON with our lives!</div>
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<b>I am looking forward to... </b>Lindsey Stirling at Red Rocks tomorrow night!! I can't WAIT!! It's going to be so much FUN! A birthday present only a month and a half late. :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/williams-sonoma-taste-7414295?blog=7414295&post=2884721085&viewer=true">Williams Sonoma Blog</a></span></div>
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<b>One of my favorite things... </b>Fluffy, flaky buttermilk biscuits with just a smidge of soft butter and drenched in honey. Yummm! I keep making them as sides for dinner, but really I just want the leftover ones for breakfast. Besides, I make flipping awesome biscuits! </div>
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<b>A peek into my day... </b>Woke up, walked the Beast who was very bad and went swimming without permission in the creek that has now become a roaring torrent with all that rain, took a shower, and met the Geologist for our standing weekly lunch date. We're about to lose those, because tomorrow is the boys' last day of school! This is that last week of goofing off for them, yesterday was Field Day and today they entire school went to the zoo. Woah. I am so glad I'm not there! Tomorrow is a half day and then they're done! Where in the heck did May even go?!</div>
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<b>Guilty Pleasures... </b>While going through this mentally exhausting adoption rollercoaster, I have been in serious need of new distractions. The old ones just aren't cutting it. So... I clicked a Netflix recommendation... and discovered Korean dramas. Hey, I've already got Bollywood and anime obsessions, lets just add this to the list of my Eastern geek-dom. I <i>love</i> them, they're so fun!! Turns out my favorite character (actor) from the first drama I watched is also in a Korean boy band, so you know I had to check that out, and now I'd addicted! Yes, I will be the crazy person driving around my neighborhood blasting K-Pop, and no, I don't speak Korean. But that never stopped me before! :) Besides, how <i>cute</i> are these guys?</div>
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<b>Try your own Daybook! Get ideas <u><a href="http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/">here</a>!</u></b></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-83310398054243779652015-05-17T18:05:00.000-06:002015-06-01T20:41:51.372-06:00Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes with Buttermilk SyrupAnother re-post! These are my favorite pancakes <i>ever</i> in the history of pancakes. I posted them way back in the <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/10/whole-wheat-pancakes-with-buttermilk.html">beginning months</a></u> of my blog, and while the pictures weren't terrible, they just didn't do these completely scrumptious pancakes justice! Plus they were missing some historical toppings. You see, these pancakes are a kind of family heirloom.<br />
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Back in July 2012, when I began this blog, I was <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/07/waiting.html">in and out of the hospital</a></u> preparing for a yard sale surgery. Ironically enough, I started a food blog during a time when I couldn't really eat anything! My Mom was visiting us (and most of her family) in Utah for the 4th of July and my doctors let me leave the hospital just in time to go to a very special family reunion with her. A reunion of two families: The Watts and Rytting families. Ardean Watts was her Dad's (my Grandpa's) best friend. His family, and my Mom's family, the Ryttings, practically grew up together. Camping, holidays, various celebrations, all spent together before everyone grew up and scattered to the winds. Most of them happened to be back in Utah for a wedding that year, and they decided to get the whole "clan" back together for a Fourth of July breakfast, including all possible progeny. It was quite an experience! We all got to meet each other, catch up, and listen to Ardean's notorious story-telling. And I tasted these amazing pancakes for the first time! Totally cheated, I wasn't supposed to be eating solid food but I just had to try <i>one bite</i> and fell in love! It was months before I could make them for myself, but so worth it. They're still my favorites.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><u>Whole Wheat Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/whole-wheat-pancakes-with-buttermilk-syrup">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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Whole Wheat Pancakes: (from the Watt's family recipe)<br />
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1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
3 Tb molasses (can also just use regular sugar)<br />
2 Tb oil<br />
1 egg, separated<br />
a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed (optional)<br />
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Whisk dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Mix all wet ingredients, except egg whites, in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix till fully incorporated. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold egg whites into batter, right before cooking. (you can skip beating and folding the whites if you'd like, but it makes the pancakes much lighter)<br />
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Buttermilk Syrup:<br />
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1 cup buttermilk<br />
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 Tb light corn syrup (or golden syrup, if you have it!!)<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
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Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a LARGE saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Stir continuously while bubbling for 5 minutes. remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool mostly before serving.<br />
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**I must note that to be completely true to the tradition of these pancakes, they should be served topped with vanilla greek yogurt, fresh berries, chopped mango, sliced almonds and the buttermilk syrup. Which is amazing.**</div>
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So, they're whole wheat, which is healthy, they don't have a lot of sugar, which is also healthy, so if you wanted to stick with the healthy route, just eat them with Greek yogurt and fruit! Totally yummy!<br />
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Although I have to admit, that buttermilk syrup is one of the yummiest things I've <i>ever tasted. </i>It's buttery, kinda creamy, kinda caramelly, totally decadent and delicious. With the yogurt and berries, holy moly people, can I just eat this forever?!<br />
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Now you might think, "Okay, but you could put those toppings on a piece of cardboard and it would taste great, so what makes the pancakes so special?" Well, if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you have probably noticed that health is not my priority, flavor is. I generally stay away from whole wheat recipes because they tend to turn out heavy and dry. These are light, fluffy, soft, and scrumptious! Pleeeease use the molasses if you possibly can, it highlights the richer flavor of the whole wheat and celebrates the awesomeness of <i>not</i> using flour that has been bleached of all taste. Give these pancakes a try, you'll LOVE them!<br />
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<i>Shared at <a href="http://www.stonegableblog.com/the-scoop-173/">The Scoop</a> and <a href="http://yesterfood.blogspot.com/2015/06/treasure-box-tuesday-74.html">Treasure Box Tuesday</a></i></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-43279226486455448472015-05-11T14:53:00.002-06:002015-05-11T16:18:47.796-06:00A Garden Post<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, Winter has come and gone, and I've gone a little garden crazy the past few weeks! Winter did leave a parting gift though, another Mother's Day snow storm. What is it with Mother's Day and snow around here?! Last year the storm completely flattened my massive peonies, so I never got to experience their true glory. This year we managed (just barely) keep them safe, and they're <i>huge!! </i>I keep having the boys stand next to them to see if they've finally topped my children... not quite yet...</div>
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Victory one for me! Victory two, all of my grape hyacinths and daffodils came up, even though my tulips were decimated. My mini rosebush came back, but I was heartbroken to find <u><a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2014/06/weekly-menu-june-10-and-lots-of-garden.html">my beautiful Don Juan rose</a></u> was completely and totally dead.</div>
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I will admit, I cried. Just a little bit. Until I noticed a teeny tiny green sprout...</div>
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My rose is reborn! It's sending up new stems from the roots, which I didn't kill! Hooray! I learned a lot about how I planted it incorrectly... when I bought it a sister!</div>
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This is my new white tea rose, it's called Moondance, and it will be <i>perfect</i>. AND I planted it correctly. :) I will have roses by my window and roses by my door! What more could a girl wish for?</div>
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Well, actually, I got a little greedy this year, I must admit... Because I planted a new itty bitty baby peony plant between my monster pink ones. That might seem like peony overkill, but when I saw burgundy peonies on SALE on my favorite bulb website, I couldn't resist!</div>
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You know me and burgundy! This weekend my boys surprised me (don't tell them I already picked it out!) with a brand new lilac bush!</div>
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It's called a Sensation, deep deep purple with white edges, isn't it fabulous?! I'm in love!!</div>
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Speaking of lilacs, remember how heartbroken I was last year that my perfectly shaped dream lilac never bloomed? I thought it needed pruning, or fertilizer, or a tree doctor... But apparently it just needed a year, because look at it this year!! It <i>exploded</i> with blossoms! </div>
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We all agree that while some neighbors have bigger bushes, ours is the most<i> perfect</i>.<br />
Since the tulips that the boys picked out were devoured, they got to pick new plants for the rock garden!<br />
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Stephen picked out the Hens and Chicks (and learned how they got their name!) He had his heart set on succulents from the minute we got to the garden center. Well, technically, he wanted a cactus, but I nixed that idea. Succulents were plan B. Joe picked the lovely little pink and white saxifrage, which smells like honey and I believe was his 6th "final choice". But he was absolutely, positively, 100%-no-turning-back sure this was the right one, so it came home with us.<br />
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I have discovered that I LOVE gardening! I always thought I wanted to be a lazy gardener and plant beds that I never had to worry about, but I'm learning to truly enjoy even the hard-working part. I still want perennial gardens that I don't have to re-plant every year but will get bigger and better every season, but my Mom gave me a gorgeous low blue-glazed planter for annuals that I'll re-plant with fun stuff every year. Consider me part of the gardener's club, I'm hooked! Fingers crossed that we're done with the snow for now... :)</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-57595895536753978722015-05-07T17:01:00.000-06:002015-05-07T17:01:00.078-06:00Best Chewy Sugar CookiesToday I have a re-post for you! And because I am saving all of my interesting blogging thoughts for my daybook, and I described these cookies so well the first time, I think I'll just use my words over again, with MUCH better pictures! Enjoy :)<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">There are two, distinct, completely different kinds of sugar cookies in this world. Lets get that straight. There are the fluffier, thicker kind, the kind you cut into shapes and frost. Then there are the chewy, crispy, covered-in-sugar cousins to the snickerdoodle. Keeping up? Good. I love both. I already have a perfect cut-out sugar cookie recipe, but we'll save that one for a holiday (and frost them, of course!). I've never bothered to try and make the other kind, because they always let me down. I am PICKY. When you have a cookie this simple, it has to be PERFECT. It should taste creamy, and buttery, not just like sugar. Bleck. So when I saw this recipe at </span><a href="http://wwwbunnysovencom.blogspot.com/" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bunny's Warm Oven</a><span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, I was skeptical. But she said they were the best... and the pictures looked just about perfect... and I was determined to make a batch of cookies for the boys. Not to mention it has cream cheese in it. Cream cheeeese... Which I love as much as lemon, and more than most things.</span><br />
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<u>Best Chewy Sugar Cookies</u> (adapted from <a href="http://bunnyswarmoven.net/2012/03/absolutely-the-best-sugar-cookie-recipe-ever">Bunny's Warm Oven</a>)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/best-sugar-cookies">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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2 1/4 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar (plus about 1/3 cup for rolling the dough in)<br />
2 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and warm<br />
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil<br />
1 egg<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 Tablespoon whole milk<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.<br />
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In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.<br />
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In a medium bowl, measure out the sugar. Place the cream cheese on top and pour the melted, warm butter over the top. Stir to combine. There will be a few lumps of cream cheese remaining but they will mix in completely in a few steps.<br />
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Whisk in the oil until fully combined. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and milk.<br />
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Add the flour mixture and fold in with a spatula until a smooth dough forms. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into 24 balls. Roll each ball into the extra sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. <br />
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Using the bottom of a flat drinking glass, slightly flatten each cookie until they are 2 inches in diameter. (Skip this step if you're at high altitude, your cookies will spread just fine on their own)<br />
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Bake for 11-15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">The cream cheese did the trick! Of course it did. It's cream cheese. It makes everything better. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMA1VF0lGn-u9KOe4CCyowK4QXXQ_z7w6aHbJpWhkjff1CqHLDM97CsPSD9_9B3W7_uaEmUPxA9ED_-pxmL9rCQhM26BCcAoHtWojQ1lLylXM0nfC4iLUaExPz5BCQinUv1qwU0iXhk0P/s1600/P1080891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMA1VF0lGn-u9KOe4CCyowK4QXXQ_z7w6aHbJpWhkjff1CqHLDM97CsPSD9_9B3W7_uaEmUPxA9ED_-pxmL9rCQhM26BCcAoHtWojQ1lLylXM0nfC4iLUaExPz5BCQinUv1qwU0iXhk0P/s400/P1080891.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">These are, to take one of my favorite descriptive words from Anne Shirley, "toothsome". Crisp around the edges, chewy through the middle, rich buttery flavor, <i>perfect</i>. Probably a good thing I sent most of them to work with The Geologist. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Josefin Slab'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Make them! You'll love them!</span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-64698003506123547042015-05-04T12:43:00.003-06:002015-05-04T19:06:31.163-06:00Banana Cream Pie: My Favorite Pie Ever!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, almost every last piece of our big ole pile of paperwork is in, just waiting to finish up our homestudy on Friday and send it off for the first big wait: approval from immigration. This is the trickiest one, because they quote you a 60-90 day wait! It can be less, heck, it can be under 30 days, but you just never know. Isn't that crazy?? It's hard to think about much else these days, I have to admit. Hang in there with me friends, I'll keep you posted! And keep posting :). I'm writing up half a dozen posts today, scout's honor!</div>
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<a name='more'></a><u>Banana Cream Pie</u> (adapted slightly from the Lion House Cookbook)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/banana-cream-pie">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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Crust:<br />
1/2 cup butter, barely softened<br />
2/3 cup shortening, cold (I like butter-flavored)<br />
3 Tb sugar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 Tb powdered milk<br />
3 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup ice water<br />
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Filling:<br />
5 Tb cornstarch<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
3/4 cup half & half<br />
2 1/2 cups milk<br />
3 egg yolks, beaten<br />
2 Tb butter<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
2-3 bananas<br />
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Make your crust first! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream your butter and shortening together until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and mix well. Whisk together the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, flour, and powdered milk) and add to the butter and sugar, along with the ice water, and mix until the dough comes together. It should be the consistency of stiff cookie dough. If it's too soft, add flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. This recipe makes 2 crusts, so divide in half and set one half aside, or wrap and freeze for another pie.<br />
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Roll your crust out to about 1/4 inch thick on a floured work surface. Transfer to a greased pie plate, crimp the edges, and gently press into the corners to make sure there aren't any air bubbles. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork to prevent the crust from bubbling. Bake for 15-20 minutes and set aside to cool while you prepare your filling.<br />
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Whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and add the milk and half & half. Whisk constantly until it thickens, just a bit. (I used to spend forever waiting for it to REALLY thicken, but it doesn't. If it thickens a little, looks glossy and smooth and even just slightly thicker than plain milk, you're good to go!) Carefully drizzle a little bit of this mixture into your beaten eggs, whisking well. Add more in a thin drizzle, whisking constantly, until you've just about doubled your beaten eggs. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture back into the saucepan, still whisking constantly. Continue cooking until it REALLY thickens, looks like pudding, and jiggles when you shake the saucepan. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.<br />
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Slice your bananas into your cooked pie crust. pour the filling over the bananas and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Top with whipped cream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08tAqSc17osExm6xXVcXh1KdBubQD-QlQGY6U5TQ8jqjVoyo6aM6VNv4VJvbi7OTFG714-s7Nm5o5RN88MTCTN603-iyhaeghlkcx7yR0TLTbVYUliYQ9UAeWgEy8Y6u46YYoWD4nuLby/s1600/P1080837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08tAqSc17osExm6xXVcXh1KdBubQD-QlQGY6U5TQ8jqjVoyo6aM6VNv4VJvbi7OTFG714-s7Nm5o5RN88MTCTN603-iyhaeghlkcx7yR0TLTbVYUliYQ9UAeWgEy8Y6u46YYoWD4nuLby/s400/P1080837.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Honestly, I have no idea why it took me this long to post the recipe for my favorite pie in existence! And I wish I had better pictures of it. But you know me, the pictures are rarely exactly perfect! And half-way decent pictures are better than no pictures of The Best Pie Ever!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMavWhXhkjFJXj7Csai1hIyCtZ0RaOfoPtjhvxUt3tu-wiDbskVCQae0Z3UwWVPVpvZ022CiHYpXYQgnNF6RzTqAxrprAPi2QM3rzeAnwYdB9WLcrLrCM4h7tdjGswfBZAL1w4gyBvI_p/s1600/P1080876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMavWhXhkjFJXj7Csai1hIyCtZ0RaOfoPtjhvxUt3tu-wiDbskVCQae0Z3UwWVPVpvZ022CiHYpXYQgnNF6RzTqAxrprAPi2QM3rzeAnwYdB9WLcrLrCM4h7tdjGswfBZAL1w4gyBvI_p/s400/P1080876.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Where do I start?! Okay, how about the crust. Let's start this pie off with my favorite pie crust! I've never used it for a baked pie, just cold ones. You might think without the classic chunks of cold butter, this crust would be tough and blah, but I promise it's light and flaky and buttery and scrumptious! With a little more sugar than usual, it has a hint of shortbread to it too. The perfect base for the perfect pie!<br />
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Silky smooth vanilla custard, not too thick, not too sweet, creamy and deeeelicious! I like that the custard itself isn't banana flavored, that way you get fresh banana flavor and classic custard together. Yummmm! You've got to try this one. The hardest part will be waiting for it to set before you cut a nice big slice! </div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-17250923255387768192015-04-13T10:26:00.001-06:002015-05-04T18:29:25.399-06:00Lemon BiscottiHappy Birthday to meeeee! This Saturday I turned 30. Most of my adult life, I haven't quite <i>dreaded</i> reaching that landmark age, but haven't exactly been thrilled at the prospect. Thirty seemed old. Not ancient, but "mature". Like by the time I hit that big three-oh, I should be all settled down and boring. I should be done with my youngster shenanigans, turn my music down, quit fan-girling over British actors, Indian movies, and Japanese cartoons, and <i>feel</i> thirty. Surprise surprise, I'm <i>not </i>done, and I don't feel thirty! But now I have a reason to be <i>thrilled to death</i> about turning thirty, because now I am officially old enough to adopt our little girl from China! THAT is something worth celebrating! And guess what? I've still got plenty of youngster shenanigans to go, and if I don't <i>feel </i>thirty, well, China doesn't need to know that, do they? :)<br />
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I <i>truly</i> meant to post this recipe last week, but I was too busy having a <i>fabulous</i> birthday week and going through a 48-hour emotional adoption rollercoaster. (More on that later) On Tuesday The Geologist and I got surprise tickets to go to a hockey game (go Avalanche!!), we had two of our four homestudy visits, Friday we had a birthday lunch date at a beautiful "country Japanese" restaurant for ramen, my favoritest food, in a beautiful Japanese garden courtyard, and on Saturday my parents came up to play games, bringing a scrumptious Hummingbird Cake (which I will be making for you SOON! Yum!!) which was a very good thing, because I burned my Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. :( The Geologist gave me tickets to a Lindsey Stirling concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater (that's kind of a huge deal, lol), Mom gave my a Lindsey Stirling hoodie, which I <i>never</i> want to take off, and a handmade glass star. Not sure if it counts as stained glass, because it's clear, but I love it. To top off a perfect birthday, I bought myself those burgundy Vans sneakers I've been coveting, so Kate and I have matching shoes!! Yup, a very good birthday. And you had to know I'd give you something lemon, because lemon everything is my favorite. And it's Spring-y!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYXlVvGO_kFIgNmGtLb7vfySK8-e_nHXMrevGk_GuApQsW41ZzZG00yqdW-4isCXj0bNaatlZbOG6PUXzlNQ697fUEGi8OFKbd5MTx5V_2aQ7uJxF6T2iRsjyE-HyMSesnb3r3IXEC-s_/s1600/P1080777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYXlVvGO_kFIgNmGtLb7vfySK8-e_nHXMrevGk_GuApQsW41ZzZG00yqdW-4isCXj0bNaatlZbOG6PUXzlNQ697fUEGi8OFKbd5MTx5V_2aQ7uJxF6T2iRsjyE-HyMSesnb3r3IXEC-s_/s1600/P1080777.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Lemon Biscotti</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/lemon-biscotti">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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6 Tbsp butter, softened<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 Tb lemon zest (from 2 large lemons or 3 small ones)<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 tsp lemon extract<br />
2 cup all purpose flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
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Glaze:<br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
5-6 tsp fresh lemon juice (from your zested lemons)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla, and beat till combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix till smooth. (If the dough is really soft and sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour. It should be the consistency of cookie dough.)<br />
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Dump dough onto paper and shape dough into a long log, about 13-15 inches long, and 4-5 inches wide. Smooth the top as much as possible with your fingers.<br />
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Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Tap the top to check, it should be hard. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully slice into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces with a sharp knife. Turn them on their sides and put back in the oven.</div>
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Bake 18-20 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before drizzling with glaze. For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt together until smooth and drizzle-y. Drizzle on cooled biscotti. Allow to set (about 20-30 minutes)- or refrigerate to "speed set" the glaze. Store biscotti in airtight containers!</div>
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Ah, biscotti, my favorite crunchy cookie! How I have missed you. Although, this may be my new favorite biscotti recipe. Lemony lemon biscotti!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnnlBmw5ENho_84pYvKeR75s9EQaSgzNxZwHlRiKsEOa9ksItoRpIP2Serwi-kKeH4Udpuxn-GLzZPcG2X1j-ABzCnn3GVCUYve_J5uy3VKb2WPLi54bVJD_K53F4REKvdp6M0DPvD3G3/s1600/P1080780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnnlBmw5ENho_84pYvKeR75s9EQaSgzNxZwHlRiKsEOa9ksItoRpIP2Serwi-kKeH4Udpuxn-GLzZPcG2X1j-ABzCnn3GVCUYve_J5uy3VKb2WPLi54bVJD_K53F4REKvdp6M0DPvD3G3/s1600/P1080780.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Lightly sweet lemon cookies, crunchy yet tender, with a punch of bright, tart, lemon sunshine from the glaze. A total cinch to make, and a perfect Spring treat!<br />
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<i>Shared at <a href="http://yesterfood.blogspot.com/2015/05/treasure-box-tuesday-70.html">Treasure Box Tuesday</a></i></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-78265664327160090822015-04-01T19:40:00.002-06:002015-04-02T16:04:14.252-06:00April 1 Daybook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Source:<a href="http://seasonalwonderment.tumblr.com/post/46797196430"> seasonalwonderment</a></b></span></div>
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<b>For today, April 1...</b></div>
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<b>Outside my window...</b> Tis Sunny and nearly 80 degrees! The boys are outside, soaking up all the sunshine before it snows again tomorrow. That's Spring in Colorado for you! The good news is, most of my bulb babies survived the winter! Not without some losses though... my double row of mixed white and purple tulips all came up like champs, and were promptly devoured by squirrels and deer. Now there are just depressing chewed-up leaves left. The squirrels stole the little patch of tulips Stephen picked out, I dug around in their bed and they've disappeared. The daffodils and grape hyacinths are loving life, guess I need to just plant zillions of those. No more tulips for me. *sigh*</div>
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<b>I am thinking... </b>You may have noticed the title of this post is different, and there is no weekly menu. Have no fear! There will be food! I've just decided to change my blogging schedule. (No, this is not an April Fools) Lately, with my brain full of big things and small things, not to mention Spring Break and the slowly creeping fog of allergies, putting together a weekly menu has seemed rather daunting. So I'm going freestyle! I will post recipes when I have recipes, throw a daybook entry in there here and there (at least one a month), and hopefully we'll stop having two and three week breaks around here. I still love blogging, (and baking! Just ask the three batches of scones I made last week!) but when I'm trying to remember which adoption forms to only fill out in BLUE ink, submitting payments for TWO forms, not just one, hunting down a mobile notaries to meet us at physical appointments then frantically canceling them to wait for blood test results, watching ticket prices like a hawk, while trying to remember when<i> exactly</i> the boys' homework is due and what the heck I had planned for dinner... Yeah, blog organization kinda takes a back seat. :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Source: <a href="http://booksandleaves.tumblr.com/post/113851401212">booksandleaves</a></b></span></div>
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<b>I am thankful... </b>for soft-boiled eggs and Trader Joe's crystallized ginger, for daffodils and grape hyacinths and my bomb-proof mini rose bush. I am grateful for new neighbors and warm afternoons and going back to bed right after dropping the kids off at school. Sometimes it just needs to happen! Speaking of which, I'm grateful I remembered to start taking allergy medicine <i>before </i>the allergies turned my face into a cement block, they aren't nearly as bad so far! I'm so thankful that my parents live so close that we can hang out whenever we want, I'm grateful for museum passes and planetariums and boys who apparently don't get tired of seeing the same exhibits over and over and over... especially the gems and minerals. :)</div>
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<b>A peek into my day... </b>Today I have a guy stopping by to give me an estimate on pruning our cherry trees a bit, and helping me figure out what is up with our lilac bushes, then it's off to the doc for my adoption physical, where they'll look at me funny after reading my medical history, yet miraculously sign me off as healthy anyway, then home to take the Beastie for a walk... or a nap... whichever... then picking up the boys and playing traffic cop so they can ride their new bikes on our street until the storm rolls in. It's supposed to get here around 5 and start raining. I'm excited for the rain part! Less so the turning-into-snow part. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://forestlore.tumblr.com/post/112424784671">forestlore</a></span></b></div>
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<b>In the kitchen... </b>I rediscovered the awesomeness of my <a href="http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/09/ginger-chocolate-chip-scones.html">Ginger Chocolate Chip Scones</a> last week, sent a batch to work with the Geologist, then made myself a batch just because I could! Goodness gracious those things are <i>yummy</i>. I've got quite a bit of baking on the docket for the rest of this week; some sort of treat (undecided, but leaning toward a carrot cake bundt with cream cheese swirl) for company tomorrow, banana cream pie and some other kind of pie (also undecided, maaaaybe lemon meringue? Never made one of those before...) for our very small Easter egg hunt with neighbors on Friday, then hot cross buns!!! this weekend for Easter, first time <i>everrrr</i>, plus it's General Conference weekend, so I'm sure I'll bake something else as well! Or maybe I'll just eat the leftovers of the week. We shall see! :)</div>
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<b>Around the house... </b>The boys have BIKES!!! We bought Stephen a bikes years and years ago, when he was... five? Maybe six? A used one for 25$. He got okay at riding it on the little loop of sidewalk around the playground in our apartment courtyard at the time, but he only had a few months of riding before we moved up the hill, and there was nowhere to ride. Our apartments have been like that ever since, so the boys never learned how to ride, and of course, like children, stubbornly decided they didn't even want to learn. The announcement that we were going bike shopping was met with wary disapproval, which vanished as soon as they started trying out those shiny new bikes! With very few bumps along the way, we now have them doing figure eights in the street outside. It's pretty glorious. Now The Geologist and I need to replace our bikes... both were stolen when we lived in Utah. :( Family bike rides, here we come!!</div>
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<b>Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461056080573437327/">Pinterest</a></b></div>
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<b>One of my favorite things... </b>Burgundy and grey. My <i>favorite</i> colors. I can't say no. Burgundy is <i>my color</i>, I would wear it every day if I could! I actually just bought the exact same shirt in two colors, burgundy and grey, last week, because I couldn't decide which I liked better!! You would laugh if you could see my clothes/shoes board on Pinterest. I'm a burgundy-and-grey junkie.</div>
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<b>Something new about me... </b>I'm a total review addict. Where are we going for dinner tonight? Hmmm, let me read some reviews. Which tree doctors should I get a quote from? Don't know, but they better have good reviews! Which bed and breakfast should I book? Give me a few weeks, I have to read <i>all of the reviews. </i>Sure, they aren't always fool-proof, but at least I feel informed. You also have to learn the knack of reading between the lines of the disgruntled reviews. Some people are literally just impossible to please. I care considerably less about the snotty waitress than I do the plate of food in front of you. Amazon product reviews, mail-order bulb reviews, GNC health supplement reviews... it may be my favorite thing the internet has spawned. That and Netflix. And FOOD BLOGGING!!! :)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/287104544970796777/">Pinterest</a></span></b></div>
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<b>Guilty Pleasures... </b><i>Shoes.</i> I know, I know, it's a pretty common one, but this is a relatively new guilty pleasure for me! We pretty much couldn't ever afford anything but basics for the first eight years of our marriage, and I didn't have tons of experience buying my own clothes before that, so I never thought of myself as a shoe person. I didn't understand how people could own closets full of shoes! Ohhhh, now I do. I still don't have tons, but I would almost always rather go shopping for shoes than clothes, and I actually gravitate more toward casual shoes than dressy shoes, like heels. Partly because heels are so flipping high right now! My little sister and I discovered this past year that we have very similar tastes in fashion; she made me a Converse convert, and I spent forever tracking down a pair of burgundy Converse (burgundy because <i>burgundy!!</i>). Unfortunately, she also made me a Vans convert, so now I covet a pair of burgundy Vans sneakers. Which I bought her for Christmas. We will match some day!!</div>
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<b>Try your own Daybook! Get ideas <u><a href="http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/">here</a>!</u></b></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-41494824045749316302015-03-14T14:52:00.002-06:002015-03-14T15:52:13.505-06:00Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jeepers creepers, cars are expensive!! Especially BIG cars! We're outgrowing our little Rondo, which I loooove, so much, but it's time to get something bigger. Especially with a little girl on the way! And goodness gracious, vans are expensive! Not to mention the actual shopping part, with all the numbers and dealing and salespeople... ugh, totally gives me a headache. At least we found a vehicle we really love, more than one, actually! Including one that isn't actually a van... putting a kink in the plan, for sure! Send me some good car-buying karma, this is going to be quite a ride!</div>
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Sorry I'm kinda boring today, there's a lot going on! Calling car dealerships, getting an entry space cut out of my carpet (duh moment there), baking a cake for my Dad just for the heck of it, driving down to the Springs for Mom's concert, my brain is a little full at the moment! I will say, it's <i>impossible</i> to keep light grey carpet clean at the front door, no idea how I didn't think of that when I got the carpet installed, especially when that is your big, black, beast of a dog's favorite place to hang out and rub her dog-ish-gunk into the carpet day after day. Also, I think I may have made that Best Ever Chocolate Cake <i>even better,</i> but I haven't officially cut into it yet, so I'll let you know tomorrow. Happy Saturday! </div>
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<u>Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits</u> (adapted from <a href="http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/flaky-goat-cheese-and-chive-biscuits.html">The English Kitchen</a>)<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/cheddar-goat-cheese-and-chive-biscuits">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
3/4 tsp salt<br />
6 Tb cold butter, cut into chunks<br />
about a cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese<br />
3 Tb chopped chives<br />
about a cup of crumbled goat cheese<br />
3/4-1 cup buttermilk <br />
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.<br />
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Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and soda into a bowl. Add the cold butter, and work it into the flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry blender, until no chunks remain that are bigger than small peas. Stir in the chives and cheddar cheese. Add the buttermilk a bit at a time, stirring it in with a fork, until the dough begins to clump together and there are no dry floury bits left. Gently knead together a few times to form a ball. <br />
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rough rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick and roughly twice as long as it is wide. Turn the dough so that the long side is facing you. Mentally divide the dough in quarters lengthwise. Crumble 2/3 of the remaining goats cheese into the centre two quarters.<br />
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Fold the outer two quarters over to meet in the center from the short edges. </div>
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Turn the dough so that the short side is facing you. Sprinkle the remaining goats cheese over one half of this and fold the other half up over it, like a book, tucking the rough edge in at the top.</div>
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Gently pat the dough out to an 8 inch square, about 3/4 inch thick. Using a straight up and down cut with a sharp knife, cut into 16 2-inch squares. </div>
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Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving several inches in between each. Brush the tops with butter or milk.</div>
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Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving, all that cheese is hot!</div>
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Okay, people, this biscuits are flipping awesome!! Salty-melty cheddar cheese, creamy-cool goat cheese, savory-flavory chives, plus those high-rising flakey layers, oh my goodness, they're <i>amazing!! </i>Just look at that little glorious bit of goat cheese oozing out of the side... Yummm!</div>
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I figured the boys wouldn't be fans because of the "green things", but they actually adored them and hoovered the whole batch in one night! They're surprisingly good left over too, just warm them up for a few second in the microwave, or a few minutes in the oven if you want the outsides crispier. </div>
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Just look at that scrumptious pocket of goat cheese! I swear, goat cheese is heaven! I can't wait to make them again. :)</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-77367091840529979172015-03-11T12:25:00.002-06:002015-03-11T12:25:59.073-06:00Tortilla Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends, I have no brain today! Sleep has failed me, my head is full of fog. But I have pretty pictures of delicious soup for you, and possibly a stroke of genius last night to break my baking block. I'm off to try it out, have a lovely Wednesday!</div>
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<u>Tortilla Soup</u><br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/dimplesrecipes/tortilla-soup">Printable Recipe</a><br />
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1-1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />
8-10 cups chicken broth<br />
1 very large white onion, quartered<br />
4 large cloves garlic<br />
8-10 stems of fresh cilantro<br />
1 can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded)<br />
half of a fresh jalapeno pepper<br />
1 chipotle pepper<br />
1 Tb adobo sauce, from chipotle peppers<br />
1-2 cans black or pinto beans<br />
1 can corn (optional)<br />
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Optional Toppings:<br />
limes<br />
cotija cheese (usually packed in a round, it is a crumbly, salty cheese that's a bit odd when eaten on it's own, but is essential for topping this soup!)<br />
diced avocado<br />
sour cream<br />
crispy tortilla strips<br />
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In a large pot, pour 8 cups of chicken broth. Add the chicken, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro. Bring to a boil, then lower to a bubbling simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken, set on a plate to cool. Strain the broth, discard the onion, garlic, and cilantro, and save the broth.<br />
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In a blender or food processor, combine the other two onion quarters and garlic cloves, tomatoes, the chipotle pepper and adobo, and the jalapeno. *<i>Notes: Chipotle peppers usually come in a small can, packed together with smoky adobo sauce. Do not use the whole can!! Pick out ONE pepper. You can freeze the rest for other things. Try and get at least a Tb of the adobo sauce out too. Also, don't be afraid of the jalapeno, as long as you remove the white insides where the seeds are, it really doesn't add much heat at all. Most of the heat is in the chipotle pepper.*</i><br />
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Blend until smooth. Heat 1 Tb olive oil in the large pot on medium high heat. When it is heated, add the tomato mixture and 1/2 tsp salt. (<i>If you are picky about seeds, like me, you can pour and scrape this through a wire strainer to remove any tomato seeds, but it is not necessary</i>) Cook and stir occasionally for 10 minutes, or until thickened and darkened. While you're waiting, shred that chicken.<br />
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Pour the reserved broth into the tomato mixture (adding a few cups if necessary , and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Taste, and add any additional salt. Add chicken, beans (drained or not, up to you!) and corn (if using). Heat through, and serve, with fresh lime quarters to squeeze over, crumbled cotija cheese, and whatever other toppings you like!<br />
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I looooove this soup! It might be The Geologist's absolute favorite. Certainly it's the one he requests most often. The broth may look watery, but it's packed with flavor! A hint of smokiness from the adobo, a bit of heat from the chipotle and jalapeno, fresh tomatoes and those yummy herbs cooked into the broth, it all comes together with the tender chicken and beans for a simple soup that is positively mouthwatering!<br />
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I like to top this with avocado, lime, cotija, and a teeny dollop of sour cream. If you can't find cotija cheese, diced monterey jack will work. This is a soup worth trying!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8359313870422520118.post-85777839872466189602015-03-09T16:44:00.000-06:002015-03-23T23:06:32.393-06:00Weekly Menu March 9<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: </span><a href="http://tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/post/112405224860" style="font-size: small;">tinywhitedaisies</a></div>
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<i>This week we have:</i><br />
Tortilla Soup</div>
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Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits</div>
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<b>For today, March 9...</b></div>
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<b>Outside my window... </b>The sun is out, the snow is melting, I think it's safe to say that Spring is finally here! February sure brought in the end of Winter with a vengeance, I think we got more snow last month than the rest of our winter combined! But there is nothing but 50 and 60 degrees in the forecast, and I am <i>thrilled!</i></div>
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<b>I am thankful... </b>For sunshine and sprouting bulbs, paperwork and cleared checks and game nights, Facebook and blog comments and new neighbors. I'm thankful for the sweetest, most patient husband in the whole wide world, the snuggliest beast of a dog, and the lovingest little boys in history. I'm thankful for the 45 minute long stretch of I-25 that connects my parents' house to mine, and constant pictures of the sprawling growth of their new puppy Moose!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://aristocrator.tumblr.com/post/106893242316">aristocrator</a></span></div>
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<b>In the kitchen... </b>Yikes, time to get my rear in gear and rack up some recipes to post!<b> </b>Eeek! Need some light, Spring-y recipes for you... lemon is Spring-y, right? Asparagus, maybe? Okay, I can't lie, I've still totally got baker's block. But I'll come up with something, never you fear!! And yeah, lemons will probably be involved. </div>
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<b>I am learning... </b>I have learned to like exercise! Only very, very specific exercise within my personal silly parameters, but who cares. I'm hooked on walking! My beastie and I have a perfect walking path behind our old apartment, we just park at one end and take off. Somehow, walking outside, I can go infinitely further than on a treadmill. Every second on a treadmill feels like five minutes. Watching TV doesn't even help! So I'm going to make the most of this spring, walk as much as I can, get ready for all those hills and dales of Scotland, before it gets too hot for my wimpy self to walk outside. (I promise, some time between now and September I'll stop talking about Scotland, but it's a dream come true, so please bear with me just a teeny bit!) Then I'll get myself a membership to a pool. Some kind of switch has been flipped in my head and I'm going to make the most of it, before my usual lack of motivation kicks back in!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/287104544970971819/">Pinterest</a></span></div>
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<b>Around the house... </b>Okay, I'm so excited for this one: The Geologist is going to build me a new kitchen table!! We tried (okay, HE tried) multiple times, to re-finish the table we have, but it was impossible. SUCH drama, seriously. So I get a new one! Built completely to MY specifications, I want it a little longer than the table I have, a <i>hair</i> narrower, and tough, and the look inspired by the picture above! I will have the exact same chairs as that picture, same colors, but my beams will run lengthwise, all one piece, no spaces for extra "leaves". It's going to be <i>gorgeous! </i>Plus, my Dad is going to help, and there are few things more adorable than watching your father and your husband get all giddy over power tools and two-by-fours. :)</div>
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<b>I am looking forward to... </b>Ohhh, so many things! My mind and imagination are split betwen two very different countries! On one hand, narrowing down all the details and activities and possibilities for our trip to Scotland in the Fall. You guys, it's SCOTLAND!!! I'm daydreaming of the coast and the highlands and the forest, the train from Harry Potter and the castle from Monarch of the Glen, all these adorable B&B's and The Geologist's castle, which we have already reserved, for a surprisingly reasonable price, I might add! On the other hand, my heart is in China, wondering if our little girl is there yet, wondering if someone is bringing us her file, wondering how soon we'll get to see a picture of her little face! I've got paperwork coming out of my ears, but luckily, I happen to love filling out paperwork. I refuse to let The Geologist do it if I can help it, his handwriting is <i>sooo</i> bad! I have favorite pens, a big folder full of pockets, I may have never been so organized in my life! Things are moving along about as quickly as we could hope, we might even be able to send out our dossier by the end of April! Fingers crossed! Not much else is going on around here other than the big stuff, we're just loving the sun, making the boys spend hours outside in it, and spontaneously running back and forth for games nights with my parents. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://themountainlaurel.tumblr.com/post/112832929068">themountainlaurel</a></span></div>
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<b>One of my favorite things... </b>Folding egg whites. I know, silly, huh? But seriously, there is nothing that makes me feel quite so spiffy and gourmet like folding egg whites into batter. It took me a little while to learn how to do it correctly, and now every time I do, everything just drifts out of my mind, and I'm left with confidence and "zen", for lack of a better word. I could stand there, folding those egg whites, for hours and hours. Of course, if I did that, then I would ruin the batter... anyway. </div>
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<b>A peek into my day... </b>Not much going on today, just blogging, sleeping, and making dinner. I had one of those 24 hour fevers yesterday, so as much as I'm itching to get out in this sunshine, I'm taking it easy for one more day. Besides, as soon as the trail that follows our favorite walking path dries out, then Beastie and I can avoid the bikers and I can let her off her leash! Walks are much more fun that way. :)</div>
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<b>Try your own Daybook! Get ideas <u><a href="http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/">here</a>!</u></b></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419620659567929127noreply@blogger.com2