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The Mess

While I was off to Houston my apartment complex was going to re surface my tub and shower, and well they did. I also had an unexpected surprise when I walked in to my apartment at 11pm Sunday night, and noticed EVERYTHING in my apartment was covered in a white dust. Take a look...

The floor in my entry way

Bathroom

My BLACK comforter

Kitchen

My computer

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper Sunday night. I called my apartment first thing Monday morning and by the time I got home all the dust was gone! They have a great cleaning crew. Thank goodness!

Houston Adventure

I had my first out of state adventure of the year! I spent this past weekend in Houston, TX. It was so great to see Jenny!

I got into town Friday morning and my flight was 35 minutes early! CRAZY! I don't think I have ever been on a flight that got in that early. Jenny had to work a 1/2 day so I hung out for a while, people watched, read some of my book, and just relaxed till she came to pick me up. We went and grabbed some Mexican (I was in need of some good Mexican Food) so good. We then went back to her place, and saw Phil, and then decided to go get pedicures... let me tell you these pedis were crazy, we got every treatment you could think of... Limes were squeezed onto out toes ( I have no idea what that is about, but whatever), a mask for our legs, hot stone massage, hot wax on our feet, and I think that there was another treatment or two that I can't remember. We got all of this for only $30. We were both about to fall asleep.

Jenny and Phil

We made it back to Jenny's and Max had made it to town, and he and Phil were chillin'. So us girls got to be our girly selves. We played dress up and finally decided on super cute outfits to go out in. We made it to the Flying Saucer downtown and had dinner and couple beers, it was fun.

Emily and Max

On Saturday, I slept in LATE, I could not believe it was 10:30 when I woke up. Phil was sick when he woke up. So, Jenny, Max, and I spent the day hanging around Houston. We decided to cook dinner and had penne ala vodka. It was quite yummy!

Our lovely dinner

Sunday morning we made waffles from scratch, it was so nice to cook in Jenny's kitchen. I love all of her kitchen gear... I am jealous... I need to get married just so I can register to get kitchen supplies. Kidding. After breakfast Jenny and I went out for some girl time... SHOPPING! It was a wonderful afternoon.

What a great trip to Texas! I consider this trip a very successful one especially because I came back to Tennessee in one piece and with my wallet!

Savory Cheesecake

A week or so ago I had our Alumni Tri Delta officer meeting at my apartment. I was told all I had to supply was water. Ha! If you are coming over to my house for a meeting you are not going to just get water! I did have water, I also had lemonade. I made some sweet treats, and a savory cheesecake.

When you hear cheesecake don't think that delicious sweet cheesecake. This one had creme cheese, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke and served on crackers.  So it might not look beautiful or all that appetizing but it was delicious!

In this picture it is still in the spring form pan. Once I took it out it was only about an inch tall. I cut it into slices so people could take one slice and grab some crackers.

I have never made a cheesecake before and it was really not as difficult as I thought it might be, all you have to do is follow the recipe.

Savory Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Cheesecake
Recipe by: Emily
3 packages Cream Cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomato's in Oil, chopped
1 medium Onion, sliced thin
1 14 oz Can Artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped, reserve 2 Tablespoons of the liquid
4 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

1. Caramelize the sliced onion with 1 tsp of sugar over medium low heat for about 30 minutes in a pan. Set aside onions.
2.Mix the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter together and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
3. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth with a hand mixer. Add the feta cheese and beat until well mixed.
4. Add the eggs, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and the reserved 2 tablespoons of artichoke liquid and mix until just incorporated.
5. Fold in the sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onion, Parmesan cheese and artichoke hearts. Pour filling into the prepared 9 inch spring form pan and bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for 35 minutes. Allow cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes on a wire rack and then chill for at least 4 hours before serving. To serve slice cheesecake into wedges and spread on crackers or toasted or crusty bread. Enjoy

Allison's Birthday

So it has been a little while since I have blogged, and I have so many food and fun things to share!

So, the past couple of years I have made Allison a birthday cake. Last year I made cute Mini Cherry Chocolate Cakes with a cool whip topping and wrapped in a chocolate shell, take a look at last year's cakes.

This year I stuck with the mini cakes and made Chocolate Cake with a Creme Cheese Peanut Butter Frosting (None of the peanut butter was tainted, promise) and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. THEY WERE AMAZING, like heaven in your mouth! Take a look!

These were wonderful! Try it:

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes

This cake is INTENSE. Serve it in the thinnest slices possible, and keep a glass of milk handy.

Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (the book says, I say a heck of a lot more)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.