This dumb thing!

On the 7th (Nov) I started to write a post about creme fraiche but hadn't been able to finish it. I had hopes of posting a photo (didn't work out) so I waited a little longer before publishing it. Well, blogger won't let me change the post date. So NOW instead of appearing as my most recent post it's as if it was posted on the 7th. Here's my question....anyway to fix that? Juliaaaaaaa? Ya listening? Ha-ha!

Thanks for your help!

***Update: Thanks, guys! I figured it out!***

Creme Fraiche, what have I been missing?

Creme Fraiche!!!! I made a recipe (it doesn't matter which) that called for creme fraiche but I couldn't find any so I subbed in sour cream. During my last search for it and having to settle for the sour cream I decided to special order it at my local Publix. (Publix being the great store that it is will try and get in special requests.) I got the call last week that my case of creme fraiche was in, yikes! I called the lady back and explained I didn't need a whole case just one maybe two containers. She said not to worry that what I didn't want would go on the shelf.


Yesterday I made potato soup for dinner. I didn't follow a recipe and just threw in various potato soup ingredients. Remembering that I still hadn't tried any of the creme fraiche I figured, since I was just winging it I would add some of the creme fraiche into the soup when I added the half & half. Because I didn't want to totally ruin my soup I went ahead and tried a spoonful of it first and then another and then I started to kick myself that I hadn't tried it before. I kept thinking of all the recipes that I could have added that to instead of sour cream and how much better everything would have tasted. I've always liked sour cream but I'm sorry there isn't any comparisons. It's just that good. It is creamy and rich but not heavy, tangy and cool. I added it to my potato soup and I don't know if it was in my head or not but the soup never tasted better and the Twins who complained they didn't want potato soup again had two servings! (I made a cheese and potato soup a few weeks ago and they do not like to eat the same thing more than once a month.) No, I didn't take any photos. :-( Haven't gotten the blogger mindset yet of photos first, eat second. I'll be honest, after slaving over the stove I want everyone to sit down and eat it when it's done and HOT. I hate it if Joe or the children drag their feet getting to the table. Basically I forget! LOL!

For those of you who haven't tried it yet and like sour cream give it a try I think you won't be disappointed.

Don't get excited, it's not my Giveaway!

My Recipes is having a giveaway.  Check it out they are  giving away a year's worth of groceries PLUS a year's worth of food to your local food bank.  How's that for a giveaway?  I don't know all the particulars so swing by and check it out for yourself. Just  I thought I'd let all my friends know! Gotta stick together and all!  Plus who can do without help with grocery bill!?

Logo borrowed from myrecipes.com.   (BTW, question by putting that logo on my blog am I committing a crime?  PLEASE, let me know!  THX!)

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Oh,baby! Oh, Nuts!

About 2 weeks ago I received an email from a gentleman named Sam . Sam's email explained that he was doing some marketing for Oh,Nuts! and wanted to know if I was interested in sampling some of their products. I was leery and checked around to see how true and safe the offer was. I found quite a few blogs that had received the same offer and all seemed well. I didn't want to give me home address so I emailed back a "heck, yeah, I'd like some free nuts" and gave Sam my work address. About a week later this is what I got........

* Cinnamon Pecans 1 lb.
* Jumbo Raw Georgia Pecans 1 lb.
* Roasted Salted Pistachios 1 lb.
* Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns 1 lb.

The day I received the package I opened the bags of Cinnamon Pecans and Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns. The bag of Cinnamon Pecans? Gone, by Saturday afternoon! They were so goooooood. I really wanted to try and save some to throw in a batch of Blondies but it just didn't happen. Sorry, Sam, I really wish I could say I was half as crazy for the Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns as I was for the other "flavored" pecans but I can't. They were just okay. I personally thought the ratio of coating to nut was too high. I haven't opened the other two bags yet but I've got a few ideas kicking around for them. I'm thinking I haven't made Pecan pies before and I just saw on Avesta's Check It Out a recipe for minis. For the pistachios I'm thinking the Greenies that Clumsby Cookie made earlier this year and then saw again on The Crepes of Wrath. She added marshmallows to hers! See why I love her?

So, what do you think? Neither recipe is going to use up all of the nuts, ha-ha! (I've been cracking up every time I type the word nuts. Stupid yes, but I have 6 brothers and have been exposed to many "man" jokes! They keep running through my head! LOL!) Any ideas on what else would be tasty with Jumbo Georgia Pecans or Pistachios added to it? Also, what to do with those Toffee pecan Cinnamon Buns? Help!

LiveJournal Tags: nuts

Check it out....

My blog mama, Dianne of Dianne's Dishes interviewed me and posted the interview on her blog. Feel free to go by and read what a dork I truly am. LOL! You can also find and read the interview of my blog sister, Nella of Peckerwood Gravy Company. Her's was posted on Monday and mine yesterday (Wed). Nella tells you how she came up with her blog name. Everytime I read and or say it I have to chuckle.


Also, wanted to take a moment to let you know that Avesta of Check It Out has submit a video clip to the Food Network for their store The Next Food Network Star. She has the video she submited on her blog as well as the link that will take you over to see it on the Food Network's site. If you haven't all ready (you should have) check out her blog. I've made several of her dishes and all with much success. When you stop in be sure to leave Avesta good luck wishes.

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares

Can I be honest?  I can't think of a single interesting thing to say, nothing!  Sorry but if you're looking for witty prose or to crack up over some outlandish thing I've said or for something heartfelt other than if you like, no, love peanut butter than you need these Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares in your life, well, you've come to the wrong place.  All you're gonna get is a great recipe that I found here at Bake or Break.

These squares are gooood and are even better if you are a lover of all things peanut buttery.  Let me break it down for you.  It starts with a layer of (a whole package)crushed Nutter Butter cookies and a melted stick of butter.  Then you sprinkle on top of the warm crust chopped peanut butter cups, Butterfinger candy bars, honey roasted peanuts, and because you have to have a little chocolate some semisweet chocolate chips. Poured over that is  a batter made up of 1/2 a cup of peanut butter added to a can of sweetened condensed milk and a tablespoon of vanilla.  Told you this is a peanut butter lovers dream.  Now you would think that that is just too much peanut butter, right?  Wrong!  It really isn't too much.  Want to know another great thing about this recipe?  You could actually put however much or little you want of the candies and chips and I'm pretty   certain you could also sub other goodies that would taste yummy with the peanut butter filling.  This is keeper!  Really it's just a glorified blondie and you KNOW how we/I feel about blondies!

Speaking of blondies I have made several different recipes in the past month.  Unfortunately I have not gotten photos of the various ones I've tried but I thought I'd go ahead and tell you what I thought.

1. Doehle Bread's Blondie's Blondie  Besides obviously being a blondie recipe the thing that intrigued me about this recipe was that it  called for Maple extract.  Well, I couldn't find any.  Because I knew what blondies tasted like using vanilla I figured I would get daring  and use Vanilla Butter & Nut extract instead.  No problems there.  Here's where I went wrong. Somehow, I don't know how,  I chopped off the 1 in front of the 1 1/2 cups flour when I printed the recipe. So instead of adding what was called for  I only added (& knew I needed  more flour) 1/2 cup.  So, of course, my first batch went down the garbage disposal to the dismay of my children who were waiting for their blondie fix.  The next night I tried again and all went well.  Were they earth shattering?  No. Were they good ? Yes.  Would I make them again?  Yes, but only after I track down some maple extract.  The deciding factor for me with blondies is whether or not they are chewy and gooey or cakey.  I'm about the chewy and gooey.  These were on the cakey side.
2.  Smitten Kitchen's Blondies  I've also made these twice.  The first time adding in as suggested a 1/2 cup of mashed bananas.  Though the recipe didn't call for it I added a pinch of cinnamon to the bananas before mixing them into the batter.  While my children thought they were okay and ate them  Joe on the other hand said and I quote, "throw that recipe out"!  LOL!   He didn't even finish the piece he was eating.  The second time I made them I used white chocolate chips as the suggested add in and all was well.  I did undercook them a bit. The next time I think I'll cut back on the butter and cooked them a minute or two longer.  These are definitely gooey!
3. Bake at 350's Toffee Blondies  Here's my problem, if I undercooked the last dessert I made (remember these)then there's a good chance I'm going to over cook the next dessert and that's exactly what happened with these blondies.  Though in my defense I did take them out earlier than what the recipe called for but still not soon enough.  I also don't think it helped that Babygirl whipped the batter on med high after she added each egg.  In a moment of what I think was genius,  I made a browned butter and cinnamon glaze for them.  Blondies that were good now became great.  The glaze was so good I went ahead a "frosted" the blondies instead of just drizzling some on.    I don't have a recipe to give you for the glaze as I  just winged it.   

Happy Halloween!

 

Here's my Babygirl as a dead bride.  Daddy ordered her costume and made her up!  She's such a daddy's girl!

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Twins.........again!

Joe would freak out and shoot himself if I was pregnant and certainly if it was twins, again!  Honey, relax, it's twin awards! 

The first award is from Lorie at Rice and Beans and Other Fine Things.  Great blog which I recently found.  She has several desserts that are in my try stack.  She also has some great organizing tips for those of us that need help in that area.  Go by and check her. 

The second award is from Becky at  Satisfying My Sweet Tooth.  With a blog name like that you KNOW she's gonna have a tremendous amount of yummy desserts!  If you missed her brownies week, click here for day one.  I made day four's  Cookies and Cream Brownies, talk about delicious! The recipe made it from the "must try" stack to the ""must make again" stack which should tell you how just good these were.

7 Things I did before...........

1. Worked as a Page at the public Library
2. Attended Lehman's College in NY
3. Worked at BookStop & then transferred to Barnes & Noble  in NYC
4. Worked at the Tax Collector's office
5. Worked at my parent's furniture store
6. Shopped a lot
7. Read  a lot

7 Things I do now..........

1. Work at MMC
2. Cook but especially bake
3. Read alone & with the kids
4. drive the kids to their sports practices and events
5. study & do homework with the kids
6. LAUNDRY
7. Yell at the kids to "knock it off", "STOP", "run", "be quiet",
8. Tell them I LOVE them!

7 thing I want to do.............

1. Be more daring when it comes to baking
2. Get McKenna to let me throw out more junk!
3. Be MORE patient, less yelling
4. Balance my time better
5. Manage our finances better, save more
6. Spend more one on one time with Joe
7. Help my children achieve their full potential & be well rounded

7 things that attract me the opposite sex..........Joe

1. Blue eyes
2. loves me and the kids
3. good with/to us
4. athletic
5. great sense of humor
6. a terrific person
7. works hard

7 favorite foods.............

1. SALADS, no onions or tomatoes please
2. warm gooey marshmallow filled desserts
3. icy cold milk & water
4. Blue Belle ice cream
5. Pizza from NYC served on a piece of wax paper
6. bread w/ real butter
7. Pina Colada smoothies

7 things I say..............

1. Knock it off, stop, be quiet, run, no, okay, I'll think about it
2. I love you, good job
3. Devon, Jalen, McKenna, Joe, Mom
4. Seriously
5. Holy cow
6. Aaahh, man
7. Hi, this is Ingrid from Miller Motorcar

7 awards & tags times 2

1. Syndey from The Crepes of Wrath
2. Julia from Dozen Flours
3. Jin Hooi from Smell and Taste are My First Memory
4. Fran from Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie
5. Cassie at How to Eat a Cupcake
6. Miss.Cupcake.Face
7. Cakebrain from Cake on the Brian
8. Duckie from A Duck in Her Pond
9. Grace from A Southern Grace
10. Janna from Honeyed Hashette
11. Frantic Home Cook
12. Baking Blonde
13. Nella from Peckerwood Gravy Company
14. Jaime from Good Eats 'n Sweets

If you haven't visited any of the above blogs then please do so now.  All of them are wonderful and offer something special!!

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