A Special Wedding and the Cake

In June Caz and I drove to San Francisco for his daughters wedding. I had the honor of making her cake and we also did the food for the wedding. When Constance first told me about the flowers she was using, I was a little skeptical. After all, I'd never seen or even heard of succulents being used at a wedding. So I set out to do a bit of research on the subject and was wowed beyond belief. Not only were they used, but the mixture of delicate succulent plants and white was absolutely elegant. This is the beautiful bride with her cake.

Here's a close up of the cake. The El's on top were playful and fun and turned out just perfect for them. She loves elephants : ).

This is just one example of how many different ideas are out there that you might not think would work for a wedding. Here are some other succulent ideas...

The tables were beautiful, dressed with baskets of succulents. Here are other ideas...

And other cakes...

And more ideas...

So you see, wedding flowers don't have to be traditional. Only limited by your own imagination! Think outside of the box for a beautiful and unique wedding. Constance did and it was amazing!

Fortune Cookie Fun!

Ingredients:

4 egg WHITES 
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour  
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray for pan

Utensils you will need:
Bowl
Hand mixer
Sheet pan
Gloves
Coffee mug
Muffin or cupcake pan

Directions:

If you want to include messages or fortunes inside the cookies, they need to measure 3 inches long by about 1/2 wide. I have found many cute fortune cookie pdf's on the internet, so Google to find the perfect inserts for your occasion.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. 

In the bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Beat on medium speed just to combine, using an electric mixer. Mix in the flour and salt. Add butter, heavy cream, vanilla  and almond extract. Mix to incorporate all ingredients. This should take no loner than 40 to 50 seconds. you don't want the egg white and cream to whip.

Do NO more than 4 cookies at a time at a time. Once the cookies harden they can't be folded. You will need to work fast. You only have about 10 to 12 seconds to insert message, fold and bend hot cookie so you can finish 4 cookies before they get cool and hard. Use gloves if your hands are sensitive to heat. The cookies will be very warm as you work.

Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon in a circular motion, spread into a 5 inch circle. Fill the pan and make sure there is about 2 inches between each circle. Bake cookies until 1/4 to 1/2 inch of edges of the cookies turn golden. 

Remove cookie rounds with a spatula one at a time. Working quickly, add message, fold like a taco and using the edge of a coffee mug, bend the back of the folded cookie over the edge of the cup to form the fortune cookie shape. Place finished cookie in the muffin pan and move to the next cookie quickly.  

You can also add food color to the batter for baby or bridal showers, etc.

Have fun!

More Chinese New Year~Fried Spring Rolls

Makes 2 dozen.

Ingredients:
5 oz of pork minced
5 oz of chicken minced
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger,minced
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 carrot shredded and minced
1 cup of cabbage, chopped until you have finely minced consistency.
4 green onions, sliced very thin and chopped
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar (any vinegar will do)
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 tablespoon of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

20 spring roll wrappers

vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the minced meats. Fry until meat is almost brown, then remove to a bowl and set aside. Add more oil if necessary, ginger, garlic and carrot. Cook for 2 minutes and add cabbage. Cook cabbage mixture until soft and mixture is well blended. Add sugar vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce and mix to incorporate. Add meat back in and green onions. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

At this point you need to heat the oil for deep frying in a fryer or wok. The temperature of the fryer should be 375 degrees F.

Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean surface,  few at a time and place 2 tablespoons of the filling in each. Roll tightly, tucking in sides and sealing with a finger dipped in water.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in each egg roll. Place some water on the edge of each wrapper so you can seal them easily. Remember, you are not making eggrolls. You are making spring rolls and they should resemble more of a cigar.

Fry no more than 3 at a time until golden and drain on a paper plate.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or eat them plain. YUM!

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the snake! I'm pretty sure that was two years ago according to the way my life was going then, but obviously it had nothing to do with the lunar holiday. All kidding aside, I'm thankful to be in a wonderful place now with my amazing fiance and a wedding that's only 7 days away now : ).

We will be celebrating February 10th. with some traditional Chinese dishes and a very Asian inspired tablescape. I was wondering what I could make that would be new and different this year and I decided on a few things that I really love. Eggplant, fried spring rolls (which will be a total treat as we are Atkins only right now) and what would the Lunar New Year be without fortune cookies?

When I read about Hongshao Qiezi long ago I knew I had to try this dish.  It's vegetarian. Merely eggplant in a soy based sauce. I've put my own signature twist on this, adding peppers and sweet red chili sauce. I'm crazy about this stuff and would probably drink it, given the chance.

I'm always happy when I can do a veggie recipe for my non meat eating friends and family that are vegan and veggie peeps. This dish however, will find it's way into the hearts of even the most steadfast carnivores. This is my version of the Chinese favorite. Stay tuned for the next two recipes.

享受!

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 green onions, cut into 1 inch diagonal pieces
2 small red chiles, seeded or not depending on the heat desired
4 to 5 coins ginger, cut into thin strips
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
6 ounces Thai sweet chili sauce (or about 1/2 a bottle) I found this deliciousness at Wal Mart.
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil

Directions:
Prepare all of the vegetables and put them on a plate. Add oil to a wok or frying pan and heat on high. When hot, add the eggplant. Cook for about 5 minutes. Allow to brown a bit, but stirring as needed to prevent sticking. Once eggplant has softened and browned, remove the eggplant leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Set aside.  Add bell peppers, onions, red chiles,  garlic and ginger. Stir fry moving the vegetables around the pan quickly with your spatula. Cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and add egg plant back to the pan. The vegetables should still have crunch to them. Add sauces and season with salt and pepper.

Getting Ready for the Day~

Time is drawing near. Our marriage on Valentine's Day will be very informal, but even so I want the little touches to be perfect because this day means so much to us. I found the perfect boutonniere for Caz and I decided on three roses to carry...2 red and 1 pink. Three standing for the love of my children, the love of my grandchildren and our love. Perfect and so meaningful. I'm wearing black pants with an off white top and gorgeous frilly black wedges. Caz is wearing a suit. We will dress more formal in the fall, but for this day, I think it is perfect for us. I have really gone back and forth over having a small cake for just the two of us, as we  are Adkins right now and not eating any carbs, but it is one day, right? We're going to have a candlelight steak and seafood dinner and I think maybe a small heart cake since we will have a large wedding cake in the fall. Sweet, I think. It suits us. Simple and sweet and full of love. We will take one or two pics of us and maybe one of the cake and dinner. Mostly a few pics to frame for the fall and as a memento. It's how we got to where we are today and for Caz and I, that's all that matters. We love each other. We are devoted to each other. And most of all we want the same things in life...each other and all the love God allows us to share. I'm getting nervous. Eleven days to go till the rest of our lives.

 

Feeling the Monkey off my Back

As Crazy as it sounds, getting married way ahead of the date we originally chose (summer 2013) has given me a sense of relief. Yes, the heat is on for February 14th, but the fact is I have so much more time to plan a wonderful reception and simple, but more elegant ceremony for the fall. The fall...my time of year, the colors I love and a time to celebrate our love as much as our beautiful families and friends.

So as our date closes in, I'm more focused on the main event that is months away. I know the jitters will settle in soon, but I can't wait to marry the love of my life and my soul mate. We will be married when we marry again. It will be relaxed and even more enjoyable to become one (again) with our friends and family at our sides. I'm giving everyone a sneak peak...so far we have chosen one thing and locked it in. Caz does not want a grooms cake. We want ONE cake. Our cake~ Here it is. Some of the purple will be replaced with crimson orange florals and some deeper browns. I love this cake!

Dried tomatoes, The Dooby Brothers and then there was two...

It hasn't been much of a winter here in East Texas, but nevertheless, it's been cold enough to keep us living the indoor life for a few weeks. I've been inside so much lately that I've noticed all the cleaning and flaws that need urgent care along with the fact that I feel the need to nest. Everything from freezing herbs to oven drying tomatoes and stocking up on the stock up! Okay, a lot of it has to do with our upcoming nuptials. I know this, but at the same time it's somehow comforting to get back into the swing of home life for two. Today, I realized I had missed this so much...planning and cooking and thinking for a couple. It's been absent over the past several years and I'm just enjoying the fact that Caz and I constitute a family again. I like that. I liked that I spent the day totally captivated with the little things in life, like listening to the Dooby Brothers and oven drying tomatoes. Yeah, I know it's pretty boring and a little crazy, but there's something about knowing he's coming home and he'll love and appreciate everything I'm doing. It's nice to be whole again...to be two,  and very soon, we'll become one...even better : )

By the way...the recipe is awesome and totally effortless. Enjoy!

You'll need:
10 Roma tomatoes
kosher salt or sea salt
Italian herbs or your favorite
olive oil pack the dried tomatoes in jars

Do this:
Set your oven to 325 while you prepare the tomatoes, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees F. or the lowest setting.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Wash, dry and slice the tomatoes thick into 4 to 5 slices. Be sure to make the slices as uniform in thickness as possible otherwise some will burn while others are still cooking. 

Place the tomato slices on the lined baking sheets and sprinkle with salt and the herbs. The drying time will vary. It should take between 4 to 8 hours. Be sure the temperature is set to the lowest or 200 degrees F. You are drying the tomatoes. So look for them to be somewhat moist still in the middle but seemingly dry for the most part to the touch. If your slices are thicker, you will need to dry them longer. If they are thinner, then it will take less time. Just set a timer for 20 minutes at a time and keep an eye out on them. Beware towards the end they go fast.

When tomatoes are dry, allow them to cool a bit. Add them to a dry and clean jar. Fill with olive oil and a sprig of fresh herbs. Refrigerate. The tomatoes will keep for a month or a little longer. Use in everything from soup to sandwiches to pasta. 

Enjoy!