So this is what 23 looks like...

Dun nuh nuh nuh nuh.....You say it's your birthday! Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!

Today, July 4th, 2008, I turn 23.

I bought some glasses...

And some Dr. Scholl's insoles, so I'm ready to go.


I made this birthday cake for MYSELF; it's a white cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan, layered with strawberry and blackberry preserves, with a real buttercream frosting and homemade marshmallow fondant stars.


I suppose it tastes good, I haven't tried it yet, but I have one thing to say:

I hate f*ing fondant - it's %&*(^@#$&)*$#&^@#)(@#*(#&#$*!!

Ohh, I feel so much better now.

The total time it took to make the cake and frosting was less time then it took making/dealing with the fondant. I'm soooo not happy with the fondant. What can I say? I'm a cake baker - not a cake decorator.


I'm posting the cake recipe, but not the buttercream frosting recipe. It's a good recipe, but it's not mine to give. I recommend purchasing Dorie's book, Baking From My Home to Yours to acquire it.

Hope everyone has a good 4th!

White Birthday Cake (Recipe by Emiline, but adapted from Dorie Greenspan)

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter parchment paper.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together buttermilk, egg white and vanilla in a small bowl, until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture, until ingredients are Incorporated. Beat an additional 2 minutes to insure ingredients are well combined.

Divide batter evenly into prepare pans, smooth surface with a spatula, and bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks, run a knife around outside edges, and invert cakes onto wire racks (removing parchment paper) to cool completely.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, mint chocolate chip is the 10th most popular flavor of ice cream.

What is up with that?

Come on, mint chocolate chip ice cream should at least be in the top 5. Because it's amazing. It really is the perfect summer ice cream. Cool...refreshing...

I know a lot of people don't enjoy mint flavor, but I do, in some things:
Girl Scout Thin Mints & Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Those things rock.


I went natural with this ice cream, and didn't use green food coloring or mint extract. So this is the real deal.
The result? Very good...but different. More wild and herby tasting. Herbacious? Is it bad that I prefer fake mint flavor?

I'm not in the mood to write tonight. I'm stressing out about something that I will reveal later on. Nothing bad...but my brain is thinking...and thinking...my future depends on this. It has to do with cooking.


Also, look at this cool bag that Foodbuzz sent me. Isn't it cute! I love it. It has a pin with my blog name in it. They also send you cute moo minicards with your blog name and address on them. Thank you Foodbuzz! I love getting surprises in the mail. Foodbuzz is amazing. And thanks to all those hard workin' folks at Foodbuzz as well.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Recipe by Emiline)

Ingredients:
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
6 large egg yolks
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 bunch, fresh mint (small package from grocery store) or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 (4 ounce) bar bittersweet chocolate (60-65%), finely chopped

Directions:
Whisk milk and egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Whisk heavy cream and granulated sugar together, in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Whisk half of cream into egg yolks, until well combined. Whisk egg mixture back into saucepan containing remaining cream. Whisk and cook custard until it thickens, and temperature reaches 170 degrees F.
Remove pan from heat and strain custard into a large mixing bowl; whisk in vanilla extract and mint (or mint extract). Cool custard for 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator, lightly covered.
Chill for 4 hours, or overnight. Strain custard into ice cream maker (straining out the mint) and process according to directions. In the last 5 minutes of processing, add chocolate, and allow to finish churning.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Red Velvet Cake

Today is my sister Hannah's 17th birthday. She wanted tiramisu for her birthday dessert, but the grocery store was out of ladyfingers. So she picked red velvet cake instead. And red velvet cake she shall have! I've made several red velvet cakes in the past, so I knew what I was doing when I developed this recipe. I tasted a little bit that stuck to the pan, and I think it's going to be a good cake. We won't slice it until later tonight, but then I can tell you how it compares to cakes I've baked in the past. (I'll post a picture of it sliced, also.)
The frosting is a cooked, white frosting, and then butter and a little cream cheese is mixed in. I really liked it when I tasted it. It wasn't too tangy like some cream cheese frosting is. And it doesn't have the harshness of powdered sugar.

Red velvet cake used to be my favorite cake, I think, but now I'm not so sure. I'm scared of that much red food coloring. That much can't be good.
But I like that it's so southern and retro.

Happy Birthday Hannah! Hope you have a great day. You're going to love the present I bought- I'm so excited for you to open it. I would tell everyone what I bought you, but then there's the chance that you'll read this before you open it. There's only a 10% chance that you'll read this, though.


My birthday is coming up very soon, too. It's going to be here before you know it. One day you'll come to my blog and BOOM. It'll be my birthday. I'm planning a special cake that's going to be GREAT. I think.

My sister asked me if I was going to make a birthday list. I don't really like making birthday lists because I think it's kind of rude, and I like to have surprises. But here are a few items I've been thinking about:

1. A new lamp. For reading. I want it to attach to my bed. It doesn't have to be nice.
2. A microplane. I don't have one - I've been using a cheese grater.
3. Coffee gift card.
4. Magazines or cookbooks. Not the ones from the U.K. that they sell at Borders and Barnes & Noble. They duplicate all of the recipes in that series.
5. Music or movies are always welcome.
6. This camera. Ha ha. Not going to happen.

That's all I can think of right now.

But anyway, here's the recipe - everything worked perfectly, so I encourage you to try it.

Red Velvet Cake (Recipe by Emiline)

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
2 ounces red food coloring
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

Hint of Cream Cheese-White Frosting

1 cup milk
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (1/2 a package) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
To bake the cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 3 (8-inch) round cake pans.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; sift again.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together buttermilk, oil, red food coloring, and vinegar.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well combined, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined.

Divide batter into prepared cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until center of cake springs back when lightly touched, and outer edges pull away from pan. Cool pans on a wire rack for 12 minutes; run a knife around outside edges, and invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting: whisk together milk, sugar, flour and salt, in a medium sized saucepan; bring to a boil, over medium heat, whisking frequently. Continue to boil for 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Cool in the refrigerator or freezer until completely chilled.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract and chilled milk mixture, until well combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Spread frosting over cake.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Blueberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Crust

I really like having a Myspace and Facebook. I can talk to lots of people without actually talking to them. I can think about what I want to say...where on the phone, you can't. You have to be quick on the phone. It's so much easier to talk to people online - I'm much more wittier. When I talk on the phone, I'm really boring and dull. And I laugh nervously. And I constantly say, "Yeaaahh" and "So anyway..."

Facebook is kind of weird, though. I've only had mine for 2 months. Facebook tells your friends everything you do. If you edit your profile, send a comment, put up pictures, videos - everyone knows. I'm not sure if I'm okay with that, but I'm getting used to it. Also, all of your friends know when you're online, and they can start up a conversation with you, using a chat box.

When you have a Myspace and Facebook, you get friend requests, which is good and bad. Good when it's from your friends and people you haven't spoken with in a while. It's bad when it's from people who aren't really your friends. People you barely know. People from high school that never acknowledged or talked to you. Just because we went to high school together, does NOT make us friends. If you were too good to talk to me back then, why would you want to talk to me now?


What happens when you get friend requests from people you don't like? Somebody that you have no reason to talk to. Should you accept the friend request and avoid conversation, or should you deny the request and hope you don't ever meet them on the street? I'm avoiding this issue by never logging into my Myspace account again. If I haven't logged in, I can't say that I saw their friend request, can I?

I know Myspace and Facebook have nothing to do with blueberry cobbler, so, sorry. But that's how it goes around here.

Blueberry season is officially upon us, so it's time to crank out the blueberry recipes. I made a really simple cobbler, to let the flavor of the berries shine. This is just blueberries, sugar and a little bit of lemon juice, tucked under a flaky cornmeal-coated pastry crust. I love coating the pie crust with cornmeal. It brings something different to a traditional pastry crust.
I wouldn't have this any other way - it was easy and delicious, and perfect, served with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Cobbler (Recipe by Emiline)

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus an additional 1/3 cup, divided use
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, divided use
3-4 tablespoons ice water
Cornmeal, for rolling
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons milk or cream

Directions:
To make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons sugar and salt. Work 5 tablespoons of the butter in, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, until the mixture resembles pea-sized lumps. Sprinkle in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring gently with a fork after each addition and adding only enough of the water to form a rough mass.

Using floured hands, pat dough into a smooth, flattened disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla, until smooth.
Place the blueberries in a large mixing bowl, along with cornstarch mixture. Stir in 1/3 cup sugar until well combined.
Pour berries into an 8-inch square baking dish. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

Coat a work surface with a generous amount of cornmeal. Roll out dough thinly, on work surface, sprinkling the top of dough with cornmeal as well. Roll into a square big enough to fit dish.
Place dough over blueberries, tucking in outer edges. Brush dough with milk, then sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar. Cut a slit into the center, using a sharp knife.
Bake at 400 degrees F, for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes (if you can wait that long) before serving.

Yield: 6

Silver Dollar City

Last week we hopped in the car and drove to Silver Dollar City for some fun. Silver Dollar City is an amusement park with a late 1800s theme to it. There's lots of crafts, music, rides, and of course, food. We've been going there for years- it's always a good time. The last couple of years it's gotten really crowded, though, and the costs are getting ridiculous. Silver Dollar City's nickname = Steal your Dollar City.

I took some pictures for you:

Branson countryside.


Hillbilly music greets you when you arrive.


Some people making peanut brittle.


This guy is really fast.


Funnel cakes. We used to get these all of the time.


Stuff at the bakery. I wonder if it's all homemade? I want to believe it is...but I have doubts.


Lemonade.


Hot roasted nuts. I'm tempted to make a joke here, but I will resist.


Kettle Corn. My family LOVES kettle corn.


Pork rinds. I know someone who would like these.


Bread at the bakery. I think it was Indian bread??


Here's my sister and I on a giant swing ride. Weird ride.


Here's my sister and I on Wildfire. This one was pretty fun. I could ride it over and over again. I rode this right after I ate a lot of fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. I have a strong stomach.


When we first arrived, I saw a sign for an ice cream sundae eating contest at 3:00. I knew I had to do it...the sign was calling to me. I LOVE ice cream - I eat it every night. How can you resist an ice cream sundae eating contest? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Well, I forgot about the contest, but we eerily ended up in the area it was held, at 3:00. They called out for volunteers, and a long line formed. They were going to randomly draw out 5 names to compete. I got in line, kind of as a joke - not really wanting to scarf down a ton of ice cream. But I did it anyway, after some urging from my mom and sister.

I knew, I just knew, they were going to call my name. I get kind of psychic sometimes. And...they did call my name.

So, we had two minutes to eat a sundae consisting of a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, strawberries, bananas, hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts - without a spoon or hands.
And we had to wear these big ponchos, too. In front of a large crowd of people.

Sooo embarrassing. I tried to win! I really did. I think I was in second place when one of the guys won. Yes, I competed against all guys.

Here's me at the competition. I held my own.


Now I feel chunky. I was going to run, to burn it off, but I forgot to.

Arborio Rice Pudding with Cinnamon-Cardamom Streusel

Guess what it's doing here today? Raining. Yep, we've had a lot of rain lately. Nothing terrible, like Iowa is experiencing, but we've had our fair share. I don't mind, though, because I like rain and thunderstorms.
Oh crap. Now we're under a tornado warning and there are sirens going off. Down the basement I shall go!.....................

But the other day we had a crazy thunderstorm and it hailed for 10 minutes. I think it was the worst hail I've ever seen, because it was constantly coming down hard for all of that time. At least it was the size of marbles, and not baseball sized.
I took a picture of the hail...this is right when it was coming down. The porch is filled with ice, and the sidewalk is filled with water.


Yesterday, my sister gave me a trivia game called, Foodie Fight. Well, I got really excited, because I'm a huge nerd. I haven't played it yet, but I thought I'd ask you all a few questions. Let's see who gets these right in the comment section. And no looking up answers - that's cheating.

1. At what hour on a clock face does the starch go for a traditionally set dinner plate?

2. What state is the top producer of cultivated oysters in the United States?

3. What vegetables are Amish Deer Tongue, Grandpa Admire's, and Tennis Ball?

4. What cultivated mushroom grows in brown, leafy clusters and also goes by the name "hen-of-the-woods"?

5. What kind of meat was traditionally used in the 1800s to make Brunswick stew?

Okay. Where was I? Oh, yes. Rice pudding.

This is the first thing I've made in a while that actually excites me. I love rice pudding - goes back to the days when mom would buy Kozy Shack. All of my sisters like it too, with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top. We also used to eat cold rice with milk and sugar on it (some of them still do).
This reminds me of something my mom ate when she was a kid: bread with milk and sugar on it, or what she likes to call "milk toast". Shhh...don't tell anyone this, but, her grandma used to call it this.

This was the best rice pudding I've ever made, and it was so easy! You just throw everything in a pot and stir it occasionally while it cooks. It's so creamy, that you would think it contained heavy cream, but it doesn't. The starchy arborio rice is what makes it creamy. I made mine with one percent milk, and it was perfect.
While I think this would be delicious on its own, I made a cinnamon-cardamom streusel to go on top, instead of just cinnamon.
I'm already thinking of variations I can do with this.

Arborio Rice Pudding with Cinnamon-Cardamom Streusel (Recipe by Emiline)

Ingredients:
4 1/4 cups reduced fat milk
3/4 cup arborio rice, uncooked
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
Combine milk, rice and sugar, in a large saucepan, over medium-medium high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is soft, and most of the liquid has absorbed; stir in vanilla extract. Cool rice to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until cold.

To make the streusel: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a small sheet pan with foil.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and salt, until well combined. Cut in the butter, using your fingertips or a pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly. Knead the mixture a bit, with your hands, until it starts to come together. Spread evenly, into a mass, on the sheet pan.
Bake at 250 degrees F, for 15 minutes (to cook out some of the flour, and melt the sugar and butter a bit), or until warm and fragrant. Turn oven broiler on, and broil for 1-2 minutes, until streusel starts to brown and crisp; remove pan from oven and cool streusel completely, before crumbling up into pieces.

Sprinkle streusel over rice pudding, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Thai Basil and Pea Tops and Bok Choy and Tamari....Radish and Ginger and Garlic and Scallions

If you're wondering what I did with the pea tops and Thai basil, I bought, well, I made this. I don't know what to call it. Maybe you have a name for it?

My inspiration came from Michelle, at Thursday Night Smackdown. She's started making a blog post ever week called, Cheap Ass Monday, where she cooks something every Monday that's cheap (did I really need to explain that?). Last Monday she made a salad with cucumber, radish, cilantro, peanuts and more.
I think it's a great idea, considering the rising cost of food.


So I made a cheap salad of my own. I cooked some whole wheat pasta until very al dente, and drained it well. I heated sesame oil in a large skillet, added the noodles, and cooked them until they got a little crispy. I then poured a sauce over the noodles, consisting of tamari, more sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic and ginger. I just let it cook for 1-2 minutes, then tossed in a thick chiffonade of pea tops and baby bok choy, and let it steam for about a minute.
I wanted to serve it cold, so I cooled it for a few minutes before adding thinly sliced radish, cucumber, scallions, lime juice, fresh cracked pepper, Thai basil and chopped peanuts, before cooling it in the refrigerator for a little while.

I thought it was pretty good - I did add too much tamari, so it was on the salty side. But you know...that's how it goes.