Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category
Instagram is a social media platform originally for sharing photos and videos. I found some tasty food there, too.
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
It’s been a minute. . .since winter. I have a book review I started but time got away from me. This time it was a website page on Workers’ Compensation in California, a one-off for a new client. It took longer than I thought it would. Then again, stuff like that usually does.
Since The Last Post
If you passed by this humble blog shortly after the last time I published it, you may have received an error message. That’s my fault. In the quest to renew the certificates for this and my copywriting site, something went wrong. Additionally, I also deleted the wrong cache files on the back end and knocked this site completely offline.
Rafael couldn’t get it back, and a very nice person at my hosting company, Namecheap, took some extra time out of his day and got everything back up and running. I gave him a great rating and thanked him for his help.
Following the Wedding
Ray and his brother Gerald have been out here a couple of times since I published the blog on his wedding. BF is working on a vehicle for him, but it’s not done yet. He has most of the parts, some of which had to be ordered from the manufacturer.
BF also received a set of push rods last week for Ray’s vehicle. He was surprised that I knew exactly when it was coming and from where. I love those apps from The Post Office, FedEx, and UPS.
I’ve got some tasty recipes today, and they’re from. . .Instagram. Neighbor E is there (also called IG) and so are several others who have abandoned Facebook for something nicer. E posts pictures of his plants, flowers, and all the cool places he goes, sometimes with his sister D.
First, a few updates from around the Casa de Rurale.
Blackberry Season Arrives
Remembering the non-start of last year’s berry season, I’ve been watching and waiting to see what happens this year. Lots of flowers don’t always translate into buckets of berries.
They’re always a good sign.
But so far this year, it has:
They’re here!
And there are lots more in the pipeline:
More on the way.
Farmer’s Defense Protection Sleeves
Even though today’s recipes are from Instagram, that’s not all I see on the platform. I’ve been introduced to quite a few non-food things on IG, and many I’ve bought because of those ads. Case in point: a couple of months ago I found Farmers’ Defense protection sleeves for working in gardens, on farms, etc. Interested, I bought a pair of the Cattle King, because, well, look at that color and incredible Southwestern design!
Source: FarmersDefense.com
They were not terribly expensive, come in a range of sizes, and I think I got them on sale, too. They work great, they’re cool, and comfortable, and even have an SPF. The best part is that they prevent scratches and cuts I get from berry picking. So they help keep me from looking like I’ve tangled with a bobcat or a grizzly bear while trying to get the sweet little berries.
Styles
Farmer’s Defense has a nice variety of styles available, from plain to flowery, artsy, and even camouflage. There are two Southwestern-y prints, and I asked BF which print I should get. This conversation went:
BF: Do you want the “husband” answer or the normal answer?
Me (after reminding him that he’s not my husband): What’s the “husband” answer?
BF: Oh, you should totally get that one! It will look fabulous on you!
Me: So what’s the other answer?
BF: I don’t give a %#&*.
No, I didn’t smack him. Yes, we’re still getting on each other’s nerves. And I got the ones you see above. Might buy the other design later, or an extra pair of these.
Coupled with heavy jeans and my on-sale Muck Boots I got a couple of years ago, picking berries no longer involves pain and injury. I’m practically armor-plated. Sunday, I went out and picked quite a quantity:
That’s a small colander, but it’s the second batch I picked.
With these sleeves, I was able to reach and grab more berries from around fencing areas and stick my hands into thorn-filled bushes to get to them. I took a pair of plastic kitchen tongs out with me, so I could move the prickly vines around to find and grab even more. They’re washed, frozen in a single layer, and stashed into a Ziploc bag that’s dated.
Now to wait for the rest of them to ripen so I can pick and freeze them, too.
This Year’s Garden
As usual, I waited a while before putting the newly purchased plants out, because we had a few more chilly nights in the 40’s. But they’re all out now:
Ready for the summer growing season
A couple of buckets broke and fell apart so I got more from Harbor Freight to replace them and make sure they were all sturdy. I drilled holes in three of them, and BF drilled them in one.
Just to mess with him I told him they “were done wrong.” It took a minute before he realized I was yanking his chain a little.
As usual, the “kitchen science experiments” led to a few delicious surprise tiny tomatoes before they went outside:
Yes, they were delicious too.
Those aren’t the first, either, and more are growing behind them. Hopefully the sunlight will bring lots more.
I’ve already picked one big “Cool-apeno” pepper, the jalapeno without heat, and roasted it with something else. Now I have more:
Can’t wait
Two shishito peppers are ready, and I’ll have to cook them soon:
Always delicious
Yes, Basil Too
Since I grew basil from seeds, I added them into the tomato pots to try and repel those irritating things that plagued and ate my plants into oblivion last year. If necessary I’ll buy two more basil plants at Tractor Supply so I can have enough for a pesto stock-up this year.
The two empty buckets have Poblano and Hatch pepper seeds in them, so we’ll see if they grow and how many we get.
Last fall I bought two broccoli plants, which I added into a pot:
Are we ever going to get broccoli?
They’ve grown, but I’ve never tried growing broccoli before, so I have no idea if or when we’ll be harvesting any. I also bought a stevia plant last week and just added it into the pot with the broccoli plants. And I have Italian flat-leaf parsley right behind it. At least we’ll have plenty of that.
Let’s see what kind of harvest we get this year.
Dinner With Friends
So last week we finally made it to J&B’s place in nearby Albany to have dinner with them:
J wanted the picture to include food on the plates, so that’s why we’re holding them up.
That’s B on the right across from BF, and J is taking the picture. They set the table with their fine china!
These ladies are so nice, and it’s always nice to see them. BF has met them but only chatted briefly with both. Plus, they like him, too, even though we differ in opinion on a lot of things. They’re not rude about those differences, and they enjoy hearing those other opinions. But this time it was the four of us at their lovely home that’s literally in the woods.
Spicy Calabrian Shrimp!
B requested shrimp. I knew the perfect way to make them: Giada de Laurentiis’ Spicy Calabrian Shrimp. It was pretty easy to transport, too—I just made the marinade in a Ziploc and transported everything in individual bags with an HEB “cold bag” to their house. I also brought 1½ pounds of the bigger shrimp to make sure we had enough.
For dessert, I brought them The Keto Blackberry Cobbler from Emilie Bailey, The Texas Granola Girl. I made it the day before in a take-along pan to avoid dealing with dishes later. The blackberries weren’t yet ripe, so I used previously picked ones from the big freezer. I explained what it was, and that it’s one of our favorites. J said it had a “cornbread-like texture.” I never thought of it that way, but she’s right. It’s the almond flour.
J made some delicious potatoes that we both loved and roasted some asparagus too. BF insists that I get the potato recipe from her and make them exactly as told, no matter what. I did ask, but I haven’t gotten it yet. I’ll ask again soon. J is busy most of the time, so it’s likely she missed that request.
We had a great time, everything was delicious, and it was great to just have a relaxing dinner with these nice ladies. And other than the blackberry cobbler, there were no leftovers. BF knew what to expect, and J&B loved the Italian twist on the shrimp.
Next time we go, I’ve got to pull another rabbit out of my hat.
Recipes from Instagram
If you’re looking to find something new for dinner, Pinterest is great. But so is Instagram. One of the reasons I reluctantly got on Instagram was to follow sewing and lifestyle influencer MimiG. And I just went from there, to friends, bloggers, and brands.
Because I began following more accounts, I’ve been introduced to a much larger group of bloggers and people. By that, I mean that while I might follow a person, they may not have a specific brand. Some of the sewing bloggers I follow are that way—they blog their makes, but they’re not specifically a brand. And along the way, you find and learn new things.
So it’s not a surprise that lots of delicious recipes will cross your path. Thankfully there is a function to save these into a list for later. Mine of course is called “Cooking.” I have several others, including sewing, household things, and pets. But you still must go back and find them when you want them.
Of course, when I asked BF about any IG favorites for this blog, his response was, “I don’t know! You make so many new things to feed me, I can’t keep up!” I’m keeping it simple these days when he’s home for dinner and nudge him to cover the evening meal more often. After his recent two-week vacation, I’m ready to camp out in a coffee shop for a while.
In the interim, I’ve found a few recipes to share. They’re easy and tasty and could even make it to your kitchen this week.
Sara Moulton: Buffalo Chicken Rice
If you’re not familiar with this lady, she’s a veteran of The Food Network and author of four books. On Instagram, she offers quick tips and quick recipes for any night of the week, along with announcements for her upcoming appearances. She also responds to questions from followers.
This quick and simple five-ingredient dinner is easy and fast with flavors of Buffalo Chicken Wings. I asked about cheese substitutions and Mrs. Moulton said “any good melting cheese with flavor would work.” BF doesn’t like blue cheese, so we swapped blue cheese for cheddar. And it worked. Admittedly we haven’t made it since, but I should revisit this soon, because he did enjoy that recipe. She posted it on May 23, 2023, and I made it about a week later. It’s a great “bowl food.” As a one-pot meal, you could even use the Instant Pot on “Saute” and not even turn on the stove.
Carolyn Ketchum, All Day I Dream About Food: Sugar-Free Fudge Pops
Known as FoodDreamer on Instagram, Carolyn has a variety of delicious foods that are keto, low-carb, sugar- and gluten-free. With over 3.8 thousand followers, she must be doing something right. A couple of years ago I made and featured her Mexican Cauliflower Rice on the blog. BF complained about that dish once I told him it contained cauliflower rice. I also got an email complaint from the GER. Lesson learned: don’t tell, and don’t ask.
But last summer, when it was so hot and dry, Carolyn posted her recipe for Sugar-Free Fudge Pops on IG. Carolyn herself lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and family, but specifically mentioned Texas and Louisiana’s very hot and dry weather in her original IG post. I took that as my sign that I’d better make some for us, and I did.
This time, BF didn’t complain one bit and really enjoyed having them. Bonus: I found some unsweetened chocolate chips at the local discount grocery store, and they worked perfectly. I’ve got them sealed in a glass jar for the next time I make these, which could be soon. They take a little bit of effort, but the results are totally worth it once you taste one. Finally, those popsicle molds I’ve had since the mid-1990s are going to get used more often. Need to check her keto ice cream recipes soon so I can use my ice cream maker again, too.
Nati Wendolyne, I Love Natii/Low Carb Love: Cheesy Canned Chicken Nuggets.
Nati is the 13-year-old daughter of California-based Mayra Wendolyne of Low Carb Love, who, like Carolyn Ketchum, also does low-carb/keto food, including desserts. Mayra has her own YouTube channel. Nati has her own IG account that her mother manages, and posts her own recipes as well. The kid gets it, her stuff is pretty darn good.
On Mayra’s website, there is a recipe for 3-Ingredient Chicken Nuggets that looks tasty, but I haven’t tried it yet. Over on IG, Nati posted a similar recipe that I saw last October and have enjoyed ever since.
Cheesy Canned Chicken Nuggets
Now, do you know anyone who buys canned chicken? I don’t, but now I pick up a can or two for the pantry so I can make these occasionally. Why not? It’s ready to go for chicken salad or recipes like this one. It’s not even a “recipe,” really, but it works:
- 1 can of cooked chicken breast, drained well
- 1 egg, beaten
- Some grated cheese (Amy’s favorite: Taco Blend or Mexican Blend)
Drain the chicken well and break it up with a fork. Add the beaten egg (or whisk it in the bowl first, then add the chicken.) Add in some cheese, just enough to make it stick together, then mix well. Yes, “eyeball” the cheese. Heat that air fryer to 400oF and spray the basket interior with cooking spray (or use a liner as Nati does.)
Form the chicken mixture into small nuggets, add them to the air fryer, and cook for about ten minutes or until cooked and crispy. No air fryer? You can also put them into the toaster oven on parchment paper or fry them in a pan.
With my small air fryer, I cook them in two batches, but that’s OK. Dip in some sugar-free Buffalo Sauce or barbecue sauce, and it’s a tasty little keto snack, lunch, or dinner anytime. Although I don’t make them for him, BF has tried one and admits that they’re pretty good. Never overlook those humble cans of cooked chicken again!
Keto Make Simple: Two Ingredient Brownies
I don’t know who owns this account, but there are some tasty-looking things here from multiple sources. Admittedly, some of the recipes are a bit odd, like the ground beef and cheese stuffed into a hollowed-out cabbage posted yesterday. I’ll pass on that one. But a sugar-free two-ingredient brownie recipe caught my attention.
Yes, this is a two-ingredient recipe that works. You need:
- A 10- to 12-ounce bag of sugar-free chocolate chips (Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chips worked great here)
- Four eggs
Add parchment paper into a standard-sized loaf pan (or any type you have around.)
Melt the chocolate chips, but don’t burn or overheat them. Microwave at 30-second intervals and mix them with a spatula until they’re fully melted. Let cool for a minute or two or scrape into a bigger bowl and spread out with the spatula for faster heat release.
Add the four eggs into your blender. Blitz for a few seconds with the lid on. When the chocolate is cooled enough, add a small amount of it to the blender and blend to “temper” the eggs so you don’t cook them. Then add the rest of the melted chocolate, and blend on high until it’s all well incorporated. This takes a little longer than you think, and the mixture will be very thick.
Add to the lined loaf pan and bake at 350oF for 40 minutes. (If you use a different sized pan you may need to adjust your baking time.) Let cool, remove from the pan, and cut into brownies.
They taste as good as they look.
I made these last night and they are delicious. BF wouldn’t try one, so they’re all mine.
BONUS: Hannah Taylor, aka, LilyLouTay: Two If You’re Sexy
I always tell BF “I need a funny.” It’s true, and sometimes he is my funny. And now I can find cooking funnies on Instagram from a lady named Hannah Taylor, aka, LilyLouTay. She lives in rural Georgia with her husband and three children. Recently she posted a video of her making homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies, just like the Little Debbie brand.
You can see the original video here, ending with Hannah’s husband James trying one and getting the cream all over his big fuzzy beard.
Hannah’s catchphrase when adding vanilla: “Two if you’re sexy.” Alternately, “two ’cause we sexy.” But she doesn’t use the phrase in the Oatmeal Cream Pie video, just hints at it: “You know how we roll.” I might make these for BF one day if he wants some. She was having fun making those. Her James always seems to be hungry and loves her cooking. Obviously, it works.
What’s even funnier than Hanna’s video is when Atlanta-based sewing and lifestyle blogger MimiG forwarded the original oatmeal cream pie video on her own Instagram account with a few updates, including adding herself enjoying the video while lying in bed. Mimi is the total opposite of Hannah, a big-city urban Latina girl to Hannah’s rural-gal lifestyle, which makes it even more enjoyable.
How did this happen? Mimi was sick in bed for a few days. While recuperating, Mimi caught Hannah’s video, then got up and made some of these Oatmeal Cream Pies herself. At 11:00 pm! The next day or so Mimi posted the updated video on her own account. That’s when I saw it, went back to see the original, and clicked “Follow.” The recipes are all on Hannah’s LilyLouTay website, including these two.
Guessing Mimi’s husband Norris Danta Ford hit the gym a little harder the next morning. Mimi said they were incredible and she would never buy them again after trying homemade.
Hannah Banana Bread
A week or two later, Hannah posted a video for this Banana Bread recipe, called “Hannah Banana Bread.” Who loves banana bread? BF does. I made a loaf of Hannah Banana Bread (pecans included) for BF while he was on a day trip to New Orleans. Things went wrong, he had help from friends, and he was happy about that banana bread when he got home.
The finished product. Might do a blog post on it one day.
He liked it, and the co-worker who helped him happily took home a couple of slices as well.
Since then, I’ve been following the effervescent Hannah Taylor and her fun videos, too. Warning: no keto or gluten-free here but she’s just so much fun!
Heaven knows I need funny, like this fun unboxing video when she received a gift of new clothes. Hannah’s videos are as funny as they are informative. Her husband James enjoys everything she cooks, at least, on camera, and frequently drops in on camera to add to the fun. Now I’m wondering if he ever disliked anything she made. If not, lucky for Hannah.
More To Come
Why don’t I do any cooking or kitchen videos? Because the kitchen at the Casa de Rurale frequently looks like a crime scene, especially if BF has been cooking. The pictures I show are tightly cropped and edited before I upload them. We don’t want to frighten anyone or invoke any inquiries that end up with someone “checking in.” It’s just the way it works, whether we want to or not. I do the best I can with everything.
I’ve got a cookbook review to finish up, and a few more recipes I’ve made. There may be a few posts in the draft folder I’ve not done yet, like the dehydrator blog. It’s been about a year since I got it and I need to tell you about all the tasty things I’ve made. Mostly, I enjoy the apples tossed with lime juice to prevent browning and sprinkled with cinnamon. Lately I’ve chopped some and mixed them into Greek yogurt, or added frozen blackberries. But recently I tried dehydrating oranges, as I’ll explain in that blog post.
Yes, you can dehydrate orange slices
Yup, they dry out great, but take a while. Tasty!
I’ve had to buy a restaurant-sized bottle of cinnamon to make sure I don’t run out. Time to order more from Fiesta Spices in San Antonio, yes? Of course, the cat doesn’t care:
Because she’s an orange cat, that’s why.
Be back soon. Until then. . .
Happy Dining!
Another wedding! BF and I made it to the wedding of one of BF’s friends, one year after Rafael & Carmen’s lovely affair.
Hi, Again, Dear Readers:
Have you tried one of the new foodie trends yet? No? Me either. BF is glad that I haven’t cajoled him into a Boba Tea shop yet—the local PJ’s Coffee shops and Starbucks in Hammond are enough for him any day.
He likes that PJ’s offers veterans discounts, and some of the tasty things they have, too. Especially in that PJ’s next to the military recruiting stations in Hammond. We did try one of the recent Aldi Finds, Priano tomato and mozzarella gnocchi from Italy. Not bad, but he didn’t care for it. It’s OK, though, we at least tried some.
An Invitation
Once again, we were invited to a wedding. Traveling was about an hour round-trip, and it was a great time. And guess who forgot to get pictures of the food? Yup, your intrepid blogger. But I got pictures of everything else, including me and BF, and the gorgeous wedding cake, too. Note that I was using an iPhone 11, so not all of the pictures are top-quality.
BF has known Ray, usually called “Ray-Ray,” for many years. He’s been to the Casa de Rurale several times, sometimes with his brother Gerald. We’ve not met his wife Angela yet. We only saw her at the wedding and didn’t get a chance to chat.
Then one day BF sent me a text message with a picture of an invitation:
This came by text
Who? What? Upon asking, he confirmed that it was, in fact, Ray-Ray. I was surprised because I didn’t know he was getting married, nor that we would be invited. We made our plans to attend.
Wedding Venue
This wedding was held in The Knights of Columbus Hall in Ponchatoula, a nice-sized venue. I didn’t get to ask who did the décor, and everything was elegantly done. (Even if I didn’t get pictures of the food tables.)
We weren’t told this ahead of time, but it looked like the theme was black and white:
Isn’t it lovely?
Closeup of the place setting in the area reserved for the family.
Each table had a similar arrangement
I think this was the groom’s cake–but I confess, I don’t remember, and I think I forgot to ask, too.
And there was a table and chairs for the couple following the wedding:
We were far across the room for this so I didn’t get any pictures of them here.
A beautiful backdrop for the ceremony:
Lots of pictures were posed here too
Most of the family members wore black and white in keeping with the apparent theme, although there were some exceptions. I was the only one wearing Navy Blue. Later I was told that the far side of the room was reserved for family members, but nobody minded me taking a few pictures before the wedding started.
More venue pictures
This was the card box:
Another part of the family-reserved area:
On the other side of the room, the settings were slightly different but equally elegant:
This was our table
Closeup of the place setting
The bell had a message:
And we did!
The Ceremony
It was short but meaningful, led by the groom’s brother, who is a minister. The bride wore a lovely light grey gown with a corset back and a sparkly tiara.
Isn’t she gorgeous?
The walk took a few minutes:
There wasn’t an actual “aisle” as in a church
Once the bride made it to the wedding arch, they started:
The ceremony begins
I zoomed in for a closer look:
From here, everything starts
Following the ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dantzler:
Married!
There were lots more pictures, and BF and I even posed with them for their photographer. I didn’t get a picture of that, though.
The Wedding Cake!
Ok, just get an eyeful of this beauty:
Beautiful
And that detail:
Check out that detail!
I thought I took a picture of the slices passed to us, but I can’t find it now. We both enjoyed that delicious confection. Oh, the smooth, creamy icing. . .it was just everything you expect in such a rich confection.
The “Wedding Cake” Flavor
Local bakeries have something called “wedding cake flavor.” Anyone who grew up in the New Orleans area knows that it’s the traditional flavor of local wedding cakes. Out-of-towners have no idea.
That distinctive element of wedding cakes of New Orleans—and this one—is the presence of almond flavoring. It’s a local tradition. While the cake at Rafael & Carmen’s wedding was indeed delicious, it did not have almond, or the“wedding cake flavor” you find in and around New Orleans. A Texas baker isn’t likely to know about it, nor would the couple, and probably wouldn’t ask to include it—unless they knew.
I’d forgotten about that until I took a bite of this one and remembered it well. It’s been a while, and you don’t forget that taste. A quick search turned up this article from the local newspaper about that very thing. A small amount of almond extract is added to both the cake and the icing. Not too much, because almond extract is very strong.
At Justin & Bronte’s wedding in 2020, we had a slice of the groom’s cake, not the actual wedding cake. So, I don’t know if the cake was “wedding cake flavored”—we’ll just guess that it did.
Now that I think about it, I want to make some kind of keto cake and icing with almond extract for that taste. Who’s with me?
Champagne, Cocktails and The Dinner Menu
Right after the wedding concluded, champagne servers were walking around and pouring at every table. I had one and was hoping for a second sip but couldn’t find anyone serving anymore. The bar area was making strictly mixed drinks, wine, and beer. I could have had a cocktail, but didn’t, even though BF was doing all the driving that night.
Dinner was. . .barbecue! No kidding, along with mac and cheese, green beans, and a couple of other things (that I don’t remember.) Everything was delicious. (And of course, no pictures of it unless I can cajole them from the groom.)
The man who did the catering was seated at our table and told us he was the one who made everything. No complaints! Everyone enjoyed dinner and the company that came with it at our table.
Dancing After Dinner
The one thing I heard the most was, “The music’s too loud.” Admittedly, it was kind of on the loud side, but all the DJs do that now, right?
Gerald was sitting at our table with a nice elderly lady, who pointed out one song sung by the sister of R&B musician R. Kelly. (Yes, that guy.) I thought the lady said her name was “Sheila,” but I can’t find it now. It was a pretty good song, but I was completely unfamiliar with the music myself. A lot was going on that night.
After dinner, folks were getting up and dancing. I should say some folks were getting up and dancing. BF was not one of them, nor were most where we were seated. I hate to say it this way, but the white folks were kind of boring, and everyone else was having fun.
After a few of BF’s odd looks, I got up and danced with some of the ladies and tried my best to learn their dance moves on the fly. They were friendly and gave me some help. If I’d had a bit more time I would have gotten the moves down.
And then the music changed, and everyone danced a different step.
Gerald showed his amusement when he saw me get up and attempt dancing with the ladies on the floor. Guess I should have danced with him once. They’ve been to the Casa de Rurale since the wedding. They haven’t forgotten and let me know about that.
Should have started dancing with the ladies long before I did.
My Outfit
Ever the fashionista, I wore the same Badgley Mischka cocktail dress from Rafael & Carmen’s wedding—because why not?
Isn’t it fabulous? (It is now out of print.)
I finally got around to hand-sewing a bunch of snaps onto the drape and the fringe so I could remove the fringe later. I don’t even want to know how many snaps I sewed by hand, and it took me a while to get them all on so that the drape looked right.
Three years after Justin and Bronte’s wedding, I finally finished the Navy blue birdcage headpiece I originally planned to wear to their wedding, and also planned to wear to Rafael and Carmen’s. I made it from this out-of-print Simplicity pattern of accessories.
Mine is at the top right, View D
Amy’s cheat: I bought the white flowers already made from Hobby Lobby and cut the stems short instead of making the flowers. The Russian veiling I ordered from Etsy, where you can get things like that in nearly any color. One day maybe I’ll attempt that fascinator, View E, in a deep red.
I thought it would look good with the Badgley Mischka dress during the ceremony. Then, I would remove it for the reception, carefully tucking it into a bag and in my purse. And I would have, but BF put up a big fuss about it, insisting that it would look “funny.”
He said this looked “funny.”
So, I didn’t wear it inside the venue. It stayed in a bag in our vehicle.
Not a good picture of us, but here we are. The DJ is directly behind us in the corner.
Honestly, I should have worn it anyway. I’m not taking fashion advice from a mechanic again.
A second opinion
Later, I posted those pictures of the pattern and veil on Facebook, both on my page and in McCall’s sewing group. Carmen said on FB that she wanted a birdcage but couldn’t find one she liked. She might have gotten me to make one had she known I could. Wouldn’t that have been fun if we were both wearing the same headpiece in different colors?
Responses were mostly positive in both places, except for one troll in the Facebook group who wasn’t paying attention and felt the need to remind me that “only the bride wears white.” Not only did I not wear white, but neither did the bride, her beautiful dress was very light silver gray. DUH, lady.
BF, of course, wore khaki trousers and a white/blue checked Izod dress shirt like this one.
Source: Amazon
Can’t tell you how old it is, only that I’m tasked with occasionally ironing it for him.
Another lovely wedding
Each wedding is unique and reflects the personalities of the couple getting married. As nice as each one we attended was, the only thing they all had in common was a man and a woman getting married, and a big cake. The details were all completely different and made each occasion special for everyone who attended. Each had its own vibe. There is no comparison of one to the other.
Like the previous two we’ve attended, everything went perfectly. Everyone had a great time and were all happy to see them get married. Ray and Angela’s elegant affair was just a half-hour drive home for us this time with no toll roads. Eventually, I’ll have our pictures printed up in a little Shutterfly book. As soon as I am finished with the book for the last one we attended.
We wish them a long and happy life together and thank them for their gracious invitation to a lovely evening.
Congratulations to Ray and Angela!
Zucchini is one of those plants that overloads gardens. I was gifted some recently, and didn’t make zucchini bread. Plus a tribute to the late Suzanne Somers, RIP.
Hello again, Dear Readers:
It’s been a month, and I apologize. I’ve got several things to tell you, but I’ll have to limit that in this blog.
Finally, fall has arrived, and the temperatures have gone below 100 degrees every day. So far, our highs have been in the mid-80s, but we’ve had some chillier weather than that. It doesn’t last too long, but it’s enough to make us turn the heater at night sometimes.
Following last month’s trip to Trader Joe’s, one of my copywriting clients’ project managers BN told me that she was able to get some of Trader Joe’s coveted pumpkin spice body butter. She lives in coastal Florida, and apparently near a Trader Joe’s that’s not near LSU or other place with college students. I am so jealous! Well, OK, just a little jealous. I am enjoying the body scrub, though.
Much has happened since my last post.
Come and Knock On Our Door. . . .
By now, you’ve heard the sad news that Suzanne Somers has passed away from an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was an actress, author, gourmet cook, health advocate, entrepreneur, and businesswoman. I was a huge fan, and I still am, but did not know the lady personally. Long-time readers know that I have and love all her cookbooks, along with several of her other books. I know there are a few of her books that I don’t have, but I should probably get and read. We don’t have Half Price Books here, so I can’t get them cheap anymore.
She passed one day before her 77th birthday, holding her husband’s hand. Her family was at the house to celebrate her birthday with her. They had a beautiful heart-shaped purple cake made for her with lots of white piping.
Her husband and business partner of more than 50 years, Alan Hamel, and her son, Bruce, along with family members, lit candles and blew them out in a short video posted to Instagram on her birthday (Monday October 16th. ) Just prior to the birthday cake video, Alan and Bruce did a 14-minute interview with Entertainment Tonight about her passing, her legacy, her love of cake, and how they will move forward and keep her legacy going. If you have a few minutes, give it a watch.
The Legacy
Many people only know Suzanne Somers as an actress, primarily as Chrissy Snow from Three’s Company. The show is still in reruns, and there is currently a channel on streaming service Pluto TV that runs the show 24/7. I’ve watched a few of them this week. If you’re interested, you don’t have to register, you can start watching either live TV or on-demand on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, smart TV, or Roku. (You may be able to watch it on an Amazon Fire Stick, but I don’t know.)
Note: Pluto has plenty of classic TV shows to watch, including a channel of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. Hint: He’s still funny, especially if you remember the events he’s talking about in his monologue. I haven’t seen one yet where Suzanne Somers is on, but there are three on YouTube, plus a number of more recent clips.
Of course, there were more acting roles later, plus stints in Las Vegas, a Broadway show called The Blonde in the Thunderbird, and most recently, a stint on Dancing With The Stars in 2015. Never mind that she was a headliner in Las Vegas, danced and sang on TV and in USO shows, not to mention the legions of her longtime fans like me who repeat-dial voted for her on the show. She was voted off rather quickly, which I thought was, well, not nice. But her performances are all on YouTube, and her partner on the show, Tony Dovolani, also spoke with ET after she passed.
The Business of Suzanne Somers
Beyond her acting, She was also an author of 27 books, many of them best sellers. The last one I have was her book called Two’s Company, on her 50-plus year long relationship with her husband, Canadian talk show host Alan Hamel. She discusses a wide range of topics related to their relationship, including the business side of being “Suzanne Somers.” It’s truly a family business with nearly everyone involved in some fashion.
Over the years Suzanne sold a wide range of products on her website besides the obvious. For several years she had some lovely violet serving dishes named after her granddaughter Violet. She had small kitchen appliances, including a bread maker, a hand mixer (I still have mine and it works great), an ice cream maker, a small countertop convection rotisserie oven, a stovetop pressure cooker (this was before the Instant Pot) a deep fryer, an ice shaver, and several other things I can’t remember now. They are well-made, of course, but they still remind me of Suzy Homemaker appliances.
The books, the famous (or infamous) Thighmaster (yes, I have one), the 3Way Poncho (I have a few, and they are still available from some vendors as well as resellers eBay and Mercari) and a wide range of food, supplements and other products on her own website, SuzanneSomers.com. Her products aren’t cheap, but they aren’t rubbish, either. I was a big fan of SomerSweet, but as I wrote about several years ago, that’s gone now, and Swerve can be used in its place.
I’ll be making my birthday cake from Suzanne’s Desserts book this week. Instead of SomerSweet, of course, I’ll be using Swerve. And we’ll have a slice to celebrate the lady who did it all with grace, right up to the end.
The Zucchini
So, last week, BF came home with a bag full of great big zucchini and two crookneck squash, and said, “T says hi.” That’s one of his car guy friends, and apparently knew I would appreciate them. Because BF doesn’t eat anything called squash, including zucchini, spaghetti, or acorn, my favorites, and will let me know about it immediately.
I can only wish I had such an abundance of zucchini that I had to give it away. But I’m happy to accept the wonderful gift of excess from those fortunate enough to have such a nice garden surplus. One of these days, I keep telling BF, we’re going to have a fantastic garden from which we enjoy a great harvest.
Here’s how it ties into the late Suzanne Somers.
Zucchini Ribbons
My first thought was to make some zucchini noodles from Suzanne Somers’ Fast & Easy book (the purple one.) I haven’t made that in a very long time, and it’s simple. Cut the ends off the zucchini, then use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin ribbons. When you get too far in to keep using the peeler, just thinly slice the remainder with a sharp knife on a cutting board until you’re done. Cook in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper until they’re just done. Delicious.
You can cook as many zucchinis this way as you like at once. Eat them as is, or add them to any kind of pasta sauce you like. Fast & Easy was published before the veggie noodle makers became popular, and in a later book she uses zucchini “noodles” made from her own Su-Chef appliance. It wasn’t available for long, apparently, and it isn’t even available on eBay or Mercari, but I did find a picture.
I Thought About Her
As I took the book off the shelf, I wondered how Suzanne was doing. I remembered that she’d been ill again, but I was sure she would be getting better. Is she writing a new book? There probably won’t be any more cookbooks, I thought, but an important topic, for sure. But I knew it would be an interesting subject, well-researched and well-written, like Tox-Sick. Admittedly, I didn’t get her last book but will source it for my shelves soon.
The next day, BF sent me a message on Facebook Messenger that she’d passed away, one day before her 77th birthday. The breast cancer she’d been fighting for more than 20 years finally overtook her.
The next night, I made a Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake from Get Skinny on Fabulous Food, page 246.
For breakfast one day last week, I made some of Alan’s Fried Eggs In Onion Nests on page 115 for us to enjoy with breakfast. Hint: open the windows and turn on your exhaust fan before you get started cooking the onions.
I also want to purchase Served By Caroline Somers, Suzanne’s daughter-in-law, chief chef, and right-hand-gal in the business for thirty-plus years. Her stepdaughter, Leslie Hamel, is a fashion designer who designed the 3Way Poncho, as well as hundreds of Suzanne’s red-carpet items and many pieces of her clothing lines. I own a few 3Way Ponchos and made some from a Simplicity pattern published shortly after the released. There’s some fabric in my stash that will be perfect to make a couple more.
The Rest: Zucchini Sotolio
I only cooked that one zucchini on Saturday night, because I had a plan for the rest of them. I’ve done this before, but just never quite got around to posting the recipe. This recipe is *not* from Suzanne Somers, but from TV chef Giada de Laurentiis. It’s on page 226 of Giada’s Italy: My Recipes For La Dolce Vita, called Zucchini Sotolio. It’s not difficult, and it’s a great way to make those garden extras last a bit longer.
First, you cut the zucchini into 1/3” rounds. Drop them in the colander, sprinkle salt over them, and let them sit for ten minutes.
There were a couple of yellow zucchini in the bag.
But because I was sitting with BF, it ended up more like 30 minutes. But the salt seasons them nicely.
While that’s going on, boil up 1½ cups of water and 1½ cups of apple cider vinegar in a big pot.
Now, open up a window, (or turn on the exhaust fan) because it’s going to smell in your kitchen and your house if you don’t. Trust me on this, I speak from experience here. Especially with someone around like BF who can’t stand the smell of vinegar at all.
Add in your sliced zucchini and turn the heat down to a simmer:
Yes, there were some yellow ones, and they tasted the same.
Cook the slices for about five minutes, until they’re cooked but not mushy and overdone.
If you have as much as I was given, you’ll need to cook them in batches.
Then take them out:
And put them into a bowl.
You may find they’re still kind of watery, so you might want to drain that off too. Add in the mint leaves, basil leaves, chopped garlic:
And a tablespoon more of apple cider vinegar:
Toss the zucchini to mix in the rest of the ingredients. Leave them to cool for a little while.
And here comes the fun part: cover them with olive oil:
The recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil, but I didn’t have enough. So, I just used regular olive oil.
When you have enough oil, pack them in jars or just store them in the fridge in a tightly sealed container:
This is a container I like to use for the freezer, with a rubber gasket in the lid and snapping closure tabs.
This delicious recipe will stay in your fridge for about three weeks. Serve them at room temperature. Giada says that having a jar or two of this around means you’ll always have a “quick side.” It’s also good as a starter or part of an antipasto spread. Got eggplant? It works here too, just grill the eggplant first. (No, I still hate eggplant.)
Here’s the recipe if this looks like something you’d like to try soon.
Zucchini Sottolio
From Giada's Italy, page 226. This recipe has bold, tangy flavors that make the zucchini really shine.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds zucchini sliced into ⅓ inch rounds (about 3 small zucchini)
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ cups apple cider vinegar plus one tablespoon for the end
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (Amy's note: optional)
- 2 to 3 cups extra-virgin olive oil (Amy's note: I used regular this time)
Instructions
- Place the sliced zucchini in a colander that is set over a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss well to combine. Allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 1½ cups of water with 1½ cups of apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the salted zucchini to the pot and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is cooked through but still has a little texture. Drain the zucchini and place it in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mint, basil, garlic and red pepper flakes to the zucchini, and toss well. Add enough olive oil to cover the zucchini and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Pack the zucchini in jars or a storage container with a tight-fitting lid, making sure the zucchini is fully covered with the oil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
Fancy another cuppa?
I’ve got another tea blog coming, but I’m not saying anything just yet. But it will be interesting—and very strong.
Enjoy!
Welcome to 2023! Yes, another year. What are you going to do, go back to the ’80s? Not happening. Embrace 2023 for what it is, and hope that it’s going to get better. (Yes, the Amazon affiliate links are live.)
Hello Again, Dear Readers:
Happy New Year! We made it to another year, and more importantly, through another holiday season. Anytime you can make it through a difficult time, I say, raise a glass and toast yourself. Even if it’s milk. The holidays are difficult for a handful of reasons, even though most people wouldn’t admit to it.
I realize that it has been more than six weeks since my last blog post, and for that, I apologize. This post has been sitting in the draft folder and I’ve been picking at it for more than a week. I have a couple of blog posts planned about our trip to Houston back in November, I just haven’t been able to sit down and finish them. Since we got back, we’ve had a lot happen, much of it boring.
We Got Sick, Again
I don’t know what the heck happened, but we caught some kind of bug not long after we returned and were laid up for a few days. I was coughing for at least a couple more weeks after it was over. We’re OK, and we didn’t need a doctor, just time to let it run its course.
I posted about it on Facebook, and a lady up north said that in her doctor’s office, they were seeing a lot of people with a “cold they just can’t kick.” Coughing was included, so I presumed we had the same “super-cold” we’d been reading about.
Of course, that set everything back more than a couple of days, too.
Another Freeze!
We made it through the holiday freeze just fine and did not lose power. However, others were not so fortunate. We were ready with our space heaters and other preparations just like we did for the last one nearly two years ago. Fortunately, we had nothing to worry about. But you never know with these things. We realized that we were much more fortunate than others. We got cold, but not “Buffalo cold.” That is, Buffalo NY, where things literally froze over.
Multiple stories of everyday heroism emerged from Buffalo. One described how a lady and her boyfriend brought home a 64-year-old man to keep him from freezing to death. She didn’t have to do that, but she did, and saved his life. She was able to notify his family and get him to a hospital, where he was later reunited with his family.
But the cold didn’t stop me from doing a little cookie baking for friends:
Delicious but REALLY messy!
That’s Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Christmas Cookie recipe from Nigella Christmas. I dropped off two batches during the day on Christmas Eve, then visited an elderly couple that evening to drop off the rest. Ended up helping them out a little more than we expected, but that’s OK, we were glad to help them. The recipe always comes out just right. Not all of them came out perfectly round, so there was some “quality control” involved. Thanks, Honey.
Turkey Day
At Thanksgiving, Winn-Dixie had turkeys on sale if you belong to their Rewards program. We bought a 16-pound turkey for under $8.
It really did ring up $7.93.
Because it was just us, we decided to cut the turkey into parts and just cook half and freeze the rest. Known as spatchcocking, we cut the backbone out first, then cut through the breastbone, separating the two sides and freezing one of the breast parts. We also separated one of the leg quarters with a wing and froze that too. Mostly, we just needed it to fit into Ziploc bags.
Thankfully BF was home on Thanksgiving because I needed his help doing this. That bird wasn’t going to split up easily, and he very nearly went out to his workshop and got his Sawzall reciprocating saw to cut through the bones. I think I would need to set up the tripod to record that incident because there’s no way anyone would believe it. Especially the attending physician in the emergency room. Fortunately, we got the bird cut into parts with great difficulty and without incident.
I still can’t find turkey thighs here. I really want to buzz back to HEB and buy a case for our freezer. Maybe one day. Or at least the Rouses or Whole Foods in Baton Rouge.
Christmas Day
For Christmas, we had another part of that turkey. (There’s a leg quarter and wing still frozen. Maybe for Easter?) I also gave BF a DVD of the old Mel Brooks film, History of the World, Part 1.
This movie is over 40 years old now
He’s a fan of Brooks’ earlier films but had never seen this one. Immediately, he cracked open the wrapper and sat down to watch the film. He really enjoyed it, and it was all new to him.
What did he get me, you ask? A small but sharp pocketknife. No kidding:
Yes, he really did.
I asked about the reasoning for such a gift. He responded, “because you’re always using mine. It’s for opening all those Amazon packages.” I resent the implication that I order so much from Amazon because I don’t. But anytime I get a package from anywhere, his collection of pocket knives is always on the little table. Now I have my own, and it’s sharp, too.
He never said he was sentimental, and, well, the knife is. . .practical. I still cook him dinner.
Also managed to get one of Starbucks’ delicious Cranberry Bliss Bars this holiday season. They’re more than double the price they were when I first found them in 2007. But as always, there are recipes available for making your own; just pick one.
Holiday Apparel
The one thing I couldn’t leave behind in Houston was this gorgeous t-shirt from HEB:
Isn’t it fab??
And I wore it Christmas Day, with an apron while I was cooking. It’s now washed and hanging up for next Christmas. I couldn’t interest BF in the sweaters that Winn-Dixie was selling, half price right before the holidays:
I don’t understand why BF didn’t snap one up when they went half price!
Yes, they really sold these, and marked them down to $14.99 later. I haven’t seen anyone wearing any, though. Maybe the store employees bought them for the freeze. I guess it was a part of their promotion with the “Winn Win Twins.” Don’t ask.
But BF did like this from our local Tractor Supply on sale after Christmas:
Cute, isn’t it?
Suddenly, BF has a supply of Bigfoot Merch. If ever we exhume BF’s Christmas tree from the back room, we’ll hang that right where it’s visible. It goes with his BigFoot t-shirt and the lovely collection of BigFoot gifts his brother gave him.
The Somewhat Traditional New Year’s
We haven’t really made any resolutions for 2023, so it’s easy to say that we haven’t broken any, too. And we never got to go through the pantry or the back room, despite BF being on vacation for an unexpected two weeks. He planned one vacation week, and somehow, it turned into a second week. He watched quite a lot of TV, especially after I loaned him my older Roku device. Wish I hadn’t done that.
He’s now obsessed with Tubi, Crackle, Peacock, Paramount, The Roku Channel, and other great streaming sources. When he discovered I had the YouTube channel, he threatened to start watching BigFoot videos in my YouTube account so they’d show up in my feed. I very nearly took it away from him right then. I’ll be “repossessing” that device very soon.
Still A Sunday Dinner
As I’ve done in past years, I made Stephanie O’Dea’s wonderful slow-cooker Black Eye Pea Chili for us along with some coleslaw for myself. We can make this chili any time of year, but we only seem to make it at the New Year. Really, it’s tasty anytime and easy to make. I used the Instant Pot for browning the meat, onions, and garlic, removed them, wiped out the cooking pot, then went back to the recipe. Put the glass lid on it, set it to slow cook, and R2-D2 had dinner ready on time.
I froze half of the chili for another time. Otherwise, we were home all day and I got some work done for clients. I think I did a little bit of sewing in the evening, too.
If you are of a mind to make fitness resolutions, Sunny Health and Fitness is having a sale both on their own website and in their Amazon store. Still under $100 is the original Row & Ride, as well as the higher-end version of the same thing. Yes, I still have mine, and I dust it occasionally. I am planning to return to using it regularly, soon as I get a big bottle of Aleve.
Happy Birthday, Broccoli Stirfry
It’s been just about a year since BF brought home this little rodent at the tender age of eight weeks:
Look at that FACE!!
Now this derp (aka “weirdo”) weighs 65 pounds.
He just doesn’t get it. That was one day when it was below freezing.
On his backside, you can see slight colorations from the Catahoula input. He’s still chewing everything in sight, which recently included the remote for BF’s years-old DVD player:
Yup, he did it.
It’s easily replaceable, we just haven’t done that yet. The dog has also chewed wood furniture, a door frame, a roll of electrical tape, the Dash dog treat maker, and a whole bunch of other things he suddenly found within his reach. He’s stopped short of boring a hole in the wall.
You know those winter memes telling you to bring your pets inside, because “if you’re cold, they’re cold?” Broccoli Stirfry doesn’t get that, he wants to play. But we drag him in any way. Generally, when I get near him with the leash, he knows it’s time to stop playing “Stick” or chasing leaves and go back inside. Once I hook him up, he politely walks inside with me.
Because if I don’t hook up that leash, he’ll continue to run high-speed circles around the house and around the property until he falls asleep. And you cat people thought only the felines did “zoomies.” Nope—this guy was trained by a cat:
Isn’t she cute?
And paws like one, too.
It’s coming up on a year since BF bought him from a guy he knows through work and brought the little cutie pie home. He loves to tell the guy that he wants his $20 back on the “defective dog.” Nope, he’s all ours, and we’re stuck with him.
Houston IKEA Reconnaissance
During our Houston trip, we paid a visit to the hallmark of Swedishness, IKEA. Still on I-10 at the Antoine-Silber exit, we spent at least three hours checking out everything. The purpose of visiting IKEA was to get an idea of what’s available, and what might be good for the future kitchen whenever we get to do some updating. (It’s not anytime soon.) Planting seeds of ideas, really. I did get some small house things, but there were no big purchases like furniture.
We had lunch in the upstairs café, and my IKEA Family card still got me some free coffee. Before we had lunch, I was able to get something else—a picture of that look BF gets when presented with something he’s not entirely sure of:
He’s got *that* look
I first saw this look when he looked into the pantry after I moved in and he saw it full of stuff he didn’t understand. I showed the picture to one of our local friends and she said, “he looks like he’s getting old! Are you giving him all that grey hair?” Poor BF was way out of his element at first. Eventually, he enjoyed his trip through IKEA Houston.
He’s become more enlightened
As you can see, he’s now fully embracing his inner Swede. (No Swedish accent yet.)
Up Next: Valentine’s Day 2023
Valentine’s Day is in about a month. If you’re so inclined, give some thought to a dinner date with your significant other. Dinner out is usually crowded and problematic, so consider dinner at home. This post includes some tasty desserts that would fit the bill. There’s also this small chocolate cake that I tried two years ago. I’ll start asking BF what he’d like to have this year. Hopefully, the entertainment will be better than last year.
And if you and your S/O like the Cranberry Bliss Bars during the holiday season, it wouldn’t be a bad move to make them in February. This copycat recipe suggests heart-shaped cookie cutters.
Williams-Sonoma has its usual collection of heart-shaped and high-end cookware for Valentine’s Day. Of course, they’re not a requirement, but they are pretty to look at for a while. Less expensive models are available on Amazon, like this one from Martha Stewart for $80 and this one from Miamo for $75. If you like that sort of thing.
Should a Galentine’s Day party be on your itinerary—a party just for females to celebrate friendship in lieu of having a partner—start planning now. Nothing wrong with enjoying time with friends.
And if you’re going to be alone for that Tuesday, well, that’s OK too. Been there, done that, and you can either ignore the whole thing or enjoy a nice dinner by yourself in front of the TV, or meet with friends who are also unattached. Have a little chocolate of your choosing while you’re at it. Should Starbucks resurrect the Molten Chocolate Latte, I highly recommend getting one if you’re in the vicinity. Not sure if the bottled version is still available, but with a recipe, you can get one made by request.
Coming In 2023 (Hopefully)
I’m overdue to write about Rafael and Carmen’s beautiful wedding in November, as well as the rest of our Houston trip. I’ll start that soon. They’ll be celebrating their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple this year. Rafael said he was running around on Christmas Eve getting ingredients for Carmen to bake these Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies on Christmas Day. Aunt Ruth asked for the recipe, so I emailed it to her. I need to try those for BF one of these days, too.
Even though “winter weather” alternates between warm and cold here in the South, don’t put the coats away just yet. Heck, even Florida was freezing at Christmas, and it could happen again. Keep these two soup recipes handy for the day you need something warm for dinner and don’t want to mess with too much. Or if you’re doing Meatless Mondays.
I’m always looking for new and interesting topics, so I’ll be bringing those to you as well. Until then. . . .
Happy Dining!
Chocolate cake in a single serving is always a good thing, especially when it’s keto. I’ve got a quick and easy chocolate mug cake that you can make and enjoy anytime.
Hi again, Dear Readers:
It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and for that, I apologize. We did a little traveling, and it’s been go-go-go since we got back. Maybe I need to listen to Stephanie O’Dea’s Slow Living Podcast, if I could find the time. I’ll tell you more about our trip in a future blog post.
I intended to post this much earlier. With the Holidays bearing down on us there’s a lot happening for nearly everyone. Things are about to get very busy and complicated for many people. As I was once told by a former supervisor at Boeing, “we’re getting into the time of year where a month is not a month.” For those working in the corporate sector, it means vacations, either yours or someone else’s. Many people will be gone for days, and probably when you need them the most. That’s been my experience, so be forewarned.
But at the Casa de Rurale, we’re debating on whether we want to tackle that backroom area where all the Christmas stuff is stored behind a bunch of other things or leave it for another year. I’m guessing we’re probably going to try later.
Meantime, let me catch you up on our recent happenings.
My Birthday
Before our trip, it was my birthday. I did make a Swerve chocolate keto cake, although we didn’t “do” anything because we had a trip the next week. I made some chocolate buttercream icing from Suzanne Somers’ book Somersize Desserts but using the same 1:1 sweetener you see in this post. Then rushed the process so the icing’s texture was a bit clumpy:
Chocolate birthday cake!
But it was still delicious and we enjoyed a keto/low-carb/Somersized (sort of) chocolate cake. Earlier in the day, I made it to Starbucks for my birthday treat:
The protein box wouldn’t ring up, so it ended up being the drink that was free. I was also running errands so I needed a bite.
The Banana Rat Gets Married
We went to Houston for a few days, finally. It was a short trip with multiple mishaps, but we made it there and back just fine. After hiring a local sitter on the Rover app, we solved the problem of who to ask to take care of things while we were gone.
Yup. This little cutie loves to sneak outside. Thank heavens she’s chipped.
We couldn’t see everyone and go everywhere, but we did make it to our intended destination and made a few in-person visits. Zoom calls just aren’t the same. It was good to see some folks after so long away. BF was his usual very entertaining self.
The focus of the trip: our favorite web guy, Rafael, aka “Banana Rat,” recently married his longtime partner, Carmen. It was a beautiful wedding at an incredibly gorgeous place called The Springs of Magnolia. The venue is in Magnolia TX, north of Katy, and about a 45-minute drive north from Katy on the Grand Parkway.
Their wedding was at the Stonebridge venue. The actual ceremony was outside, with cocktail hour on the porch including delicious appetizers, then the full reception inside. The building is nestled in a grove of pine trees with fountains and bridges for picturesque views. Pinehaven has a long porch area that goes around the entire building. The weather was perfect, and I’ll tell you more about the wedding and the wonderful food in a future blog post.
Meantime, here’s a picture that Rafael put on social media not long after the wedding.
They just look so good together.
I managed a selfie with Rafael during the busy reception, too:
My buddy and “Boeing Brother.”
We took our own pictures, of course, and were close enough to get some great shots. I’ve since shared them with Rafael, once I figured out the most efficient method to do that. More in a future blog post.
The Double Chocolate Mug Cake
I’m piggybacking on my last blog post about the new book Easy Dirty Keto by Emilie Bailey. I decided to try this recipe after I published that blog. I intended to publish either before we left for Houston, or right after we got back. That didn’t happen. Finally, when I’m caught up a little bit, I have the time to finish up.
To make things easy, I’ll put the printable recipe right here so you can print your own copy. It’s an easy, fast recipe, and it takes just a few minutes. If you don’t have sugar-free chocolate chips on hand, you can skip it—because, let’s face it, you may just snack on the chocolate chips anyway. There’s also an unusual ingredient that you might not be expecting, but it works well here.
Double Chocolate Mug Cake
A fast, easy, keto dessert from Easy Dirty Keto by Emilie Bailey, page 142
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Keto yellow cake mix (from a box) See note below if you don't have a box of this
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp water
- 1 tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a mug, combine cake mix with cocoa powder and mix well. Add mayo, egg, and water; stir well to combine. Mix in the chocolate chips
- Put the mug into the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute to 1 minute and 20 seconds, until the cake is firm but still glossy. If you're using a large mug, you may need to cook for a few more seconds.
- Top as desired and enjoy.
- NOTE: if you do not have a boxed keto cake mix, stir together 2 tablespoons of almond flour, 1 tablespoon of 1:1 granulated sweetener, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix together, then proceed with Step 1.
Now let me show you how to make one when you just really need some chocolate cake.
How To Make It
Like many of the mug cake recipes you see on Pinterest, Instagram, and other places, there are only two steps here, and the third is optional.
The setup
First, you mix the cake mix and the cocoa powder in a cup.
Just a little
Then add the wet ingredients: mayonnaise, egg, and two teaspoons of water.
Yes, mayo. No, you can’t taste it.
Stir it well, then stir in the chocolate chips if you’re using them.
Just a tablespoon
Stir them in:
Next, microwave it on high for one minute to one minute and 20 seconds. Emilie says, “until the cake is firm but still glossy.” A larger mug takes a few more seconds or a microwave that’s not as powerful. I think our microwave takes one minute and 30 seconds to be completely done. Just don’t cook it too long.
Easy!
At this point, you can sprinkle on a little bit more of the 1:1 sweetener, you could put a little whipped cream on it, or just eat it as is. I usually skip the embellishments because I think it’s fine right out of the microwave. But if you put, say, some sugar-free raspberry preserves on top when it’s done, I won’t judge.
Mayonnaise In Cake?
Yes, you read that right, and I’m guessing Aunt Ruth and Aunt Kathy are nodding their heads in agreement. I’ve heard of it before, but never tried it myself, until now. And, honestly, I thought it was a horrible idea. But Emilie comments in the book that she’s tried multiple recipes for cake in a cup but they tended to be too dry or too “eggy.” The addition of a tablespoon of mayo makes it rich and fudgy, just like a cake should be. You don’t taste the mayo, honest.
No, I haven’t told BF.
You can read more about mayo in cakes in this article on Epicurious’ website with links to other recipes, including this one by BestFoods/Hellman’s using their own mayo. Apparently it’s a “secret ingredient” in chocolate and other cakes that gives it richness and moistness. Here’s another chocolate mayo cake recipe from Taste of Home. Warning: unlike Emilie’s recipe, these cakes aren’t keto, and are both whole cakes.
The Keto Cake Mix Dilemma
Like many people, I haven’t bought much in the way of prepared keto products. There are so many keto things in most grocery stores now. Of course, you must read through everything to know if it really is keto or just something with the “keto” name pasted on it. I’ve seen a few things that claimed to be keto, but they contained wheat or other things in them that disqualified them from being “keto.” But then again, there’s “dirty” keto, too, but I don’t want wheat at all.
What I really like about this recipe, and what made me try it, was Emily’s note to tell you how to make it with other ingredients. Well, I had them, and I appreciated the note on making them without buying a full box of cake mix. Since discovering this little variable, I’ve enjoyed this chocolate cake in a mug several times.
Instead of the boxed mix, you simply whisk together 2 tablespoons of almond flour, one tablespoon of granulated 1:1 sweetener, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt for your cake base.
The setup, part 2
That replaces the three tablespoons of the boxed yellow keto cake mix. Just mix it up and proceed with the recipe.
Just Like this
Easy!
Ready For A Little Keto Chocolate Cake?
Really, I wish I’d done this before, but I’m glad I finally got around to trying this recipe.
Miss Alice has not had the pleasure of making any recipes from the book yet, but she’s planning on doing some while she’s off for Thanksgiving break. I highly recommended this recipe and a couple of others to her so that she and her daughter don’t have to rely on mac and cheese or some other “instant” thing when they get home at night. But they still haven’t gotten around to using a slow cooker during the week just yet.
This chocolate cake is an easy and fast keto dessert that makes just one serving whenever you’re ready. You don’t have to make an entire cake, just one little cup of cake. And isn’t that what you need sometimes just to hit the spot?
Enjoy!
