The Spice Satchel

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

kahlua

Mmm, coffee with kahlua. mmm, kahlua and cream. Mmm, kahlua. Making kahlua is actually easy, it just takes some time. There are a ton of recipes on the internet. Most of them use instant coffee, and after you make it, it needs about a month to sit, settle, and get ready. It makes great holiday gifts.

The recipe I've used the last several years goes like this:

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
10 teaspoons instant coffee
3 cups vodka
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Simmer water, sugar & coffee for 1 hour in a large pot. It will thicken, and the sugar and coffee will dissolve. Let cool (if it's cold outside I usually stick it outside to cool faster).
Add vanilla & vodka. Bottle in sanitized bottles, let sit for a month, shaking every so often to mix.

Of course, I used Via for the instant coffee. it did a great job! (One pack per teaspoon)

Monday, December 19, 2011

not just any chocolate cake

Amy is 22! I made her a cake. A huge cake. A Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake. It was my first layer cake from scratch! I was so excited to make it for her. :)
I bought a new cake pan, because I only had two, and it had to have 3 layers! I also wanted Paul to be able to enjoy it with everyone else (of course!) so I searched for cake recipes that sounded fudgey and delicious, and were dairy free. I found this one on simply recipes.
I also used cake flour instead of all-purpose flour- 1 cup + 2 Tbls for each cup of regular flour called for in the recipe, and Ghirardelli cocoa powder- really super soft, I've never felt cocoa so soft.
I put on my apron, and got started. The good thing is, you put the layers in the freezer until you are ready to frost them, so I could bake them before Amy even got here- surprise! I love surprises :)

Then the frosting search. dairyfree.org gave me a chocolate frosting recipe that I already had, in a cookbook from Paul's sister, Sara. This frosting has honey in it, which I had never considered before. Excellent idea! Very creamy and smooth frosting!

I also kind of wanted a filling frosting that would make the cake more worthy of the "fudge" in the title. When there wasn't enough frosting for all three layers anyway, I had another frosting in waiting. It is made with granulated sugar and chocolate chips instead of powdered sugar and cocoa powder.


copyright: Cori 2011

Luckily, I wanted to put something chocolate on the frosting to decorate it, so I had chocolate chips. I found mini chocolate chips-perfect! Then, it was time to frost! We threw the chocolate chips at the side of the cake to decorate the edge, "Just chuck it!"
Huge, frosting filled, and yummy!

It was a success! I love when things turn out :) Yum! So good with coffee.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

soup!

We got a new stock pot! It is gigantic! There is going to be so much more soup in our future. Every time we buy a turkey, we use the bones to make stock for turkey noodle soup. Shortly after buying the stock pot, we found a ham on sale, so our first soup was ham bone potato/tomato soup. Very yummy. I had a bad cold when we had this soup, so I also added some honey liquor we got from Patrick and Holly after Patrick went to Poland. I would definitely recommend small amounts of this anytime you have a cold.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

pumpkin seeds!

Roasted pumpkin seeds, from a pumpkin grown on my sister's, Koleen, farm! Awesome!

So simple- once you get all the pumpkin goo off of course.

Thanks Amy!

I am still munching on them now.

Heat oven to 300-325 degrees.

Toss clean seeds with a little olive oil and sea salt.

Bake in single layer on cookie sheet for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until brown and toasty.

Crunch away.

bearded baby

Jess, a friend from work, asked me one day if I could make a hat for her nephew. She and her parents saw one in a magazine they just "Had to have!" She sent me the picture:

From Real Simple magazine

Oh my cute/funniness! So I went to work. The hat would be the easy part, I knew how to make a hat. Then looking at this picture, with no pattern, I created the beard- laughing the entire time! Hahahahaha :) The mustache came last, and I really hope it fits her nephew! There is always a worry in the back of my mind that things won't fit, but I stomp on it with my: "I'm an awesome visual person, with tons of seeing it fitting and the size it should be" ability. It was such a fun project! I also made a beardless hat for his dad, and that just makes it even more perfect, and hilarious! I call it my Lumberjack Toddler Hat w/matching Dad Hat.

Now I just need a picture of the guys in the hats!
12/18- Picture!Love it :)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Thanksgiving Fever

I love, love, love Thanksgiving. What could be better than a holiday all about family and food!? No gift giving expected. Not that I don't enjoy giving loved ones gifts, I do very much.
Our friends, Jami and Sam, had Thanksgiving early this year, I made a pie. My very first pumpkin pie completely from scratch! Koleen and Mike grew the pumpkins in their garden, thanks so much you farmers!

I made the crust, cooked and scooped the pumpkins, mixed the filling (with maple syrup and rice milk instead of evaporated milk!), baked it all in the oven, and took it to Jami's. Paul and I were the only ones who ate any, but I don't care, I can't wait to make another one for Thanksgiving :)
It is more squashy tasting than pumpkin from a can- more real. Nice, but next time I will spice it a little more heavy.

Amy gets here so soon, so we can have our Thanksgiving full of family time, Mario Kart, tons of food and wine :) I can't wait!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Getting back into the stitch of things: Spoiler Alert!

I have not crocheted anything for quite a long time (other than the thing wigs)! I was completely at a loss for Christmas ideas, and feeling very lazy. Then I went to MI to visit family, and ended up with a list of projects! Naturally, this inspired me to want to crochet things for myself I have wanted to make
- a sweater for example, now there is no time! Ha!
Anyway, here's the spoiler! Mia says she wants a new winter hat, like a panda or cookie monster, then I find the most adorable owl hat, and decide to make a matching one for Gabriel. They are so cute! The day after I finished, an ex-starbucks partner comes in with her baby, and she is wearing the same hat I just finished making! HaHa! --that deserves a double ha :)

I tell Doni I'm making a stocking for Bennett that matches the ones I made for the rest of them, and she asks if I can make stuffed animals- Yes! I say! A lion, monkey, hippo and giraffe.
Jessica asked if I could make a baby hat with a beard. hehe, so silly, clever and cute.
note to self: I must ask Bridge if she still wants that baby sweater.
And I'm making a baby blanket for a friend.
I love having projects to complete!! (and of course, a reason to buy new yarn)!