at my house

RIB-DEMPTION!!!!!

2009-06-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Now we all know that I love to bake, like for real! I like to cook too. OK I love to cook, but I just don't talk about it as much. AND I ain't cooking for anybody (my kids do have the best food at their house parties!)

I have been wanting some BBQ ribs for a few days but when I FINALLY decided to go to Sacramento to my aunt's shop House Of Chicken & Ribs in Antelope I would have gotten there 10 minutes before closing. Now, Aunty Kim would have had my food hooked up and ready to go, but I wanted to sit down with my sweet tea and lemonade and ENJOY!

So I got my self together Sunday, bought a grill, put it together (I let Nate tighten the screws).. My mom is McGuyver Sr. I'm Jr., but that's another story. I soaked my chips, lit my coals, waited on them to ash over, spread them out, put my ribs on. and told Nate to put them close to the fire for about 15-20 minutes. when he goes to check them , he calls me all panicked and stuff "MELE, COME LOOK!!!!" My danggone ribs was on FIYAH!!! why do I need to check them? move them! I mean OMG! WTH! and all that was going through my head..

So I cooked the ribs (did I say two slabs) and 1 slab was beyond repair.. Too bad Keiko is gone, she would have had a field day! (RIP KEIKO) so I threw some links and a few breasts on the grill, so we wouldn't have the vegetarian meal.

Later on, I got some tips from a griller that I know (Thanks Kev!) and decided that I was gonna do it again today! So I had Kennedy season a slab and when I got home from school I lit my fire, ashed over, placed my chips, and started cooking my meat...and I watched them and I turned them,etc.. Ya'll know how it goes..

I put some of my sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's sauce but Sunday I made some with my new cookbook from the Neely's-I have a cookbook problem too!) ummmm ummmm good.

One day, I will work on my food photography, but today I just got a pic of RIB-DEMPTION!!!

Daring Cooks-East Meets West!!-Dumplings-Long

2009-06-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

My first Daring cooks challenge was part of my favorite Cuisine. CHINESE!!! YEA!.. I was way excited when I found out what the challenge was. So excited in fact, that I talked about it for a month.. THEN I ended up posting a day late! WHY, you ask? BECAUSE I FELL ASLEEP! I had a long day. LOL anywhoo back to the dumplings. I can't find my camera charger so I had to take pics with my cell phone. Luckily I have the option to change photo sizes so hopefully they turned out alright!

The daring cooks challenge was hosted by Jen of use real butter. As I was reading her blog earlier, I thought it funny that she said she taught some white people how to make dumplings. WELL NOW, she can add a sistah to the list, because although I tried to grill yesterday also,my husband made the comment that I make Chinese food better than I can grill. My honorary Chinese Name is Ming Lee, let him tell it!

OK, back to the pot stickers.

I chose to make the shrimp and pork dumplings, because if shrimp is an option I am taking it! here is a pic of all my ingredients in a measuring cup (I decided to use my phone AFTER I measured everything!

OK, my kids kept saying MOM when ARE you making them? they smell so good???!!! I had the mixture sitting on the counter while I rested (I was tired, shoot!)Can you tell, my kiddos love Chinese food too!

OK OK I plugged along, and I made my dough in a processor.. Jen's mama makes it by hand, but I'm sure the pic of ME making pot stickers ain't the most authentic thing, so I used the processor like Jen does! Look at my processor! It's an old skool Cuisinart that I got on freecycle.. If you don't know what that it, google it.. it's the coolest! Then you have to give the dough a rest.. COOL, another rest for me!!

After the rest, you cut the dough into these lil balls and then you flatten them out (Jen has a WAY detailed post about it with pics and everything, so I'll spare you. Just clicky to her blog and see for yourself! use real butter-dumplings

my first rolling experience was the bomb! I mean, I AM studying to be a pastry chef.. I can roll a circle.. just don't ask to look at the subsequent rolling photos!

now, as I was was filling and pleating I read the instructions like 10 times.. "Kennedy (my daughter) she said WHAT? OMG I need a video, somebody should put up a video!" (I should have read the entire thread because this morning I found a video on how to fill and pleat!

so Kennedy bravely snaps a pic of me pleating...

by this point, I was SOOOO tired I was counting like "OK it's 5 of us in the house, so if I make 15, we all can taste 3 which is more than what you get at the restaurant! (it wasn't the pot stickers that made me tired, just everything from the day..AND it was only like 7 o'clock, it wasn't even late)

so I plugged along and rolled all the dough I made.. they are kinda ugly, but they are the prettiest dumplings I have ever seen. Kinda like how a parent feels about their children!

I pan fried mine...

I also deep friend some (I love gyoza) but the pan frieds won out.. I couldn't take a pic of me eating because I was eating too fast! I think I ate about 7.. (EJ didn't want any, so I didn't want his to feel left out!

SHEEEEEE'S BACKKKKKKK

2009-05-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

As much time as I spend on this here computer and in that there kitchen, seems to be for everyone else, BUT me.. I bake for others, I compute for others!! sheesh! so I started a new blog, took some things back. BUT I imported my old blog because I felt like I was giving up a kid LOL. I just looked back at my last post... SEPTEMBER??!! YIKES!!! ok ok, I won't try to catch up on the past months, I'll just go from here. my random (and not so random) rants and ravings. I rejoined the daring group.. I love to cook.. what can I say?? I didn't rejoin TWD.. I think weekly fun, just may be too much for me!

soo, between blogging and facebook. Oh wait did I say facebook? I will NEVA get off the computer hahahahahahah (in my best villainous laugh)

Who Do I Truss? ME THATS WHO!

2008-09-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Two Posts today, but I couldn't resist.. At school today we "took the cap off" a roast..after the TA demonstrated, I ask if I could do it.. then I trussed it (photo not the one I trimmed) which really means tie it up with twine. Me being the clown I am, when someone said "oooh u trussed it" I started saying who do I truss? me dats who" After I trussed it, we seared it and roasted it.. then I wanted to carve it, but it will be used for sandwiches..

the end I tasted was good though..

TWD: Malted Whopper cookies.. AKA "I love you mommy!"

2008-09-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

This weeks recipe was chosen by Rachel of Confessions Of A Tangerine tart

I read the recipe again, more than once.. I am so getting better at this.. While I was making these cookies, EJ comes up to me and said "I love you mommy.. you know why?" I said why EJ.. "because I love your baking" he replied with a sheepish grin. THEN he ask me to lick the beater.. I know him to well, so I knew it was coming..

Ok, back to the recipe. I used to LOVE ovaltine, when I was in kindergarten, living on Pierce and Eddy in San Francisco, ummm hmm after school ovaltine was da bomb.. OK, so I went to the store and got the ovaltine and the bittersweet chocolate, fussed at the kids, for arguing who was gonna! ask hubby to bring whoppers so I can make the cookies,and he brings me milk duds.. I won't complain, milk duds are like my favorite chocolate candy aside from whatchamacallit, 100 grand, Reese's. Did I mention the I prefer fruity candy? (more specifically tropical Starburst). OK I digress, so I made the cookies after a dinner of crab and artichoke twice baked potatoes. And I promised that they would get to have one before they went to bed.

I wasn't sure I would like them, because chocolate is not my fave thing, but OH MY GOSH.. I ate at least 4! (4 is the magic number for me, look at my eclair post.)

How Daring Am I?

2008-08-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

WOW my first Daring Baker Challenge (hosted by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey and Tony of Tony Tahhan)was chocolate Eclairs... I was too excited for a few reasons:
1. Pierre H. is like a Pastry god
2. I absolutely love eclairs
3. I already know how to make pate a choux, courtesy of fundamentals of baking

I actually read and re-read the recipe a few times, wanting to be prepared, not to mess up on Sir Pierre's stuff..

I purchased bittersweet chocolate but used it for my TWD challenge so I had to buy more.. anyway on to the eclairs.

I made the choux, and it didn't go how I learned at school (at school we baked at 350 for God knows how long and then turned the oven down to like 250 to let the puffs dry out) but lest I not follow the rules, I followed the directions.. I only had like 7 puffs too, I guess they were larger than they were supposed to be. 7 minutes? WHAT the heck? I cooked the paste for 7 minutes, opened the door and my puffs deflated.. so I closed the door and t hey puffed back up! wow, it's magic.. they still weren't done afterr the umm 18 minutes? so I turned the oven off and left them overnight..

Upon waking I had some pretty decent looking puffs, but they weren't hollow.. Oh well, I know how to make choux so I'll just do what I know next time, why? because it's August 30 and I thought I needed to post!

that chocolate pastry cream? LAWD HAVE MERCY JESUS!!!! Nate wanted to eat that with a sppon warm out of the bowl. "How much of that do u actually need? He ask me numerous times.

and that chocolate sauce.. the kids say it make some darn good chocolate milk.. Here is my finished product:

oh, I neglected to mention that I ate 4 eclairs yesterday.

TWD: Banded ice cream torte

2008-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

I missed TWD last week because school started for my kids (EJ went to kindergarten)and I really was not thinking about going shopping for the recipe. so I'm back this week.

Ice cream again!!! I used cookies and cream ice cream, but when I softened it to put it together I didn't even think about the ice cream not staying white LOL.. anyways.. this time I read.. YES I DID. the entire recipe.. TWICE. now how bout that??? it is super hot here, even though its 8:30pm so as soon as I took it out and put it on the plate it started to melt.. My kids got ultra excited.. I gave the first piece to my hubby.. Did I mention it was my 8th Wedding anniversary today.. nothing like a lil (or A LOT) chocolate to make the day complete huh?

Happy Anniversary to my Nate!

TWD:BLueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

2008-08-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

I AM LACTOSE INTOLERANT!!!!! ok whew I got that out of the way...

Even though I am intolerant (been so for 12 years, courtesy of my oldest daughter) I still eat what I want, and deal with the consequences later.. Sooooo after looking at the lil balls o' ice cream on my plate I popped one in my mouth.. I took a photo too, but It looks obscene so I'll spare you!

I had a borrowed ice cream maker just sitting in the freezer awaiting the opportunity to churn. There it was, ready to work... anyway, I'm blabbering...I liked this recipe.. I love fruity ice cream (butter pecan is my absolute fav though), and this one was easy.. I have made egg based ice cream in school, so it was refreshing not to have to do too much cooking. I used frozen blueberries (OH THE SHAME), the fresh ones were like 5 bucks!!! Nate tasted a spoonful last night and proclaimed :I need another spoon becasue I didn't get the full effect!" nothing like your own personal taste tester right? The kids were excited to see something other than chocolate or lactose free vanilla (Breyer's.. kinda artificial tasting ick) that they had no understanding WHY they had to wait until Tuesday after I took pictures. Now, here it is done and they are in bed... there's always tomorrow..

TWD: Black & White Banana Loaf

2008-08-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

ok, there is nothing like your first "challenge" from a group to make you feel on the verge of incompetent. I was excited to make this loaf, mainly because it was my first TWD recipe and I had bananas!

I started out with a pan that was too large so after I obsessed for a while trying to decide if I should make 1.5 times the recipe for my bigger loaf pan, I ran to Wal-Mart to buy a loaf pan. there wasn't one in the correct size either so I bought some of those disposable pans. got them home and they were too small.. Oh what the heck I just won't fill the pan all the way. The recipe calls for fresh ground nutmeg. yea I looked at it while at wal-mart, but decided to use ground since I had plenty of that.. Oh did I mention that I forgot to buy lemon juice and didn't have 1 lemon in my house? So much for making the recipe right the first time!

I began to make the recipe at about 10 pm.. (genius move) and it takes oven an hour to bake.. luckily it gets baked on a cookie sheet because I forgot to not fill the pan all the way and it overflowed!

all in all, I liked the recipe ok, I'm not a huge fan of banana bread, but I do eat it. It's actually one of the few desserts I like with nuts in it.

Happy birthday to me!

2008-08-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things in the world.. A red velvet cupcake, just for me... yesterday was my birthday! I turned 35 and all of a sudden I felt older.. I never felt old on my birthday LOL.. I have been thinking alot about gramma peach lately, and quite a a bit about what actually makes me happy! red velvet cuppies make me happy.. my husband makes me happy (more about that later), my kids make me happy, baking makes me happy too of course..

Nate took me to dinner at a place called "bobo's" in San Francisco.. We gorged ourselves on filet mignon, mussels, crab and clams.. OMG it was so good.. then he took me to fisherman's wharf for a caramel apple, and pier 39 for mini donuts.. I felt like such the tourist. I definitely ended up having a very happy birthday!

I have also been contemplating going back to school, which starts in 15 days.. school is like a job! 4 days a week 6-7 hours or so a day?! sheesh! (I actually can't wait) It's just an adjustment scheduling your life and kids lives around school.. But thats a whole nother post!

Champagne and Strawberries

2008-05-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Champagne and Strawberries
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

Mother's day rolled around with me, as usual, trying something new.. I have been searching and searching for a champagne cake recipe and then right under my nose, I ate a piece of champagne cake from Buttercream Bakery In Napa. the cake was ok, for we all know how much I love (NOT) bakery cakes. the cake was vanilla cake with a custard that was champagne flavored.. Wow, I can do that!

So I went home, made some creme patisserie (pastry cream) and spiked it with Champagne.. Alcohol evaps at 140 so it should have cooked out and left the flavor only (for anyone who is concerned :))

One of these cakes was taken with me to my aunt's house where we pigged out on BBQ from my aunt's restaurant, House of Chicken and Ribs (Antelope, Ca), Chocolate Mousse cake fro my moms birthday and chocolate Bomb (lava cake to die for!).

The other cake made its way with Nate to His mom's house for their Mother's Day Dinner..

Proud to say, Champagne and Strawberries was a hit!

Happy Birthday Gramma!

2008-05-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Blackberry Cobbler
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

Today is my Gramma Peach's birthday. She's not with us, but I sure thought about her a lot today. I made this cobbler last week. I had never made blackberry cobbler before, but making it brought back all sorts of memories of "Redwood City"- this is what we called my great-grandmother's house in Redwood City. She had a big pool, a built in brick grill, a separate lil house with a changing room in the back. and we used to climb the plum tree for those super sweet plums.. (In October we raided the pomegranate tree).

My great-grandmother "nana" taught me how to peel potatoes, and how to make cheese toast (monterey jack) in the toaster oven. She collected all kinds of cookbooks and put notes in so many of them. I recently found that the notes were other recipes, not necessarily that she tried the ones in the book. nana had an obsession with cookbooks, gramma bought tons of cookbooks and you guessed it, I will buy a cookbook before I buy shoes or clothes.

Back to the cobbler, I don't remember ever asking nana how to make cobbler, but I sure do remember how I wanted it to taste. I ask my mom what I should do and she said "the secret is....." (If I told you it would be a secret right?) I said oh really? thats all.. and she assured me that was what nana did..

so, I made a pie crust with LARD (thanks to my wonderful classmate Robert and his family ) and commenced to making the cobbler.. I prewarned my dad "don't judge me to heavily, its my first time"

after coming out of the oven, I put a scoop of Safeway Homestyle Ice Cream on top, took my lactaid, and tasted.

MMMMMMMMM just how nana used to make.. It tasted JUST how I remembered it!

nana cooked, gramma cooked,my aunt cooks, my mom cooks, I cook and I am teaching my daughter (the oldest first) how to cook. I'll call this a generational blessing!

tastes like CANDY. OWWWW

2008-04-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

the toffee is now dipped!
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

ok ok, sorry about the song reference. I made this toffee in school the other day if this isn't heath bar heaven I don't know what is... the little toffee rectangles are coated in french vanilla chocolate (real chocolate, not candy melts) and sprinkled with a lil bit of toffee crumbs.. It was hard not to do the ole one dip for me, one for you.

I love making candy! and funny lil tidbit I learned from my aunt yesterday. My grandmother (paternal) made candy.. she loves brittle. so mom's mom made cakes the most, dad's mom baked too but also made candy! it was inevitable!

(I also made little peppermint patty centers that I started to dip but didn't finish, those are tasty too!)

Baked From Scratch

2008-03-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

There is a new logo to the right--------> yea, over there! This logo is because I am proud to be a scratch baker. I like costco cakes, and sometimes cakes from Safeway and Walmart, but if asked my preference I will stand on the mountain top with my arms stretched wide and say SCRATCH!!!! oh and yes, I can tell a scratch cake from a cake that is made from a mix.. As a matter of fact, my 12 year old can as well. Thats doesn't mean I don't like them, but chances are I may not eat too much of one.

This preference started WAYYYYYY before culinary school. It started in the kitchen at 3555 Sacramento Street in San Francisco, in about 1988! Unfortunately, being in culinary school has made it worse. I want to try EVERYTHING from scratch. I like to look at fresh herbs, I make caramel sauce from scratch.. why buy it? I no longer make all purpose flour. I use bread and cake flour.. If I want AP flour, I MAKE IT! I have fun at it too. Being a scratch baker means that a few rules apply when I am baking a cake for someone:

1. My pastries cost more than costco, safeway, walmart, albertsons and pretty much any other grocery store you can think of, this means that if you want a price comparable to the aforementioned places, ya might want to go there.

2. If I am asked for a discount, I will probably NOT give you one. My items are made fresh to order, and can sometimes take an obscene amount of time. Ask my husband, he's the one that gets me diet cokes and makes sure I have enough coffee to keep me up. As a matter of fact, I think I worked on my sisters cake (the VS one below) for about a week (the last part was the cake of course).

With that said, I REALLLLLLLLY appreciate everyone who has supported me by ordering, tasting promoting and everything in between!

here's a batch of SCRATCH biscuits for ya!

A is for......

2008-03-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

going to school every day, being on time (I may have been tardy one time), taking what you think are good notes, studying those notes...

I have been stalking my school's information system WAITING on my grade for fundamentals of baking to be posted... YES I know how to bake.. YES I been doing it a LONG time, but there is a difference between commercial baking and kitchen baking.. AND there is something special about having to be at school at 7am when you haven't had to leave the house at 6:15 in a very long long time! I would say I am proud of myself, but I really want to thank God (and the academy...) for bringing out what I had in me..
I tell everybody at school "hey this is my 4th try". You might think that makes it easy, but if it was easy I wouldn't be on my 4th try. This goes to show that you can do anything if you seek HIM first!

PS. gramma.. This A's for you!

when your sister forces you...

2008-03-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Davin's cake
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

My sister is always forcing me to do stuff for her.. I guess its payback for me forcing her to do things for me when we were younger. Anyway, this is THE cake for my sister and her friend's 30th birthday party. It is a few of their favorite things... the party theme was zebra and hot pink.. Real divalicious.

This cake (or cakes) was vanilla cake with strawberry filling. This cake is still one of MY favorite things too.. I had to REALLY step out of my comfort zone to do this.. Now I am always trying to step out of it..

to see other more detailed shots of my sisters cake clicky here

when your sister forces you to make your nephews cake...

2007-10-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

DSC02579
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

Not only does she force me to make a cake for my nephew.. she forced me to drive it to sacramento for his school party.. then she forced me to have fun at John's Incredible Pizza and then she forces me to blog about it.. LOL.

Anyway, this is my nephew's 4th birthday cake.. jace is my titi and I am his titi.. aint that cute! BTW, I am already booked for next October for his 5th birthday bash! Family will keep u baking...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-08-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

mybirthday0807
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

So, my birthday was 8/2... who bakes the cake chick a birthday cake? ummm I got plenty of jokes, but I ended up getting a cake was supposed to be tres leches from a local bakery that I love.. Unfortunately, the cake was out of the case and not special ordered. I don't even think it was tres leches, I didn't like it at all, so what did I have to go do? Make my first tres leches cake... I loved the flavor.. yes it says happy birthday to me!

staci35

2007-07-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

staci35
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

this is a 3 tier butter cake with mocha filling, icing and home made fondant.. My friend celebrated her 35th birthday this past weekend.

shipwreck

2007-07-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

DSC02494
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

here is the shipwreck centerpiece!

treasure map

2007-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

DSC02498
Originally uploaded by lilthorner

my little cousin is turning 5 today! for the pirate party I made this treasure map cupcakecake with vanilla cupcakes.. they are super good.. I also made a shipwreck out of chocolate cake for the centerpiece!

Sometimes plain is best!

2007-07-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sooooo, I had never made a caramel cake before (go figure huh?). I called my best friend, who absolutely loves caramel cake from this one place that will remain nameless, to be my guinea pig... My sister happened to drop by and then Nate (my hubby, if ya don't know) came home.. This is what happens to a good cake on the night that it is made!

I guess it tasted alright huh?

THEN, In an effort to get my pops to grill today (the 4th) I bribed him with a chocolate on chocolate cake... Why decorate? its just good ole' down home chocolate cake! it looked good when I was icing it.. I probably WON'T have an after picture!

2007-07-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

had 2 cakes this weekend, my grandmother's party and a bridal shower... Whew I am beat! I had to be at work for 7am on Saturday and then deliver a cake and favors, finish cake for grandma, finish favors for grandma (people should RSVP, go help decorate.. then help serve.. anyways, here is the cake from the bridal shower.. Tiffany theme.. Thanks to Anne from the Pink Cake Box for the inspiration and answering my questions.

WEDDINGS!

2007-06-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

I love weddings, I usually cry at weddings.. I wanted to thank Big Buck, Allen Buckingham, and his wife Burnette for allowing me to make their wedding cake! The wedding was on Father's Day.. I should thank My hubby for helping me deliver a cake on Father's day.. And for settling for Wing Stop for dinner! We love Wing Stop thought so it was all good!

Thank you to the photographer dai, frm www.daistudios.com for the wonderful pictures of my cake!

2007-06-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

had a hankering for some red velvet cupcakes, and to try my hand at one more recipe.. I think this makes 5 now! I loved Paula Deens recipe (gotta have butter), but I wasnt sure if It was too sweet, I wanted it a lil more fluffy so I looked at another recipe and Paula's and tweaked it a tad bit.. just like grandma used to do! (make sure u make it following the recipe the first time though)

I'm still playing around with the nut cups instead of cupcake liners, but i think I am leaning back toward the liners.. No one who ate one complained though! so maybe not..

my first post!

2007-06-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

This here is just a place for me to share some of my favor-ite things.. my favor-ite things? DESSERTS!!!!!! of course, anyone who knows me knows that I love all things sweet. I am in the process of incorporating desserts into the daily workings of my business highly favor-ed. At highly favor-ed, we create personalized items. These items could be party favors, or invitations, business cards, or postcards.

I have been baking since I was 15 (ummm that was about 19 years ago!) my grandmother taught me everything I know! She passed away in May, but every time I turn the oven knob I think about her. Everything I do in a kitchen is dedicated to her. Wanna see her? Here she is! Hi Grandma Peach!