A Most Perfect Summer Quencher: Gin Laced Blackberry and Key Lime Crush with a Lemon Thyme Syrup

Summer isn't summer without a great refreshing drink...With or without a little "pick me up" this drink will quench anyone's thirst.

Over the past week I had a lemon, lime, sour, tart phase.. one of which resulted in my burst of making lemon curd bars and key-lime bars..( I shall share about this soon). I had a bunch of key limes left over from my abrupt decision to make my key lime bars so it wasn't fair to let them go to waste. To me key limes taste very similar to calamansi.. still not comparable but I think they can make a fair substitute if you ever need it. They are smaller than limes and have a softer rind, much more fragrant and actually have a slight sweetness with its tart bite. So what better than make a drink with it right? Right!

So...how did I think of this? It's funny.. funny to me only because before I made this I was actually modeling T's legos and photographing them for reference.. yeah.. I know right! hah! My sundays are always so filled with great surprises!! whee! I was actually enjoying myself..I can't lie here and I'll tell you why a little bit later. Back to the drink.. well, key limes.. tart and acidic.. I needed something else that would go with this..I thought why not blackberries? I have two punnets..and plus it would be a great base plus give it a great attractive color! And on top of this I needed an extra textural palate pleasuring element.. and soda came to mind.. we have plenty of flavored tonic sodas lying around because of Mr.M..and I happened to find a lemon flavored tonic.. Poyfect. Now.. for a sweetener..sugar is first on my list.. honey was second.. Honey is a great sweetener however it can be too overpowering.. I wanted the limes to shine and so the honey bear was lucky enough to stay tucked away. So I got to thinking.. lemons.. lime.. lemon.. lemon thyme! Tiffanista's Garden has some!! yeaaah! so I plucked a few sprigs and placed it in a saucepan with a 1/2 a cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Place it over med-heat till sugar dissolves and allow it to cool. This would be my lemon thyme sugar syrup.. the sweetener for this soon to be amazing drink! To begin the concoction I whipped out my blender and threw in 1 punnet of blackberries, squeezed the juice out of 6 key-limes, added in the lemon thyme syrup (about 1/4 cup worth first), 2 handfuls of ice and about 1 cup of water to loosen it up. Blend it till it's smooth and taste for a balance of sweetness to sourness and you know what.. add a pinch of salt to really bring it together.. I added a bit more of the syrup to my liking but still kept it nice and tart. Now don't make this batch watery..This should be like your base.. remember! you'll be adding the lemon soda water!

To make the drink start with a nice tall glass.. add 1/4 cup of the berry lime mix, (1-2 shots of gin..optional), a nice handful of ice, and finish it all of with the lemon soda water. Mix it with a stirrer.. and if you'd like, you can do the same and shake it up in a shaker! Garnish it with a wedge of lime and a thyme sprig! Now...drink up and get ready for more (: I would suggest to make a big batch.. it's going to go faaaast!

Want to try this out? Check out the recipe below!

the face of happiness..and being locked out basking in the warm sun

Blackberry, Key Lime Crush with Lemon Thyme Syrup

1 punnet blackberries
6-7 key lime juice (extra for garnish)
1/2 c sugar
2 c water

1 liter of lemon flavored soda water
4-5 sprigs of lemon thyme (or normal thyme)
a bunch of ice
optional: gin, vodka


Make the syrup first by placing sugar, 1 cup of water and thyme into a saucepan. Bring to a boil till sugar dissolves and allow it to cool. In a blender throw in the blackberries, key lime juice, ice, 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup of lemon thyme syrup and blend it till it is smooth. In a tall glass add 1-2 shots of gin, 1/4 cup of berry lime crush, ice cubes, and finish it off with the lemon flavored soda water. Stir or shake it till combined and garnish with a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Hot Pressed Cashew Pistou Caprese Sandwich

Oh hot damn! This is by far one of the simplest, quickest and yet amazingly tasting lunch I've had in a while... but I must say, my hot reuben sandwiches are the bomb too..

I woke up early..as usual..and for some apparent reason Lull Farm was on my mind.. and after this.. I was glad I went! T had a regular client scheduled to come in at 9, and so I left with the dust rolling behind me and promised to be back right in time to make All of us lunch. Little did I know I was so carried away at Lull that I spent... 3 hours.. with the first 2 trying to figure out what potted herbs I wanted to bring home to plant. Anywhoo..I'll ramble on about the plants in a later post because these caprese sandwiches is what I want to share with you!

So at Lull I grabbed a loaf of rustic Tuscan sourdough bread, Ugli heirloom tomatoes (MMMM juicy good), fresh basil, and hand pulled mozzarella. I rushed home and arrived promptly at 12:46pm...I was a tad angry at myself for holding out too long while I was out but..right now..I am the happiest, most civil, and relaxed lass. Now.. lets get down to bizness. Want to make these amazingly great "paninis"!?

Firstly make a pistou (pesto)..If you don't have time grab a bottled one at the store but It's well worth the wait and taste to make it at home. Grab a handful of basil leaves (freshly picked) a cup of evoo, dash of salt and cracker pepper, 2 small cloves of garlic, and a pinch of sugar and I put a twist on this by using cashews instead of the classic pine nuts.. I didn't have any parm at hand..but hey it's still amazing! Add all ingredients in a bowl or if you have a food processor add it all in there and blitz till its somewhat smooth..(doesn't have to be perfect.. texture is good!) Taste and adjust seasoning if need be. I added a tad more evoo at the end to finish it off. (set aside)

For the babies.. well to start, slice the bread about a 1/2 inch thick, slice the tomatoes a 1/2 inch thick, mozzarella 1/2 inch thick too! If you have a paninni press use it! I don't so I just whipped out a non-stick pan and placed it over a medium heat. I drizzled evoo on each slice of bread sparingly, seasoned all slices of tomatoes and cheese with salt and pepper and grabbed a fat clove of garlic and peeled it. Toast the bread slowly so it will get a nice crust on both sides..Once one side is crusty and toasty.. take that clove of garlic and rub it on the bread ( by doing this the bread almost becomes a microplane..grating the clove straight into the bread making it garlicky.. but not tooooo garlicky.. mm! After browning both sides to perfection lower the heat a tad and literally slather on heaping spoonfuls of your ridiculous cashew pistou atop both slices of bread spreading it evenly to ensure full palate pleasure...now.. place the mozzarella side by side allowing it to melt ever so slightly and releasing its natural moisture thus avoiding the sandwich to become soggy later.. place the tomatoes side by side as well on the other slice of bread..wait like 2 minutes.. now rip off more basil leaves and place it on top of the tomatoes, and take the other slice of bread and complete the sandwich. If you have a cast-iron press (AWESOME!) use it and "press" the sandwich down, this allows it to smoosh the ingredients together and to create a real nice crust and basically keep all the ingredients inside the sandwich and not escaping onto your plate. If you don't have one..just do it piffy style.. a little risky..slightly dangerous..but gets the job done..I used my hand! hahah.. or just use the bottom of a heavy saucepan..oh and or another option is if you have bricks lying around.. wrap it in aluminum foil and use that as a press!

Now.. all you have to do is carefully transfer it out of the hot pan and get it straight into your belly. By the way.. T and his client devoured their lunches in a heartbeat.. either it was soooo good.. or they were just super hungry... I'm going to say..its a mixture of both..but leaning more towards the great part! heeheee!


Right below.... just an array of pictures I thought were vital to making this sandwich just that much better!

My very own personal gardener.. not bad ah?

2 very inquisitive and not too helpful helpers... Dolce was more interested in tasting the new addition..Macgyver was happy to find a new pee-pee spot..

thai basil...dill...greek oregano..oregano.. and not pictured are
creeping rosemary, thyme, and lemon thyme

this is tiffanista's garden.. according to Mrs.M..I must say I
like her pet names..like flufffluu for dolce!

that's right! get down to it!

hah! I didn't nice one T-buck... devouring a key-lime bar
whilst I took over.. only because T was suffocating my thyme!
yes yes.. i get picky with my plant spacing okay!

wouldn't have been able to do it without you darling! (:
giving the little babies their much needed h20

No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake on a Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

Surprise!

This would be the surprise T came home to from his trip and remember those demands? Anyway.. I decided to make this because I came across fat free cream cheese (only 30 calories a stick!) Not so bad... and of course the after thought was cheesecake of some sort.. A classic cheesecake is always baked.. the process is usually 2 days because once it is baked it needs to be refrigerated for at least 6-8 hours or better..till next day before you can even have a morsel! I didn't have the time and luxury to wait that long and so I opted for the no bake and still equally dense and delicious cheesecake we all come to know and love.

When I think of no bake cheesecake a lot of options pop in to my mind.. the use of gelatin or not, cool whip, whip cream or none at all.. A lot of recipes call for a simple mixture of cream cheese, lemon juice, or yogurt.. I feel without the use of gelatin..the cheesecake is just way too rich and doesn't have a bite to it. So anywhoos... get ready cos this recipe is going to flash by in a blink of a second! Easy is an understatement too.. anyone can make this cake! and i mean...anyone...

Now, before I continue describing the procedures of the cake.. I want to talk about the crust element. The usual victims are graham crackers..or some sort of digestive cookie.. they're all fine options..but I just wanted something totally new..So I went for a chocolate graham cracker crust.. I pounded the living daylights out of it.. till it became literally..black sand.. added a 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 heaping tablespoons of vanilla bean paste. mix mix mix! and you get the texture of damp sand.. good! Now you can mold it into a round 9 inch cake pan..press it down with the back of a spoon..leave it to cool in the fridge to set for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile make the cheesecake filling! So I bloomed a 1/4 sachet of unflavored knox gelatin in just enough hot-warm water..(5minutes)..then afterwards, placed the softened cream cheese into a bowl and creamed it with sugar, and sour cream. To loosen it up a bit I added a splash of cream and a few pinches of salt. After mixing till combined, I added the bloomed gelatin and mixed it thoroughly. I took out the set crust and poured in the filling, smoothed out the top and covered it fully with saran wrap. And thats really it guys.. let it chill for 4-8 hours and eat up!

The blueberry addition came later..I added it when I was about to eat it and decided to drop a dollop of it on the whole cake..I thought might as well! (it made it look pretty too!) I used canned blueberries in light syrup.. the normal syrup was way too sweet..but to be honest.. it would probably taste better because of its consistency. But sadly.. I care way too much about what I consume..so the light stuff will do. So if you'd like to try this out.. the recipe is right below! I hope you like it!

No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

2 8oz Cream Cheese (fat free optional)

3/4 C granulated sugar

Splash of heavy cream

2 pinches of salt

1 sachet Knox unflavored gelatin (they come in 1/4 sachets)

1 c good canned blueberry

Crust

20 Graham Crackers

1/3 C Sugar

2 Heaping T Vanilla Bean Paste

a pinch of salt

1/2 C unsalted butter (melted)

Melt the 1/2 c of butter in the microwave, set aside. Place the crackers in a ziploc back and release all air out..with a rolling pin or anything with weight.. crush the crackers till they are like sand. Pour it into a bowl and add all the other ingredients, and mix till combined. Pour it into a 9 in round cake pan and press it firmly down with your fingers or with the back of a spoon. Set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

For the filling, combine 1 sachet of gelatin in with hot-warm water for 5 minutes or so.. meanwhile soften your cream cheese blocks by letting it sit out at room temp for 30 mins or so... When it has softened..place it in a bowl and with a whisk, cream it with sugar till combined. Add sour cream and just enough cream so its not too loose. add in the salt and gelatin and mix well. Once the crust has set, pour in the filling and wrap it with saran wrap, let it chill on an even surface in the fridge for 4-8 hours. Add as much or as little blueberry you want.. its optional.. its really good on its own too!

You know.. after all that hard frantic work.. I don't think he expected that I even made anything! I only whipped it out the morning after.. hah! He did enjoy it though.. (:

sidenote: Jetsetting For the Weekend the Surmise Awaits from Switzerland

"Hey babe, so this is what I want you to do when I'm gone...You need to blog..at least 3 posts.. and like just create something new you know?!..like it has to be something you've never made for me before.. or like no wait.. something you've never made before either!" "like..what though?" "Like.. make a healthy dessert or something..surprise me!"

A sarcastic chuckle is what came out under my breath as T so demandingly coughed out the things I should do to keep me busy while he sets off to Switzerland to drive on the alps. Yes...a nice 2 little boys trip in a small car around the alps, italy, into austria and back to zurich. On top of my list of must do's, I have to wrap a car and paint! I'm no superwoman but try is what I will do! T left 2 days ago and i have 1/3 posts down. I barely clocked in 3 hours of sleep frantic and lost with what I wanted to create for him...he isn't the sweetest pea in the pod.. But I hold no grudge...I still do adore you.

So till then....just wait what I have in store for him.. and for the rest of us! It's going to be very gooot I say

Sophisticated and Reminiscent: Vanilla Bean and Lemon Animal "Crackers"

Who says that animal crackers are just for kids? They're definitely not..in my book..that's for sure. As a young lass eating this fine snack.. I was a bit beheading actually..in a literal sense.. i'd take them by the legs and would always and only begin head first! Don't ask me why, although I do find it zany..and yet still anomalous. Oh well..I was just being an innocent young child who probably had her parents scratching their heads on many occasions.

Remember that store I mentioned up in Acton?..Kitchen Outfitters? Well I picked up these adorable cookie cutters that caught my eye just because they were so ..cool! Call me old school but gosh..these cookie cutters were not the norm..and I say this because they were colored! I always only see the plain metal only kind which didn't really entice the whole idea of making animal shaped sugar cookies to begin with. But anyway.. I picked up 6 cutters and I suppose I was a little particular with my choices, for example my love of horses.. so of course that was a given.. the scottie dog for mcgyver, an elephant and chick for Mrs.M, and the piggy and bear for T! I was brooding over the fact of what cookie I'd make while I chose my fantastic 6 and decided that plain ole' sugar cookies just couldn't make the cut.. and the thought of icing them after just made me feel lazy. But, I soldiered on and threw that thought out the window, threw my game face on and rushed home to begin the soon to be cookie army.

I definitely wanted the cookie to have a distinct vanilla taste to it, and since that's pretty boring too..I thought the addition of lemon zest would give it a nice lift and just bring it up a few notches. These may not be your childhood animal crackers..but.... they could be your adult ones!

I started with a super simple sugar cookie recipe and added the additions of vanilla syrup and lemon zest. What is vanilla syrup you ask? Its a hell of a lot better ..and a lot more different than plain ole' vanilla extract..which, by the way, is mostly just the imitation stuff! This one is a whole jar full of thick molasses like vanilla extract, seeds, and just a touch of sugar. It makes the finished product look good too! with its tiny black dots on an off white canvas.

I didn't decide to ice my cookies till I was staring at them looking all sad and ...nude... I know animal crackers aren't originally iced.. but this now became a cross between a sugar cookie/animal cracker.. and it's fun to do anyways. The icing is very simple.. all you need is egg white powder, gel food paste (different colors), confectioners sugar, lemons. first start with 1/4 cup of egg white powder...and reconstitute it in a cup of warm water. Mix it well, it will start to foam. I eyeballed for consistency so I placed about a cup of confectioners sugar and while whisking slowly poured the reconstituted egg whites very little at first. I wanted to look for a ribbony consistency, not too thin or it won't create the border thickness I want for the cookies' outline. Just add more powdered sugar if it is too runny. I separated them into 3 bowls adding just a drop of black, pink and brown, a drop of one kind only in 1 bowl. Now, I didn't have any piping bags in hand and if you don't have one either I only hope you have parchment or wax paper because that's a great alternative! It take practice but you shape it into a ice cream cone with a very sharp and pointy tip, fill in your desired color icing and just barely snip the tip. There you go, your very own "pipe" bag!

If you want to try them out, I have left the recipe below.. Try and add flavors or essences you like.. cinnamon sugar..rose blossom.. almond.. I'm sure your versions are going to be amazing! and do share too!

...waiting to head into the oven..!

Aren't they just adorable?

This is my interpretation of mcgyver...I think he's still in the cookie jar..

Vanilla Bean and Lemon Sugar Cookies

3 C All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 C sugar

1 C butter (room-temp)

1 egg (beaten)

3 T half-n-half

2 T vanilla extract (syrup)

zest of a lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)

2. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

3. Cut in butter and blend with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

4. With a fork, stir in lightly beaten egg, vanilla, lemon zest, and half-and-half.

Blend well with fork, then your hands to ensure thorough blending.

Chill dough for one hour in saran wrap for easier rolling.

****If you are not rolling the dough, chill for 15 minutes then skip to step 6 for baking.

5. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes6. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar or leave plain for decorating with icing.

7. Bake for 6 - 7 minutes, or until lightly brown.

TCM's Birthday Bash: Chocolate Malt Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Whoppers

The boy does love his scotch...and that's my card to him! (POOF!)

You know what they say..you only turn 30 once so do it with a bang... I think he managed to get the bang...and I think he really didn't know what was coming..but boy... was he in for a gargantuan surprise.

First and formost.. I was freaking out wondering what the hell to do! And then I had one of those moments...you know, the one where the light bulb lights up.. oh yeah. Regardless..I was still freaking out wondering if I can even get reservations 3 days prior..and not to mention for a party of 12. I thought of one place that I knew would probably be able to seat us and could serve us killer hunks of meat with a comfortable ambience and also, a place close to home (so I could easily drive if the birthday boy had a little too much to drink....that said..he drove home). That place would be Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton, MA. It's quite a gem I'd add.. nestled in lush pastures for the black angus to roam..and for the diners really..so they know that the cow had a good life before it was served on his plate. Anyways... there are 2 large barns, on the left would be the restaurant and the other on the right is for special occasions..i.e, weddings..So back to the surprise... I frantically called them realizing it was 9 am and of course it went straight to the message box..I left my message and waited anxiously wondering when I would get my call back.. I was beyond relieved that I managed to get a spot and I was absolutely thrilled! On top of that I had e-mailed T's cousin telling her of the arrangements, and to tell her parents and sister too. And that's not all! T's buddy TF flew all the way from hkg to spend just a night for him! And of course can't forget about CC too!

Unfortunately...I didn't have time to take a picture of the whole cake!

But...I saved this little baby here ..a little half eaten yes..

but at least it's something!

SO, the cake.. I wasn't going to do a round 2 of the waiting game because when I sleep he sleeps.. and even if I pretend to sleep..it won't work out so well either since the pretending part would turn into the deep open mouth kind of sleep..which unfortunately has happen a few too many times...(i have learned).. So I kinda reassured myself and thought hey you know what.. I'm all set here..already have quite the list of surprises in store for him..the cake can be a so-so surprise. And so the morning of the 10th began, I woke up..3 hours too early thinking..cake.. maybe I should bake it now..? No..I should go back to bed and do it later..but what if he was expecting it when he opened his eyes?! Well..we know what happened next..I konked out and then woke up to do my nails instead. We went on with the day as usual..went in the garage and attempted to fix the garage door opener..then after an hour or so we proceeded to pressure wash the house. When we finished around 3ish we had our sandwiches and then I began making cake! He offerred to help but was much more intrigued by his F1 GP. I was fine and dandy on my own.. happily mixing and periodically would hear " YES..YES...Oh Yes, ha HAAA!" -silent-....simple things arouse him to such heightened roars of joy...that is watching sebastian vettel struggling to pass fernando alonso... Anyway.. continuing on.. I started off by preheating the oven to 350 F, and greased and floured the 2 8" round cake pans. In a bowl I combined sugar, flour, malt powder, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda. In another bowl I mixed eggs, olive oil, and milk together..(i think you know what's coming next..the classic wet to dry method) so I poured in the wet into my flour mixture and whisked till just combined. I had a pot of indonesian coffee brewing and added a cup and a half of that in there too. The batter was a soupy goop..brown and glistening..I poured them equally into their prepared pans and off they went into the oven for 45 minutes. In that time I made my frosting a simple, classic, never old chocolate ganache. It is so easy you can do it with your eyes closed. So I poured 2 cups of heavy cream in a saucepan with 1 3/4 cups of sugar, placed it on the burner and brought it to a bubble. While waiting I chopped up 2 lbs worth of dark vermont chocolate and threw them into a large bowl. I also measured out about half a block of butter cut into small cubes and set that aside. Now once the cream and sugar mixture was boiling hot, I poured it into the bowl of chocolate, I shook the bowl gently just to give it a swish to get the chocolate going and left it alone for 5 minutes. After the wait I whisked it slowly allowing the cream and chocolate to combine..and to cool it I added the butter a cube at a time, allowing one to melt and combine before adding another. After all the butter is in, I whisked in 2 T's of pure vanilla concentrate (once you get your hands on this baby..the cheap stuff ain't worth looking at!). The ganache is now done but still needs to be cooled so it'll be just the right frosting consistency. I just let it sat in a cool spot folding it once in a while. The cakes were on its last legs in the oven but once out it needed time on the cooling rack..and a quick cool down in the freezer before being ladened with ganache. I gave it 2 or so hours to cool and proceeded to level the cake. I began with a large dollop of ganache as the base, and armed with my trusty palette knife I began spreading it out evenly..laid one layer of cake and another dollop of ganache spreading it out and on with the second layer of cake with 2 huge dollops of ganache. With my palette knife I managed to make smooth even lines and a little hot water in between helps a lot. To top things off.. 2 1/2 boxes of whoppers.

I called Gibbet Hill to arrange a menu for the dinner which they sent me a separate menu for their events. Above were my choices and best yet...love the header? (T's infamous BBM). So the day was soon coming to the big surprise...I had finished my cake and placed it in one of those cake holders...ran upstairs and got ready.. it was around 6 45, dinner was at 7:30. I had strategically told everyone to come early to get seated and waiting.. The most difficult part was trying to get everyone there so the two of us can head over alone so T would really get the surprise. So mid-shower I thought of an ingenius plan...I thought to myself..well..TF and CC are here..I'm going to tell Mrs.M to head over to Gibbet first and if T asks..just tell him oh you know how slow she takes to get ready..we're going to head over first! And so they did..7:15 on the dot.. T bless his heart was in the bathroom but heard the door to the cellar close..he came into my room and with a confused look said..they just left..? I said yeah yeah.. told them to go first.. you know how slow I am.."but you made the reservations at 7:30..we're going to be late!" "No, no" I said.."What they don't know is I made it for 7:45!" (Which technically was true.. you see.. the hostess and I had arranged a "dummy" reservation whereby he would've thought it was going to be just us...) Anyway the best part was the fact that he still didn't know where we were going and since he drove I had to tell him..and I was pleased to know how happy he was with the choice! So when we arrived at Gibbet... the hostess brought us up the stairs.. and he was already getting antsy..and there everyone was..watching him come up with wide smiles..T was blushing and shocked to see his cousins..aunt and uncle there too. Finally.. all my worries were over and I was beyond relieved if anything.. The night was amazing.. everyone had a great time and everyone went home with satisfied bellies.

I love everything about this card..and especially the reaction

T expressed..Mr.M really knows how to pick great cards!

I had the pleasure of sitting across this fine man...

All night long he would make fun of people coming

up the stairs..the one I remembered most was.. "look

at that ugly woman! If anyone married her..? He'd have to be blind!"

The dining table at home...fully embellished

Happy Birthday Mrs.M! ~Blackberry Buttercream Chocolate Cake

My better half and his mom have birthdays 4 days apart (6th and 10th). Being the foodie in the house it was unacceptable for me not to "surprise" them without a homemade cake..and besides...it's the least I could do. For Mrs.M's surprise I decided on making her something that included blackberries. They're her favorite and they're magnificently sweet and plump in season.

For the surprise, I waited anxiously the night before the 6th hoping that she'd head up to bed early. I wanted to surprise her in the morning, the whole nine yards..candles..etc.. Anyways.. She did mention how tired she was during dinner...and plus she had work early in the morning! I crossed my fingers tight and heard her say the magic line, "alright my darlings...i'm gonna go to bed..i'm just tired, goodnight!"

I want to be honest...I'm not the best baker in the world and I do get frustrated because measurements have to be to the T. But I still falter to the habit of "eye-balling" it...I would think in my head..a little bit more of this won't hurt right? Besides what's important is the taste right? And when I lay it in the oven..I pray that it'll come out perfect after it's 30 minutes. Anyway, back to her cake.. I chose a simple recipe for chocolate cake which I found online and did tweak just a tad. For the buttercream, I followed a classic recipe that called for softened butter, confectioners sugar, a little vanilla, and for the blackberry factor I heated fresh blackberries in a sauce pot with a 1/4 cup of blackberry jam and just a few drops of lemon juice. 5 minutes later it became a thick syrupy dark purple consistency. I allowed it to cool for about 10 minutes and ran it through a sieve so nobody would accidentally come across a hard seed. After the addition of the blackberry compote, the buttercream transformed into a warm bubblegum..pinkish tint.

I waited for the morning to take pictures because natural light really produces great results. I just love the color of the buttercream..makes it truly inviting..doesn't it?

a little kiddy...but the thought and effort is what counts!

I "tiptoed" into her room.. quietly calling T to come over and help..and

she sprightly rose up from bed and had the biggest smile I've ever

seen! She was absolutely thrilled and I was so happy we could pull it off

Little Mexico in Tyngsboro: Slow Cooker Shredded Beef, Whole Wheat Tortillas and Caramelized Corn and Avocado Salsa

ooooohhhhh......ahhhhh...mmmmm

Tell me that isn't making you salivate? You just drooled on

your keypad didn't you..? it's ok..be prepared next time

OLA All of you Mexican Muchachos and Senoritas...Im really starting to get into the groove of my mexicano-ness here..(i apologize in advance..I am in no means making fun of anything mexican..) I do sound like a crazy woman..but i'm just expressing my passion for the love of Food! And today I want to talk about slow cooking... it is one sexy thing...I mean it in the most modest way too. There is something about the result that you get from a slow cooker that you won't get any other way. When I whip the slow cooker out I tend to rummage through the freezer down cellar to find my meat of choice..and usually flank steak is a winner. Flank is one of those cuts that needs either a quick grill, or sear or a long slow (nearly all day) cooking process. Either way their both great. When cooked quickly one might like to marinate the meat first..I usually marinate mine overnight in a mixture of garlic, parsley, oregano, evoo, salt, and pepper. Sear the meat on high heat for about 2 minutes a side..let it rest and carve...it'll come out perfectly medium rare and melt-in-your mouth tender.

I'm a die hard mexican food fan. Having lived in LA for a few years made my love for it grow on a more deeper..serious...level. It's refreshing, sour, zesty, bold, spicy...and more! I just love biting into a bulging burrito packed full of black beans, carne asada, rice, and a spicy salsa..gosh I have a sudden need to run to chipotle now.. but hey! why go to chipotle if you can make it at home? Trust me.. you won't regret it.

I began by throwing in about 1/4 cup of cumin, 1/4 cup of ground coriander, a few bay leaves, 2 T cinnamon, a dash of salt, a lot of pepper, a cup and a half of ketchup, a large dollop of whole grain mustard, 4 T of worchestire sauce, 1/4 cup of dark molasses, some honey, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, 2 dried ancho chiles, and a quart and a half of beef stock. mixed it all up, and placed the flank in there.. I made sure it was submerged and after that I turn it on and let time and heat do its thing. I had my flank cooking for 7 hours.. It was so tender you can use a spoon and it falls apart. To serve it, you just shred it and place it in a bowl or directly onto your tortilla! You know.. that's whats great about slow cookers.. you just throw it all in in the morning and turn it on and do whatever you want all day.. come back home and a meal is done! I get seriously hooked with slow cooking.. I do get impatient at times but the results are above par. And the best part about this dish is the condiments that goes with it.

Salsas are great because they lighten and brighten heavier dishes.. Because it's summertime now..corn is aplenty and I decided to incorporate it into my usual tomato, cilantro, onion mixture. I added avocado too...only because it isn't a mexican feast if there isn't avocado involved.. I shucked the corn and cut the kernels off, threw it in a pot and let it caramelize slowly. It caramelized on its own because of the high sugar content it produces naturally.. And while that was doing its thing.. I chopped up the tomatoes, white onion, and cilantro..halved the avocado chopped it too and mixed it altogether with some lime juice, salt and pepper. once the corn was done I allowed it to cool a bit and threw it into the mixture. I tested for seasoning and made sure it had just enough sourness from the limes.

I warmed the tortillas up by wrapping them in foil and placed it in a low oven to steam up a bit.

I made sure that sour cream and lime wedges were on the table and for a little crunch and freshness I included lettuce too. Unlike others who would make a huge burrito I like to be different and made mine an open faced burrito.. Any way you like it.. it will still be damn friggin delicious.

Is that not a sign of reassurance or what!?

Eggs Benedict: Lox, Toasted English Muffins, Lemony Hollandaise

I had gone to Idylewild Farms on Friday in Acton and boy was I in for a surprise. The lady at Kitchen Outfitters (a gem of a store! everything you need from baking to pickling..I LOVE this place!) recommended me to head over there for their selection of chocolates and I quote.."in large pound blocks." This place was really something else.. I'm guessing that theres a large population of Thai people in Acton because at the ready-made-food section they had plenty of thai eats.. pad thai, summer spring rolls, thai iced tea..and peeking into the the little kitchen lodged at the side I did see a handful of thai ladies happily mixing up a large bowl of papaya salad..mmm...! Idylewild brings in a lot of brands Ive never heard of and they're mostly from around the east coast, and neighboring towns. I was most excited with the array of asian sauces, noodles, vegetables, and spices. And I saw it coming of course..I nearly bought the whole store and a few other things.. Including... chanterelles, hen of the woods or otherwise known as maitake mushrooms, fresh baguettes, local vermont gorgonzola, and I also picked up Idylewilds own backyard honey..deee-lish!

So the next morning..still enthralled and inspired by my experience in Acton I woke up with only one thing on my mind. Eggs Benedict! I love mine with lox, its oiliness, silkiness, lusciousness, (so many nesses) saltiness, and savoriness, comes full circle with the combination of the fresh yeasty pungent aroma and crunch of toasted english muffins, with the full bodied mouth coating hollandaise to bring it all together. As I am fond with my lox...I am also picky with my preference of eggs..I like organic eggs...the eggs that when cooked (any style) the yolks once exposed (pierced, poked, cut, broken, tampered, forked, dipped) are gleaming a bright orange almost a shiny matte sunburst. I love it best when poached because of this, when you cut through its thin white membrane and watch the luscious yolky waterfall streaming down onto the plate coating everything in its path....oh..and yes.. I have pictures to prove this.

What did I tell ya! Best Golden Waterfall EVERR!

And the best part is when you sop it up with the leftover muffin..mm

..Oh..and pictures below are not for the faint of heart..

Unfortunately caught in action ..it may have been a laughing

matter...or not quite really..

..don't mind the legos behind..T's countless

hours before bed..and he still complains about being tired

..what a shock

"c'mon t...got it yet??"

this would be my angry face..he told me to keep still!

complained how I was moving too much, sure it wasn't

the photographer? hehe...

Eggs Benny: Lox, English Muffins, Lemony Hollandaise

Yield: 2 hungry bodies

4 Large Organic Eggs

2 T Vinegar

2 English Muffins

4 Slices of Smoked Salmon

Pinch of salt

Crack of pepper

Lemony Hollandaise:

4 Egg Yolks

½ cup European Butter (melted)

1½ T Lemon Juice

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Cayenne

To start things off make the hollandaise. Set up a bain marie, place about 3 inches high of water in a sauce pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. You can melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and have it ready next to the stove. In a bowl add your egg yolks and lemon juice and whisk in a frenzy till it doubles in volume. It will become thick, glossy, and pale-ish. Now once you’ve got there place the bowl over the simmering pot and continue to whisk. Be sure that it isn’t boiling or you’ll get lemony scrambled eggs..(which doesn't sound so bad!) While whisking add the butter in a slow steady stream, It will take practice to multitask but if you have a buddy with you..put them to work! Keep on whisking until it has doubled in volume and has a thicker (almost ribbony) consistency. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

For the eggs benedict, fill a medium saucepot with just enough water equivalent to the height of a shelled egg. Bring it to a point where you can see tiny bubbles forming on the bottom and sides of the pot with the 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Crack your egg into the hot water slowly and directly..crack the rest of the eggs the same way. Let it sit, maintaining the heat for about 3-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to ease the egg off the bottom if it sticks. Prepare a paper towel to drain the poached eggs when they are done. Sprinkle with salt and put it aside in a warm spot. During the 3-4 minute wait, slice muffins in half and toast until golden brown. To assemble, place the toasted muffin sliced side up lay a slice of salmon, then the poached egg and lastly add a healthy dollop of hollandaise.

Gorgonzola Crostini with Crushed Walnuts and a Drizzle of Golden Honey

For the eve of the 4th, T decided that we should see his cousins'.. E's horse Duncan.. I've only heard and seen pictures of him and I knew he was a big boy..standing tall at 17.1 hands. E said he was a cross of a draft and thoroughbred.. but when I laid eyes on him yesterday any person who know's horses would have never guessed he was.. He looks like a regal warmblood.. large swollen hindquarters packed with muscles.. large dominant chest, impressive neck and head..and in the sun you could see his dapples even all around...jaw-dropping gorgeousness. T told me to be prepared before I went..so I donned on my riding pants and rubber boots ready for any outcome.. When we met up with E she was already tacking duncan up for a ride..I was already glad to see him.. and when she said that I could ride him...I was speechless! I haven't ridden in years and I've missed it so much and for E give me this opportunity was the best thing ever!

Duncan was amazing, if you can believe it.. he's 22 years old! He was trained as a hunter for most of his life and now E rides him for pleasure..exercising him with some light dressage...She's warned me that he usually tests new riders on him..giving them a little wake up call. So when it was my go I was expecting everything and anything to happen! And yes.. not to my surprise did he try to test me.. trying to buck and kick out.. and even run.. I gave him a few tight whacks with the whip and kicked him into canter from his stubborn buck and I think I gave him a run for his money! Overall.. I was delighted with the whole turnout and I think I'll be riding him more often!! Sadly we did have to run since we had a 4th of July party to head to and it'd be rude to be late! eheheh..

We went to T's Aunt's place for the celebration and oh my god.. I haven't consumed that much food in a single day in a very very long time. I was greeted with great big hugs and kisses.. and a slobbery kiss from T's little cousin Mitchell! Sooo cute! hah! but food wise..Chips and guacamole..mango salsa.. and pico de gallo.. MMM!! plus garlic cured fat green olives (amazing!) and.. to top it off.. I made my gorgonzola crostini, crushed walnuts and a drizzling of honey! Firstly I pre-heated the oven at 375..sliced on a diagonal about 1/2 inch slices of the french baguette, laid it on a baking tray and crumbled the walnuts and gorgonzola on each slice generously.. I baked it for 15 minutes..till the gorgonzola browned up a bit.. and as soon as it came out I drizzled it with sticky golden honey. It was a big hit amongst everyone..except T was complaining how it "ripped" through his mouth..too bad he has a sensitive upper palate..no one else complained!! It was a harmony of sweet, salty, savory, and crunch.. amazinggg! Try it.. you'd love it.. I am seeerious!

does this look good or what?!....if you're a fan of bleu cheese

you'll never ever let this one get out of your hands!

He's like ...dooopee..I just wanna chew on me hay

isn't he so handsome!?

going for our walk after a surprisingly amazing ride

that's E beside us!

This is little Harry.. the adorable Australian Shepherd..

he's pooped out from the heat!