Wednesday Want- KitchenAid Art?!

I haven't been able to get this print out of my head since I saw it blog hopping the other day. I have the perfect place for it to- right above the sink, next to the window. Lucky for me I seem to find myself washing dishes enough that I would get a lot of use out of this eye candy. I think it would make the perfect birthday present for myself and hope that it comes back into stock soon. You can even personalize the color to match your own beloved KitchenAid (though why anyone would buy any color besides red escapes me. I kid! Variety is the spice of life, but I'll stick with red everything thank you!)

The real empire red is even on sale on Amazon this week- coming in under $200 after rebate for the amazing 5 quart Artisan Mixer. That's cheaper than Craigslist around here (though people seem a little crazy on CL Phoenix, $300 for a crazy particle board dresser? My hunt for a French Provincial dresser is futile and slightly frustrating when I see so many bloggers finding gems for next to nothing!) Ahem. There's a huge selection of colors and no better Christmas/Birthday/Whatever present. Check out the 'Yellow Pepper' and 'Green Apple'.

Source: Oh Dear Molly on Etsy

Wednesday Want- Chocolate Cheerios

Today's Wednesday Want is an admittedly casual one. I loved this picture of Baby Strawberry rocking her first bowl and cereal and milk all on her own and felt, as it is her birthday coming up, I should let you in on a secret. Nestled between a million brightly colored boxes at our grocery store is one demure little stack of our favorite cereal. It seldom has a toy in the box, a sale, or any flashy characters grazing it- but Chocolate Cheerios are the real deal. My son has discovered their magical powers ('Try these sister, they turn the milk chocolate!') and I've started storing my limited supply in the farthest reaches of the pantry to avoid detection by the children. Oh sure I share, but I want to make sure these babies aren't subjected to any children's kitchen experiments. You know, the ones that end with cheerios all over the floor (that the dog won't eat any more from over-exposure!) And I fill most of their bowl with plain cheerios first- trust me, it still tastes great, these babies are magical!

Have you had Chocolate Cheerios before? Is there another cereal I'm missing out on? If only I could get oatmeal to taste as good as a nice bowl of cheerios and sliced strawberries...

PS I checked my favorite store and sure enough our favorite cereal is a suprisingly great deal on Amazon (especially with the subscribe and save option and free shipping right to your door). Who knew?

Wednesday Want- The Perfect Scoop

I haven't featured a cook book for the Wednesday Want before but with temperatures continuing to rise around here, I have to give this amazing book a little shout out. The Perfect Scoop is tried and true and I've never heard a bad thing said about it (except maybe for it's skinny-jean consequences!) A nice ice cream maker (like my Cuisinart) is surprisingly affordable and compact. I scored mine of Craigslist but they are all over Amazon, garage sales, and even thrift stores.

David Lebovitz also explains some techniques for making ice cream without an ice cream maker. See some ice cream inspiration here and pick up a copy of The Perfect Scoop already- once you start making ice cream, I think you'll be surprised how fun and delicious it can be. If you're intimidated, I'd recommend starting with a sorbet (Pineapple is my favorite and strawberry of course!) With the heat and amazing summer produce, there's no time to start like now (well, as soon as I clear a spot in the freezer for the bowl again- am I the only one with that problem?)

PS See some more great ice cream from these lovely ladies, but consider yourself warned- it's going to make you hungry!

Tracey 

Annie 

Di (with homemade Magic Shell- I can't wait to try this!)

Chocolate Chip Muffins

What is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? I'm sure it's something to do with the mixing method and the ratio of ingredients, but when I ate one of these this morning I felt like I was eating chocolate cake without the frosting for breakfast. In fairness, I did up the chocolatey flavor by included extra chocolate chips throughout the batter and on top and by using half Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder along with the regular stuff.This week's Tuesdays with Dorie choice worked out perfectly. The only problem I had with the recipe was photographing these little guys (every time I left them alone I ended up with at least one less muffin!) I'm sure my kids didn't mind the chocolate for breakfast dilemma.

Since today is a Wednesday Want day, I thought I would show some of my favorite tools for making muffins and what I actually used to make these last night. It didn't take many dishes or any out of the ordinary ingredients (for me, that means sour cream... I'm always borrowing it from the neighbors!) You don't even need a beloved KitchenAid for muffins!

1}. Medium Mixing Bowl (mine is similar to this set from Trudeau, via Sam's Club a few years ago)

2}. Microwave Safe Bowl (to melt the chocolate and butter together- I used my basic Corelle)

3}. Liquid Measuring Cup- I have a 1, 2, and 4 cup and at least one is always in the dishwasher. For this recipe, I skipped the buttermilk and just soured some milk with a teaspoon or so of vinegar in my measuring cup. Then I mixed in the rest of the liquid ingredients and poured it right over the dry to save a separate dish.

4}. Measuring Spoons (mine are from Target but I prefer the long skinny ones from Williams Sonoma- they would fit in any spice jar)

5}. Measuring Cups

6}. Large Silicone Spatula to gently mix it all together- I used to be in love with the KitchenAid ones (they're really affordable at Target, Ross, or TJ Maxx and come in a million colors to match your mixer) but prefer this Le Creuset Super Spatula I got from CSN Stores.

7}. Cookie Scoop- perfectly portioned batter every time. And I never use these for ice cream, though I know they are intended for that...

8}. In classic "do as I say, not as I do" fashion, I'd recommend sifting any time a recipe calls for cocoas powder. The final product will be smoother and the cocoa will be much better distributed.

I guess it turns out to a decent list, but I think most of you have a lot of this stuff already. With these tools and a light hand, quick and delicious muffins are in anyone's grasp. See the recipe for Dorie's Chocolate Muffins on Bridget's Blog here- they look gorgeous with the white chocolate chunks and colored muffin liners!

Wednesday Want- Blender Bottle

I'm in late with today's Wednesday Want but had to share one of my simplest and best kitchen tools- my Blender Bottle. I've used a lot of shaker bottles before- a Tupperware, a Zyliss, and even one from the dollar store- but this one beats them all and never leaks with a nice screw-on lid. It has a stainless steel coiled ball in the center that makes quick work of homemade salad dressing, pancake batter, even instant pudding (don't judge- I love the vanilla! And the butterscotch. Blame my mom.) It's even available in tons of great colors- red, happy yellow, lime green, magenta, even a pretty plum for you purple peeps. I bought my first one at Sprout's but you can get them from Amazon for less. I love the smaller size for homemade salad dressing and I've included my favorite recipe below. It lasts for a few weeks in the fridge and even stays almost totally emulsified in the beloved Blender Bottle.

Do you use one of these things? Any great uses I'm missing out on?

PS Check out the official, awesome Wednesday Want from the talented Kayla here.

Anne Strawberry's Simple Balsamic Dressing
(adapted from Emeril)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender bottle (or jar) and shake to combine. Toss salad and serve immediately. This makes a lot of dressing so I usually half it and store my extra dressing in the fridge for couple of weeks- but it always gets eaten before it goes bad.

Serve with my Cheesecake Factory Knock Off French Country Salad (with goat cheese!), panzanella, or your favorite green salad. You can't go wrong here.

Diamond Engagement Ring Sugar Cookies & the Wednesday Want

It's usually the little things that let me know I'm really going to hit it off with someone. One of my best friends and I have hardly anything in common and that became glaringly obvious the first time we met. Later in the conversation she mentioned she had a red KitchenAid (I'd just gotten mine at the time, and my mixer and I were, and are, I guess, still in the honeymoon stage). I knew right then things would work out- and we are best friend still, even if we're separated by miles and miles, nothing will change that. It's kind of the same with my friend Natalie. She has the same sheet pans as I do, happily lined with silpats, stacked with lids, and ready for all the baking they are meant to do. Yes, they're just objects- but they're also indicitive of a shared interest.

Natalie makes me the most beautiful cookies (this spring she made 400 butterfly sugar cookies, marbled and swirled and bigger than your hand) and so we commisioned her to make engagement ring sugar cookies for my brother's wedding luncheon. It was so fun coming over and seeing her process (I think everyone makes them differently). Her recipe is not very fussy and has fabulous results- without chilling the dough, leaving tons of space on the pan, or anything like that that I regularly do with still only mediocre results. She also has the steadiest hand and frosted perfectly smooth wedding bands (while I could only trust myself with the diamond!) I'll post the recipe soon.

It's hard to tell from the pictures but the cookies were incredibley sparkley and shiny, thanks to silver and iridescent edible glitter from ABC cake decorating.To get the white royal icing nice and white, we used Americolor White Gel food coloring (it was $5 for a huge bottle at the cake store) and added iridescent glitter for the diamond. The grey to mimic the white gold bands was made with the white coloring with a little Americolor black- silver glitter on top. We tried the Wilton black first and ended up with lavender frosting. They came out beautifully and I'm so grateful to Natalie for sharing her time and talents to help make the day a little more special. I'm also grateful she had four sheet pans so we can get them done because mine were all busy making brownies...

I think I've sharing this picture before but it perfectly demonstrates why I love love love the Nordicware lidded half sheet pans (also called jelly roll pans or cookie sheets around these parts). I had a few of these from wedding gifts, my mom had a different style, and last year we finally bit the bullet and bought a huge matching set. Now we each have four lidded pans that make projects so much easier. I think the secret is to have the same so they stack so perfectly. I have seen these at Ross and TJ Maxx occasionally but the best deal I found, when I wanted a whole bunch, was at Amazon- the four piece set- one lidded half sheet pan and one lidded quarter sheet pan (perfect for a regular batch of brownies) for a few dollars more than the big pan and lid by themselves. Pretty regularly they go on as part of Amazon's buy three get one free promotion. Now our pans can bounce back and forth and all hang out happily together.

I know matching cookie sheets, lined with silpats, isn't the most important thing in the world (or best indicator of friendship) but I love these pans- especially with a big project going on. Last week I made four large pans- that's two batches each- of cheesecake brownies (shown above) and four large pans of chocolate mint 'BYU brownies' for the reception and loved seeing them all stacked up and pretty- safely covered, protected from little wandering hands, and absolutely delicious. Do you have a ridiculous obsession with pans like I do? Please someone say yes...

Wednesday Want- Microplane

I'm back with the Wednesday Want finally (and provided my kids keep playing nicely, I'll even queue up a few more posts like I've been meaning to do!) My blogging break was inadvertent but with blogger going crazy and messing up my Google Reader to boot, I kind of stepped away for a while. It's good timing really with my brother's wedding coming in a couple weeks and all the craziness that comes with that, but it's time to crack the whip here. After all, no matter how busy we get, my family still insists on being fed!

Today's favorite tool is the Microplane. I can't remember how I was introduced to this baby but it was love at first sight. If you've ever tried to remove the zest (peel) from a piece of citrus you know how tricky it can be. The pith, the white layer under the colored peel, is bitter and should be left on the fruit. The Microplane is sharp enough to effectively remove the zest so you get all the great citrus flavor. It's also the best way to grate hard cheeses like Parmesan or to make chocolate shavings. Sometimes I use it for garlic (whatever you do, watch your knuckles- this baby is sharp!)

Most often, I use my Microplane when I'm making a citrus flavored frosting (usually lemon or orange). A little bit of fresh lemon zest brightens so many dishes- green beans, asparagus, simple cakes, even cinnamon roll dough. The flavor is often so subtle that you don't notice the citrus but the food just tastes brighter and better. Do you have a favorite use for a rasp grater? They come in a lot of sizes and I'm dying to add a few more to my collection...

Wednesday Want- Strawberry Slicer

It's time for another Wednesday Want already, just in time for Mother's Day. There are plenty of lovely, expensive kitchen tools around that would be perfect for any mother but this one is cheap and especially wonderful for spring time. Can I tell you how excited I am about strawberry season? They're finally plentiful and inexpensive around here and I can't get enough. Typically, I was my berries (a pound or two at a time) in the colander then slice the top off with a paring knife. Then I line them up and slice them vertically with my beloved French chef (if one of my kitchen tools was my boyfriend, this knife would be it.) I am in love with my Cutco knives- especially since every time I send them in for complimentary sharpening, they replace one or two (free of charge!) They are sharper than you'd believe, though, as the scars on my hands will happily testify. I've drilled and drilled that fact into my little man and will have to tell him, and you, my "Pride comes before the Cutco knife" story when he's old enough to appreciate it. For now, he knows to stay away.

But since he's an eager and willing helper in the kitchen most of the time, I wanted a solution that would let him get involved. I've used an egg slicer to slice strawberries before but the flimsy wires break and stop working far too soon for a household that eats up strawberries like mine. This slicer, advertised to cut things like eggs and mushrooms, does a lovely job. I picked one up at Shar's for my mom the other day and will have to get another for my house. You can even use a little stem removing tool like this one from Chef'n or this traditional one (3 bucks at Shar's) and my four year old can go from fresh washed to beautifully sliced berries in no time. For under ten bucks, you really can't be that.

Don't forget to check out my Amazon store for more great Mother's Day recommendations. With Amazon Prime, you can have you order shipped for free just in time (did you know they have a free student and mom version too?)

Wednesday Want- The Saucinator Whisk

Today's (super late) Wednesday Want features something that I really want for my own kitchen, and have yet to get my hands on! I went to a great cooking class at Shar's in Gilbert over the weekend. It was fun to see her demonstrate all the great pressure cookers, fun gadgets, and new recipes. It was not so fun walking away lusting after $300 pans. I did check out this new whisk, though, and can't wait to get my hands on one. It's called "The Saucinator" (silly but true) and it features coils on the bottom as well as a coil up the handle for extra efficiency. The bottom is also covered in silicone to prevent scratching of my pretty pan that I usually use for sauces. I was anxious to try this whisk after Shar effortlessly made a huge batch of gravy (no lumps!) but they were sold out. Amazon Prime to the rescue, it can be here by the weekend, ready to whip up a batch of pastry cream or maybe some strawberry pie filling. Around 7 bucks, it won't break the bank either. If only it came in red...

Have you used the saucinator before? Have a favorite amazing whisk? Please let me know in the comments!

Wednesday Want- Cookie Scoops

Anyone know what's wrong with Photobucket? My pictures are all in hiding and it's making me crazy! Anyways, if you're new here, please come again. I'm trying to get it sorted out and today for my Wednesday Want I have one of my very favorite tools- the humble metal scoop. It's technically an ice cream scoop but I don't use mine for that, ever. I love this scoop for making the most typical cookies into something special. You could use store bought dough and scoop them out and they would come out perfectly shaped, bake evenly, and look like a million bucks (but making the dough is my favorite part, so I never do that!)

Magenta Cupcakes

The same goes for cupcakes- I use a scoop this size for the perfect cupcake. Not only does a scoop make the job of dishing out the dough or batter (that used to be my least favorite part) much quicker, it's also much more effective. That's the best. I also use a cookie scoop to make gorgeous pancakes and be a hero to all the carb lovers in my house.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

There's a ton of different sizes available- I have three or four. This one is a pretty good baseline- as well as the one tablespoon scoop. My mom also has a hard to find, tiny teaspoon scoop that makes the most adorable tiny cookies. They're easy to find at Target, TJ Maxx, or Pampered Chef. Just make sure to get one with all metal parts- the plastic ones aren't worth anything! Do you have a favorite use for cookie scoops (besides ice cream?) Come back for cake on By The Book Friday- I owe a friend a German Chocolate Cake, so if you have a great recommendation please let me know!

Wednesday Want- French Rolling Pin

As I'm starting this new Wednesday Want tradition, I don't want you all to think, "sure, that would be great, but ____ costs a ton so oh well." I get enough of that feeling reading design blogs! Some of my favorite kitchen tools (like my beloved Empire Red) are pricey- but lots of them are not, thanks to awesome places like TJ Maxx, Ross, Target, and Amazon. So it is with today's item. I used to have a great marble rolling pin. It was pretty, heavy, too much money, and I was always afraid I would drop it on my foot. I can't remember why I ended up with one of these amazing French rolling pins but I haven't stopped buying them since (I needed a back up at mom's for when I'm making pie over there!) Unlike a traditional rolling pin, the French rolling pin is lightweight, nice and long, and doesn't have any handles to snap off when you are fighting to roll out a batch of dough. It's pretty and you can buy them with tapered ends or not. And even if you don't like to make pie or sugar cookies, there's so many great things to use it for. Here's some of my favorite-

 

Apple Pie

Chicken Piccata- I put the chicken in a baggie, cover it with a dish towel, and use the rolling pin to flatten it so it cooks nice and evenly. Don't use your wooden rolling pin to beat raw chicken, bleh!

 

Cinnamon Rolls 

Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry

Orange Rolls

They're about ten bucks on Amazon but mine came from TJ Maxx (about 6 bucks). The more you use it the prettier it will get- mine is a rich, golden color now and feels smooth and useful in my hand. After I've used it, I wipe it down with a clean, damp cloth and stash it away for next time. I'm still finding more uses and hope you will give it a try. Do you have a favorite kind of rolling pin? Am I the only one who loves hers enough to post about it?! :)

Wednesday Want- Silpats

Today I took two sheet cakes to Church and couldn't believe how clean and perfect the extra sheet pans in the kitchen were, compared to mine (that are only about six months old, and diligently scrubbed). Whenever someone sees my pans, though, they instantly comment on the liners and ask what they are and why I have them. I'm crazy for Silpats and usually start an overly long conversation about how awesome they are, how much they cost, where to buy them, why you need one, two, four, whatever, and how I couldn't live without them. So I figured that sharing Silpat's with you for my first Wednesday Want was appropriate!

Here's the scoop from the source- "Silpat nonstick baking sheets are made of woven glass coated with food-standard silicone. Used daily by professionals, the sheets offer multipurpose uses for preparing, cooking, and heating up food. They're also easy to clean--simply wipe them off using hot water and dish soap. Store them by either rolling them up or keeping them flat. Do not cut Silpat baking sheets with metal, but with DeMarle's Exoglass cutters or knives. Silpat baking sheets replace parchment paper, and are heat-resistant up to 480 degrees F. The Silpat makes any baking sheet nonstick- no greasing necessary. The baking sheets are made in France."


When I made Dorie's Carrot Cake Cookies, I didn't have enough Silpats for all of my baking sheets. I used an airbake sheet for one batch and they came out totally flat and malformed, instead of perfectly shaped (and pleasantly plump) like those baked on the Silpats.


With certain recipes, I really prefer flat cookies- but this is more irregular and accidental than perfectly thin.

Silpats aren't just good for cookies, though- I like to roast veggies or meat on them, bake my rolls on top (no greasing necessary, remember?) Sometimes I roll out pie crust on my sheets. They also help keep the mess down when I'm baking pies, muffins, or cupcakes (I put the lined pan right under the pie or muffin tin and there's no mess, overspill, or "brown bottoms" on the muffins!) They're easy to clean and don't require you to scrub the whole sheet pan or to throw away endless parchment. No, Silpat doesn't know anything about me or my little blog but I really think you should get to know them. I've tried the Wilton and Cuisinart knock offs and assure you that the Silpats, the real deal, are worth every penny. Please leave a comment and let me know your favorite thing use for Silpats!

PS- One more thing- these babies will last forever (I think 3000 uses is even enough for me) but make sure you never cut on them!