Tomato Soup with Red Onions and Cilantro

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

I saw this recipe on Orangette this morning and absolutely had to make it tonight. It is rare that I make something the same day that I see it because normally all recipes to try get put in my Google Notebook. However, the siren song from the combination of tomatoes, cilantro, and lime was too much to resist. May I just go weak in the knees now? Because I couldn't believe how flavorful and amazing this was. It has elevated itself to repeat status, which is very difficult to achieve in my world. I make so many different recipes and hardly ever pull them to the side to go in my personal recipe notebook because life is too short to eat the same thing twice. I think the most amazing thing about this is that I didn't alter a single thing about the recipe. That is huge for me. I NEVER follow a recipe exactly. Thus, I am going to go let you find the recipe over at Orangette and read what she has to say because her words are so much more poetic than mine.



And really, what is tomato soup without grilled cheese? I couldn't just make the normal kind because it was well, just too normal. Oh no, it wouldn't do. I pulled out the pesto and fresh mozzarella, layered them between some pugeliese bread, and grilled to crispy goodness. Oh my, the perfect partner for this soup.

Sigh. It was a good night.

Bellingham Love

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Sometimes I just wish that I could mesh different pieces of different periods of life all together to create one great experience. Sadly, it's not possible. I so greatly miss Bellingham and the character it has. It feels like home. It is quirky. Fun. Full of culture. And fleece. And men with beards. Kids with dreads. I love it. My heart just longs to live there again but I know its not where God wants me at this point in time. There is work to be done here in Puyallup. I can wish all I want, but it's not going to get me any closer to living up north again. Until God does bring me back there, I just have to visit and feel like a stranger in a land I consider home.

This past weekend I took a jaunt with Jess to visit Lucy and watch what every 26 year old is absolutely giddy over-- High School Musical 3! Well, maybe it's just us. We are closet HSM junkies and had no choice but to get together to watch the movie on opening night. Oh, and don't worry, we went to the 9:45 showing and almost the entire audience was made up of people our age or older. There was a line of people waiting to take a picture in front of the HSM sign. That's right people, a line!



The next day, we had breakfast at the Mount Bakery. I so wish Puyallup had good little restaurants with tons of character like Bellingham eateries. Seriously, Ptown is SO lacking in this department and I have found that most people who live around here don't even realize it.





We then went around town visiting favorite shops and the farmer's market.







Fall in Whatcom County wouldn't be complete without a stop at Bellewood Acres, where we picked up a 25lb box of Honeycrisp apples and Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.



Later, we joined up with Andrea at the ReStore, which is one of my all time favorite places to go. You just never know what you are going to find. The final stop at Avellino's completed our journey and really made it the most wonderful day ever. A long talk with friends old and new while enjoying their Carrot Cake really hit the spot. I was sad to leave, but know I'll be back in a couple weeks for our 4th Annual Bazaar Hopping event. Oh yeah, you'll definitely hear about that soon.

The Best Present Ever

Thursday, October 23, 2008

For my birthday, I asked my Dad to build me a huge custom cutting board. I have been wanting a board big enough to hold everything I'm chopping so I gave him the measurements and he outdid any expectation that I ever had! He made not one, but two boards, as well as crafting the most beautiful kitchen tools I have ever seen. Oh my word, I love them! Thanks Dad!



Look at how huge this is! It is so completely perfect and is absolutely the best thing ever when I am cooking. Seriously, the best present ever!

Biden Rally

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Yesterday was a flippin' fun time at my family bday party, but I need to finish taking a couple of pictures before I'm ready to share that with you. In the mean time, here's what I did today. Jess, her sister, roommie, sis' boyfriend, me, and some family friends went to the Joe Biden political rally in Tacoma. We had a lot of fun and I have decided that it counted towards 0.5 of my goal to be in a protest. Someday, somewhere, I want to hold a sign and shout things. Until then, this will tide me over. My throat hurt a bit from yelling and hollering and I managed to down 4 glasses of water when we went out afterwards, but it was fun! All of the following pictures are from Jess because I didn't want to lug my big camera with me.

Jess and me waiting in the cold for the festivities to begin



The rest of the crew



Apparently we made history because we were the largest group to see Biden yet. It was definitely a packed house.





Joe with Christine Gregoire, Patty Murray, and Maria Cantwell



Me getting really into the yelling.



P.S. You know you're firmly blue when you say something like, "I'm tarting myself up because you just never know what young Democrats are going to be there."

I'm Alive

Friday, October 17, 2008

I'm here, I promise. Just been too busy/tired to post anything. Hopefully this weekend I'll have some time to catch you up. Until then, I leave you with this. My siblings and I still quote from it long after we first saw it.

Ginger Cake with Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Yesterday was my birthday. My 26th to be exact. Of all the birthdays I've had, it probably felt the least like a birthday. It just felt weird. Not necessarily bad, just more of an un-special day. I didn't really feel like having a big celebration either, which probably contributed a great deal to it. However, I did give myself a lovely birthday present-- cooking my own dinner & baking my own cake. Weird to some of you, a real treat to me. Lately I have really been wanting to make a layer cake for something and couldn't find an excuse. Enter stage left, my birthday. I also made Champagne Chicken, which is one of my favorite meals, but we were too hungry to stop and take pictures. I guess I'll just have to make it again to share with you all.

So as I was deciding what kind of cake to make, I knew it couldn't be a "normal" cake. No vanilla or chocolate for me. Don't get me wrong, I hold no hatred in my heart for those flavors and actually like them very much. I just wanted to do something unusual. I cobbled together a few different recipes and came up with this particular cake. I had originally wanted to do a Mascarpone Cheese Frosting, but was unable to find the mascarpone anywhere. Guess that's next year. Still, this cake was awesome! As in unbelievably good. As in I will so make it again. As in I wish it was my birthday every day so I would have an excuse to have it more often. Yes, that good.

P.S. I'll be in California for the next 4 days, so it may be a while before my next post. Don't be a hater if I come back a little more tan than you.




Ginger Cake w/ Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting
Makes a 4 layer cake.

Cake:

1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
4 eggs

Frosting:
5 cups confectioners sugar
2 cups butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Topping:
candied ginger, chopped
cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350.
Mix flour & baking powder in a bowl, set aside.
Mix butter and sugar until smooth. Now add eggs and vanilla extract.
Pour in milk and mix again.
Add the flour mixture, a little at a time. When everything is incorporated, add the grated ginger and mix.
Grease 2 8" cake pans, dust with some flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake about 40mins or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool in pan for 10 min, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack.

To make the frosting, mix ingredients together until light and fluffy.

Once cakes have cooled, use a long serated knife to cut each one in half. Frost cake & top with sprinkles of cinnamon and candied ginger.

Breather

Monday, October 6, 2008

I'm finally able to take a breather and sit down for a chat with you all. My lesson is planned for my GO Girls Group, my ginger cake is made and waiting to be frosted, the dishwasher's unloaded, and a project I'm working on for a friend is well under way. I have much accomplished, but much still to do. I have forced myself to stop and hang out a bit with you all. Because I have just so much to tell you.

Last week I went to Ocean Shores with my Mom & Sis. It was everything you could hope a vacation would be: relaxing, entertaining, and spontaneous. I don't quite have the energy or time to regale you with all the spectacular stories I have swirling in my head, so I'll just throw some pictures at you and call it good. Seriously, I wish that I could be paid to stay home and just write and take pictures. Sigh. Until my dream job somehow materializes, you're just going to have to make do with what I can come up with at 9:30 at night. Definitely not my best material but I'm sure you don't care. Because we're all friends here. And friends are always nice to each other. Even when they don't deserve it. Or when they have spinach stuck in their front teeth. Or they just farted. Or they are sitting on their couch with ratty hair, wearing jeans, tshirt, and a voluminous bathroom because it's more portable than a blanket but just as warm. No comment about which situation you are having to be my friend through at the moment. I trust you are still with me.

Anyway, here's some of our fun. You can click on any of the pictures to see more.







Joel recently bought some property out at Ocean Shores and gave me directions to where it is. After driving up and down the street numerous times, we concluded that this is approximately the location.



The BEST Irish food ever! Seriously fricken amazing!







My stunning sister







My sis happened to say that she was antsy right as we passed a high school field with these just sitting out in the open. I started yelling for my Mom to pull into the parking lot and she did. What a great Mom! Shan and I definitely had some fun with them.