Black and White

These are a couple of my favorite black and whites. I sometimes prefer that my photos look a little overexposed. What do you think?

Bella Movie

My sister recommended the movie Bella a little bit ago. I just watched it this weekend and found it so thought provoking. It shared a good message and made me cry a lot. I pondered death and life and how to make the most of what I have been given. I definitely recommend it while caution that it deals with the death of a child.

C is for Cookie

I am always in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I currently have 4 or 5 recipes that I really like - one has ground oatmeal, another a combination of white and dark chocolate chips with a touch of almond flavoring, another calls for toffee chips. Some have all butter, and others use a portion of shortening or margarine.

I just got my hands on a great recipe. It is my current favorite. I love my cookies to look like this (see above) - blobby, thick and soft instead of flat, thin and crisp. 

This recipe is a definite must try! Do you have any great chocolate chip cookie recipes you'd like to share? I'm always looking to add to my collection. :)

Sozel Flake's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. shortening

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. white sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

5 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 - 5 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate mixed together are the best)

Preheat oven to 375 - 400 degrees. Beat butter, shortening, and sugars together. Next add eggs and vanilla and mix. Then add flour and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well and add chips. Bake 8 minutes. Drop the pan onto the counter when you take it out so that the cookies fall. I always cook them at 400, but if you know your oven cooks hotter, then use 375. If I have cooked some cookies on a pan and I am using it again for more cookies, I will adjust the time to bake them for 7 min. 45 sec. or 7 min. 30 sec.

What a Pout

I caught the sweetest little pout on my friend's little girl. Her mom is in trouble! How could you say no to that sweet face?

Happy Haunting!

May the force be with you!

Fall Fagoli

It's fall and time for good soups! My friend, Lindsay Poulsen (who is an excellent cook), gave me this recipe. It's delicious.

Olive Garden Pasta Fagoli
1 tbsp. oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion
2 carrots shredded
1 cup celery
30 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. red kidney
2 15 oz. white bean
5 cans beef broth
1 tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
30 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
small pasta

Sauté beef in oil and onion, drain excess fat.
Add carrots, celery, tomato simmer 10 min.
Drain and rinse beans, add with remaining ingredients.
Simmer 10 or more min.
Cook pasta, then add pasta.

Lindsay's personal notes: This makes a large quantity of soup. I usually just put a small portion of noodles in our bowls, pour soup on top, and mix instead of mixing the noodles into the soup (because I usually freeze a portion to use later). When we want to use the frozen portion, I only have to make the noodles.
Jana's notes: I don't use all of the Tabasco or pepper because my kids don't like their food quite that spicy.

Dorie's Cupcakes (courtesy of my sister)

photo by Mary Ann

My sister told me about these cupcakes while I was home visiting in August. She posted them in a different form today on her blog so I thought I would pass them along. They are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had. I absolutely loved them and I am not a die-hard cupcake fan either. 

Here is the recipe:

Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes- makes 12 cupcakes from Baking by Dorie

Greenspan, pg. 215-16

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins or use paper liners. (I used Crisco with Flour spray)

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then yolk, beating for 1 minute, after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce mixer speed to low, and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, before unmolding them. Cool to room temperature before frosting of glazing.

I topped them with a glaze from her friend Clara's blog

For the glaze

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona bittersweet 70%)

1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

To make the glaze—

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes.Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter.