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pink funfetti for valentine’s day

valentine's-day-funfetti-cake-1

It’s not a celebration without a pink Funfetti cake! After a delicious Valentine’s Day brunch at Dixie Quicks and a trip to the movie theater to see “An Education,” J prepared dinner while I made dessert. I thing serving pink Funfetti cakes for special occasions is becoming a new tradition for us.

valentine's-day-funfetti-cake-2

We made our first back in January for my dad’s birthday, and it was so yummy and festive that we’ve become addicted. A couple of weeks ago for a dinner party I used chocolate frosting instead of pink vanilla on a Funfetti cake, and it definitely wasn’t the same.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

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PJ 16 February 2010 being domestic 1 Comment

chowing down in st. louis

0201_sauce-magazine

One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is to eat. I love checking out the local hot spots. So while we were in St. Louis this past weekend for a wedding, J and I made sure to carve out some time to visit some of the city’s best known restaurants. I updated my Facebook status asking for recommendations and received quite a few from Omahans who used to live in the Gateway City. I also scoured the St. Louis version of Where magazine and the online version of Sauce, a local culinary and entertainment magazine, for insider tips.

0201_araka

For dinner Saturday night we chose Araka in Clayton (above), which won a 2009 Readers’ Choice award for “Best Lookin’ Restaurant” from Sauce. We arrived early, and I enjoyed a most delicious Raspberry Lemon Drop at the bar while we waited. After we were seated we decided to order off the Restaurant Week menu–3 courses for $25. When you consider that most of the entrees cost approximately $25 a piece, that was a steal. I am proud to announce that I tasted escargot for the first time, as that’s what J ordered for his appetizer. Unfortunately, service was a bit spotty, and we had to send back my pork loin twice. The first time it was overcooked. The second time it was literally raw in the middle. The restaurant handled the snafu appropriately and did not charge me for my meal, which also included an appetizer and dessert. My dessert was just blah. I ordered the chocolate chip pound cake, but they served me an end piece with the “crust,” so it wasn’t as soft and moist as it should have been. Thankfully, J’s dessert was so delicious that it made up for what mine was lacking. Chocolate-hazelnut bars. Yum.

0201_pipizza

Before we left St. Louis we decided to stop at Pi in The Loop for lunch. A favorite of President Obama’s, the trendy–and relatively healthy–pizza place is famous for its Chicago-style deep dish pizza (above) with cornmeal crust. (Although we heard somebody say it was San Francisco-style pizza. I didn’t know SF had a style of pizza.) It was insane. Even the spinach salad we started with was fantastic. Although we ordered a large pie (for $22!), it was so filling that we were each only able to eat 2 slices. It’s a good thing we went for lunch on Sunday; on Friday and Saturday nights, you can wait up for 2-3 hours for a table!

(top image source, middle image source, bottom image source)

PJ 4 February 2010 extracurricular activities 1 Comment

tim tam

Tim Tam

Australia’s favorite chocolate cookie — and mine! — are making their American debut courtsey of Pepperidge Farm. However, if you’re lucky enough to have a World Market in your town, you can find the original Arnott’s version in the international food department.

PJ 2 December 2009 being domestic 1 Comment

winchell’s donuts

I’ve discovered where the Old Men’s Club hold their meetings on Thursday mornings — Winchell’s Donuts at 120th and Center!

(image source)

PJ 23 July 2009 being domestic 1 Comment

summer strawberry cake

After our deliciously healthy dinner Sunday night, J decided he wanted to bake a cake. Not one to object to freshly made cake, I agreed to help. While he prepared the batter following the Martha Stewart recipe below, and I hulled and halved the strawberries. Our teamwork paid off in a big way–a delicious summer strawberry cake. If only we hadn’t forgotten to top it off with Cool Whip!

Ingredients

Makes one 10-inch cake

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
  2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
  4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.
PJ 21 July 2009 being domestic , 2 Comments
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