Pots and Pins

Happy New Year!

What a week I've had!  What a month!  What a year!  Godfrey - could time go any faster?!?  Where did it all go so very, very fast?  My head spins just thinking about it...but here we are, another year down, a new one about to begin and it's time once again to make New Year's Resolutions.  I thought I would share mine with you...so here we go:

1.  Only buy one cookbook per month. 

That's it.  Just one little resolution.  But a difficult one I assure you!  I might have a fighting chance with this as long as I can remember my bookshelves are full and my wallet is empty, because my bookshelves are full!  However, I did just order three new cookbooks this morning...fooled me!  It's still 2013 and my buy-one-cookbook-per-month deal doesn't start until 2014!   

 

 

The kids left this morning, so sad to see them go - it was just too, too much fun having them here for Christmas!  Now I'm faced with the daunting task of cleaning up after them...but what better way to spend the 7th Day of Christmas?!   I'll clean a bit, then maybe hit the stores, but I'll be back in time to make the mister's New Year's Eve feast which we'll enjoy while we watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV - just like we do every year - yawn.  I hope you'll ring in the New Year with a smile on your face and hope in your heart and be sure to eat some black-eyed peas tomorrow for good luck! 

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R !!!

Harvest Song Walnut Preserves...

Before Christmas I visited Timbercreek Lodge on Highway 202 just east of Redmond, WA...it's a tiny little Western-wear shop for most of the year but during the holidays it turns into the cutest little Christmas shop this side of the Mississippi.  Along with all the trimmings, the shop carries a line of preserves, crackers, olives, etc., that just can't be beat.  I wanted to tell you about them today because, well, you need to know these things!  I purchased two items from the shop that changed my life...dramatically.  As in I'll never be able to celebrate anything with Walnuts Preserves again!  Say whaaaaa?

Notice my burn is healing nicely - I now have new skin!  (Picture posted purely for sympathy...send it my way.)  Harvest Song is a new-to-me-brand but I'm quickly becoming their biggest fan.  They produce artisanal preserves that are directly imported from Armenia.  Which reminds me, I probably should make up a batch of my mom's Armenian Meat Pies for our New Year's Day festivities, they will pair nicely with these walnuts...so good.

Green walnuts are carefully picked and then cured - whole - shell and all, in oil.  You read that right, walnuts in the shell are put into oil where they soften and as they do they take on this incredible richness...you would swear there are all kinds of exotic spices in the oil - but there aren't - it's the walnuts themselves!  When they are sliced, you can see the pretty inside - almost star-like - and they are yummy...think allspice/cloves/cinnamon...even though there isn't any of that in there - and then think surprise because these walnuts are nothing if not surprising!  The owner at Timbercreek Lodge told me to serve them with cheese - so I did, in these cute little party cups:

Click here to find the Harvest Song Walnuts and here for the Party Cups - Amazon sells both and their prices on these two items are ridiculously cheap!  I love the party cups because you can fill them with anything - lemon curd for a mini lemon pie, fresh fruit, chocolate ganache, chicken salad...really, they are so good and unlike some other party cups on the market, these have a pastry taste - not a cracker-y taste,that's a word, right?

Put some Gorgonzola crumbles in the party cups, top with a slice of preserved walnut and then drizzle on a half teaspoon or so of the walnut juice...magic!  Your guests will think they're eating an olive, because that's kind of the texture the walnuts have but then their taste will surprise them and you'll be surprised as they move like locusts and devour the entire plate in minutes!

Just so you know, I received nothing for posting about Harvest Song or Party Cups...I just happen to love both of these products and I want you to love them, too!

Travertine Tile...

Well, wouldn't you know it, the minute the Christmas festivities ended, the upstairs bathroom sprang a leak!  It wouldn't be Christmas at the Slaughterhouse unless we had some unexpected expense right after we drained our bank accounts!!  So we've been doing some rushing around looking into flooring for the bathroom...and my newest BFF Mike sent me this and I thought I would share it with you...

The Benefits of Travertine are not lost on me!  You know I'm part Italian...so I love that I can have the same floor in my bath as the Romans have in the Colosseum!  I love that it's not slick or slippery and here's the best part, IF you ever have to spend the night on the tiles, like if you wake up with some sort of gombuu or worse, with vertigo, Travertine will not be terribly cold so you won't freeze to death waiting for someone to come and cover you up with a towel!  At least, that's been my experience! 

Check out Travertine Mart - I was NOT compensated for this post.

The Merriest of Christmases...

I was so excited when the girl said they would drive home for Christmas...and then my excitement went swirling down the drain when she called a few weeks later to say they had changed their minds - they couldn't come for Christmas, driving was too risky, they'd had tons of snow and the SIL needed to stay and work...of course I understood, things happen, plans change...and somehow my broken heart would mend and we would have Christmas.  Although not any Christmas that would be recognizable to me!  Christmas without the girl?  Christmas without the Max and Elsa?  What kind of Christmas would that be?!?  I consoled myself by deciding to have a Christmas party - a house filled with people and lots of kids and of course, some pretty tasty food, would surely take away my Christmas blues...

 

 

 

 

 

And I must say, it did help!  I baked for three days and three nights (or maybe it just seemed like I did) and we had enough sugary treats to keep every good little boy and girl happy bouncing off the walls for hours, with enough left over to take care of the naughty ones!

We called it a Christmas Cookie and Milk Party and I invited the girls I teach and their families - it was quite a crowd!

 

Since man cannot live by sweets alone, we had to have some savory things, too...meatballs, smoked salmon, cranberry salsa, fresh shrimp prosciutto wraps, bacon-wrapped dates, cheese and crackers, nuts,  and even some fruitcake, baked up by my Aussie friend.  They mainly served as decoration because Americans don't seem to share the love of fruitcake that Aussie's have...but I have to say, I ate two of her fruitcakes and they were delicious!

 

The milk bar had chocolate milk, strawberry milk, eggnog and cider...and almost every drop of milk was guzzled! 

 

Look who happened to stop by, just in the Nick of time?  Santa, Mrs. Claus and some strange elf...I did warn the parents that the elf might cause their children some psychological damage, he was rather uncivilized with just a tad of grumpiness thrown in (it's hard to find good elves these days!)  Santa, who is usually so very jolly, seemed to be off his game just a bit...I actually heard him arguing with a child!  Sheesh!  Mrs. Claus had the kids write any last minute requests for Santa on a piece of paper...most of them wrote sweet things, or drew pictures...and then there were these...

 

 

 

Seriously, some kid wrote he wanted an AK-47...oh I DO hope Santa gave him one!!!  I withheld their names so they would not be punished for infinity and beyond.  The party ended, we collapsed into bed and I can promise we had no visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads!  Christmas Eve was spent returning the house to "normal" and some last minute baking had to be done...just as I was pulling the last of the Christmas Puddings from the pan, the doorbell rang...and what to my wondering eyes should appear?  But two miniature humans, who I love so dear!  MAX AND ELSA WERE STANDING ON MY PORCH!  The girl and the SIL decided, last minute, to drive up for Christmas!

 

 

 

My heart surely skipped a beat or three!  It was the nicest surprise ever...and Christmas morning was just like Christmas morning!!  Kids, toys, laughter, merriment...it was Christmas through and through!

 Here's Max with his favorite Christmas presents...his case full of markers and crayons (he's way into map drawing these days) and his Dino-Head-Lamp that roars!  Could he be any cuter?!?  It's been a whirlwind of fun and we still have another 3 or 4 more days!  Merry Christmas to US! 

   

Quilt Group Friday...

Another year of great quilts has come to an end.  After 17 years of being members of the Sew Whats we all still love quilts and each other!  This month was our gift exchange and like most exchanges, there were some rules to be followed...only handmade or store bought.  That about covers it, no?  We do try to give something quilt related and something that we would like - this isn't a white elephant exchange...and this year everyone went home with a fabulous gift!  Here, take a look and see!

After everyone drew a number, it was time to get started...and yours truly had number one!  I chose a big box on the floor - opened it up and let out a gasp...inside was this beautiful hand-appliqued quilt made by Helen!!  I was almost too giddy to speak - but then I realized there would be NO way I'd make it out of there with this quilt - it would be stolen in a matter of seconds...and it was.  Easy come, easy go!

Since my gift was stolen (shame on you Lori!) I got to pick again...so I went with another large box and inside it was this beautiful quilt made by Kareena!!  Once again I was thrilled...and I pleaded my case to try to keep it...everyone just laughed...but guess what?  It did come home with me!  Even with all of the quilts in my house it's so fun to have one made by a friend - I love it!

Oops!  I must have been still so excited over my quilt that my hands were shaking!  This adorable framed hand-embroidered piece is really pretty and perfectly done - wish I'd taken a better shot!  I'm pretty sure Denise made this but I don't remember who got to take it home - I forgot to write things down as we went!

This fun little piece was made by Stephanie and Denise got to take it home.  We thought it was pretty genius to give something that wasn't Christmasy - way to go Stephanie!

 

Ardith made this reversible apron and it went home with someone who was thrilled to get it...again...forgot!

Lori made this iron tote and pad and then put a small iron to go with it inside her gift.  So cute, so nicely done.  I think Neva went home with this? 

This little tin of goodies was the gift I brought...it contained 3 little packets of fabric called "crumbs," 5 spools of thread, a Christmas hankie, a gift card to Keepsake Cottage for $25 and a box of my hand-dipped chocolates...I started to make something this year but just ran out of time.  Kareena went home with this - hope she likes it!

This Christmas runner was made by Neva (?) and I don't know who took it home - very cute - it would look so nice on my Christmas table right now!

Terry made this beautiful framed wool piece - just look at those tiny snowman faces!  All done by hand!  I think Stephanie went home with this prize.

We had a few girls who were unable to make it to our meeting and we really missed them!  After all the gifts were handed out - we had one last item of business. 

 

Our group has made quilts and raised money for American Hero Quilts for years now and we've been very fortunate over the years to not have been personally touched by either the war in Iraq or Afghanistan.  But a few months ago Stephanie's son, who joined the Army after college, was sent to Afghanistan.  We wanted to show our support for Stephanie and her son and so we all made scrappy blue star blocks which were sewed together into this red, white and blue quilt for Stephanie.  It's not the prettiest of quilts, nor very big, but I can tell you it was definitely sewn with love.  God bless the men and women who serve and the families who sacrifice!

Merry Christmas from the Sew Whats!

Pastry Cloth...It makes a Great Last-Minute Gift!

We woke up to SNOW this morning!  Yay!  It's so, so pretty here when it snows - which it rarely does - so this is a treat!  Of course it won't last, the rain will return and wash it all away probably before the day is done but for now, I'm looking at a Winter Wonderland and loving every flake!

Speaking of flakes...Do you know how to have the flakiest pastry ever?  Well read on, doughboy, you're about to be schooled! 

Until recently I didn't even know what a pastry cloth was!  I know!  That's as shocking as a toaster in a tub but here's something more shocking, I'm still capable of learning!  A dear friend mentioned how much she loves her pastry cloth, which she got when she was first married, and said she needed a new one because hers is now full of holes.  I really didn't understand the benefit of rolling dough out onto a canvas cloth, wouldn't it get messy and be just one more thing to wash?  And what if you wanted to use it but it was in the hamper?  And wouldn't it get rancid and smell if an oily dough was rolled on it?  And what about those holes???  After a little on-line research, this is what I learned:

When flour is rubbed into a canvas pastry cloth, it will prevent dough from sticking, and you use much less flour, thereby keeping the pastry light and flaky...the flour goes into the cloth not the dough!

 

The other great advantage to using a pastry cloth is you don't have to wash it all the time - even if you use an oily dough.  After you use your cloth, you simply shake off any excess flour over your sink, fold the cloth up into a small little square and keep it in the freezer!  Of course, you can wash it as often as you want (and then you can keep it in a drawer), and with every wash the canvas cloth itself will become softer and softer.

Pastry cloths have been around for ages - the Pioneers used them!  And probably the Pilgrims, too!   I keep mine in the door of my freezer so it's easy to find...right next to my Cider "Bugs", which make great little gifts, too!  You can find pastry cloths on-line or you can make your own...purchase 100% cotton canvas at a fabric store, cut it to the desired size (32x32-inches is a good size but maybe you want something larger to accommodate a huge pizza dough - then make it 36x36...or maybe make several, small and large depending on what you're making...I made mine 30x20) and hem the edges - that's it!  A pastry cloth would make a really nice gift for your favorite Foodie this year...my friend, who had holes in her much-worn cloth, now has a new one and she told me it was "the best gift she's ever received!"  Only a true-blue-bonafide foodie would say that! 

 

The park behind our house is filled with kids and sleds - hardly enough snow for sledding but they just couldn't wait to get out there - as soon as the "sun" (hahahaha, as if) came up they were ready to go!  It's so pretty, I wish it would last!  Today I'll be using my pastry cloth over and over - it's time to make the Christmas Cookies! 

Brussel-Kale Salad...

This is the cure.  Right here - this little unassuming salad - it will make everything better.  All that popcorn you ate at the movie?  All that chocolate you consumed when no one was looking?  All of those long hours dragging in and out of shops looking for the perfect gift for someone who has everything?  Yep, this salad will make all of that better - plus, it will help your aching feet, as long as you get off of them while you eat.

 

 

 

Not a fan of kale?  Not a fan of brussel sprouts?  No worries...you won't even know what you're eating because there are three other very important ingredients that make the kale and brussel sprouts more than  palatable...fresh fennel, Parmesan cheese and  B A C O N.  In fact, I should probably have called this Bacon and Cheese Salad - because while the kale and sprouts are the base, the bacon and cheese are the stars...every crunchy-creamy bite...and then there's the bright fresh taste of the fennel - suprisingly refreshing!  The dressing has just a hint of orange juice to make this salad company worthy...heck, I'm going to give it 4 durn dangs on the Dang Meter because of it's curative properties (I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on TV, just here on my blog!)

I'm going to serve this salad with our annual Spaghetti and Meat-a-Ball feast on Christmas day.  It's pretty, tasty and semi-healthy and I figure the kale and sprouts will cancel out the sauce and the pasta.  I might even toss in some dried cranberries for a bit more Christmasy color!

     

 

Santa could benefit from this Brussel-Kale Salad - not that there's anything wrong with the fat man in the red suit, but maybe I'll make up a special batch and leave it out for him on Christmas Eve - it's so good it might even get me an extra gift!

Brussel-Kale Salad - Pots and Pins

6 brussel sprouts, washed, ends cut off and finely sliced

1 bunch kale, washed and dried, thick stems removed, roughly chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained on paper-toweling, crumbled (You can use as much bacon as you want, I won't judge.  I actually cooked 8 pieces of bacon but I couldn't bring myself to put all 8 in the salad, so I ate 4 pieces first and then put the remaining 4 in the salad.)

1/2 cup dried cranberries, optional but very festive!

For the dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoons orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all of the salad ingredients and toss to loosen the brussel sprout leaves.  In a small bowl combine the vinegar, orange juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Slowly add the olive oil while whisking so it becomes incorporated.  Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.  Serves 4.

Why yes, those are two pieces of chocolate on the plate - good eyes!  I figured after eating all of that healthy kale, fennel and sprouts I needed to balance things out a bit. 

One year ago:  12 Days of Christmas in a Bag  There's still time to whip up this little gift - because the 12 days of Christmas do not start until December 25th!

Two years ago:  Ho-Ho-Ho! Quilters Jewelry Gifts  Doesn't one of the quilters in your circle need a new shiny bauble or two?  You can easily make her a thimble necklace or a fat-quarter necklace...no kidding!

Three years ago:  Chocolate Snowball  Our 3rd favorite Christmas dessert...so dang good!

Four years ago:  Reindeer Aprons  These are really quick and easy to make for the Rudolphs in your life!

Five years ago:  Thai Chicken Coconut Soup  Not really a Christmasy soup but it sure hits the spot after a long day at the mall!

Six years ago:  Quilt Group Christmas Extravaganza  I think this was the last year our group gave out the most coveted gift in all of quiltdom...the Golden Silver Thimble Award...you really should read all about it!

 

A Little House Cleaning...

I went through some pics and found a few things I had forgotten to post - you know, real fascinating stuff like what you usually see here.  I'm in a cleaning mood..from my camera to my desk to my pantry - it's time to get rid of a few things to make room for all the goodies Santa will bring!  Hahahahaha...as if my pantry will ever be clean!

This beautiful flimsy was made by Kareena and Lori for American Hero Quilts.  The mister and I delivered it to them on our visit to Vashon Island last month.  Now if only I had a picture of the flimsy when Lori first brought it to me...when Lori unfolded it to show me and we noticed one row had been sewn together wrong!  My heart fairly skipped a beat!  You see, Lori and Kareena never make mistakes - they fall into that exclusive group of perfect quilters, to which I will never belong.  Actually, the mistake wasn't all that bad but Lori, being a perfectionist, insisted on taking the flimsy back and getting it right (and truth to be told, had she left it with me as it was, like I told her to do, I would have fixed it myself before passing it on.)  I didn't get a picture of the flimsy before - Lori wouldn't let me take one - so I still have no proof that Lori makes mistakes!  This is a really nice top - good work girls - your generosity knows no bounds!

Stephanie brought some large cardboard panels to our quilt meeting last month, they were painted by her elementary school aged art students.  Stephanie explained that a lot of paint is wasted in art class so she had her students take all of the left-over paints and make random shapes on cardboard.  After it dried Stephanie painted the black and white around each shape - turning a bunch of colorful blobs into something quite fantastic!  I loved these! 

 

 

 

 

 

The house is all wrapped-up for Christmas - the mister was not amused when he saw I used about 2,227 staples to attach the ribbon to the garage doors but it took the focus off of the 3,019 staples I used to hang up my kitchen garland, which has a few new gingerbread men this year.  As long as I don't get any more holiday decoration ideas, the staples (and the house) should be safe for now.  And then there's my new girl Ginger.  I was in an antique shop with Dr. Nancy - we were just snooping around when I spied that little beauty - I let out a rather loud, high-pitched gasp and the good doctor said, "What happened?"  I pointed at the gingerbread girl - because words failed me - and she laughed hysterically and said, "You're not actually going to buy that are you?"  I love her to pieces - not Dr. Nancy but Ginger!  She's so great and at night she glows!!  Score!

 

My dear friend Janice surprised me on my birthday with this beautiful painting of our home.  I love it so very much...I want to live in that painting I love it so much...oh wait, I already do!  I haven't hung it up yet - it's currently in our living room leaning against a cabinet at eye level - I'm auditioning places for it because I want it to be seen by everyone who comes inside our house.  Thank you Janice - I love you and will treasure this painting forever!

Just a few other things that I've been busy with that I wanted to show you.  I had a little eclair making party for my sometime-sous-chef, neighbor and friend, Katie, who turned Sweet 16, and her friends...I should have taken pictures of the eclairs they made - and of the cream filling that went almost everywhere except the eclairs!  They had a great time and so did I.  There's something about an eclair that sets things right.  I made a Quadruple Chocolate Cake for Tanner (recipe will be up soon), to welcome him home after serving a two year mission for our church in Mexico.  Tanner used to take piano lessons from me - he was such a cute little boy and now he's all grown up.  I was told he liked chocolate cake so I made him one with two layers of milk chocolate cake and one layer of chocolate fudge cake with a rich chocolate ganache in between the layers.  It's frosted with a milk-chocolate butter-cream frosting and a semi-sweet chocolate frosting around the base and the writing.  Welcome Home Tanner - we missed you!

 Speaking of chocolate, I have a quick dessert for you for the holidays - it's easy and super delicious!  Chocolate Mousse Trifle with Whipped Cream is a show stopper!   Make your favorite chocolate cake mix and bake it in a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Let it cool and then, using a small, round cookie cutter, cut out circles of cake.  They will be about 2-inches thick (use a cookie cutter that is the size of whatever pretty goblet/glass you are planning on using.)  Whip up a batch of my 5 Minute Chocolate Cherry Mousse  and then whip some heavy cream, sweetened with a little powdered sugar and vanilla.  Place a circle of cake into bottom of glass, top with a tablespoon or so of mousse and then some whipped cream and repeat until glass is full, finishing with whipped cream.  See?  Easy as can be and absolutely heavenly tasting!  Even Santa would like this!

Lastly, let me leave you with a few links to check out and this video of Maria Menounos who is standing in a cranberry bog while she discusses some great ways to use cranberries...in a bog!

 

You can find the recipes for Maria's recommendations by going clicking here.  I love cranberries and Maria's recipes are pretty great, especially her cranberry mocktail.  I decorate with cranberries this time of year - who doesn't love stringing cranberries for the Christmas tree with popcorn in between?!?  And just in case you're a cranberry freak like I am, here's a three more recipes for you to try:

Cranberry Salsa

This is a crowd pleaser - even the mister likes this!  It's full of flavor, a little bit tart and a little bit sweet - truly, you'll like this!

 

Sugared Cranberries

If the thought of tossing a few cranberries into your pie hole makes you pucker three ways to Tuesday, then you need to give these sugared cranberries a try...they are addictive and kids love them!

 

Cranberry Curd

 This has to be one of my favorite Christmas gifts to give - my dear friend Karon gave me the recipe for her Cranberry Curd and it's now a staple in my kitchen.  It's so thick and rich, with a beautiful color and just the right amount of tart - it will liven up any ol' muffin or scone!

Burnt Almond Torte...

The week before Thanksgiving my friend Tallee posted this on Facebook:

"why yes, yes I was pathetic enough to mail order a Prantls bakery Burnt Almond Torte which arrived today. Why is that pathetic? Prantls is in Pittsburgh. Yum!! Feeling very happy If only I could mail order a Primantis sandwich...."

Tallee is certainly not pathetic!  There's nothing wrong with paying a small fortune to have a cake shipped to your door...nothing at all!  After reading her comment though, I thought to myself that must be some kind o'cake!  I left Tallee a comment on her page - I was not begging nor solicitating in any way...but she took the hint and brought me over a piece of her beloved cake...it was probably about 3 or 4 days old at this point and it was still good.  After a bit of searching and some time well spent in front of the fire, sipping cocoa and reading recipes, because it was only a week before T-day and there was nothing to do...I came across a recipe for Prantl's Burnt Almond Torte from someone who said he used to work at Prantl's and the recipe was posted on the local PBS Station website...so I felt pretty confident it would taste as good as the piece Tallee brought me.  I was wrong...it was better.

   

 

The cake is a bit deceiving, it sounds and looks much more difficult than it is...first of all, the cake itself is just a white cake - a white cake mix.  I kid you not, every recipe I read said to use a cake mix, and who am I to argue?  Besides, cake mixes are formulated to work - they are good - heck, they're hard to beat - in fact, beating a cake mix too long is about the only way to ruin it which is why it says on the box to beat for 2 minutes and then you must stop!  Over-beating makes a cake dry...that's my pearl for the day.  While this is a cake/torte, the cake is not the star of the show...nope, it's a toss up between the thick and creamy vanilla pastry cream - which I'm sure is the reason this cake lingers in the mind of anyone who has enjoyed a slice...or the burnt almond pieces (candied almonds) that make up the outside coating...

 

Sliced almonds are toasted with coarse sugar so when they come out of the oven they are golden brown with little sugar crystals stuck all over them - making them crisp, shiny and sweet.  They are reason enough to justify postage/shipping.

 

 

 

Tallee was very generous with her cake - she not only shared it with me but she took what was left of it to church and shared it with more friends. When my cake was almost out of the oven I realized there was no way we would be able to eat all of it so I called up the people Tallee had shared her cake with and asked them to come and taste the one I made, you know, to do a little cake-testing-comparison-tasting...it's fascinating how quickly people will come for cake.

Underneath those beautiful almonds is a thick layer of vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between two moist layers of white cake which were generously covered with vanilla butter cream frosting ...it's a mouthful and definitely worthy of 5 dangs on the Dang Meter...this one is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!  Make it for Christmas - it will be the perfect ending to your Christmas feast! 

(Joyce, this needs to be your Christmas dessert this year - quit looking for desserts and forget about what you might have wanted to make - this is a show-stopper and you'll love it!)

Burnt Almond Torte - Adapted from Lincoln Kretchmar, Kretchmar's Bakery, Beaver PA

For the cake:

1 white cake mix, baked according to package directions, cooled

two 8-inch square (or round) cake pans

For the pastry cream:

2 cups half-n-half

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt 

5 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the almond topping:

1/4 cup coarse sugar

1 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons water

For the Vanilla Butter-cream Frosting:

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

First, make the pastry cream:  Heat the half-n-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.  Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the cornstarch untill combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds. 

When the half-n-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk a couple of tablespoons of the simmering half-n-half mixture into the yolk mixture to temper.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.  Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours.

Make the cake, according to directions on the box.  Allow to cool and set aside until pastry cream is cool and almonds are made and cooled.

Make the almonds:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine the almonds, sugar and water, toss to coat.  Spread onto a large baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. 

Make the vanilla butter-cream frosting:  In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, with the whisk attachment, combine all of the ingredients.  Increase speed to high and whip until frosting is creamy and smooth and light, about 5 minutes. (The frosting needs to have a soft and spreadable consistency, you can add either more milk to thin it or more powdered sugar to thicken it, if needed.)

To assemble the cake:  (The recipe I followed called for the cake layers to be split so there would be three layers of pastry cream and 4 cake layers.  I opted not to do that although it would have made a wonderful presentation!  I put the pastry cream between the two layers, and used about half of it.  I used the remaining pastry cream in another recipe.)  So...either split your layers and put pastry cream on top of each layer as you stack them or put the pastry cream between the two layers of cake and use your remaining cream for something else - like eating it with a spoon.  Put on a thin layer of butter-cream frosting, a crumb-coat, and then refrigerate the cake for about 20 minutes, until the frosting is set and firm.  (This seals the cake and helps make the frosting go on more smoothly.) 

When cake is ready to be frosted, generously cover it with butter-cream.  Take the almonds in your hand and gently press them into the sides of the cake/frosting.  Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top of the cake. Serves 9 to 12, depending on how big the slices are.

Sorry, I neglected to take a pic of the cake after it had been sliced...it disappeared too quickly for me to get a picture!  Dang good, my friends, dang good!

One year ago:  Blue-Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Two years ago:  Eggnog Pound Cake

Three years ago:  Bad Things Come in Threes

Four years ago:  Salted Caramel Bars

Five years ago:  Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Six years ago:  Foodie Books to Give or Books to Give to Foodies

The Snow Train...

The train that leaves King Street Station in Seattle at 8:00 am on weekend mornings to take it's passengers to the little Bavarian village of Leavenworth is affectionately known as The Snow Train.  It should be called something else...something more descriptive, like The Train ride from Hell!  But now that I've told you the ending to my story - let me go back to the beginning...on a freezing cold day in Seattle, the mister and I boarded the train to Leavenworth - we paid extra $$$ for the dome car which included uncomfortable seats that were not next to each other, like you would expect on a train, but rather they were all turned in different directions so we faced strangers plus the dome car was not a dome car - the roof was not clear - the windows just went up a bit higher than the regular car...I know my domes.

 

 

 

 

 

We could not have had a better day, once the sun came up because the sun came up!  The train tracks run up the coast so we had beautiful views of the Sound, the snow-capped Olympic Mountains and interesting things to see on our way to the Edmonds Station to pick up more passengers.  We waited a bit at the station but it wasn't too long before we were on our way - to our next stop, the Everett Station to pick up more passengers...and then we waited a bit more.  But we didn't mind as we were served a frozen mini-cinnamon roll (from Costco) with water poured out of a plastic gallon container into little paper cups...I had envisioned our train trip to be more like a European train...white linens on the tables, silver tea service...

 

We were also served a frozen ham and cheese croissant sandwich with a bag of apple slices and juice...so I really can't complain...can I?  Once we were moving again we were informed by our "stewardess" that our little snow train was not the only train on the tracks...in fact the tracks we were on are heavily used by freight trains which have priority so we were forced to side for long periods during our trip over and back.  Long periods.  Long.

 

 

 

 

 

The scenery was beyond compare, especially once we hit the Cascade Mountains - and if the scenery wasn't enough entertainment, we had special entertainment on board...and I do mean special.

 

See?  That was great...even if Santa was not paying attention...he was not part of the act, he was just another passenger.  We had all kinds of entertainment on board, including a spoons player, violinists, Von-Trapp wannabees, a banjo and a magician...it was the only thing about our journey that was non-stop and it kept us amused while we waited for the freight trains to fly by.  There were also two, not one, but two National Parks Guides on board, in case we wanted to know anything about what we were seeing...and the mister couldn't wait to ask a few questions...like how long is the tunnel?  Oh glad you asked...it's the longest tunnel in the country, 6.2 miles and after the train goes through the doors are closed on one end so the exhaust fumes can be blown out so the next train's passengers don't die from breathing them.  Good to know!

Did I mention it was 15 degrees when we left Seattle?  The temperatures on the other side of the Cascades are much colder than what we have on the coast...when we arrived Leavenworth had already hit it's high for the day - 18 degrees.

There has been a lot of snow in the mountains and it snowed the night before we arrived Leavenworth making everything sparkly and so pretty.

After FIVE hours on the train we arrived at in Leavenworth (to drive to Leavenworth takes about 2 1/2 hours)...we exited the train, along with the other 600 or so passengers and climbed onto school buses...it was coooooold...it was so cold squirrels were throwing themselves at electric fences!  It as so cold Starbucks was serving coffee on a stick!  It was so cold hitch-hikers were holding up pictures of thumbs!  Neither of us had on 18-degree proof coats, hats, boots or gloves...we had more like 32-degree stuff...idiots!  But we figured we'd dash into a toasty-warm restaurant for lunch and then buzz in and out of the cute little shops to stay warm...wrong!

 

 

 

 

 

The streets of Leavenworth were jammed with people just like us - looking for a place to keep warm!  The restaurants had hour and a half wait lists and the shops were so crowded we couldn't get inside!  And Frosty, well, he and I were stuck together like a tongue on cold metal!  The mister had to pull us apart because Frosty was not Frosty at all but rather WARM! 

 

 

 

 

 

We finally found a place to eat and  thaw our frozen bits...after walking around for an hour, we needed some thawing.  We stayed in the restaurant until 4:00 pm and then braved the cold once more in search of a few gifts - it was crazy crowded - like thousands of people in the square!  

The town of Leavenworth was an old logging town - and on the verge of bankruptcy when the city council put their heads together and decided to turn it into a Christmasy Bavarian village - all of the store fronts were converted into gingerbread and the town was reborn into a tourist trap.  It is very festive and fun - and we did our best to take it all in while we waited on the street for the nightly lighting ceremony.  Children's choirs sang, the Mayor spoke, Miss Ornament/Tinsel/Candy Cane made an appearance and finally, at 4:45 they did the countdown...ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...and nothing happened!  There was a huge boo from the crowd - people yelled things like, "You should have paid the electric bill!" and "Put in some new batteries!" and "Didn't use a surge protector?" and my favorite, "Feed the hamsters!"  Big disappointment all the way around...but we had strict instructions from the train people as soon as the lighting ceremony was over we had to make our way back to the busses and be on the train by 5:00 pm...we started to walk away when the lights came on!

The entire town lit up and the crowd cheered!!  We heaved our frozen legs along the ice-coated streets toward the busses...the first half of our trip now completed!

Our train ride back to Seattle was long...long and dark...long and dark and cold...and it took SEVEN hours for us to get back!  SEVEN!  Godfrey!  I stared at the mister, he stared at me, we stared at strangers, they stared at us...seven hours worth!

 

We saw nothing as it was dark outside...we were served a boxed salad for dinner...we were entertained once again with carolers and wannabe carolers and the accordian player but when the tuba player arrived in our car I took out the Advil and told the mister was I done.  Done. Done. Done!

King Street Station, which is beautiful, had one lone man inside when we arrived...it was a huge contrast to when we left when everyone was giddy with excitement (including me) and antsy to get on the train.  As we straggled into the station hardly anyone spoke - we were all spoked out!  We got home at 1:00, crawled into bed at 1:30 and we had almost thawed out by 2:00.

Here's the upshot...we had a good time going, we had an okay time there, we had a miserable time on the way back - mainly because we sided for long periods of time and it seemed to take forever.  We are glad we went, we can tick it off our bucket list but we would never go again.  Never.  Ever.  Ever to infinity and beyond.