Playing Catch Up

I can not believe it has been over a month since my last blog. Lately, life is running 150 mph and I am running 20 mph!

Days after LL Cool Jake's fall, Grammy & Grandpa came up for Easter weekend. Grammy had a wedding to attend up here the following weekend and Grandpa had to the teach a course that weekend. So, Grammy spent the week here with us. Which is all good, however, she does not think too highly of blogging. So, no blogging while Grammy is here (mental note made!). Actually, she would prefer no computer while she is visiting but we all know that won't happen :)

After hanging with us for 11 days, I treated Grammy to a trip to Disney. It was her first trip since I was 12 years old and boy, that was a long time ago. It was a horrible day to take her. It was sooo busy. She kept saying she had never seen so many strollers in her life!

Jake does not care for the characters, at all! He is actually climbing out of the high chair!

That night I started my cake decorating class. We started with cookies, then a single layer cake, cupcakes, then double layer cake. I went to the 1st two class, then on the 3rd, I was so exhausted and yucky feeling, I skipped it. Well, when the next class came, I had just gotten back from a weekend scrapbook crop and had so much to do that baking and making frosting was not a priority. So, I missed the last class, too! Oh well.

A horrid recipe for a lemon cake. It came out dense like a pound cake and did not rise. Bleh!



My lemon cake (Betty Crocker) with raspberry preserve filling. OMG! So good. Roberto told me not to bring anymore cakes home, he liked this so much.

We have been so busy with our house in Lakeland. We are attempting to move in there around August 1st. So, we have been shopping for flooring, contractors, going on budgets, yuck. The whole thing is making me sick to my stomach. I would like to sell both homes and find one we are going to stay for years and years. But I love the location for us and Jake.

Jake is growing up so quickly. He is quite the chatterbox, albeit, a foreign language. I love watching him study us as we speak and imitate us. Speaking of growing, just 2 weeks before his birthday and 3 weeks before his party. There is another reason I have been so busy. But it is coming together. 


For Mother' Day, we went to Gaylord Palms' Sunset Sams for dinner on Friday since Roberto had to work Sunday morning. On Mother's Day, I was lucky enough to make myself coconut shrimp. Yummy, though!

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

from

FoodNetwork

• 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

Directions

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

This past weekend, we went to Jake's little friend's party and his aunt made him the sweetest Elmo and Cookie Monster cake balls. So, today being Jake's snack I decided to bring in Oreo Truffled "Cake" Balls.

Aren't these adorable??

My finished product.

My cake ball dissected! Mmmm, oreo cookie and cream cheese goodness!

I took the idea from Lovefromtheoven.com. If scroll down her page a bit, she shows in detail step by step how these are made. And so easily, too! No Baking Required!

Now, I bid you adieu! But not without a couple more pics of Jake!

Piglet smiling!

Triple Chocolate Mousse, Tiramisu, & Tres Leche Cake

Okay, I decided to join in with the others on Kelly'sKornerBlog and submit my favorite dessert recipes of all time. So, after much consideration, here they are...  (Sorry, there are no pics but some of these I am made long time ago, one before digital, eek!)

Triple Chocolate Mousse Torte

from

Epicurious.com

• Vegetable oil
• 4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream

Preparation

Brush 9-inch-diameter springform pan with oil. Place each chocolate in separate medium bowl. Combine 1/4 cup water and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until mixture is pale yellow and very thick, about 5 minutes. Bring half and half just to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk hot half and half into beaten egg mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Remove custard from heat. Add softened gelatin; stir until gelatin dissolves. Strain mixture into large glass measuring cup. Immediately pour 1/3 of hot custard over each. Stir each chocolate with separate spoon until melted and smooth. If mixture cools before chocolate is completely melted, set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir just until chocolate melts. Cool chocolate mixtures to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Next is another favorite.

Tiramisu

from

epicurious.com

• 2 cups boiling-hot water
• 3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup dry Marsala
• 1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Preparation

Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.

Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Cooks’ notes: •You can substitute 2 cups freshly brewed espresso for the water and instant-espresso powder.
•Tiramisu can be chilled up to 2 days.

 

And last but not least, an old classic from my Miami childhood memories...

Tres Leche Cake (mmm)

taken from

allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

2 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!