MIRI IN THE VILLAGE

Chocolate = Love

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Whether you are celebrating with a lover, a friend, a family member, or the television, you should definitely remember to love yourself and for me loving myself means chocolate. I made this cake for my mother's birthday not too long ago, much love going around for everyone! I have shared my super secret chocolate cake recipe with you before, and today we are going to make a chocolate layer cake with salted caramel buttercream. With one of these decadent babies you will certainly feel loved!

CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp anise liqueur (I use Arack)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour 3 8-inch baking tins. Begin by filling a sauce pan with water. Set it on high heat until it boils. While you are waiting for the water to boil, whisk to gather the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda until it is completely blended. You can begin to add in the wet ingredients, starting with the oil. Continue beating in each egg, one at a time, into the mixture. Next beat in the vanilla and the anise liqueur.

Ok, remember that boiling water? Beat 1 cup of boiling water into the batter. THE BATTER WILL BE REALLY THIN, don't worry! (It is important to not here, that if you are using a spring-form pan, be sure to plan a baking sheet on the rack underneath it in the oven. The batter will likely seep through the pan.) Immediately fill you cake tins with the batter and put it in the oven.

If making cupcakes, bake for exactly 18 minutes, no more, no less. If making cake, start by checking them at 22 minutes, and continue to check on the cakes using the "stick a for in it test". My cakes usually take between 25 and 30 minutes.

SALTED CARAMEL SYRUP RECIPE

(adapted from the Great Cake Company's Recipe HERE)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 stick of butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Sea salt to taste

In a medium saucepan with high sides, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/2 cup water. Stir the mixture gently so you don’t slosh any of it up the sides of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high, stop stirring, and allow the mixture to boil. Once it begins to turn a rich caramel color (if you don’t want to eyeball it, take the caramel to 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer), remove it from the heat, add the butter and cream, and a generous amount of sea salt and stir until combined.

SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

(adapted from the Great Cake Company's Recipe HERE)

Ingredients:

1½ cups sugar
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons Salted Caramel Sauce (above), at room temperature

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and vanilla; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add 1⁄3 cup of the caramel and continue mixing until combined.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING RECIPE

(adapted from Annie's Eats recipe HERE)

Ingredients:

12 oz. good quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup very hot water

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

Sea Salt for finishing

To make the chocolate ganache frosting, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and water and stir until smooth. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually blend in the melted and cooled chocolate until well incorporated. Blend in the cocoa powder-water mixture until smooth.

CAKE ASSEMBLY

To assemble the cake, level the cake layers if necessary. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Top with half of the caramel buttercream and smooth in a thick, even layer. Place a second cake layer on top and smooth the remaining salted caramel buttercream over that. Place the final cake layer on top. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting and smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle with sea salt.

Would You Like S'more?

2012-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

After I made the marshmallows, my boyfriend came over for dinner, and I immediately sent him to the store to get a chocolate bar. "Do you need anything else" he asked. Nope. I was certain I had graham crackers, well, mostly certain. So he came back, we ate dinner, and I was so excited about making s'mores over my gas range with my newly homemade marshmallows. So, where were those graham crackers again? Erm, hmmm... Well turns out I was wrong. No graham crackers!

The next morning I put it on my agenda to go buy some graham crackers. The day went by, and going to the grocery store sounds so unappealing. I have this very strange aversion to going to the grocery store. Well, turns out I had all the ingredients at home to make graham crackers. I'm insane, I know. Well, here ya go - graham cracker recipe with step-by-step photo instructions!

GRAHAM CRACKER RECIPE

(adapted from Baking Bites)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup and 2 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter (you may use margarine for parve graham crackers)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor and mix it all up.

Cut the butter (or margarine) into 1/2 inch cubes and mix that in for about 30 seconds.

You will get a course mixture, about the consistency of wet beach sand.

Throw in the honey, water, and vanilla, and mix until you get a solid dough (as pictured).

On a baking sheet covered in greased tin foil, place the dough in a rectangular shape, stretching it out with your fingers.

Place another piece of tin foil on top and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is 1/8 inch thick. Place the whole baking sheet with tin foil and all in the freezer for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the baking sheet out of the freezer and cut into 2 inch squares. Place the squares evenly on tin foil and back onto the baking sheet. Prick several holes into each piece with a toothpick. Place baking sheet in the over for 15 minutes.

Let the graham crackers cool on the baking sheet until room temperature. And you're done. Now, do you know what time it is?

That's right, get the mallow ready for roasting!

It should be notes that homemade marshmallows cook a lot faster than store-bought ones, just FYI.

Ok, they next 3 photos are just eye-candy.

Enjoy!

Shabbos Specials: Chocolate Bavarian Cream Recipe

2012-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Since that movie came out, Julia Child is all the rage, right? Or was? Anyway, French food is certainly the pinnacle of fine culinary arts, and I believe it has something to do with the very few ingredients required to make it. I typically have a real knack for Indian and Southern cooking because they fall under the category "flavor symphony" - well-balanced flavors and spices, often including 15 ingredients or more. It's all very layered, quick and dirty. Not so with French food. French cuisine requires that one smoothly caress each ingredient and treat is with the utmost care, squeezing every bit of flavor out of the simplest food - at least, that's what I'd assume Julia would say. :)

French food can be difficult to make kosher. If it doesn't involve meat drenched in butter, it does usually involve gelatin - hey, like this recipe! Now there IS kosher gelatin made from fish bones. Like this one I got at my local kosher market.

You: Miri, what are you thinking? I don't live anywhere near a kosher market!!!

Me: Well, what about Whole Foods Market? They tend to have vegan things.

You: You don't seem to understand, I live IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Where am I going to find kosher gelatin?

Me: RELAX! I found some for you!! Look HERE and HERE. Happy?

CHOCOLATE BAVARIAN CREAM RECIPE

(adapted from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" pg. 599)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp kosher gelatin

5 eggs, separated (5 egg yolks, and 5 egg whites)

1 cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup strong coffee

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate

Mix the coffee and vanilla in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over top and set aside to soften.

Place the 1 1/2 cups whole milk into a sauce pan and grate the chocolate into the milk. Set aside.

Gradually beat 1 cup of granulated sugar into the egg yolk for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is a pale yellow and forms a ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch. Set aside.

Put the sauce pan of milk and chocolate over a low flame and slowly heat to a simmer, continually stirring until the chocolate has completely blended into the milk. Do not let the milk burn.

Beat the milk in a thin stream into the egg mixture. Pour into a sauce pan over medium heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly (approx. 170 degrees). Do not overheat the eggs, they will scramble.

Immediately remove from heat and add the coffee gelatin mixture, whisking until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour this custard into a clean mixing bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle on 1 Tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the hot custard. Set custard town over ice. Continue to fold delicately with spatula until mixture has cooled.

When mixture has cooled, but is not quite set, place in whichever mold you choose. As some of you may know, molds are not exactly cheap, so I chose these Betty Crocker latex cupcake holders from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Place wax paper over the creme and let chill in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Once the molds have set, gently release the Bavarian Cream. Best served with whipped cream. C'est magnifique!

Heartmallows or Marshentines, Whichever

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

This will be my first Valentine's Day ever when I will actually have a man to celebrate with! Pathetic? Maybe, but I find it more stressful than anything. What does a girl with a limited budget get her sweetheart? I have been exploring a lot of options and I read this article yesterday that I found rather interesting.

I have several jars of luster dust hanging around my house, and I suppose I never figured out the proper way to use them. Mixed with a dash of vodka, the luster dust turns into edible paint... EDIBLE PAINT! Get your head out of the gutter, I mean for cakes. The blogger said you can use it on any dry edible surface and it got me thinking about these marshmallows my mother used to make me as a kid. On top of that, I knew I had some kosher gelatin in the pantry, and thus, my heart-mallows were born!

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOW RECIPE

(adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:

7 1/2 tsp kosher gelatin* (about 3 packages normal gelatin)

2/3 cup light corn syrup** (substitute Agave nectar if made for Pesach)

2 cups white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract***

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup corn starch (optional)

Place 1/2 cup water in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over top, and let absorb for about 5 minutes or so. Set up your electric mixture so it is ready to go at a moments notice. You can even balance the beaters right in the bowl.

Cover a baking pan completely in aluminum foil, and spray the foil down with cooking spray.

Whisk together 1/4 cup water, the corn syrup and the sugar in a sauce pan. Place the sauce pan over medium heat and continue to whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Let the sauce pan alone over the heat until it comes to a hard boil. Let your sugar mixture remain at a hard boil for 1 minute until it looks like the picture below. Once it reaches that consistency, immediately take it off the heat and beat it gradually (on either low or medium) into the gelatin. Be careful to pour the sugar along the side of the bowl and not let the hot sugar touch the beaters upon entry.

Continue beating on low for 12 minutes. Seriously, 12 minutes. Set your alarm. You will be there a while.

You may believe the consistency you've reached is thick enough, but it probably isn't. You want the mixture to form stiff, stiff peaks. 12 minutes.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into your pre-lined pan (this pan was 9"x6"), being careful to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Let it sit there are room temperature for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Once the marshmallows have set, it is best to cut them with scissors. Be sure to oil the scissors before cutting. I cut lengthwise, then cross-wise 1"x1"x1" cubes.

Mix together the powdered sugar and the cornstarch. Dredge each piece in the mixture until covered. If you don't do this, your marshmallows will stick together. You may omit the corn starch and use just powdered sugar if you'd like.

This recipe yielded about 40 pieces. Now for the Valentine-y part. :)

Take your luster dust (you can get this at Amazon, Michael's, or Sur la Table) and mix with just a very small amount of Vodka until it is acrylic paint consistency. In fact, I would recommend pouring the Vodka first, so you don't over-pour and mess up the whole ratio. The vodka does evaporate, so do not worry about serving this to kids.

Paint as you would any canvas. It's really that easy!

Let the duster lust paint set for a solid 10 minutes.

And now you're good! Use them for whatever you'd normally use marshmallows for - hot chocolate, s'mores. I guarantee the taste will be far superior to any mallow you've ever tasted. :)

Oh! I should also mention that this whole venture cost me $0.00. I had everything in my pantry! Not bad, eh?

*There are vegan gelatin options available, and I believe you can buy them at Whole Foods (ahem, Evy).

**I have also read you can substitute honey for the corn syrup. I have not seen this done, nor has this been tested by me, but if anyone tries it, let me know!

***To make the marshmallows a different flavor, just add 1/2 tsp of the corresponding extract to the vanilla. For example, if you want peppermint marshmallows, at the end of the beating process, beat in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract.

Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe

2012-02-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

You may remember a few posts back that I was commissioned to do a Rosh Hashanah dessert reception for about 200 people. The themes of Rosh Hashanah tend to be sweet, so it was a good opportunity to try out a Snickerdoodle Cake recipe I had been curious about.

Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookies - I'm a bit of a cinnamon-phile. I found this recipe on Pinterest. The picture of the cake appealed to me because it looked just like that monster piece of cake in Pollyanna.

As a side note, the cakes in Pollyanna were some kind of amazing. This wasn't movie magic folks, do you see that buckling of the buttercream? Those are real 3-layer cakes, no styrofoam! Also, those cakes look to be about 12 inches across. Great stuff. Anyway, back to the Snickerdoodle cake.

As appealing as the picture was, I looked at it rather skeptically considering that in addition to 1 cup of brown sugar, the frosting recipe called for EIGHT TO NINE CUPS of powdered sugar. Gross. I guess it should also be noted that I am not a huge fan of the classic buttercream recipe: butter, a ton of powdered sugar, and vanilla - too, too, too, too sweet! I much prefer the flour-based vanilla frosting that I have posted again and again and again.

Well, upon execution, I discovered I was right. I got to 3 cups of powdered sugar and raised and eyebrow, but said to myself "It's a Snickerdoodle Cake, it's supposed to be sweet! I added another cup and a half and was done adding powdered sugar. I altered the recipe below:

SNICKERDOODLE CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 stick of butter, softened
1 3/4 cups baker's sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour 2 8-inch or 9-inch pans (I used 9 inch)

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until well-incorporated. Scrape down the the sides of the bowl, mix in vanilla.

Alternate beating the milk and the flour mixture into the batter starting with 1/3 of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, until it is all incorporated ending with flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans and place in over for approximately 35 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean.

BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

Ingredients:
4 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (again, the original recipe called for 8-9 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup half and half

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fluffy. Add in the vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until well-incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the half and half. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until well-incorporated. If you feel the consistency is not thick enough, add more sugar. If you feel it's too thick, add more half and half.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

Once the cake has cooled after taking it out of the oven, place it in the freezer - overnight if you can. Take it out of the freezer, and let it thaw just a little bit. Slice each cake in half. Place the bottom later on the cake plate of your choice, smooth you buttercream over top. Place your second layer on top of that, then buttercream, and so on. Crumb coat the cake (this is down by placing a very thin layer on all visible edges and filling in the gaps between layers). Once crumb-coated, place the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Frost cake with remaining buttercream until all sides are smooth. This recipe provides barely enough buttercream to for a thin layer all around.

It did end up being quite sweet still, but the Snickerdoodle flavor was unmistakable. This cake will definitely be made again for my friends with serious sweet tooths. :)

Crush Cakes - Santa Barbara, CA

2012-02-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Since I began my baking ventures, constantly seeking to improve my current skills, I get the same question over and over: Is it hard for you to eat baked goods from other places?

The answer is a definitive YES! Not that I don't appreciate the efforts of other bakers, but I find that there are two things people expect from delicious baked goods: 1. a moist cake and 2. buttery flavor. That said, on Matt's and my little day trip we stopped by a shop that never disappoints...

Crush cakes in Santa Barbara has stolen my heard when it comes to moisture, buttery flavor, and original ideas that are executed so beautifully and simply!

You may recognize the names from Cupcakes Wars, and they are worthy soldiers! Just look at all the choices were at our discretion:

We made our selections, then I had to run to the car and grab my camera exclaiming to Matt "DON'T EAT ANYTHING YET, I HAVE TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE THINGS!"

Our choices: Oreo cupcakes, Crumb cupcake, and the signature Crush Cake - Red Velvet

First up, Oreo. Perhaps we should have saved this one for last. It was definitely our favorite of all three, and definitely the most moist.

Second, the Crumb cupcake. So gooey- reminded me of my Danish family's coffee cake.

Finally the Crush Cake. Did not disappoint. The flavors are very well-balanced. My only criticism is you could taste the cream cheese in the frosting. I'm not a cream cheese frosting girl, so I guess the criticism is just a deeply personal matter of taste.

We ate it all anyway! Oh, and we had a salad too, just in case you were wondering about our nutrition life choices. :)

For more information on Crush Cakes you can visit their website: http://crushcakes.com/

On a totally unrelated subject, I caught some pretty great snaps in Santa Barbara. We went to the mission and there was so truly beautiful foliage.

They had all these little monks pointing you in the right direction. I took pictures of all of them, but I think I found a particular fondness for this particular one.

We walked outside and Matt walked down one of the steps making the same face as this monk in the statue (not sure which one), and had to snap that too.

Day Trip!

2012-02-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Off to beautiful Santa Barbara with my beau. See you tomorrow!

I Love Frosting Like a Fat Kid Loves... Well, You Know

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Frosting Techniques. Well, you know I've been practicing my little heart out for months and I believe I got it down! Little homemade tutorial for y'all:

1. Dirty Icing. Ok, here's a good trick. ALWAYS MAKE THE ACTUAL CAKE PART THE DAY BEFORE. Put it in the freezer. The next day it's perfect for dirty icing. Take your bottom layer, and put about a 1/2 cup of frosting on there, spread around to the edges.

Put your layer pieces on top, in this case, strawberries.

Cover up your layer pieces with another 1/2 cup of frosting, then put the top layer over it.

Put another 1/2 cup of frosting on top of the top layer, spread to the sides, and fill in the middle gap. Keep going all around your cake until that gap is filled and you have a complete cylinder.

Here's another trick: After dirty icing, put the cake in the refrigerator for a half hour.

2. Frosting the cake. Color the frosting with food coloring that you would like for the top part of the cake. Put about 1/2 cup of the frosting on top, and liberally smooth to the edges and the sides. Get a straight edge and smooth over the sides. You will have excess frosting at the top, so smooth that over the top of the cake. Continue with this process until it looks perfect.

Put about 1/2 cup of frosting to the side, and add food coloring to the remaining frosting until you get the color you want. Liberally apply the frosting to the bottom side of the cake. Smooth over with straight edge until it looks like a water color effect with the top color.

Take the frosting you put aside and put it in a piping bag with desired tip. Create flowers or designs you like on top and garnish with Strawberries or whatever you put in the cake layer.

Aaaand, done! Good job, you! Oh, and if you want a WONDERFUL frosting recipe, I die over this one from Pioneer Woman - and so do my friends. Just be sure to double it for cake frosting. :)

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated white sugar (not powdered sugar)

Directions
In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools if you are in a hurry. Stir in vanilla. This mixture must be completely cooled in order for the frosting to work.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. If it's not looking like whipped cream, keep on whipping. Best served the same day.

Tu B'Shevat Option: Ratatouille Recipe (vegan)

2012-02-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

Tu B'shevat is the Jewish new year for trees. Many have called this a Jewish Arbor Day, but it is actually much more than that. Judaism has several new years on the calendar. This particular new year is used to calculate tithes. Leviticus 19:23-25 states that fruit may not be eaten or pruned from a tree in the first 3 years of a tree's life. In the 4th year, the fruit from the tree must be given to G-d as the "first fruits". From this directive in the Torah we also extrapolate the tradition of not cutting a child's hair until the age of 3 years, likening a person to a tree.

There are several traditions that have been developed around Tu B'Shevat. Some people eat a fruit or vegetable they have never tasted, others plant a tree in Israel. Some even use the holiday as a social environmental initiative. Most commonly, observant Jews celebrate a Tu B'shevat seder. The method is very similar to a Passover seder but with a seder plate consisting of the 7 species one should consume on this holiday: wheat, barley, grapes (vines), figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (honey) (Deut. 8:8). Among the 7 species, it is also appropriate to give gifts of fruits and vegetables and to consume all kinds of vegetation no matter what the species.

Last year for Tu B'shevat I was feeling a bit French. Ratatouille is not only French, it's vegan, filled with delicious vegetables, and there was even a movie named after it! I got this recipe from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". The full recipe is on page 503. Here is my version of it.

RATATOUILLE

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant
1 lb zucchini
1 tsp salt
7 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb thinly sliced yellow onions
2 sliced green bell peppers
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 15oz can of whole tomatoes, drained and diced
3 Tbsp minced parsley

Peel and cut the eggplant into 1x3 inch slices (as pictured below). Cut off the ends of the zucchini and cut into similar sized as the eggplant. Put the slices in a mixing bowl and mix with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes, then drain. Dry each slice in a paper towel.

Saute each slice individually in a pan with 4 Tbsp olive oil.

Once the slices have been sautéed until they reach the color pictured below, flip them, and sauté the other side. Removed to a side dish once all the slices have been lightly browned.

In the same pan cook the onions and peppers slowly with 3 Tbsp olive oil in the skillet for about 10 minutes or until tender, but not browned. Stir in garlic and season to taste.

Place the diced tomatoes over the onions and peppers and cook over low heat until the tomatoes begin to seep some of their juices. Baste the tomatoes with their juices, then turn up the heat to a boil for several minutes until almost all the tomato juice has evaporated.

Mix together the tomatoes, onions, and peppers thoroughly. Take 1/3 of the mixture and place at the bottom of a dutch oven and sprinkle with parsley. Arrange half the eggplant and zucchini on top, then another 1/3 of the tomato mixture on top of that with the parsley, another layer of the other half of the eggplant and zucchini, then finally the rest of the tomato mixture on top of that.

Cover the dutch oven and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Baste the dish with its juices, add salt and pepper to taste. Raise the that and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, basting several times until juices have evaporated.

To reheat this dish you can repeat the process, or it is also delicious cold. So few ingredients, and so much flavor - all from vegetables! We love you trees... happy birthday!

Frosty Flowers

2012-01-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

I had mentioned in a previous post that my mother recently gave me a gift card to Michael's to get some baking supplies. "Flowers, you need to learn to make flowers." Well, I got my supplies and quickly went to work with some thawed buttercream I had saved. It was a big fail. My super delicious buttercream just didn't have the stiffness to be able to hold a flower together. I did some research and found that people typically use Crisco rather than butter for decorating purposes. It seems that the frosting I use for layering and eating can be different than that for decoration. I gave it a shot and the new recipe I came up with works great for flowers - very stiff and easy to color. The only problem is it definitely tastes like the frosting you get on cupcakes at the grocery store. I guess if you prefer super sweet frosting, that's ok. Long story short, I am continuing to practice my piping skills when it comes to flowers and using stiffer frosting. I think it's ok if the flowers on a cake are made from a different recipe than the actual eating part of the cake itself.

Here's the recipe I came up with:

STIFF FROSTING FOR CAKE DECORATING

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the Crisco, then gradually add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Soften it up with the water, then add vanilla.

Done and done.

Growth

2012-01-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Of all the various hobbies I have attempted to master, there is just one where I can't seem to thrive - that is keeping plant alive. I over-water, I under-water, I just can't figure it out. One thing I have learned is that when a plant seems to be doing well, don't move it.

Last year my next door neighbor was very pregnant, and naturally her friends threw her a baby shower. She brought me 3 plants that were apparently party favors. I shuddered a bit at the gesture, knowing how well I kill plants. Well, they all seemed to lose their flowers rather quickly, then their leaves. There was one that just held on for dear life. So I put it on my balcony and barely touched it. Below is the picture of this plan after I had it for about 4 months.

This is the plant today - blooming and everything! I don't know how this happened.

Shabbos Special: Lavender Vanilla Cake

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know how the idea got in my head, but for some reason I decided a lavender cake must be made. Upon my search for various recipes, all of them had lemon. Not quite sure why, but I just didn't want to deal with lemon. So, after much though, I decided to make up my own recipe. I figured it would be easy enough if you infuse milk with lavender. I had done it before with mint to make mojito cupcakes. Well, the lavender vanilla cake turned out to be such a huge success, I baked another one to bring to shul tomorrow for Shabbos!

LAVENDER MILK

Lavender milk is the most essential ingredient in both the cake and the buttercream. I figured I would teach you how to make it first, then just reference the lavender milk in the other recipes. Perhaps the hardest part of making lavender milk is finding the culinary lavender. After a rigid search, I did find some at a specialty shop called Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market at the Grove with a price tag that is not for the faint of heart - $6.99 for 0.5 oz! Take it from me and go to Amazon to buy your culinary lavender - $3.50 for 4 oz and well worth it.

Pour all the milk (whole milk) you are going to use into a sauce pan plus about 1/4 cup more for evaporation and add approx. 1 Tbsp culinary lavender per cup (for this recipe you will be using 3 1/4 cups). Put the pan over medium heat and stir the lavender thoroughly throughout the milk. Heat until piping hot, but not boiling. Once you've reached that point, let the milk steep for approximately 20 minutes. After the milk has steeped, pour through a sifter to catch all the lavender, squeezing the last bits of milk out of the lavender petals.

CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients (for 3 8" round cake tins):
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup lavender milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour 3 round cake tins and set aside. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add in the one egg whites one at a time until well-blended. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another separate bowl, mix together the lavender milk and the vanilla extract. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the creamed butter mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly into the 3 tins, and bake for 25 minutes.

After the cakes have cooled, it is best to wrap them in saran wrap and put them in the freezer to be prepared for frosting.

BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups lavender milk

10 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups (4 sticks butter)

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Pour the lavender milk into a sauce pan over low heat. Gradually whisk in the flour, 2 Tbsp at a time until well blended. Continue stirring until it has reached a consistency of cupcake batter (see pic below). Immediately remove from heat and sink the entire sauce pan into a a bowl of ice water. Let cool for approximately 15 minutes. When the mixture has COMPLETELY reached room temperature (any warmer, and this won't work), stir in the vanilla.

Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. At the COMPLETELY COOLED milk and flour mixture and beat for about a while, about 10 minutes. The frosting will come out light and creamy - almost like whipped cream. At this point you can add in any food coloring you desire.

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The first time I made this cake I used cake flour for the frosting. Do not do this! Please use all purpose flour. With the cake flour I ended up with this tapioca-like concoction that still tastes great, but frosts terribly. You can see the difference between the pictures of the first cake at the beginning of this blog post and the second cake at the end of this blog post.

CANDIED LAVENDER RECIPE

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp culinary lavender
1 egg white
2 Tbsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Coat the lavender with the egg white using a basting brush. This sounds a lot easier than it actually is. The lavender will stick to the brush, just do your best to make sure all the lavender blossoms are coated. Once coated, roll the lavender around in sugar (again, sounds much easier than it actually is). Spread out the lavender on top of tin foil or parchment paper until it looks like the pic below. Let dry out in the oven for an hour or two. Not only do you get candied lavender (that is delicious), your house will smell amazing!

For the assembly of this cake I opted for berries, keeping with the purple theme.

Berries and candied lavender on top!

I know what you're thinking: Miri, you said this recipe makes 3 layers. It does! I recently bought a 6" cake tin so I can make tester cakes for photographing. Tricky, ain't I? The second cake I made (pictured at the bottom) is made from 8" rounds and has 3 layers.

Believe me, you can really taste the lavender. This has inspired me to make a line of other herbal infused cakes.

Ok, this is the 2nd cake I was talking about. See the difference with the frosting? Much, MUCH smoother.

My mom also sent me a gift certificate to Michaels to buy cake decorating supplies. Picked up some great Wilton food coloring, a piping kit, a turn-table, etc., etc. Thanks Mom!

Aloo Gobi (vegan)

2012-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

More Indian food. Yay! The prep for this dish is a little intimidating, but once everything is chopped, it is smooth sailing from thereon out. Here ya go:

Ingredients:
3 tsp oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 lb potatoes
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 can of whole tomatoes
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
3/4 inch of ginger, grated
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup frozen peas

Boil the potatoes in a pot of water until they are cooked through. While they potatoes are cooking is a good time to prep your other vegetables. Once the potatoes are cooked through, removed them from the water and set aside to cool. Heat oil in a dutch oven or a deep pan over low heat. Add mustard seeds and cover with lid. Wait for the mustard seeds to pop - and I mean ALL the mustard seeds to pop. If you lift the lid too early, you are likely to get a scalding hot mustard seed in the eye! Once the mustard seeds are all popped, add in the chopped onion and fry until lightly browned.

Add all the spices to the pan and fry for a couple seconds. Take the tomatoes out of the can and squeeze out any excess juice. Slice the tomatoes into small strips. You can also drain diced tomatoes if that works better for you. Add the tomato to the pan with the onion and the spices.

Stir in the cauliflower florets and the ginger until well-mixed. Add in 1/2 cup of water and increase the heat to medium to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. You can salt to taste. Mix in the cubed and cooked potatoes as well as the frozen peas (the peas will warm up with the rest of the dish. Guess what, you're done! If you have a hard time with the heat, cut the garam masala in half. :)

Jeans anyone?

2012-01-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

Does anyone out there hate jeans shopping as much as I do? I just don't... fit. I saw these jeans on the Forever 21 website. I like to go there from time to time, even though I usually feel out of place being on the verge of 30 years old. But the truth is I have personal knowledge that the owner is a very devout Christian and supports Israel not only in words, but financially as well! I saw these jeans on the website and had to give them shot:

I know what you're thinking - cute, but waaay to skinny for me! Well, I tried them on, and can I tell you for only $10.80, these jeans are downright the best jeans I've ever worn?! :)

Persian Saffron Rice

2012-01-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

Something we have a the privilege of a lot of exposure to in LA is Persian food, and they are truly the best (in my opinion) at the art of rice - even down to that gold crust they put on top. This rice makes the perfect addition to any Indian or chinese dish.

Ingredients:

Rice (whichever amount you choose)

Oil (enough to coat the bottom of a pot)

Saffron - just a pinch or two

We start with the Saffron. For this dish I was making 3 pounds of rice, so I had to use quite a bit of Saffron. Trader Joe's sells a 1oz bottle for $6. As you can see, Saffron is quite expensive. In the picture below is the amount of saffron I used for 3 pounds of rice, but of course, you would need a lot less to accomplish 2 cups of rice. With a pestal and mortar grind the strands, then dissolve in water. I like to dissolve in just a bit of water, then once the rice is ready for the saffron, double the amount of water in the cup.

Everything I've read about rice calls for rinsing it several times in cold water until the water runs clear. The alb bag of rice I bought at Trader Joe's only needed one rinse... actually, there was nothing but clear water running through it, so perhaps they pre-rinse the rice.

Boil some water in a pot proportional to the amount of rice you are cooking. Once the water has come to a boil, cook the rice for only 5 minutes, until about half-way cooked.

Drain the rice into a colander. Before returning the rice to the pot, pour some oil (vegetable or olive) into the pot, coating the entire bottom. Mound the drained rice into the pot.

Take a towel and cover the pot, and put the lid on over the towel. Pile the edges of the towel onto the lid and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes.

With a flat spatula, take the rice out of the pot one mound at a time. Poor the dissolved saffron over the rice and voila! You're done!

Republic of Pie

2012-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you drive around the same old streets day after day, you tend to not notice things. This is especially true in Los Angeles when you rather than noticing new businesses opening up you are more intently focused on not getting into a car accident. So when my boyfriend was driving me to Burbank for some dinner and movie, I was intrigued to see something new in the NoHo Arts District.

The interior is very industrial, though homey and cute at the same time. Lots of comfy couches, free water, and free wifi without limits! No passwords on the wifi, no time-out.

Though this shop boasts plenty of pie, it seems that their biggest business is coffee, and as you can see, the baristas take a lot of pride in their coffee arts.

Perhaps the best part of Republic of Pie is window into the bakery. You can watch their chefs actually baking the pies. After watching for about an hour or so, these guys mean business and are very good at what they do. Everything is hand-made.

They play jazz in the store, which is fitting if you ask me. I don't know why coffee shops have gotten away from playing good ole jazz an '40s standards. They also have live music according to their Facebook page, and the amps located in the back of the shop. The website apparently does not exist yet, but you can visit them here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Republic-of-Pie/345551595456393

Republic of Pie is located at 11118 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601

Best Challah EVAR!!!

2012-01-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

As promised, I'm giving up my challah recipe. Well, I've actually already told you about it before HERE. Smitten Kitchen is by far one of the best food blogs on the internet, and stealing this lady's recipe was probably the smartest thing I've ever done. As with any bread baker though, there are tips and tricks that each person develops and makes their own. I will just post Smitten's recipe word for word below, but give you my own insight into flavor and timing thereafter.

MY NOTES IN BLUE!

Best Challah (Egg Bread)

Adapted from Joan Nathan

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising

Yield: 2 loaves

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons or 3/8 ounces or 11 grams)

1 tablespoon (13 grams) plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

1/2 cup (118 ml) olive or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon (14 grams) table salt

8 to 8 1/2 cups (1000 to 1063 grams) all-purpose flour

Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE FLOUR FOR 2 LOAVES EQUALS EXACTLY HALF A 5LB BAG OF FLOUR. SO, A WISE THING TO DO IS TO BUY ONE SACK OF FLOUR, AND MAKE FOUR LOAVES.

ALSO, I PREFER TO ACTUALLY DIVIDE THIS RECIPE INTO 3 LOAVES, BEING THAT I LIVE BY MYSELF AND DO NOT NEED SUCH A LARGE LOAF OF BREAD MOST OF THE TIME.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.) I HAND-KNEED MY DOUGH, BUT LATELY HAVE BEEN USING A CHEAP MIXER FROM TARGET. IT DOES GIVE THE THE CHALLAH A DIFFERENT TEXTURE, BUT GREAT FLAVOR ALL THE SAME.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

THIS IS WHERE MY INSTRUCTIONS DIFFER FROM SMITTEN'S. SMITTEN DOES SAY THAT IF YOU DO ONE RISING IN THE REFRIGERATOR THE BREAD COMES OUT MUCH MORE FLAVORFUL. A TRICK I HAVE DISCOVERED IS THAT ONCE BREAD IS BRAIDED (SEE MY TUTORIAL), IT IS BEST TO COVER IT IN PLASTIC WRAP AND PUT IT IN THE FREEZER. NOT ONLY ARE YOU GOING TO COME OUT WITH MUCH MORE FLAVORFUL BREAD, YOU CAN ALSO MAKE IT AT A TIME THAT IS MORE CONVENIENT FOR YOU (I USUALLY MAKE BREAD ON SUNDAYS).

TAKE FROZEN LOAVES OUT OF THE FREEZER AND SOMEPLACE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE THAW THEM IN THE PLASTIC WRAP FOR 5 HOURS (4 HOURS IF YOU DIVIDED THE RECIPE INTO 3 LOAVES)

AFTER EXACTLY 5 HOURS (OR 4 HOURS IF DIVIDED INTO 3 LOAVES), COVER A BAKING SHEET IN TIN FOIL. TAKE THE LOAVES OUT OF THE PLASTIC WRAP, AND PLACE THEM ON THE BAKING SHEET ABOUT 2 INCHES APART. REMEMBER THE 5TH EGG REQUIRED IN THE RECIPE? TAKE ONE EGG AND WHISK IT WITH ABOUT A TABLESPOON OF WATER. BRUSH THE EGG WASH ON BOTH LOAVES AND COVER IN PLASTIC WRAP. LET RISE FOR 1 MORE HOUR. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES.

AFTER THE LOAVES HAVE DOUBLED IN SIZE, COAT WITH EGG WASH ONE MORE TIME AND POPPY SEEDS OR SESAME SEEDS (IF USING). ON THE BAKING RACK BELOW THE ONE HOLDING THE BAKING SHEET WITH CHALLAH PLACE A CASSEROLE DISH FILLED WITH WATER.

IF YOU DIVIDED THE RECIPE IN 2:
PLACE IN OVEN FOR 40 MINUTES IF BAKING 2 FULL SIZED LOAVES TOGETHER. TAKE OUT OF OVEN UNTIL IT IS COOL ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TOUCH THEM WITHOUT BURNING YOUR HANDS. ONCE YOU FEEL YOU CAN HANDLE THE LOAVES, REMOVE THE TIN FOIL FROM THE BOTTOM (IT WILL BE STUCK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LOAVES) AND PLACE THE TWO LOAVES BACK IN THE OVER DIRECTLY ON THE BAKING RACK FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES.

IF YOU DIVIDED THE RECIPE IN 3:
PLACE IN OVER FOR 29 MINUTES IF BAKING 2 LOAVES TOGETHER, 22 MINUTES IF BAKING ONE LOAF AT A TIME.

AND HERE YOU GO, BEAUTIFUL BREAD, AND IT ONLY COST YOU SOME SWEAT, TEARS, AND TIME. DON'T WORRY, THE AMAZING AROMA IT LEAVES IN YOUR HOUSE WILL BE WORTH IT!

Parve (non-dairy) Chocolate Cupcakes with Parve Buttercream!

2012-01-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most difficult challenge for any person who keeps a kosher kitchen is not cooking meat dishes without dairy. If you mess up with the dairy substitutes, you still have the flavor of the meat to keep all the flavors in check. For me, the hardest part of cooking kosher is making items that are traditionally dairy into parve items, which means "non-dairy and non-meat". The most poignant way for any kosher chef to challenge his/her parve skills is in desserts. I have already posted some of my parve recipes such as ice cream, biscuits, and pancakes. Today I am giving my my super top-secret ooey gooey to die for parve chocolate cake recipe!

PARVE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup full fat coconut milk (if you are doubling this recipe, use one whole can)
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp anise liqueur (I use Arack)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tine with cupcake liners, or if you are baking a cake, oil and flour the tins. Begin by filling a sauce pan with water. Set it on high heat until it boils. While you are waiting for the water to boil, whisk to gather the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda until it is completely blended. You can begin to add in the wet ingredients, starting with the oil. If following this recipe exactly, make sure you get a can a coconut milk that is well blended. What I mean by this is that typically the coconut cream separates from the coconut water. You can alleviate this problem by shaking the can really well before opening. If you when you open the cream and the water is still separated, put the contents into a separate bowl and whisk them until blended, then measure out 1 cup for the cake. If you are doubling this recipe, you can by-pass the entire process an just throw all the contents of the can into the dry ingredients.

Continue beating in each egg, one at a time, into the mixture. Next beat in the vanilla and the anise liqueur. Below is a picture of my super secret ingredient, Arack. I swear by this stuff. I know it's anise, on the border of absinthe, and I only bought it one year because it was kosher for passover. I have been using it for this amazing cake ever since!

Ok, remember that boiling water? Beat 1 cup of boiling water into the batter. THE BATTER WILL BE REALLY THIN, don't worry! (It is important to not here, that if you are using a spring-form pan, be sure to plan a baking sheet on the rack underneath it in the oven. The batter will likely seep through the pan.) Immediately fill you cane tins or cupcake liners with the batter and put it in the oven. I took a picture of these are particular cupcake liners to show you what not to do - you should only fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full, these cupcakes overflowed onto the sheet, and most of them were not usable.

If making cupcakes, bake for exactly 18 minutes, no more, no less. If making cake, start by checking them at 22 minutes, and continue to check on the cakes using the "stick a for in it test". My cakes usually take between 25 and 30 minutes.

Makes three 8-inch cake tins or two 9-inch cake tins or 30 cupcakes.

PARVE (NON-DAIRY) BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

1 cup full fat coconut milk
5 tbsp flour
1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Heat coconut milk in a sauce pan over low heat (please see above instructions about blending the coconut milk). Whisk in the flour, one table spoon at a time. Keep whisking until you have a play-dough like substance pictured below. Once you have reached the play-dough state, submerge the sauce pan in an ice bath until the coconut milk and flour mixture has completely cooled.

While you are waiting for the mixture to cool, cream together the Earth Balance and the sugar. No idea what earth balance is? It is vegan butter, and just about the closest thing to real butter I can find. I have seen earth balance sold at Trader Joe's and my local kosher market, Cambridge Farms.

Once the Earth Balance and the sugar are creamed, add in the vanilla. Take the cooled coconut milk and flour mixture and add it to the creamed Earth Balance and sugar (NOTE: This mixture must be completely cooled in order for this to work, so be patient!)

Ok, now it's time to start beating the heck out of the thing. Beat it, beat it, beat it. Beat it until it comes up fluffy and billowy and delicious.

Ok, you're done, so now you can color it!

Deeee-licious! I get compliments about this recipe everywhere I take it. So moist, so light, so developed. I will have a post coming this weeks with some piping techniques so stay tuned!

Kosher Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

2012-01-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was hired to cater a Shabbat dinner for about 50 people, and the theme is Indian! This is my kosher Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. Very good, and no dairy - yes, you can do it too! I adapted this recipe from Pastor Ryan's guest blog post on Pioneer Woman's blog. The two main differences are (1) no dairy and (2) I increased the recipe by six times (remember, I need to feed 50 people!). I will change the measurements in the ingredients list to equal Pastor Ryan's measurements for your convenience.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 chicken breasts
2 cans full fat coconut milk
6 table spoons margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 large onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 inches ginger (grated)
Cumin for coating - approx 1 Tb
Ground coriander for coating - approx 1 Tb
3 Tb garam masala
1 Tb sugar
(optional) 1 jalapeño pepper

Coat the chicken breasts in cumin and ground coriander. If you are NOT using kosher chicken, be sure to also sprinkle some salt on there. If you DO use kosher chicken NEVER EVER EVER salt it - kosher meat has already been salted in the kashering process. On a separate plate, place only the cream from the coconut milk and stir it up. The cream is the think stuff on the top. If you shake the can and can tell the coconut milk is pretty well mixed, place it in the refrigerator for a day, and the cream will separate to the top.

Take a baking sheet and cover it in tin foil. Please a cooling wire rack over the baking sheet. Coat the chicken breasts in the coconut cream, and place them on top the wire rack.

Place the chicken about 8 - 10 inches under the broiler for 9 minutes.

Flip the chicken and place it under the broiler to cook of 9 minutes on the other side.

Melt the margarine or vegan butter (whichever you choose) over low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once the margarine has melted brown the onions lightly. Add in the garlic, ginger, and (if using) the finely chopped jalapeño. Just to give you an idea of how much you will need with the heat, I multiplied this recipe by 6x and only used 1 and 1/2 jalapeños - and even with that, i'm a little worried it may be too spicy for some. I would only add in 1/4 of a jalapeño for normal spiciness, or if you are too chicken, you can spice it up at the end with cayenne pepper if necessary.

Once the above is all mixed throw in the gram masala, and mix it all up. Add the whole can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. Mix in the sugar and turn up the heat to medium. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

While you are letting the sauce simmer go ahead and cut up you chicken in about 1 inch cubes.

Take your second can of full fat coconut milk, and take the cream from the top. Add in the cream until you get the desired consistency. One can should be enough, but keep the 2nd can around just in case. I also like to use corn starch at this point to thicken the sauce up. Take about a Tb of cornstarch and mix it with some water. Drizzle it into the boiling sauce and let it cook for about 5 minutes. This is a good time to check your spices. Like I mentioned before, if you need more spice in your life, throw in some cayenne.

Toss in that delicious chicken NOW!

Mix it all up, and let simmer for a couple more minutes.

And you're done! Serve over rice. Makes a terrific meal!

What I Did for Winter Vacation

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

This blog is really only about one thing: New Year's Eve. The winter was not so spectacular for me, and after a long string of unfortunate events, I was so excited to attend my friend Evy's (www.evyathome.blogspot.com) annual Christmas party. This year it worked out to have this party on New Year's Eve, and because Evy had already planned a Chinese theme, Chinese New Year hit the spot. Evy always does a fabulous party, and this year was no exception!

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a dragon. It's a lion.

Evy brought out a chalk board for us to write out New Year's Resolutions. Obviously, this is what Evy and I find important:

The signature cocktail of the night was called "The Hummingbird". It was really good, super swank.

Hummingbird Recipe:

2 parts Champagne

1 and 1/2 parts St. Germaine

2 parts Club Soda

This pic was rather surreal for me. All of us old college friends, we lived on the same floor for about 3 or 4 years each, kind of like our own little sorority. I guess what was strange about it is if I looked hard enough I could probably find another photo tucked away somewhere with all six of us from 10 years ago.

For the last 3 years Evy, Ambre and I have taken a photo in front of Evy's fireplace.

2009:

2010 (not our best look):

2011:

I'd say we're definitely making improvements with the annual photos! Next year, maybe we'll remember to take the photo before we've all tossed back a few! ;)

6 Braid Challah Tutorial

2012-01-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Challah has taken over my life. Seriously and completely. I guess it happened when I realized that even though it takes me several hours and gives my arms a work-out, baking my own bread costs per loaf about half of what it costs to buy a pre-made loaf in the store. Sick, I know. I kept my challah baking secret for a long time. Living in a Jewish community, I knew the demand would be high (esp since my recipe is so good!), so it made sense to keep this under wraps. Well, I couldn't for long. I've made challah for far too many people to not make a quasi-business out of it. I am baking 4 challahs for Shabbat dinner on Friday, and thought I would let you in on it!

I will save my recipe and final pictures until the bread is baked (i.e. after Friday), but I wanted to address something in my mind far more important - the 6 strand braid. Lately, I have been seeing some lazy challah out there. Challah isn't braided with only 3 strands! It's not a pony-tail! Part of the texture of a challah comes from the 6 strands intertwined! My friend Krystal even told me that she knew a lady who tried to make her challah look like a 6-strand challah by putting two 3 strand challahs on top of each other! Really!

Ok, ok, enough rant. Here's my tutorial:

After dividing your dough into two lumps, roll out each lump of dough into 6 strands.

Connect the 6 strands at the top, starting with #6. Lay #5 over #6, lay #4 over #5, lay #3 over #4, and so on. Once you get to laying the last strand (#1) over the group of strands, roll the strands together at the top, connecting the dough like you would play-dough.

Cross #1 over all remaining 5 strands.

Cross #6 over #2, 3, 4, and 5.

Take #1 again, and with #6 firmly underneath, place #1 in between #3 and #4.

Pick up #2 and cross is over #3, 1, 4, and 5. After this you will place #6 in between #1 and #4. Then you will pick up #5 and cross it all the way to the left and so on.

Finally you get this! Ain't she a beaut?!

If those directions were a little confusing, here is a video tutorial that I found very thorough:

Down Time

2012-01-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for a business deal to go through. It sounds super exciting right??? Well, mostly it means, I spend my day doing this:

Luckily though, I was asked to cater this week's community Shabbat dinner! What's on the menu, you ask? What else - Indian! Well, Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobi, Rice, Challah, and parve Chocolate Cupcakes to be exact. I went shopping with my boyfriend today at Cambridge Farms, the largest kosher grocery store on the west coast. It's a little bit of heaven:

This store basically confirms Jewish, or at least Israeli stereotypes... lots of hummus and rice. :)

Well, I have a lot of canned tomatoes and a lot of coconut milk. I'll keep you guys posted as to how the rest of the week looks.

Geek out time!

2011-12-15T17:58:00.001-08:00

Going to this blogger thing at West Elm with Oh Joy!, Mrs. Lillien, and Evy at Home! :D

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

2011-12-04T20:22:00.001-08:00

Found this recipe on pinterest, and it is awesome! The only thing I changed was the whipped cream part. I used 16oz heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tsp light corn syrup for stabilization. Here's where the rest of the recipe is: http://passthesushi.com/cherry-coke-float-cupcakes. Here are some pictures!

World's Best White Cake Recipe

2011-10-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

No kidding, world's best! My friend Laura loves it so much she insists I call it the Laura Cake, and thus it has been dubbed in our circle. This cake comes out so moist and flavorful. Best of all, it is GREAT for coloring.

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back. Of course, I had to make a few changes here and there, but for the most part the recipe stays true to where I found it.

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) box Duncan Hines Moist White Cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together dry ingredients
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
4. Separate into 2 9" round springform pans
5. Bake for approximately 35 minutes (you know, keep an eye on the stuff, and stick a fork in it to find out if it is done)

**If you are making cupcakes, divide into approximately 36 separate cups

and bake for no longer than 18 minutes.**

Oh, and remember the thing I said about coloring it? Check out this cake I did for the 4th of July!

Oh goodness, it never feels good spilling my secrets, but hopefully y'all will put them to good use. ;)

All Gone!

2011-09-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hashanah was a huge success! I ended up feeding about 200 people rather than the 150 I was initially quoted. Not one morsel of dessert was left. People were even picking at the crumbs on the plate!

This was everything I had made:

I pre-sliced everything so people wouldn't start slicing themselves... that could have been a disaster!

Some of my friends remarked that people were asking where the shop was they could buy these delicious cakes. WHOA! I know, right? Made me feel good. And though I wouldn't really want to run a cake shop out of my small apartment kitchen, it does give me something to think about!

I think of everything, the Apple Cider Donuts were my favorite part. LOVE these donuts! However, the big hit of the night was the Chocolate Salted Caramel Layer cake (i.e. the bane of my existence).

Aaaand... we're done!

2011-09-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Whew, it took me all day yesterday, but the baking is finally done! HOORAY!!! Of course, as always, there were a few glitches with some recipes, but all in all, everything turned out really beautiful. Here, why don't I show you?

Behold, my most favorite decorated cake to date... the White Cake!

The gorgeous (but so difficult to assemble) Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Layered cake!

Apple pie anyone?

And donuts...

Lots and lots of donuts...

Oh, and did I mention I was crazy and decided to make mini cakes for my friends who live up the street?

I read something about portion control and baking mini cakes in tin cans... sounded like fun!

All right, I'm ready! Are you???

L'shanah Tova everyone!!!

On Schedule!

2011-09-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

As promised, everything is going according to plan.

Two Banoffee pies!

And one Snickerdoodle cake!

Now, tonight it's time to frost the other two cakes, bake the other two pies, and fry up some donuts, Not to mention a little project I put myself on, just for the challenge! Luckily I had to come into the office at 6am this morning to work on a project, which means I should be home early to get all this done. :)

Rosh Hashanah Prep

2011-09-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to bake a dessert reception for my congregations Erev Rosh Hashanah service. We are expecting about 150 people. I'm used to baking a cake about every other week for approximately 35 - 40 people, but I'm up to the challenge... I think!

Of course, I can't put everything together until Tuesday night, so I thought I would give you a little sneak peak at what I've been doing for it as well as a little tutorial of how I put together my timeline for such things.

Menu:
White cake with strawberry filling
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel layer cake
Snickerdoodle cake
2 Apple pies
2 Bonoffee pies
5 dozen Apple Cider donuts

Obviously, this whole project is going to take a lot of butter. Count that - it's 28 sticks!

SUNDAY

First, I go ahead and make all the cakey parts of each cake and froze them. This only works to my advantage, because cake is easier to shape and frost when it is frozen or just barely thawed.

Second, I make the dough for the donuts and the apple pie crust and also froze them. Consequently, dough is also much easier to work with once it has been frozen.

I also made the apple filling for the apple pies and pretty much just assembled it and now it's refrigerating.

Third, I made toffee - FIRST TIME! You just put cans of sweetened condensed milk into a pot with water and boil for 2.5 hours.

MONDAY

Tonight I will make the 2 Bonoffee pies (very simple, pre-made crust, no-bake pies). I will also make the buttercream for and assemble the snickerdoodle cake. This cake seems to be sturdier than the other cakes and the buttercream is the super sweet kind requiring two bags of powdered sugar, so I'm thinking this will work out fine to do 2 days beforehand.

TUESDAY

1. Bake apple pies

2. Fry apple cider donuts

3. Make buttercreams for white and chocolate cakes

4. Assemble white and chocolate cakes and hope for the best!

There you have it, my schedule for the week. However, I didn't just bake over the weekend. I found an amazing groomer in Studio City called The Dog House. So nice, so reasonable, and you can even watch the pups getting groomed!

They even gave him the most precious bow. Love the Dog House!

Frosting a Cake

2011-09-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been baking like crazy. Though my cakes always turned out delicious, I'm afraid I have a lot to learn when it comes to decorating. On pinterest I found this tutorial that has totally changed my baking life. Check the link, and when you do, get back to me on how you think I did!

Yes, not as perfect as the link, but getting there, right???

MARGARITAS (nuf said)

2011-09-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I've been getting the hint over and over and over again - more recipes please! I actually have a back-log I'd like to share with you, especially since I've been refining my baking skills. BAKING SKILLS. And I've got some - who knew?!

This coming Shabbos I'm planning a fish taco margarita night, and of course, there is no way I could present margaritas with confidence without testing them first. And besides, it's 9/11. After all the specials on TV I'm sure you too could use a cocktail recipe, right?

Well, I searched Pinterest high and low and came up with these recipes here. Pretty darn good!

Classic Margarita on the rocks

3 ounces Patron Silver tequila
1/2 ounce Cointreau
2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
1 ounce sugar water syrup
1 Tbsp salt for rim

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

3/4 c Patron Silver tequila

1/4 c Cointreau

1/3 c fresh squeezed lime juice

2 Tbsp honey

3 c ice

***Please note, I do not, nor will I ever make light of 9/11. As a former flight attendant I am ever aware of all impending threats and the ultimate sacrifice that those on the United and American flights made. But I would also like to come off as hopeful. Not only is it important to preserve the memory of the lost, but in their memory to move forward with hope that in the end goodness will prevail.***

Etsy is Blowing Up!!!

2011-03-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not blowing up, but man the traffic for my Etsy shop has been off the charts! If you're a contributor to that, I really appreciate it. Perhaps it is just the season, or maybe it's the fancy new camera, or maybe both. Either way, I'm taking new pics of my headbands today. :)

Everyone seems to be getting in the Purim spirit. I, for one, am excited about Fusion's "Esther's Ball" being held at the Biltmore in downtown. So exciting! As a marketing technique, everyone involved is taking pics of themselves in a mask and posting them as their profile pic on facebook. Genius (good idea, Tony)!

Because I'm shameless, here are some pictures of the new products now available online at www.etsy.com/shop/mirikeh. Enjoy!

My models are super cute, just sayin'. :)

More Masks...

2011-02-16T00:04:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am currently the middle of making masks for which all the proceeds go to charity. One of my co-crafters laboring away is Krystal who has been working on her own creations. Here are few of her beautiful designs for your visual pleasure. You're welcome. :)

The eyelashes were made from some very thin feather Krystal picked up at a store called "Mother Plucker".

Love the birdcage netting. So cute!

Crackle paint and the stripe remind me of Captain EO. Am I right???

Some Phantom action... most famous masquerade of all time. :)

Love you Krystal! They're beautiful!

I'M BACK!!! (and just in time for Purim)

2011-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Sooo, what's cool and relevant to both Jews and Christians at this time of year? Masks. They are good for both Mardi Gras AND Purim and soon they will be for sale on my Etsy site - all proceeds going to a Not-for-Profit organization. Here's some pics to tempt you palate:

Rebecca is a master with glitter...

See! I told you so!

Did you know you could curl peacock feathers with a curling iron?

It's a good look.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as to when and where they can purchase these lovelies... more to come!

Chanukah Sale!

2010-11-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Guess what! It's holiday sale time, and as a Chanukah treat you can now get 25% off anything from my etsy store when you type "blueberries" in the coupon code!

So go order, right now! http://www.etsy.com/shop/mirikeh

Check out these little ladies!

2010-11-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

Went to Anthropologie this weekend, and saw these girls.

Well, actually these girls.

Russian dolls, all the rage. This makes me exceptionally happy. Or should I say, this make me have feelings most premium?!

These are kosher-approved Christmas ornaments.

I do also love the architectural nods.

HOLIDAY BLOW-OUT SALE!!!

2010-11-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

I slashed my prices for Christmakah!!!

Please, please visit my store, buy my things. Keep looking fabulous!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mirikeh

It's Official!

2010-11-09T23:43:00.000-08:00

I have an etsy store. I know you're all surprised. Please, take a look. I never knew creating any type of line could be so personal. I feel like I've just given birth. Treat my baby with care...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mirikeh

:)

Anthro Giveaway! (for reals.)

2010-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Go to this girl's blog. I've been following it for a while. I love Anthro, she loves Anthro. There's some Anthro love going around. :)

http://goldenmeans.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/celebrating-two-years-of-blogging-an-anthropologie-giveaway/

Coffee Bean Cares

2010-10-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

I "like" the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Facebook, so naturally, my "like" association causes their updates to show up on my newsfeed. I was taken aback when an update came up with the last name of someone "Levasheff". Levasheff is the name of my Resident Directors for my dorm (Hart Hall... what, WHAT!) my freshman year of college.

What I found in the post was an incredible tear-jerking story about their little boy who has since passed and their fond memories of him at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. It turns out Christina Levasheff designed a CBTL gift card in memory of her son. Please, please read her story, but most importatly, VOTE FOR HER!!!

See Christina's story below as posted on the Coffee Bean Tea Leaf Facebook page:

http://www.coffeebean.com/MyCBTLDesign/ViewArtworkDesign.aspx

When I was visiting a Coffee Bean this September, Drake handed me a postcard that said "Share Your Coffee Bean Story by Designing a Gift Card," and my hubby declared, "You should do this!"

Several precious memories of my times with Judson at Coffee Bean came flooding back and I was immediately compelled to go home and design something in honor of my boy.

Some of my sweetest early memories with Judson are of our frequent outings to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf when we lived in Brea, CA. From the time he was born I took him in his infant seat to sit and sip with me. It felt like no time before he graduated to the in-store high chair—eating crackers, fruit leather and other snacks from my purse while I delighted in my Moroccan Mint Lattes. Jud and I regularly chatted, laughed, played, and learned together while seated at a Coffee Bean signature oak table.

The big milestone of our CBTL adventures came when I ordered Judson his very own “coffee” for the first time. The barista, Jeanine, served up the perfect kid’s hot chocolate; some of Jud’s drink dribbled down his shirt, some of it spilled onto the table, and much of it covered his face, but the excitement that radiated from my beloved boy between sips is etched in my memory forever.

In fact, every subsequent special occasion when Judson received his own drink was met with all the enthusiasm seen in this picture that was taken July 9, 2007 on a visit to a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Los Angeles. What one cannot know from looking at this design is that Judson could no longer walk and was almost completely blind. Furthermore, the photo was actually taken just prior to the doctor’s appointment that proved to shape the course of all our lives...the day we were informed that Jud had a leukodystrophy and it was incurable and terminal.

It is hard to believe that just a few months later our Juddy died of late-onset Krabbe disease.

As you can imagine, this makes all my many memories with Judson at various Coffee Bean & Tea Leafs (Brea, Costa Mesa, Orange, Ventura, Mainplace Mall, Tustin Marketplace, Newport Bluffs and more) treasured gifts. And the reason for my design is that I believe this expressive photo, in particular, captures the beauty, personality, and joy of Judson that characterized his life and our time together at the Coffee Bean.

It would be an absolute thrill to walk into any Coffee Bean in 2011 and see his picture smiling back at me from the gift cards! We would be so grateful for your vote!! Click http://www.coffeebean.com/MyCBTLDesign/ViewArtworkDesign.aspx and press "vote" under his picture. It's really that simple!

Lastly, I am grateful to CBTL for providing such a great environment for me to have made cherished memories with my precious son and for choosing my design as a semi-finalist!

Learn more about Judon and Krabbe disease at http://STORYofJUDSON.com/

What Have I Been Up To?

2010-10-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Well, for starters, I'm trying a different layout for the blog. Blah.

Second, I have started on a new venture. I call this "Rebecca":

Headbands. All hand-made by me. Soon available on Etsy, but for now here's a teaser:

Hiatus

2010-10-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I took an unexpected hiatus.
I finally cracked though. I gave in. Got internet for the house, novel idea right?

Anyway, I'll be back to manic blogging in no time. For now, check out this awesome menorah from West Elm. Me Likes!

Happy weekend everybody, cheers!

Bows

2010-10-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

Today was a great day for a bow in my hair. Don'tcha think?

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Crafty

2010-09-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

I'm going to a bridal shower today and ran out of wrapping paper. Luckily, Anthropologie gave me a cute brown paper box. All I needed to chic up the look was some scrap fabric lying around my house. :)

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What did I tell ya?!

2010-09-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

I took a look at the new post from Birthday Girl this morning and to my delight what did I find?

Yep, paper boats! I told ya they were coming back in fashion!

Also, in case you were wondering the Curious George book that has the boat instructions is Curious George Rides a Bike.

Instructions below:

Sick Day

2010-08-31T12:05:00.001-07:00

We're sick today. Boo!

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I've Fallen Off the Cliff with the Rest of Em

2010-08-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of blogs... A LOT. Mostly because my work is a little mundane, I need something to break up my day... or several things, rather. When you read a lot of design/fashion/party blogs, you begin to notice weird trends. WEIRD trends. Like, this is ridiculous and totally unnecessary trends. I usually hold out on liking these trends for a good 3 weeks. But, like all lemmings, I jump off the cliff too *SIGH*. Here are some trends that I am currently TOTALLY obsessed with:

BUNTING.

It's not just for used car lots anymore! Why have I grown to love bunting? It's whimsical, adds a touch of color and fun, and it's SUPER EASY to make yourself. DIY all the way.

I have to admit, I wasn't totally overboard for bunting until I saw what it could do to cakes! Totally genius. You can actually buy this stuff at d.sharp, but I think it's WAAAY overpriced. Can't be too hard to make, right?

PINWHEELS.

I can't help it. They are beautiful, young, and remind me of when I was a kid. It makes me want to throw a party for little girls.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD LADY DRAGON HEART SHOES.

Yes, they look a little bit like Barbie, but in an era where people are getting more conservative with their clothes, why not go all out with the shoes? Above are my favorite colors.

She also makes flats! Too cute!

MACAROONS (MACARONS?).

I know what all my Jewish friends are thinking: those look NOTHING like my Bubbe's macaroons! Well, they are still kosher for Passover, so there! These Parisian macaroons are made from almonds instead of coconut. They taste... good... okay, I guess. The best part is you can die them with food coloring whatever color you want! Also, you can make them weeks in advance and freeze them. Perfect for parties and ADORABLE. My new mission in life is to find the perfect recipe for the perfect Parisian macaroon.

TRENDS ON THE HORIZON.

Below are my predictions for trends coming up. I'm in love with these concepts, so hopefully the blogger world will catch on too.

Shoe clips. Genius. I love them. AND I love these colors. Super easy way to make your shoes interesting.

When I was a kid I had a Curious George book about paper boats. The book also had instructions on how to fold paper boats. My dad and I got some newspaper, crafted our boats, and floated them along the banks of our bathtub. Inevitably the newspaper boats did not stand a chance against the strong tides, but made with stronger stuff, I'm sure they would have pulled through. I like these boats... we'll see more of them. Trust me.

Smitten Kitchen

2010-08-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Smitten Kitchen if a very dangerous blog. I hate it. I hate it so much. It has beautiful pictures of delicious recipes and I WANT TO TRY THEM ALL!!! I tried a new Challah recipe, DE-LISH-US.

What? Did someone say fall? Check this out. All the recipes I want to try this coming Autumn (my favorite time of year!).

GINGERBREAD APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

CINNAMON-CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR CREAM CAKE

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Hopefully I can make and eat all this without gaining weight! :D

How amazing is this?

2010-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, the grill never made it onto my balcony. There's simply no room! And, well, I don't know that much about grilling. Here's a solution to this problem

Awesome right? I thought so! You can get for me here. :)

Progress!

2010-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Pilates is really paying off! I have lost 2 "happy pounds" since I came to the shocking realization last week that I had gained 5. Not to mention, pilates is mostly about muscle growth. So yeah, I gained muscle and lost weight? Awesome! I also feel great, and, AND can see my triceps! How's that for exciting?

I hope I can keep it up, because we are expecting a heat wave next week.. YUCK! This will for sure mean that the BF will want to spend time at his place in *cooler* Santa Monica. We'll see. I still have my own stuff to do and need to stick with the program.

With all this talk about heat I'm yearning for Autumn, aren't you?

The BF usually plans an apple-picking expedition. I very excite!

Sit Back, Relax, and Please, Treat Your Flight Attendant With Courtesy!

2010-08-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater lived out the dream of flight attendants, stewardesses, and air hostesses across the world. He had a few cross words, but never harmed anyone in his act of defiance by grabbing a beer and causing the inflation of the slide by opening an armed door.

I'm a little torn when it comes to this story. As a former flight attendant having gone through all the training, opening an armed door is a VERY serious offense. The flight attendant is not on board primarily to serve you drinks. He/she is there for your safety. On the other hand, I have been so tempted to that very same thing in the past. Passengers often mock the safety aspect of a flight attendant's job, and treat him/her as some glorified waiter or waitress. It's simply not true! Did you know that to be a flight attendant, one must go through 2 months of unpaid training. TWO MONTHS! And yes, there are classes about food, wine, napkin folding, and panty hose, but a significant part of the training is learning how the plane operates and an entire week about, you guessed it, the doors. For example, I know that the plane on which this photo of Steven Slater was shot is an airbus:

How? Because we spend days upon days memorizing the freaking doors for each plane!!! Next time you get angry at a flight attendant, remember this: They are the only ones who know how to evacuate that plane in less than 90 seconds. They will also be the last ones on board to make sure everyone got out safely. The job is sooo much more than serving Cokes. Also, keep in mind the everyday danger. Steven Slater blew his gasket when luggage fell on him, not uncommon. Everyday flight attendants are injured by the massive, 200+ lbs carts that bus those Cokes. I was injured when I flew with a cold, and it not only ended my flying career, it has made (in many instances) flying as a passenger unbearable.

Bonus pic! Me on the day of flight attendant school graduation :)

Contentment = Weight Gain, Apparently

2010-08-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been out of the loop for a while. I have a good excuse though! I've been dating my beau for two months now... woohoo! As Martha would say, it's a good thing. :)

Here's why:

1. Remember that Lois Lane dress on Etsy I was obsessed with? Yeah, he surprised me with it on Friday, and might I add, it fits me waaaay better than the model.

2. We both love to be active, doing fun things, like Disneyland

and Yosemite!

Okay, here's the bad part. I weighed myself on Saturday. I gained FIVE POUNDS since we started dating. AAAAHHHHH! I was so disappointed in myself. On the one hand, hey it's only five pounds! And we've been introducing each other to our favorite comfort foods. On the other hand, five pounds can easily turn into 10, then turn into 30, and I'm right back where I started before I did the HCG diet. When I explained this to my married friends they all said "oh, that means your happy" or "oh, that's a sign of contentment." I guess it's true to a degree, but it's also a sign that the BF and I need to start taking better care of ourselves.

For Justin it means going carb-free (for the most part) and hitting the gym more regularly. For me, I think whatever weight loss I go through should happen slowly this time. I remember in high school I went on the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. I like it! You are not allowed to eat any carbs throughout the day, then for dinner you can eat whatever you want in the window of an hour. When I did this diet I lost about 15 pounds in a summer. Not bad, a little over a pound a week! Not to mention, I don't have to worry about feeling deprived or skip out on social engagements and such.

I also am giving over an hour of each day to Denise Austen's Pilates Total Body Workout. She's so stinking annoying, and her voice is something out of a horror film, but damn that DVD kicks my butt. So watch out world, in a couple months, my body is going to look exactly like this!:

Summer Vacation

2010-07-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

I currently live Here:

And will be going Here:

Jealous? Yeah, I think you might be.

I Wish I Was 7!!! (Part 2)

2010-07-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, this was just too much. Someone, let me borrow their child, stat!

I Wish I Was 7!!!

2010-07-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone need an idea for their daughter's birthday party??? Please, someone do this!!!

Sooo cute!

An Apology

2010-07-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

I know I've been terrible with updating this thing lately. Please forgive me. I do have a new recipe that I will post soon enough... I promise!

In the meantime, I found this on Etsy and want it bad:

It's a Superman sickness.

Some Kind of Perfect

2010-06-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

This is perfect for someone else's space, or maybe a future space of mine. I tried for about 15 minutes to think of where it could go in my home, no success. If y'all think of it let me know. Or, you can just take this and do it yourself - you'll be happy you did.

Not Your Grocery Store Challah

2010-06-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in Israel was 2008. I stayed with some amazing friends and ate some amazing food. Most notably, I ate A LOT of challah. :)

This challah was soft yet dense, and I had never tasted anything like it. Thankfully, my gracious host posted the recipe on her blog RIGHT HERE. I tried the recipe, and it may be a little saltier than I remember, but OH.SO.GOOD. You need to try it, don't let the 5lbs of flour intimidate you - you'll eat it all!

Also, here's a good video if you want to learn how to braid the challah.

This Weekend

2010-06-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I had a great weekend, and here are some pics!

Ok, this pic is from last weekend. I went downtown because I wanted flowers. I bought Mums and Delphiniums. It was only when I got home I realized these were Laker colors. Flower buying fail.

But they sure looked pretty though!

Went to an event in Calabasas on Saturday. FYI - Calabasas is BEAUTIFUL!

As you can see, on Sunday it was NECESSARY to shave Moses...

Anyone wanna make a sweater?

Was in Anthopolo9ie later in the day. I used to work there a few years back and became rather unimpressed over time with the design factor. Then I saw the above and suddenly wanted a kid's room to decorate.

Also Anthropologie. Isn't this cool? They dipped paper in die and rolled them up. So beautiful... tho kind of reminds me of a wasp's nest. I want to do this somewhere to something.

My Summertime Balcony is Finally Finished! (Almost)

2010-06-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

In one of my previous posts I set forth my balcony wish list. Good news! It (almost) came true! Here is the 95% finished product:

Isn't she purdy? Looks good, right?! A little more on the bohemian side, but for the outdoors, I'm cool with that!

If you know me, you know I hate marijuana, so please note: this is a hookah, and has never been used for marijuana! Just wanted to make that clear. Flavored tobacco only, please!

You can barely see the pool in this shot, but can't you tell I have a kick-a$$ view? :)

The makings of a doggie cabana. They love it.

Admittedly, this area needs work. I would like something to lounge on, quite honestly. At this point, cannot afford. Not pictured: a Schwinn bike I FOUND lying in my designated parking spot, no joke (can't wait to put a basket on it!) and the Potty Patch my mom most graciously bought for my dogs. So far two days and used once. Let's hope it catches on!

I almost forgot, my flowers! They are so puuuurdy!

Junk Food from Scratch

2010-06-10T16:31:00.001-07:00

Two America favorites: Pizza and fried chicken. I made both this week, here's how I did it!

VEGGIE PIZZA

Ingredients:

2 cup(s) all-purpose white flour
1 package(s) quick-rising yeast
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
3/4 cup(s) water
1 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 can pizza sauce
1 8oz package of shredded cheese (preferably kosher)
1/2 green pepper
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to mix.

2. Heat water and oil in a microwave to between 125 and 130 degrees. With the processor on, gradually pour the hot liquid through the top. Process until the dough forms a ball. Then take out of the processor and knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Once flattened onto baking surface, spread a thin layer of pizza sauce, then a thin layer of cheese, then all your toppings, then a thin layer of cheese again.

4. Bake at 450 degrees until dark brown (no one likes under-cooked pizza).

FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves and 6 chicken thighs (bone-in, with skin)
3 egg whites
1C flour
1C matzo meal
1T paprika
1/2t cayenne
16oz. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in the largest pot you can find on high. You want to get it really hot!

3. Place the 3 egg whites on a large plate, set aside. On another plate combine the flour, matzo meal, paprika, and cayenne until well mixed (you may also add salt and pepper to taste, but if you are working with kosher chicken, no salt).

4. Take one of the chicken pieces, and coat it in the egg white, then coat it in the flour mixture. A second time, coat it in the egg white, then the flour mixture. Then carefully submerge it in the oil. Do this to each consecutive piece until you have filled your pot without overcrowding it.

5. Once the chicken has a good medium brown coating on it (this won't take long). Take it out of the oil with a straining spoon and place it on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. When the wire rack is full of chicken, pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes or so.

That's it! Enjoy!

Parve Themed

2010-06-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today's blog post has a theme! (yay!) Parve things that should never be parve, but can be made delicious.

PARVE PANCAKES

Ingredents:

1C flour
1T sugar
2t baking powder
1/4t salt
1 beaten egg
1C water
1T oil

Directions:

Mix all the above together, then pour into pan.

Simple! Makes about 6 pancakes.

Now, on to the hard stuff!

PARVE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Ingredients:

3C flour
1T sugar
1T baking powder
1.5t salt
3/4t baking soda
1/2C margarine
1T apple cider vinegar
1C minus 1T coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Put 1T apple cider vinegar in a 1C measure and fill the rest with coconut milk, set aside.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mix with sugar. Cut the mixture with margarine, then finally the coconut milk/vinegar mix.
4. Knead in the bowl about 20-25 times.
5. Roll onto a floured board about 3/4in. high. Then cut out with biscuits, and place them on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 18 minutes.

That's it! And YOU'RE WELCOME!

We All Scream for.... Rocky Road!

2010-06-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll throw y'all another bone here. My second most requested recipe is my kosher parve rocky road ice cream. Not possible you say? I beg to differ! It's totally possible AND delicious AND easy AND it will go in no time. (Hint: this is also good for Phase 3 on the HCG diet)

PARVE ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

2 cans of unsweetened FULL FAT coconut milk (none of that low-fat nonsense)
2/3C cocoa powder
6T agave syrup
1t Mexican vanilla or vanilla extract
small kosher marshmallows to taste
chopped almonds to taste

Directions:

1. Put the coconut milk, cocoa powder, agave syrup, and vanilla in a blender an combine.

2. Throw that mixture into your ice cream machine along with as many marshmallows and almonds as you like (about 1/2 C of each).

Voila! Seeee, I told you it was possible and delicious and easy!

By Popular Request!

2010-06-04T12:51:00.001-07:00

I am a bad, terrible, horrible person. I know, I haven't posted anything interesting at all in a while. Just posted stuff I wanted people to give me. I have great excuses though! 1. I was in the midst of Birthday season and 2. Well, yeah, I guess I was busy.

Anyway, I'm really sorry. So as penance I am posting my super popular, super tasty, super secret kosher gumbo recipe. I know, I can't believe it myself. This recipe is so good it has been requested again and again and again by my friends. In fact, I made a pot + some extra for Memorial Day thinking that I would have some left over for lunch during the week... NOPE! All gone!

KOSHER CHICKEN GUMBO

Ingredients:

1 whole kosher chicken
1 pack of kosher spicy hot dogs (the spicier, the better)
3T olive oil
1/4 C flour
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1.5 T crushed garlic
1 14.5oz can whole undrained tomatoes
1 C Spicy Hot V8 (I use the vegan substitute, whatever that is)
1/2 C sliced scallion
2 bay leaves
2t Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
1/4t ground black pepper
1/4t ground white pepper
1/4t cayenne
dashes of tobasco sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Place the whole chicken in a pot and cover it entirely with water. Boil the chicken until it's pretty much done. Take the whole chicken out and set it aside as well as the (now) broth. While your chicken is boiling, this is a good time to chop up your veggies.

2. Cut up the spicy hot dogs into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices. On the bottom of a large pot (about 4 quarts) fry the hot dog slices with a little olive oil. Once the hot dogs slices have pretty much blackened, strain them of all oil and set aside. Leave the rendered fat in the frying pan.

3. Add enough olive oil to the fat until you have about 1/4C in the pot. Allow the oil/fat/drippings to heat up over medium. Slowly add the flour stirring constantly until it has reached a medium brown color, once brown turn off the heat immediately. Add the gumbo trifecta: onions, bell peppers, and celery - and also add the crushed garlic. Stir the veggies around until they are all coated with the flour and garlic.

4. From the chicken broth you set aside, slowly add 4C of the broth to the veggie mixture, stirring well. Add the tomatoes, V-8 juice (or substitute), green onions, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, salt, cayenne, black and white peppers, and bring to a boil over high temperature setting.

5. Shred the meat into bite sizes from the whole chicken, using every part and throw it into the pot as well as the spicy hot dogs.

6. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

7. Serve over rice.

Note: Gumbo typically tastes best the next day, because it give the sauce time to thicken. I usually make gumbo the day before I'm serving it, leave it in the refrigerator with the lid on, then just put it back on the fire to reheat it the next day.

Youtube inspiration

2010-05-28T15:35:00.001-07:00

See the room in the background? Love!

Etsy Time Out!

2010-05-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

I don't wear watches, but if I did, they would like this, found on Etsy.com:

27th Birthday

2010-05-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday. Thank you everyone who came out! I made hot spinach dip, a papaya/raspberry custard on snap biscuits, there was cheese and olives and lots and LOTS of WINE! I was fortunate enough to have a photographer friend, and these are his pictures. Thanks so much Jacob Bechtol!

My new balcony lighting:

Eliyahu Hadoggie, that crazy mut!

My tres leches cake (recipe below).

I made two, one for me and one for my friend Lesly. I put 27 candles on both cakes... they were on fire and took FOREVER to light, but I always wanted to light the number of candles equivalent to my age!

Singing "Happy Birthday".

I have a chalkboard wall, previously featured in older posts. This time, I decided the wall would be my Guestbook.

It was a marvelous notion, if I do say so myself. :)

I was a VERY happy birthday girl!

DOLCE DE TRES LECHES CAKE (recipe):

The actual cake part:

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder- aluminum free
6 large eggs- carefully separated into yolks and whites
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift (or mix thoroughly) the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until they become frothy. Whisk the sugar, milk and vanilla into the yolks. In a chilled mixing bowl, begin to whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Using a large spatula, begin to fold the yolk mixture into the egg white mixture a little at a time. Do this carefully as to leave the batter as fluffy as possible. Immediately pour into a greased and floured 9" circular (form spring if possible) pan and bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees. If you insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out clean.
Let the cake cool until it feels room temperature. Pierce the cake with a fork 20-30 times. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.
Cream syrup:

12 oz. evaporated milk
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon rum (well, more than that, but we won't tell anyone ;)

Whisk together the three milks and the rum or brandy if you are using it. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate over night. Occasionally, spoon the milk runoff back onto the cake.
Whipped Cream:

Whipped Topping

1 cup heavy cream
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
1.5 tablespoon sugar

In a chilled mixing bowl add heavy cream, vanilla and sugar. Beat on high speed until peaks form. Spread a thick layer over the cake.

Widow's Mite

2010-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Haven't been able to blog much lately, but it's been a busy week! My birthday led to me eating a lot of cake, and I couldn't eat other things because of that, lol! When one receives love, it is important to send that love back. Here's mine:

Here's the old 'do:

My Scientology inspiration:

The final result:

Thanks Lisa (my stylist), you're the best!

When I Think I Hate California....

2010-04-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

... I see this view form my office. Windy day in Los Angeles makes for clear skies. :)

Muffins on a Mission

2010-04-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

If you grew up in the western part of the United States, there's a good chance you had a lot of Mormon friends growing up. And if you had a lot of Mormon friends growing up, you'll know that there's something in the genes, or the water, or the family nights... because Mormons were inevitably smarter, better looking, more popular, and more wholesome than you could ever dream of being.

There was a website created called Mormons Exposed that bring this fact to light for the consumer public. The first one is called Hot Mormon Muffins, the second (and my favorite for obvious reasons) is Men on a Mission.

Hot Mormon Muffins is actually a charitable organization that makes a calendar every year for which the proceeds go to fund breast cancer research. The calendars feature beautiful women with what men love most: warm, juicy, plump MUFFINS.

The Men on a Mission calendar takes a more personal approach with each missionary contributing to the charity of his choice. You can even learn about the missionaries, see them in both the sexy white shirt/black slacks

and the more common tartan while getting a whole biography.

Pretty awesome, don't you think?

C.J. is my favorite. No, you can't have Mr. October, he's mine.

When in doubt, white it out.

2010-04-26T16:51:00.001-07:00

There's possibly nothing I love more that white bed linens. My sheets are white, my duvet is white. It's just so clean and inviting...

Maybe I developed this belief when I was flying and staying in hotels so much...

Maybe my religious beliefs that nothing but white sheets will do stemmed from reading a feng shui book...

Then today, I saw this:

And now everything I believed in was tossed out the window. Damn.

Curving Round the Bend

2010-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a new sewing machine. Super excited! Just in time too, because I've been wanting to make myself some kind of Jessica Rabbit, tulip, fishtail, vintage-looking skirt out of jersey.

I recently came across a designer on Esty.com called Ureshii, who I ADORE!!! Need.skirts.now. I'm totally obsessed.

I'm not a fan of the seam (I much prefer everything naturally curve out while cut on the bias), but this is really cute and the shoes are to die for:

More bias cuts... LOVE!

Two-toned:

This is the color list. I think I would like Periwinkle and Robin's Egg Blue.

Should I? Could I?

2010-04-22T13:23:00.001-07:00

I go through redecorating phases about every 3 weeks or so. I am actually very happy with the way things are currently looking in my super chic apartment (though it was totally unplanned, everyone autonomously mentions how "French-inspired" it is), I know the redecorating bug will sneak in sooner or later and I have a few thoughts what it might look like...

Living room:

Bedroom:

Happy Saturn Day!

2010-04-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Most people consider today to be "Earth Day", but Saturn, being completely uninhabitable by life, has no representatives to celebrate it's contribution to the solar system. I received a sign today from the universe, or from the Today Show, whatever, that recognizing this day for Saturn was my solemn duty.

This is the sign:

It is the 2010 "Earth Day" from the Earth Network sign so conspicuously exhibited on cardboard by one of the members of NBC's Today Show "crowd" (read "Illuminati") in Rockefeller Plaza.

Now I'm not stupid, I know the amoeba who came up with this sign was trying to get me to subconsciously think of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign:

But I beg you, blog reading public, answer me this! Where do you think Obama got the idea for his campaign from... hmmm?

Just a thought.

So here's to you Saturn! Thanks for being non-controversial and putting all the other planets to shame by always being the best dressed at fabulous parties!

Saturn fun facts:

One of five "naked eye" planets known to the ancients. Saturn is named for the Roman god of agriculture, also linked to Kronos, Greek god of time, father of Jupiter and king of the gods. (The others are Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter)
Yellowish color; at times the 3rd brightest planet in night sky
Second largest planet in the solar system, after Jupiter.
Equatorial diameter 120,536 kilometers (74,898 miles) at cloud tops
Polar diameter 108,728 kilometers (67,560 miles), making it the most oblate (flattened) planet.
Density 0.69 (water = 1), the least dense planet and the only one lighter than water
Volume 764 times that of Earth, but only 95 times more massive
Chemical composition primarily hydrogen and helium, thus accounting for its low density
Sixth planet from the Sun, between Jupiter and Uranus
Mean distance from Sun 1.43 billion kilometers (890 million miles), approximately 10 times the distance from Earth to the sun
Brightness of sunlight at Saturn 1 percent of that at Earth
Length of a Saturn year is 29.42 Earth years
Length of a Saturn day is 10 hours, 39.4 minutes
Poles tilted 29 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun
Saturn's atmosphere above clouds is approximately 94 percent hydrogen and 6 percent helium
Winds near Saturn's equator blow toward east at 500 meters per second (1,100 miles per hour), making Saturn the windiest planet
Temperature at Saturn's cloud tops -139 C (-218 F)
Saturn's main ring system would barely fit in the space between Earth and its Moon
Ring names are alphabetical in order of their discovery
B ring often contains radial spokes of dust-sized material; their appearance changes with time as they appear, change and disappear frequently
"Cassini Division" between the B ring and A ring is sparsely populated with ring material
E ring is densest at the orbit of Enceladus and may be fed by Enceladus eruptions
Saturn has 33 known moons, 15 of which were discovered after Cassini launched
Titan is the largest of Saturn's moons, and is larger than the planets Mercury and Pluto

Because the Pool Is Sooo Inviting...

2010-04-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a bathing suit like this... and cap!

Flower Girl

2010-04-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know what these flowers are called?

I bought these at OSH this weekend, and they smell divine (precisely what I was looking for, actually), but there was no tag except for that they were perennials for $5.99. Any help is appreciated!

Ahhh! I need! I need!

2010-04-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

I almost had a heart attack this morning when I saw this post from Design Sponge. Now introducing, Alef Betty, an artist in Portland who sells typographic prints... IN HEBREW. She makes them in either red or blue. I know I need, but what color? Someone help me out... can my apartment handle tomato red anywhere?

Design Dilemma

2010-04-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

I shouldn't look at pictures of improvements people have made to their home... it puts me in a manic phase of needing to improve MY home.

Came across this picture of a creative workspace, that is neat, yet deconstructed. I like that.

This is my creative workspace, a bit cold. I'm thinking some deconstruction would be nice; however, this workspace is also my foyer/entryway/first-thing-people-see space. Ugh, what to do?

Opinions???

Mmmm, purdy...

2010-04-14T09:13:00.001-07:00

My birthday is coming up.

I want the blue one.

Kumi Ori Tandoori

2010-04-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

I made kosher Tandoori chicken, without yogurt, without a Tandoor. You're gonna LOVE this recipe!

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks

Marinade-
2 teas coriander seeds
1 teas cumin seed
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Cup coconut fat (the stuff that floats on top of the can separated from the water)
grated rind of 1 lemon
3 T lemon juice
2 T clear vinegar
2 teas garam masala
1/2 teas tandoor food coloring

2 T oil

Remove all skin from the chicken thighs and legs if not done so already. Cut slits in each piece.

Marinade: If you would like, you can fry all the seeds with a little bit of oil to bring out the flavors. Otherwise, you can use pre-ground spices. Blend all the marinade ingredients together to form a smooth paste.

Marinate the chicken for at least 24 hours (remember kosher chicken needs more time to soak up EVERYTHING).

Heat the oven to 400 degree F. Place chicken on a wire rack over a baking tray. Cover the chicken with foil and roast for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, baste the chicken with the marinade once and again and cook for another 15 minutes.

While the chicken is still on the rack, coat it with oil and place the oven shelf in the highest slot inside your oven, then broil the chicken for 5 more minutes. The chicken will blacken as if in a real tandoor.

Ta-da! You did it!

Before and After

2010-04-12T11:43:00.001-07:00

I've been talking about the HCG diet for weeks. I'm done... well, a few more days until I'm off maintenance, but for the most part I'm done. Lost 26 pounds! Here are the Before (on the left) and After (on the right) pics.

Soooo, whadya think?