freshly baked

Saturday's secret: Rice Krispies Treats

2009-11-07T17:44:00.007-07:00

I don't know if this will become a regular feature on this blog or my new one, but I feel compelled to make a confession: Sometimes when I head to our basement to retrieve something from the cold storage I snag one of those packaged Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats and eat it on the way upstairs, finishing it before anyone can discover me. No, they aren't as good as homemade and yes, I prefer chocolate. But for some reason it makes me feel like a kid...perhaps because in our last home I would find candy wrappers in random places in the basement and no one knew who had taken and eaten the candy—and then hidden the wrapper behind all the candy jars. Right.

There, I feel better. Of course there are still a few treats left in the box so I may need to hit confession again soon. What can I say? I'm not perfect. --Emily

Image by timbrauhn, shared via Flickr.

Z'Tejas: Triple-threat salsa & some serious skillet cornbread

2009-11-06T00:01:00.003-07:00

My husband and I love to go on dates and we love to eat and we combine the two whenever possible. Of course paying for a sitter and dinner for two can really add up so it was a real treat when Z'Tejas invited me to review their restaurant for freshly baked. It was like the ol' dine-and-dash but only all above board. I guess you'd say it was a "Flip, photograph, dine, interview, dash and review." Whatever you call it I was excited to do it.

Z'Tejas is located at the south end of The Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City right across from Happy Sumo and next door to Häagen Dazs. It has been there since The Gateway first opened and is a favorite for many locals. Inside you'll find the lights turned low and a super cozy atmosphere—perfect for a date night or night out with friends. The restaurant features a lot of south-of-the-border food mixed with some great southwestern dishes. With all those yummy dishes on the menu it was hard to decide. Here we are studying the menu (okay, I was striking a pose but Nathan really was studying). We probably asked the waitress four times to give us five more minutes!

Nathan decided on the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas and I decided to try one of their specials, the Green Chile Pulled Pork Chile Relleno. (Say that quickly ten times!) To start us off our waitress brought us their Bottomless Basket of Chips & Three Salsas, one of which is a house picante and then two other salsa chosen by the chef. Here they are—and we are—in action:

Those salsas were so yummy and the cornbread? I had three slices and Nathan had one—and he was lucky I even let him have one!

Our main dishes arrived and we couldn't wait to dive in, and if I were Quinn from Limelight Food Photography you'd have photos that look as good online as the food looks in person but I'm not so you'll have to settle for the best I could do that night...and scaled down so they look even better:

Want to eavesdrop on our dinner conversation and catch us talking with our mouths full? Here you go!

I will say my chile relleno could've been a bit warmer but that coleslaw? SO totally yuummy! I've been craving it ever since! Nathan's wild mushroom enchiladas were good but since he was hesitant to share (hey, that's what I usually do!) I can't give them a full review.

Believe it or not we had room for dessert so we tried their hot apple cobbler baked in a skillet and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. I don't have video of that—we inhaled it and it wasn't pretty! Let me clarify: the dessert was pretty but watching us wolf it down was not.

After our meal I took a few minutes to talk with the manager about Z'Tejas. I found out the most popular dish on the menu (you'll have to watch to find out), what customers remember most about the restaurant (hint: it is comes in a skillet with a side of honey butter) and just how long this Ivan guy's been the manager (who says you can't work your way up the ranks?).

Craving Z'Tejas cornbread or dying to try their salsas? You're in luck!
Z'Tejas is giving away a $40 gift certificate to one of our readers!

Here's how to enter. You can do as many of these as you'd like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

Check out Z'Tejas' lunch or dinner menu and leave a comment telling us which dish you can't wait to order.
Become a friend of Z'Tejas Restaurants on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
Follow Z'Tejas on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We'll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: November 13, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck! --Emily

P.S. I was just sent a tweet from Z'Tejas with a link to some of their popular recipes, so here you go! Enjoy! (I'll be making the cornbread within the week!)

The Pioneer Woman, a ticket shortage & a great idea

2009-11-05T13:59:00.014-07:00

So last night was a girls' night out we had planned ever since we heard The Pioneer Woman (aka Ree Drummond) would be in Salt Lake City as part of her The Pioneer Woman Cooks book tour. Vanessa (@inevergrewup) and I had our books in hand and were ready to head up there for the 7pm book signing. Just before we left Vanessa read the super fine print and discovered we would need tickets in order to get our books signed. Yikes! So we rushed to The King's English Bookshop in east Salt Lake, making our way down car-lined streets. Were all those cars here for Ree? Yes, yes they were.

We finally found a spot about two blocks away, parked and made our way to the store...only to overhear someone say they were out of tickets and weren't letting anyone else in. In where? The gallery a couple doors down where Ree would chat for a few minutes before she put permanent marker in hand and geared up for adoring fans. Standing outside the gallery, Vanessa and I hoped we might be able to simply wait until all the ticket holders had gone through the line and then they'd let us bring up the rear. And then we heard they had given out 360 tickets. People were there at 1pm just waiting for their golden ticket to see Ree face to face. (Yes, they really were a golden yellow color--how appropriate!)

Fortunately I hang with some truly amazing and inspired women, and by "hang" I mean they recognize me and are nice enough to let me hang out with them. Janet (@newspapergrl), Joanie (@JoanieAtwater) and April (@sweetlifeinthe) were there with a plan--and a gift basket. The three had put together some local Utah goodies complete with card we could all sign in hopes it would help us wade our way through the Hollywood-like sea of adoring fans to meet Ree. Yes, I absolutely love these girls! The gang was joined by Carol (@cherishbound), her friend Jeanette and Becky, who had picked up cupcakes and cake bites (pure heaven) from The Sweet Tooth Fairy.

After Ree moved from the gallery to the very-cool-yet-oh-so-tiny bookstore, we gathered as a group behind the shop hoping our gift basket bearing local goodies including cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Fairy, would buy our way into a photo op with Ree before the wee hours of the morning. And the wait was well worth it as we made our way from the alley way into the toasty bookshop (ignoring the looks of death from those "legally" waiting in line) and caught our first glimpse of The Pioneer Woman in all her fabulous glory. Okay, maybe not glory since that's not what she's all about, but she was fabulous and kind and wonderful and very "real." Hopefully she saw past our scheming and took it for a group of Utah bloggers who are also huge fans.

Back, from left to right: Vanessa, Becky, April, Ree, Joanie, Carol, me
Front: Janet

While there we also met up with Allison (@petit_elefant), Marie (@makeandtakes) and Carina (@Jet_Set) who didn't ~~sneak~~ go in with us but did have just as much fun chatting with Dooce (yes, THAT Dooce), Marlboro Man's mother-in-law and Ree's sister-in-law Missy. I even had a chance to chat with Missy while inside the bookstore and she was just as genuine as could be. I think I'm in love with that whole family!

The night ended with a group of us hitting The Pie Pizzeria for the state's tastiest pizza in the coolest location (basement restaurant complete with graffiti on the walls and real candles on the table) and my losing my voice due to good conversation, good food and standing in a cold alley wondering if I too would have my own golden ticket. It's a night I won't soon forget. Thanks, gals! --Emily

P.S. You can read Janet's take on the night here: Me, The Pioneer Woman, Dooce & Jason Gough

P.P.S. And in true Allison style (a style which I LOVE), you can read her post about the book signing here: pioneer woman book signing.

P.P.S. These just in: Carina's post (grab a tissue; you'll laugh so hard you'll cry); Becky's post (if you love cupcakes you'll LOVE this blog) and even The Sweet Tooth Fairy's post. Love you all!

Wordless Wednesday: Looking for a sign

2009-11-04T09:39:00.020-07:00

Today's Wordless Wednesday post is basically our recent vacation in signs. Enjoy!

This was the sign we noticed while waiting for our luggage at the San Juano airport. Who knew clipart could be so graphic?

And this was a store we discovered along Condado Street. Unfortunately it was closed. (If you can't make out the bottom, it reads "lingerie & booty parlor.")

A popular store in Old San Juan. No explanation needed.

Like I always tell my kids, write it in pencil first to make sure you have enough room!

We snapped this one while driving to the famous drive-in volcano on St. Lucia. Good to know I have a friend in my time of need...

I truly love this one. A humble confession booth for a very humble people. This was taken inside a very old, very beautiful church in St. Kitts.

What crazy signs have you seen while on vacation? Do share! --Emily

Some blogging tidbits

2009-11-02T16:20:00.007-07:00

With my new blog in design phase I've been doing a lot more thinking about how I can make my next blog a successful one, and by success I mean more than 50 visitors a day. I'm not all about the stats or the ad revenue but I do want to reach as large an audience as possible for those rare occasions I have something to say.

If you're always on the lookout for some new tips and tricks for your blog then here are a few posts I found super nifty. I plan to reread them and apply them when I'm finally ready to unveil my new site. If you have any other helpful posts/advice/sites you think are perfect for the beginning or even experienced blogger, do share!

Easy SEO Tips to Optimize Your Blog
A very short and simple post from MomDot with some easy tips. This is probably a really good one for beginning bloggers but even more experienced bloggers may have forgotten the importance of a good blog post title.

Get Friendly With Google: Five Easy SEO Tips
BlogCoach is one of my most favorite blogs of all time and their "Grow Your Blog" series is a must-read for any level blogger. This post features five easy tips for helping with your blog's SEO.

Media Kit Template for Mom Bloggers
Sometimes it's nice not to start from scratch when it comes to creating press materials. This is a handy little media kit tweaked for mom bloggers. You can download it from Scribd, and because it's a Word document, you can do your own tweaking! You know often it's really and truly all about your media kit.

What's Technorati and How Does It Help Me as a Blogger?
This post from a mom blogger I met while participating in MomDot's "America's Next Top Blogger" does a really great job explaining Technorati and how it relates to your blog. I'm still a little fuzzy on this one and so I appreciate a post written so even I can understand it! (While reading this one check out Life Starring the Kids & Me's other fun posts!)

Did I miss a recent helpful post on blogging? If so feel free to link to it in the comments below! --Emily

Foodzie, the Etsy of food

2009-10-30T13:09:00.007-06:00

I love all the blogs on my Google Reader but there are a handful I love more than others, mainly because they introduce me to sites/products/services I would've never discovered on my own. Well, maybe not never but it does speed up the process a bit.

Once such blog is Cool Mom Picks, which recently featured Foodzie, an "online marketplace where you can discover and buy food directly from small passionate food producers and growers." It's kind of like Etsy for food crafters and features food artisans from all over the United States. You'll find everything from chocolate and cookies to sauces and snacks. You can even search by zip code for artisans in your area. I discovered Chocolot out of Ogden is currently selling its tasty treats on Foodzie.

Right now you'll find some special holiday flavors like pumpkin ginger sandwich cookies, spiced gold sugar and even pumpkin pie marshmallows. Yum! I love how Foodzie even offers some specific food-related guides such as the latest one all about tasting tea. Did you know tea is only second only to wine in terms of its range of tastes? You'll also find interviews with some of the food producers, articles and the company's latest blog posts.

If you're all about supporting the local crafter and love buying handmade goodies then you definitely need to check out Foodzie. If you're not already an avid Etsy user and buyer then let me warn you, a site like Foodzie can be extremely addicting so proceed with caution. Then again it is just about holiday shopping time so just throw caution to the wind and shop away! --Emily

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food." ~Sally Edwards

RMMB: "Before you criticize your child, ask yourself this question"

2009-10-28T00:01:00.002-06:00

So glad I have Rocky Mountain Moms Blog to fall back on when I'm short on inspiration (other than food-related inspiration) for posts on this blog. My latest RMMB post went live tonight and I'd love for you to check it out:

"Before you criticize your child, ask yourself this question"

Do you find yourself overly critical of your children no matter their age? Or one child more then the other(s)? I am well aware of one of many faults, that of criticizing my children far too often and over the dumbest things...and all too often in a not-so-nice voice. Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right?

If you have any thoughts on the post, words of wisdom or helpful advice I'd love for you to share them by commenting on the post over on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog. We're all in this together—I hope! --Emily

Too much food, too little time

2009-10-27T00:01:00.003-06:00

Usually I save my food-related posts for our food for thought friday but lately I've found myself cooking way too much or trying too many tasty dishes to leave it just for the end of the week. (Okay, that and I have serious writer's block tonight and chocolate is always the answer.)

A week or so ago we tried this super simple recipe for rocky road brownies. They were a big hit, especially the next day. Someone on Twitter asked if something was still homemade if it started from a box. As far as I'm concerned, if you add even one little ingredient not listed on the baking directions then yes, it is definitely homemade!

Though this batch of brownies isn't quite as decadent and delicious as my grandad's rocky road fudge recipe, it works in a pinch...and by pinch I mean when you're craving something super chocolaty with a few marshmallows, walnuts, chocolate and caramel thrown in. Enjoy! (Note: I don't have step-by-step photos; I'm still learning how to work a digital camera while licking the spoon and the bowl. Sorry!)

Rocky Road Brownies
1 box of your favorite brownie mix along with ingredients to make the brownies
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or peanuts
Caramel sundae sauce

Mix brownies according to package directions. Stir in 1 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips and then bake brownies according to package directions. When done remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips, marshmallows and peanuts. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Cool completely and then eat the whole dang pan.

"Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put 'eat chocolate.' Now, you'll get at least one thing done today." ~Gina Haye

Thank you, Costco

2009-10-23T18:23:00.008-06:00

My energy is sapped so today's food for thought friday is a simple one. I love Costco. I love Costco enough that I limit my visits to only going when Livi needs more diapers. (I'm not sure what I'll do when she's finally potty trained--perhaps limit my trips to only going when we run out of Fresh Gourmet Roasted Garlic Focaccia Croutons?) Today was one of those days so we headed there with list in hand, and with two kids sitting side by side in a Costco cart I was determined to make it a quick trip.

And by quick trip I mean not stopping and tasting every little thing offered through what I call the Costco "buffet." Those tasting tables have suckered me into buying a few things not on my list, most of which I'm eternally grateful for (Ghirardelli brownies, freshly made tortillas and Johnny's Great Caesar! Garlic Spread & Seasoning to name a few), and today was no exception. Here are the previously unlisted items I brought home from Costco today. They will be on my list from here on out:

Sabra Hummus with Sun Dried Tomatoes &
Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

We were already fans of Food Should Taste Good MultiGrain Tortilla Chips and had those in our pantry--how handy, especially since those are what the fabulous taste-testing lady was using to sample the hummus. And that hummus? Super tasty...and I don't even like hummus! As for the dark chocolate pomegranate? TO. DIE. FOR. I may need a 12-step program once I've consumed the entire bag.

Anyone else tasted and then purchased while walking the aisles at Costco? What's been your best find thanks to those all-knowing, latex-gloved ladies? Do share! --Emily

Wordless Wednesday: Gettin' saucy

2009-10-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

"You'd tell me if I had sauce on my face, right?"

This is what happens when Mom and Dad go on vacation and Grandma and Grandpa are in charge! Good times! --Emily

Stay tuned...

2009-10-19T00:01:00.006-06:00

I have had an idea for a new blog for a few months now and it's about time I got moving on it. Once we move on from georgie tees (anyone still interested in buying the biz?), which will happen by the end of the year, I want to have this new site well on a roll. To do so means I need to spend some time now designing the site--with the help of my good friend Quinn from CreatedByChicks.com--and planning just how it will all come together. I'm super excited and can't wait to unveil the new blog, so stay tuned for that announcement. The URL was purchased long ago and I'm hoping the site will be up and running sooner rather than later. It all depends on how often Quinn and I can get together for our "business" lunches...

Along with blog plans I have some actual paying work I am excited to do for a few friends. Writing press releases and company bios will take precedence for the next couple weeks. Like I said, it's actual paying work... So with the new blog, a couple clients, my son's 4th birthday this week (complete with a party at Jungle Jim's) and literally 1,000+ photos recently received from Shutterfly awaiting photo albums, my posts may be a bit sketchy. But that seems to be the story of my life these days and you all are probably used to it by now. (I hope.)

You will still find me posting on food for thought fridays--it's one of my favorite posts of the week! And of course wordless wednesday always makes me smile so that's a given. Other than that it's a crap shoot as to what you'll find here during the week. But heck, who doesn't love a good crap shoot? --Emily

P.S. Don't believe me about the Shutterfly photos? Check out the photo below. Have YOU ever received a package that large when ordering prints? (By the way, that box measures about 11"x14"x4".)

P. P.S. If you find yourself wondering what I'm up to when not posting feel free to follow me on Twitter; you can find me here. And if you're suffering from withdrawals you can always read older posts on this site or catch the guest posts I've written for a handful of other sites (see "I ramble on these sites too" on the right-hand side).

When all else fails, make grasshopper pie

2009-10-16T00:01:00.006-06:00

My oldest daughter recently celebrated her 12th birthday. For birthdays 1 through 8 I am all about making super cool theme cakes. I've done everything from a princess castle to Blue from Blue's Clues to a spider complete with pudding guts. After they turn 8 their cakes mellow out and are simply their favorite cake flavor topped with their favorite frosting. Once in a while I throw on a few sparklies or embellishments, but they're not nearly as time consuming as those earlier cakes.

Because my daughter's favorite candy is Ferrero Rocher, I searched the internet for a recipe similar to the candy and found this Ferrero Rocher cupcake recipe on Cupcake Project. (Image at right from the original recipe on Cupcake Project.) It was going to be a super nifty surprise and I couldn't wait to get started! The first thing I had to do was locate hazelnut extract and hazelnuts (aka filbert nuts), which I found at Pirate O's, a local version of my out-of-state favorite, Trader Joe's.

The morning of her birthday I decided to bake some chocolate zucchini bread, which I ended up burning by forgetting to adjust the time for mini loaves. That should've been a sign of what was to come. Here it is in a "hazelnut" shell:

I couldn't find gold foil wrappers at Spoons 'n Spice so I went with white wrappers with gold swirl. Once baked you couldn't even tell the darn cupcakes had wrappers--sheesh!
My cupcakes didn't rise like the recipe said they would so I had to fill them at least 2/3 to 3/4 full to break even.
The filling was pretty runny, more like hot fudge than the center of a Ferrero Rocher; next time I'd use Nutella if I could find it.
Without the internet I would've never known how to roast hazelnuts. (Thank you, Cottage Magpie, for your step-by-step post on how to do so.) It wasn't hard but trying to rub the skin off was a workout in itself.

Without the internet I would've never known the easiest way to fill cupcakes without piping. (Thank you, Baking Bites, for your step-by-step post on how to do so.) After 8 or so cupcakes I finally got it right.
My ganache didn't turn out nearly as nice as the one in the recipe's photo and was also runny. I'm going to blame the runs on the weather. (Better than blaming it on bad Mexican food.)

By the time I was done mixing, baking, roasting, rubbing, processing, filling and frosting the cupcakes it had taken just as much time, if not more, than it took me to build a pretty impressive train complete with candy-filled cars.

Madison's favorite part was the cake, not the filling or frosting. (Note to self: next time use a boxed cake mix and simply add the hazelnut extract to the mix and decrease the water.)

I had a taste of one of the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes and I wasn't that impressed, especially with all the work that went into it. Perhaps if they'd risen better or my filling had thickened or the ganache had been Food Network Challenge-worthy they'd have been a bigger hit. I'll never know because that recipe has long since been recycled.

So what do you do when the birthday girl isn't a big fan of her birthday cake--or cupcakes in this case? You have a do-over the next night and go with the ever-popular grasshopper pie:

Grasshopper Pie
1 store-bought Oreo cookie pie crust
1 "used to be a real half-gallon" container of Dreyer's Loaded Chocolate Mint Brownie
1 can whip cream
1 bottle dark chocolate sauce
1 small jar maraschino cherries
1 small can nut topping

Take the lid off the pie crust, peel off the label and wash. Soften the ice cream in the microwave at a super low temperature at about 30-second intervals, stirring often until it's about the consistency of, well, that ice cream soup kids like to make. Spread evenly in the pie crust and place the lid upside down to cover. Crimp the foil edges around the lid to secure it. Place on an even surface in the freezer and freeze until set (at least a couple hours).

To serve, remove the pie from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for a few minutes until soft enough to cut with a sharp knife. Cut pie into slices and top with chocolate sauce, whip cream, cherry and nuts. Serve immediately.

Obviously you can make any version of this ice cream pie you'd like. You could fill it with cookie dough ice cream or take a graham cracker crust and fill it with sherbet. Go crazy! --Emily

"I doubt whether the world holds for any one a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream." ~Heywood C. Broun

Have you ever had any birthday cake mishaps? Do share!

georgie tees featured on CreatedByChicks!

2009-10-14T00:01:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's taken me this long to mention our feature on CreatedByChicks, a new site all about featuring "chick"-made products and "chick"-owned businesses. And to think we were featured alongside the likes of Cupcake Chic and Raw Melissa...now that's super sweet!

Here's an excerpt from the review:

[georgie tees] maternity & infant tees are full of quality & a hilarious sense of humor. We all should be able to laugh at ourselves, right? Right...especially when we're feeling pukey. First, I wanted to highlight my favorite Georgie Tee, the “Mama Lisa” shirt. Maybe it’s the artist in me or maybe it’s just that this tee is so stinkin’ clever...whatever it is, I completely love it!!! I happen to have this tee in the Grape color scheme (shown in detail above). I was shocked by how soft & luxurious Georgie Tees shirts are! Completely heavenly!!!

You can read the full review here or by clicking on the link below:

"Maternity Shirt Creativity"

We love that CreatedByChicks, a site by dear friend Quinn Curtis of CreatedByMom.com, chose to highlight georgie tees and are seriously flattered she did so. Take some time to read the other featured chicks on the site. If you haven't discovered them yet it's about time you did! --Emily

Out & About: "Do you need a timeout?"

2009-10-13T00:01:00.002-06:00

April from Sweet Life in the Valley recently launched a new site, Out & About with the Family, and I was lucky enough to be asked to write a guest post on traveling as a couple. "Do you need a timeout?" makes a case for scheduling at least one child-free vacation a year. If you haven't had a "timeout" in a while I highly recommend taking one. You can read the post here and even see a couple snapshots of our recent adult-only vacations. (Notice how happy and carefree we look!)

"Do you need a timeout?"

After reading--and commenting on--my post take a little time to check out Out & About with the Family. You'll find lots of great travel tips and tricks! --Emily

$100 gift certificate to Oompa Toys!

2009-10-12T22:58:00.006-06:00

My friend Vanessa over at I Never Grew Up is having an AWESOME giveaway right now:

$100 gift certificate to Oompa Toys!

I absolutely LOVE Oompa Toys! If I win I might have to put it towards the Chalet Dollhouse and furniture set. What a great Christmas present that would make for our youngest (and definitely not spoiled) daughter!

Head on over to I Never Grew Up and comment for your chance to win! --Emily

The hunt is on!

2009-10-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

It’s that time again! We are proud to announce our sponsorship of the 10th Semi-annual Great Cloth Diaper Hunt! Register here and then visit participating sponsor sites, hunt for the Diaper Decisions diaper icon, and earn entries to random prize drawings, including two Grand Prizes (our "made it past third base" maternity tee is in the mix of prizes) and one Ultimate Grand Prize! For more details please visit the Rules and FAQs page.

This is our fifth time sponsoring this hunt and it is a lot of fun for everyone involved. The hunters have a great time trying to find the diaper icons and the sponsors have a great time trying to hide it. If someone gets stuck, they can head over to the hint forum for a little help. You won't believe the ginormous number of prizes; check out the haul on the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt's prize page.

As an added incentive, participants receive a special discount code good at various sponsor sites. For example, if you register as a hunter you'll get a code for 10% off your georgie tees purchase!

Good luck and happy hunting! --Emily

Sweet Life in the Valley and Out & About with the Family Disneyland giveaway!!!

2009-10-09T23:06:00.003-06:00

Anyone else want to escape the cold weather for Mickey ears and Cinderella's castle? Here's your chance to do so, especially if your travel budget is seriously restricted by holiday shopping.

Sweet Life in the Valley and its new sister site Out & About with the Family are giving away a trip for four to Disneyland!

Entering for your chance to win is pretty easy (we're talking subscribing to a newsletter) and just like in school you have some chances for extra credit (i.e. extra entries). But I think you should just stick to the one entry so I have a better chance of winning...

You can find the details on both Sweet Life in the Valley and Out & About with the Family. This is a great chance for you to take a pre-holiday vacation before the craziness hits, so take it! It's also a wonderful opportunity to see what Out & About with the Family is all about. (Could I put another "out" in that sentence?) It's a wonderful site for travel tips, city guides and reviews of travel-related products. Plus I'll be writing a post for the new site so definitely visit next week! --Emily

Fresh tomato & mozzarella panini

2009-10-09T00:01:00.006-06:00

Last food for thought friday I shared with you a recipe for molten chocolate cake, a version of a delectable dessert I had while on our cruise. Today I'm doing the same, only this time it's for my take on the super tasty hot version of Carnival's tomato & mozzarella sandwich from the deli. In fact, all the sandwiches from that mini deli were yummy and a great option if you're just not into the all-you-can-eat buffet thing.

I've made tomato and mozzarella panini before but this time, thanks to Carnival, I threw in a creamy pesto sauce. It took a darn good sandwich and turned it into a "holy cow I could eat this every freakin' day" sandwich. I picked up the pesto from Pirate O's in Draper, Utah's version of Trader Joe's. (Note: this store is just as dangerous as Target; only the strong will come out having spent under $50.) The pesto was fresh and made locally, two great selling points. I only wish I'd had fresh basil from the Salt Lake City Farmer's Market but alas, the standard grocery store standby was all I had on hand. The same goes for the mozzarella. I bet if I'd had some freshly made mozzarella from Tony Caputo's Market & Deli this sandwich would've been orgasmic. And I'll stop there.

Get out your panini press and your taste buds--it's time to do a little sandwich grillin'!

Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella Panini
Serves 2 to 4 depending on your appetite

1 beefsteak tomato or 2-3 Roma tomatoes sliced about 1/4" or so thick
4 oz. or so fresh mozzarella sliced no more than 1/4" or so thick
1 bunch basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 c. fresh pesto
1 T mayonnaise
1 loaf ciabatta or focaccia bread (I have a recipe for an easy and tasty focaccia bread (click here); the Pugliese bread from Costco is also really good for panini)

Preheat your panini grill according to the manufacturer's directions.

In a small bowl combine the fresh pesto and mayo so you have a nice creamy pesto.

Slice the bread into two or three sections vertically depending on its size, then slice the sections in half horizontally so you have a top and bottom for each sandwich.

Brush the outside of the top and bottom pieces with olive oil (or do what I do and use an olive oil cooking spray and lightly spray the pieces--so much easier!). Open up the sandwich and spread a layer of pesto on the inside of both the top and bottom pieces. On one side layer the tomatoes followed by the mozzarella, then sprinkle with the strips of basil. Place the other piece of bread on top and follow your panini grill's instructions for grilling the sandwich.

Voilà! No need to wait in line for the buffet and no need to fork over a gratuity! --Emily

"There's nothing like unrequited love to take all the flavor out of a peanut butter sandwich." ~Charlie Brown

P.S. Yes, I should've taken more photos but four hungry kids and one hungry husband meant little time for snapping pics. Sorry!

Wordless Wednesday: Stress management

2009-10-07T00:01:00.002-06:00

Nothing like a win-win situation and a budget-friendly way to manage your stress!

And just in case you can't read the sign:

GOT STRESS
YELL AT ME FOR
JUST $1.00
(or best offer)

and in the bottom right-hand corner:

HAHA Ain't a laugh worth something?

Yes, yes it is. --Emily

RMMB: My pre-teen daughter, her body image and an overly concerned dad

2009-10-05T23:56:00.003-06:00

I'm hoping my latest post over at Rocky Mountain Moms Blog will open up a discussion on how to best make sure our daughters (and sons) have and maintain a healthy self-esteem and positive self-image. In our family my husband definitely worries more about our children's weight than I do and I think a shift in focus is what he needs. It's all about living a healthy lifestyle and not about body shape or pant size.

We are still having discussions about the girls and I hope the discussions will continue (out of our daughters' earshot of course) until we are on the same page. We are not perfect parents but we can at least try our best to do right by our children. You can read the full post here. Feel free to leave your two cents in the comments section and continue the discussion.

P.S. Go easy on Nathan...he is a man and therefore a little slow on the uptake but he'll get it! --Emily

"My pre-teen daughter, her body image and an overly concerned dad"

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

2009-10-02T00:02:00.000-06:00

Need I say more? The name of this dessert gets my mouth watering every time I read it, write it or tell someone about it. This was my favorite dessert while on our Carnival cruise through the southern Caribbean last week. (The best was ordering it with a side of their butter pecan ice cream--on a daily basis!) Baked in a simple white ramekin this moist chocolate cake had the ooiest, gooiest center; it was even better than underbaked brownies. Once my spoon broke the surface that hot, liquid chocolate center clung to it and begged to be eaten. I swear it was a religious experience.

I once tried a slow cooker recipe for a similar sort of pudding cake but it just didn't cut it. The texture and flavor left something to be desired. That's why I was super excited when Kristyn, one of our cruising cohorts (see photo below), said she had a recipe for a dessert similar to Carnival's Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. My grandfather-in-law used to say, "Food tastes better when shared." I'm not sure how this dessert could taste any better, but in the spirit of sharing, here you go!

Back: Julie & Dave; Front: Kristyn, Kim, me & Nathan

Kristyn's Decadent Chocolate Cake (aka Martha Stewart's Molten Chocolate Cake)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped Cream , for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out cakes and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream if desired.

"A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece." ~Ludwig Erhard

Cake photo by stu_spivack, shared via Flickr.

And the winner is...

2009-10-02T00:01:00.008-06:00

A little while back I held a contest trying to find the best caption for this photo:

"No, like this, you bend, and SNAP!"

The prize was a freshly baked batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Apparently no one's tasted these cookies because only four of you entered. Had you had one of my famous homemade cookies hundreds of you would be clamoring for the win. (Okay, maybe not hundreds but at least tens of you!)

Though I loved all four entries the one that made me laugh out loud was from Azúcar and you'll find it included just below the photo above. And yes, it helped that Legally Blonde is one of my favorite movies.

Congratulations, Azúcar! You can expect a batch of my homemade cookies very, very soon! (And by very soon I mean as soon as I can bake in the kitchen without "help" from my toddlers.) But I'll make good on the win, don't you worry!

Thanks to those of you who took the time to comment. And for those who didn't (Mom, you so had a chance!), you're missing out on some dang good cookies! --Emily

Technical difficulties

2009-09-29T22:31:00.004-06:00

Okay, I'm not really having technical difficulties. The internet is working great, my computer is functioning just fine and I have power to my printer. I'd say "technical" is simply another word for "emotional, mental and physical" and it all has to do with a 10-day vacation in the southern Caribbean and the stark reality of life when I returned. Over 250 emails (not counting my Hotmail and Gmail accounts), stacks of bills, one child with a nasty cough, another with a 103 fever, an actual desk where I actually have to sit all day, no humidity, no shore excursions, no snorkeling and definitely no late-night frozen yogurt swirl cones. I have a term for this post-vacation experience and I'll be writing about it later this week. Until then bear with me as I adjust to real life...and believe me, it looks nothing like the photo you see below. And yes, that's really me with my feet up, leisurely reading our cruise itinerary for the next day's activities. {sigh} It's almost like it never happened... --Emily

Guest post: "Do these glasses make me look cool?"

2009-09-23T00:01:00.005-06:00

Continuing with our belated back-to-school theme for this week I have a wonderful post from Lauren Horsley (@supermomcentral), aka Supermom Central. If anyone is a supermom (or super mom, which works too) it's Lauren. She never ceases to make me smile all the while amazing me with how cool a mom she really is. Here's her walk down the often awkward elementary-school memory lane. Enjoy!

"Do these glasses make me look cool?" My answer? Absolutely not!

I am a child of the 80's, and proud of it. I openly admit to high side-ponytails, even higher bangs, and a fingerless glove I fashioned out of an old lacy stocking. I rolled my pant legs. I had a matching neon colored scrunchy for every outfit. One time, for 3 weeks straight, I wore a stud earring in one ear and a hoop in the other.

But nothing, not even the stone-washed jean jacket and smiley faced mood ring, could put me to shame like my most dreaded accessory – my eye-glasses. I began wearing them in 2nd grade and knew immediately that no $60 pair of Girbauds was going to make up for the daily fashion faux-pas. I tried everything to rid myself of them. I “lost” them on purpose, then quickly “found” them when my mother threatened to dock my allowance for eternity to pay for new ones. I pretended to no longer need them, but one night of blurry TV talked me out of that. I hid them as often as possible and hoped no one would notice they're absence. But they did. And I did. I was blind as a bat without them.

My resentment of my glasses is painfully evident in this 3rd grade photo – can you see the indentations on the bridge of my nose? I yanked off the glasses just seconds before the picture was snapped but couldn't hide the evidence. Other times, I wasn't quick enough...

How I wish I could go back and chat with my sweet seven-year-old self. I'd tell her not to worry so much about the outside appearance – that healthy inner-vision is much more important. I'd tell her to focus on developing the art of being thoughtful, curious, kind and interesting. Because, in the long run, those character features would serve her much better than perfect facial features. And I'd tell her that boys who dig chicks in glasses are fewer and father between than boys who like permed hair, but WAY more gnarly.

I'd also tell her that in 6th grade she was going to get contacts, so just take a chill pill until then. That's right – chill pill. She'd know what I meant.

However, I wouldn't tell her that as the glasses disappeared, the pimple plague would hit, along with a long series of bad haircuts. Some things are best left as a surprise. ~Lauren

Guest post: "Home schooling & parenting tween-teens from my new perspective"

2009-09-21T00:01:00.003-06:00

The following is a guest post by my friend April Atwater (@sweetlifeinthe) from Sweet Life in the Valley. If you haven't discovered her fabulous blog and sister sites like the new Out & About with the Family then you're in for a real treat! April is amazing and I'm so excited to have her write something for freshly baked. Enjoy!

Home Schooling & Parenting Tween-teens from My New Perspective

I prided myself in being a great mother to my children when they were younger. I was the mom who made crafts, took field trips, made the cupcakes for the class parties and more. I was involved with everything. Now that my kids are in the tween years and more independent I have been bit thrown. What does a good mom to tween-teens look like?

Not too many books out there help you with or talk about being a cool and effective tween-teen parent. After a lot of trying to figure it out I came to some exciting conclusions. I want my children to live a full life. I want to teach them to love living and learning. Since I home school my three tweens and I own my own business we have a lot of flexibility with our time. My kids are now old enough to share all my loves and to explore the world at a monuments notice. I am planning to take them to the pottery studio to show them how to throw a pot. We are going to make some pinhole cameras then develop the film in our make shift dark room in the pantry. We are going to explore their interests from apprenticing with a pastry chef to trying their hand at web design to indulging an interest in history and dates.

My tween twins are now writing their own blog for tweens, Cool Stuff 4 Us, which will teach them hands on writing and business marketing skills. We are planning a lot of traveling to see this beautiful country. After all, those tween-teen years are to prepare them for adulthood. Our more formal education will be centered around preparing for college classes. We are exploring their talents to help them figure out what they would like to study after the high school years.

If you were to ask someone to tailor your tween-teen years to help you become a successful adult today with all the advantages you could have used, what would that look like? This is the question I am asking myself for all three of my kids. I am excited! It will be fun! This is what I will look like as a tween-teen mom. I think I love what that looks like. ~April