An Anniversary Dinner

Check out these crazy kids. Meet Poppa B. and Momma B. They kind of like each other if you couldn't tell. And check out the cake! My first ever attempt at a homemade buttercream icing. This was three years ago when they celebrated 25 years of martial bliss. My Grandpa Jack renewed their wedding vows right in our living room, my siblings and I were witnesses and I cried my eyes out. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever had the opportunity to experience. Ok, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic...and a sap.

Their 28th came this last December and I wanted to make a special dinner for them while I was home over break. Here's what my siblings and I did...

Entree:
Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Pineapple

(One of my bro's signature dishes)

Let me tell you, I'm not a big fan of the "other white meat,"

but I'd eat this everyday if I could. Sooo good.

Side dish:
Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole

Bread:
Homemade Dinner Rolls

Super easy to make, hardly any prep time needed.

And delicious.

Dessert:
Flourless Chocolate Cake


Seriously, what do I have to say?

Mmm....

Love you, Mom and Dad.

Let Them Eat Cake!

My break is officially over. Bittersweet this is. I am glad to be back in town and around my friends. However, the thought of me starting classes tomorrow is daunting. Blah. Semester numero 8 is about to go underway. Hooray. (Are you sensing the sarcasm?) Enough about school, on to happier things.



I recently decorated cakes! Lots and lots of cakes. Ok, only like three, but dang, it was kind of tiring. My high school FACS teacher asked me to come and help decorate cakes for a raffle at a basketball game. I helped bake the cakes (a white, a chocolate and little white cakes) and decorated with the students for two days. I had such a fun time and I think the girls did too! :)

Meet Mrs. Frankenbery, or Frank as she is affectionately called at FHS.

Check out these little guys! Aren't they cute. Baked in a mold my mom got me from Avon.

The girls with their creations.


The decadent chocolate peanut butter cake I showed them how to make. Recipe comes from Bakerella. It's killer.


Basic white cake with snow white buttercream.




My hands were shaking ridiculously when I was piping the yellowjacket head. I'm pretty dang proud of it though.


The next cake was for some friends' birthday/graduation party.


It was a chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling (from the "Doctored Up Brownies!") and the snow white buttercream.




It was pretty dang good. So good I made it a second time. My dad said it tasted like a Butterfinger. I therefore dub it the "Butterfinger cake."


The "Butterfinger cake" was a hit at the party with no leftovers to be found.


My friends Jason, Mike and Bailey, in stick-figure form. They rock.

How to Impress with Five Ingredients or Less

Ok, so, you've got to prepare a nice dinner and you need to leave a good impression. However, you've never cooked a day in your life and mac 'n cheese from the microwave doesn't count. You're getting anxious, nervous, time is ticking. What do you do? What if I told you that you could prepare an appetizer and dessert with a total of five ingredients or less? And that both are super easy to make? Now, we're breathing a little bit easier. As for the entree, I can't help you on that, but that boxed Stouffer's lasagna can pass as homemade.

Here's the line-up for the appetizer: two ingredients. BAM.

Puff-pastry wrapped brie. And here's how you do it. Lay out one sheet of the puff pastry, after it has thawed, onto a lightly floured surface.

Place brie in the center of the sheet.

Bring corners into the center, pressing down.


Trim the excess pastry off and press the seams to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp. of water. Decorate top with excess pastry, if desired.


Then brush with egg mixture.


Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. Serve with toasted baguette pieces and apple slices. And if you want to knock up the fancy factor, add a walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture on the top before bringing the corners up.


And now for dessert. Cut puff pastry sheet into three strips. Cut the strips into three squares. Place a piece of chocolate towards one of the corners of the puff pastry.


Fold opposite end over the chocolate.


Like so...


With fork, pinch sides shut.




You can also use that walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture as a filling.


Brush with egg mixture (whisked egg and water). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Very impressive! ;)

Snow Dogs

Not a dog, but it's in the snow. And it's cute.