Will You Be My Valentine?

   

     I woke up on Valentine's Day to a kiss, a hug and this card.  How sweet.  I hadn't even gotten my card yet, because we weren't supposed to celebrate until the next day because of work.  He was a step ahead and I was flattered.  This definitely deserved some Valentine's Day Cookies. I called on Martha, yet again.  

THE INGREDIENTS

THE DIRECTIONS

• Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set it to the side
• This recipe called for me to use the paddle attachment, which I had never used.  So, I put the attachment on and creamed the butter and the sugar together, until it is light and fluffy. (You have seen what this looks like in other posts, I hope, I forgot to take a picture! Oops!

• While the mixer is still running, add the egg, milk (can swap out for brandy), and vanilla.  Mix until it is combined, then with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture.  Mix until just combined.

• Transfer dough to a work surface (in my case, a baking sheet), Shape into two discs and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate it for at LEAST an hour. DO NOT get impatient! The dough is best worked with when cold.  Trust me! (If you want, you can freeze your dough and use it for later.  I also read that it will be good in the refrigerator for 3 days.)
• After your hour is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  It says you can line your baking sheet with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.  I used parchment paper.  (I am not sure what all grocery stores carry this, but I got mine at Jo-Ann Fabrics.  I know it is also at Hobby Lobby and Michael's) Set the pan aside.

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out douch to 1/8 inch thickness.  I put flour on some parchment paper for my work surface.  
• When the ends crack like that, you can just press them back together.  Roll it out a little, flip the dough and roll it some more.  Repeat until it is 1/8 of an inch. 

• Then cut the dough into the desired shape, in my case, a heart! I got these at Michael's.  I used these and another one I got from Hobby Lobby.

Had this much dough left at the end, and it was perfect to make one big heart!

• After you cut your shapes, you can roll the dough back into a ball.  I would suggest refrigerating it, because it will soften while you are cutting the first batch.  Warm dough will not keep its shape.
• Also, a tip on Martha's website said to dip your cookie cutter in flour before cutting.  I found that this helped.

• My first batch of cuts were not the best, because my dough got a little warm.  

• The second batch of cuts was a lot prettier! 
• Bake until lightly golden and do not allow them to brown.  The directions called for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and I did exactly that.  They came out perfect! 
• Transfer them to a cooling rack. 

My tinier ones browned a little, but they were still good!

• I made the icing while the cookies cooled.

THE INGREDIENTS

• Before this recipe, I had never heard of meringue powder.  Boy, do I know what it is now and where to find it! When I started my search for meringue powder, I thought that it was just a simple ingredient.  I had no idea that I was going to have to search for it.  I shop at H-E-B, so that was my first stop.  OUT OF STOCK.  My next stop was Kroger. NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.  I did a little googling when I got home.  I was getting a little frustrated thinking that these cookies would now be a no-go.  I found out that they carry it at craft stores.  I had been in all the baking aisles, but had never paid much attention to them.  I called Hobby Lobby to see if they had it and there were also OUT OF STOCK! I saw a post where someone found it at Jo-Ann Fabrics, so that was to be my next stop.  You pass Michael's on the way to Jo-Ann Fabrics, but since I read that the person found it at Jo-Ann's, I decided to go there.  No Luck! I didn't even see where they carried it! So, here I am 20 minutes before I need to be at work, trying to find meringue powder! I decided to stop quickly at Michael's and of course... they had it! LOTS OF IT! I just usually prefer Hobby Lobby when doing crafts, so I figured this would be the same.  That's what I get of course, but I knew it would make a good story for you guys.  That is the only thing that kept me going! Haha.
• I also googled "Scant".  It means not quite 1/2 a cup.  I used a little more powder sugar on accident, so mine required a little more water..

THE DIRECTIONS

• Beat the ingredients in a mixer bowl on low speed until smooth.  It says it takes about 7 minutes, I don't think it took it quite that long.
• I will say that watching the icing form was very strange.  It went from powder to a clumpy substance to smooth icing very quickly.  At first I was sure I did something wrong, but all of a sudden icing was forming! 

• I wanted my cookies to be pink, but you can use whatever color you like.  You don't even have to make hearts! 
• I used Wilton Gel Food Colors, from Michael's (I used Red-Red). I heard that it takes a lot less of this color than the regular liquid food colors.
• I accidentally deleted the photo of the coloring process, but I will explain.  Dip a toothpick into the coloring and create a "streak" in the icing.  I think it took about 5 toothpicks to get the color that I wanted.  
• I learned a "10 Second Rule" on Royal Icing from a Blog I found online.  Lift up your spatula and let some of the icing drip back into the bowl.  If it takes less than 5 seconds to disappear, you need to add more powdered sugar.  If it takes more than 10 seconds, you need to add water.  Anything between that will be perfect! 

My bag at the end of the night! Looks rough!

• I know that I would have been better off if I actually bought the icing bags that are supposed to go with the icing tip set that I purchased, but I went the cheaper way and used a Ziploc Bag.  Which actually worked great for me.  Just put the tip in the corner of the bag, and snip the bag with scissors until the tip is poking through.  Do not cut too much! 
• Fill the bag with the icing and cover the other icing with a wet towel, so it doesn't dry out.  If it does thicken, you can always add a little more water!
• My icing would dry out a little after every "section" of cookies I would do.  Just add a little water and do the 10 Second Rule. 

• Now, outline all of the cookies first.  I lined a few, colored in and repeated.  

• The icing on the first couple of cookies was a little too thick, so that when I tried to spread the icing around, it would dry to fast and looked clumpy.
• And my tracing got way better on the second batch of cookies.
• Color the cookie in like the middle cookie in the picture.  Use the tip on the icing bag to spread the rest of the color around.  
• Let it dry after you fill in the spots.
• One other tip I learned was to hold the icing tip about half an inch above the cookie.  You can direct the icing a lot better around the cookie.  It "lays" down better.

I wrote Mr. Bloom on a cookie for fun.  I was in no way trying to make it look pretty.
Now I wish I would of tried to make it look decent. Lol.

• Even though I knew they weren't perfect, I was so proud of them.  I thought they turned out really cute.

My prettiest cookie!

• That is it! You are done.  Let them dry and then you are free to eat them! 
• I let mine dry for about 3 hours.  As, I said, I am a night owl and I started these cookies really late.  They got finished at 7am! So, I wasn't trying to be the most precise person! I let them dry for 3 hours because that was how long I slept for! I am not sure at what point they are totally dry, prior to 3 hours..

• I bagged up a few of the cookies and took them to work!  I bought these little bags at Jo-Ann's.  They were pink with little twisty ties.  That really completed the look.  My co-workers definitely enjoyed them.  

     I did a lot of google research to figure out how to work with this icing, but preparing freaked me out more than maybe just making them would have.  Once you get the hang of how to work with the icing, these cookies will become a piece of cake! They were so delicious, I would not change a thing about them.  Best of all? My Valentine loved them.  Did I leave you in suspense? Or did you figure that I would say yes to the most important question on Valentine's Day? Mr. Bloom asks, "Will You Be My Valentine?" And to that I say, "Yes, today and everyday, I will be your Valentine."

With that, Enjoy!

View Martha's Sugar Cookie and Icing Recipe HERE!

His Favorite. My Signature.

     As, I posted on my first ever blog post, I have about 5 signature dishes.  (Wow, I have officially been blogging for over a month now!!) The dishes I know by heart and can whip up with no problem! These are also some of Mr. Bloom's favorite things that I make.  One of them is... Chicken & Rice! To be honest, I don't have a specific recipe.  I usually just season to taste! I am going to try my best to direct you to make the best rice of your life!  I remember being in my sophomore year of college and calling my dad for the directions.  The first couple of times I made it were questionable, but with repetition the rice got better and better.  Now, I am a pro at it!  Mr. Bloom thinks so too! As I said in the Mexican Please! post, you can just take out the chicken and have the rice for a side.  I don't particularly post the meals I make in order. I was planning on posting this before the enchilada post, but Mr. Bloom chose the Enchiladas before this one.  So now you can complete your meal with the rice! Hehe. 

Ingredients

- Long Grain White Rice

-  Canola Oil

- 1 can of Original Rotel
(If you like Spicy! If not 1/2 a can will do!)

- Chicken Bouillon 

- Tomato Bouillon

- Salt

- Pepper

- Chicken Breast 

Directions

• I always put the burner on medium heat.  When it heats up, pour about two to three tablespoons of canola oil in the pan.  Tilt the pan so that you get the canola oil on the whole bottom of the pan and not just clustered into one spot.  
• Mr. Bloom and I love this rice, and we always want some for leftovers.  For this to be possible, I always use 2 cups of rice.  (You can change this accordingly) 
• Pour the rice into the pan.  This process is called "browning" the rice.  I wonder why? Stir the rice and in turn it will get coated in the oil.  After a few minutes the rice will turn brown.  If it starts to smell like it's burning, then you probably have browned it too much! Make sure you cook it enough though, because if you don't cook it enough your rice will turn out hard in the end.  If there are a few burnt pieces of rice, don't worry about it..Everything will turn out okay.

• As soon as the rice is brown add 4 cups of water and the can of rotel.  I would say a teaspoon of each salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, and tomato bouillon.  (NOTE: If you are NOT making 2 cups of rice, the recipe just calls for a 1:2 ratio of rice to water.. So 1 cup Rice: 2 cups Water... 4 cups Rice: 8 cups Water...etc.)  
• You can always do a little seasoning to the rice when it is done.  I never measure to be honest.  So, these are guesstimated measurements. What I believe I put! 
• Turn the burner to medium - high and cover the rice, stirring occasionally! 

• I boiled two pieces of chicken breast.  To the water I added about 3 tablespoons of Chicken Bouillon.  I don't think you can use too much of this stuff!  I put the chicken in frozen and it took about 20 minutes to cook through.  

• After the chicken is done you can shred it with a fork or your hands.  I did this while the rice was browning.  So, maybe start your chicken a little bit before you start browning the rice.  Set the chicken to the side.  
• You can do the chicken multiple ways! 

1. I boil it, because I usually forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.  Shredded chicken has been my favorite way to eat it, though! 
2. If your chicken is thawed, you can cut it into pieces and add it when you add the water to the rice.
3. You can buy the precooked fajita chicken, and just mix it in when your rice is done.  Of course, follow the package directions for heating it!

• After a few minutes of stirring occasionally, you will notice that the water will be disappearing! Perhaps the rice is eating it! Once all the water is gone, you will need to do some taste testing.  If you taste in and the rice is not cooked all the way through (still a little hard), you may need to add a little more water.  Cover it again, until you taste it and the rice is just right.  Too much water and your rice will become mushy.  You know how you want your rice to taste! If you think it needs a little more seasoning, now is the time! 
• Make sure to stir the rice, because it can look like everything is fine and dandy, but when you go to stir it, it could be stuck to the pan! 
• I always add the chicken whenever there is a little water left in the skillet.  This is not necessary, you can add it when the rice is done.  I just figure that a little more flavor will get into the chicken if I do it this way...

• Put it in a bowl and enjoy! Mr. Bloom loves to put cheese on his.  

     I was kind of nervous writing this post, because I really don't have a recipe.  I always worry I am not explaining good enough!  I guess if you are expecting a professional cook, this blog is not for you! : ) . I hope my directions are easy to follow, and of course, if there are any questions I will definitely answer them! I hope I didn't forget anything! I love this dish, and I hope you will too! 

With that, Enjoy! 

How to turn your frown, upside down!

     Since my Lemon Pound Cake was such a hit, I decided that I would go to Martha Stewart for another dessert recipe.  I wanted to try something that I had never made before, or even had heard of for that matter.  I searched through the cakes, and I tried to look for something that I knew Mr. Bloom would enjoy.  I think there were about 44 cakes or so on the list, but this particular cake caught my eye.  Mr. Bloom loves pecans.  So, why not try an Upside-Down Pecan Cake??  This sounded simply amazing and looked like an easy enough recipe..So, I went for it! 

THE INGREDIENTS 

THE DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them for about 7 minutes, until they are crisp.  Let them cool. 

• Then, coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the pecans, set the remaining pecans that you didn't chop to the side.  I used my mini food chopper.  This worked like a charm.  If you don't have one, I read that you can use a blender or just a knife.

• Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch round cake pan.  I only had an 8-inch pan, and I found this website that has a baking pan conversion chart.  So, I found out my 8 inch pan was comparable to the 9-inch pan.  I google just about everything! Heat the butter in the oven until it's melted, which should take about 3 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the butter.  Scatter the chopped nuts over the sugar and set it aside.  

• In a food processor, process reserved pecans and flour until nuts are very finely ground.  

• Beat eggs and remaining 1/2 cup butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.  

• Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined

• In a small bowl, combine flour mixture, baking powder, and salt.  

• Fold into the egg mixture.  You do not want to stir it in! Take your spatula, or whatever tool you are using and "sweep" under your mixture and "fold" it over the top.  You want to repeat this, until the flour mixture is mixed well.  If you are the type who needs to see this being done, then I found this video for you. 

• Stir in ZEST!  

• Pour into the pan you prepared earlier, smoothing the top.. I took my spatula and turned the pan with my other hand, going in a spiral motion to make it smooth.

It should look like this! 

• Bake until a toothpick (a fork, for me) inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.

• Invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely, bottom side up so the butter-pecan layer is on top.

Mr. Bloom got to it before I could even take a picture of it!

     This was one of the easiest things I have made on my cooking journey.  This was also the best smelling cake I have ever made.  No joke, the pecan flour was the most amazing smell ever.  The orange zest was divine.  It really was a perfect touch to the cake.  We left the house for a bit, and when we came back the house smelled of orange and pecans.. Mr. Bloom and I both agreed that Yankee Candle or anyone for that matter should jump right on that scent if they haven't already.  If you know of one, then PLEASE let me know! The one complaint Mr. Bloom did have, was that the cake was too small! He couldn't get enough of it!  Next time, he wanted me to make two and cover it with cream cheese frosting.. I haven't decided if that is the best icing to go on this cake.  BUT I will be making it again.. Without a doubt.  Though it was easy, I did have a few take aways...

Things I Learned

1. To not forget to take the eggs out of the refrigerator (The process took a little longer, because I forgot to do this.  Just leave them out, no wrapping them in a towel and placing them by the window to heat faster..Not that I did that or anything! ;) Yes. It was silly.)

2. To make sure that the butter is room temperature or a little melted, if it is not soft enough, the sugar/butter mixture will not get fluffy

3. That zesting works a lot better if you don't lift the orange off of the zester, continuously run it back and forth. I find it will zest better.

4. To invest in toothpicks.. Though I was technically poking the bottom of my cake with a fork and no one was going to see them, I would prefer 1 small hole that a toothpick would leave, as opposed to all the holes a fork leaves.

With that, Enjoy!

(See the full directions HERE!)