Wake up in Paris

Pics from Eurovizion flickr group

Crepes:

allrecipes.com

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*pour the batter in from the edges so the center doesn't set before it's spread.
*immediately after cooking, place in tupperware with a lid covering them but NOT sealed. This will keep them warm with moist edges.

Today's Challenge: Learn a New Hobby

Day4- now Batten Down the Hatches!

We've been on survival mode here for a little bit.. the flu has come and lingered longer than wanted and it's the last week of Aaron's busy accounting season. He works Mon-Fri 8am-midnight, Saturdays 9-7pm and even Sundays all day after church which we both haven't been happy about. But at least he has a job and for that I will be grateful and accept whatever hours he has to be gone from us.

In some big important news... Overstock. com has provided a 10% discount to their site for our beloved readers and friends.

121745
(excluding books, electronics or movies)
This code never expires although it can only be used once per email address

I'm eager to use it because I've heard a lot of good things about this site from my sister-in-law and her sister who shop there regularly. AND it's only $2.95 flat rate shipping. (I paid $12 in shipping the other day for 2 items!?! So silly...)

Things that caught my eye:

Flower necklace

Mirror

Bread Maker

Cute bookshelves

If you go there, let me know how your experience went!

In other news..last week we spend some good times with good friends





Seems like spring has come upon us already here in Vegas...love that sun!


*Disclosure: Opinions of Overstock.com are my own and besides the discount code for our readers I did not receive any compensation.

Day 3: Make Baby Food

Squash: Check!

Did you know that in recipes you can use squash instead of pumpkin? And they taste the same? This is a yummy muffin for MY breakfast when I make squash for the wee babe:
(thanks Heavenly Homemakers. com for the recipe and info!)

Sweet Potato/Squash/Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (healthy style)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 egg
1 cup mashed sweet potato/squash/pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
3 T. melted butter

Topping:

3 T. sucanat/rapadura (dehydrated cane sugar juice) or brown sugar
1 T. butter, softened
2 T. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Add honey, raisins, eggs, sweet potato, milk and butter. Stir until just mixed. Scoop into 15 paper lined muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over each muffin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

(Recipe source)

Day 2: Explore a new place

*As I was about to post this, I realized that the adventure is not so...adventurous per se. Give me time, we're just starting to work up some steam!*

Day 2

Contenders:




















"Pink Baby"
"Green Mama"

Here in Vegas there are always some "characters" that hang out and around the library. As I write that, I realize that the lib is one of me and Madelyn's favorite haunts...Hmmm. Well, let's just say, the library attracts all kinds of people.

In fact, we have security guards that patrol the area, waking up and kicking out homeless people and making sure no one steals important things. Like books. Or movies. Why they have the need to have sensors and guards paroling the movie room (yes, it's a separate glass cubicle) I have no idea. The black market value for those old dvds can't be much more than a few cents. The only movies in there are ones that we've all seen like a season of Friends or those that look like the old classics but with people you've never heard of before. Then there are the random movies maybe 200 people have seen worldwide with titles like "My Summer Love" or "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

That said, the last one actually is a real movie and only reason I know that is because I rented it. Actually I stole it. No, just joking, I rented it.

So our library isn't the run of the mill, grandma behind the desk deal. We knew we'd find something fishy going on...

...here's Pink Baby scoping out the shelves...

I set up a booby trap for would-be thieves..

What is it, Pink Baby?

A suspicious man hanging around the reading zone, eh...?

What about--!? No. Just an old man reading a newspaper.

Unfortunately we were the only characters in the building on this night BUT we did leave with a few books worth our while..

You can always tell what interests I have going on each week by what books I've rented. (Speaking of books, we'll have a post up soon about the books you're reading, ones you recommend etc..)

Day 2. Success. Green Mama over and out.

A Challenge: Part I and II

I've FINALLY! decided on my theme for this year..One big theme for the year, and a "focus" for each month. (You might recall the focuses I tried out last year) This year's theme is:

"Every day an Adventure"

This includes but is not limited to one adventure per day. It's time to shake it up! So I will be posting each day...ok every other day...ok as often as possible on the adventures of that day. Let's begin!

Day 1

Adventure challenge: Become a French baker by baking the perfect loaf of French bread.

With the assistance of Sisterscafe.com for recipe and following pics


Goal:


Soundtrack: Edith Pilaf -La Vie en Rose, La Foule etc..
Garou- Les Cloches
Lara Fabien Je t aime
Notre Dame de Paris (Garou...) or Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack
Vanessa Paradis

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. ( Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.


Results: Instead of gourmet French bread, I ended up with Italian flatbread sans herbs...

On the right, I folded the loaf over to add some 'omph'
and body..you can tell it had about as much body as a limp noodle.

I guess I should confess that I also forgot the pan of steaming water underneath. I've tried this before with the pan and the results were not much better than this:

I purposefully stacked them to give them some height ::snickers:: I also used wheat flour in mine although that doesn't account for the pasty white sunless look my loaves artfully achieved.

Flavor: 9/10. If you're a Salty Dog you'll love how much salt this packs in but for the rest of us, I'd use less salt since the butter also adds some.

Overall, I still think I will be saving up for a bread machine. Ha! I will continue to admire the recipes on Sisters Cafe as it is one of my favorites, and keep working on this flatbread-I mean baguette!