February 20, 2011

Seven Day Scramble…February 20

Happy Weekend, everyone! I’ve been thinking of starting a segment here on Doughmesstic, where I slow it down, do a little rewind, and take a deep breath before bounding in to next week.

I’ll be wrapping up and discussing my posts from the previous week, as well as addressing questions some of my readers had about the posts. I’ll also cruise through and share with you some inspirational posts from other blogs I visited this week, because I find so many things I love – from crafts to cookies –and I only feel it’s fair to pass them on to you in case you missed them.

I think I’ll throw a few real life things at you, too. Things going on in my life outside the blog, like cake orders, things going on with Seven, things that don’t warrant an entire post but are worth mentioning.

So let’s get started…

7day

This Week’s Posts

Monday I posted a Chocolate Valentino for Valentine’s Day. Made from Scarffen Berger chocolate, it was divine in every sense of the word, and so simple to make. Best part though? I am giving away a gift basket full of Scarffen Berger to one of YOU! There’s still time to enter to win it, just comment on the original post before midnight tonight.

Tuesday was all about GIANT cookies. Giant bakery style cookies. The cookies employ an unusual mixing method, that make for a cakey, deliciously light texture. It’s gotten a LOT of attention, especially from Stumble Upon…so, if you haven’t viewed it yet, please do – and, if you like it, give it a thumbs up on StumbleUpon for me?

The main question my readers had was about the butter. Yes – You CAN freeze butter. It’s fine, and allows you to stock up on it when it’s on sale, so do it! Super cold butter is great for recipes that require you to cut it in to the dough. I first learned about it from Dorie Greenspan – cookbook genius that she is. I can’t recommend it enough!

Wednesday was Peanut Butter. White Chocolate Peanut Butter and Caramelized Banana Sandwiches to be exact. I recently fell in love with Peanut Butter & Company and their entire line of gourmet peanut butters. This sandwich was the epitome of delicious, and beyond simple to make.

The questions I most heard were- Where can I buy it? From my readers, I’ve learned the following…Many Targets, some Krogers, some Wal-Marts, even. You can also order it from the PB&Co website, as well as on Amazon. Whatever you do, find it. Buy it. It’s fantastic! The other main question? It was about caramelizing the bananas. You can buy kitchen torches many places. I bought mine at TJ Maxx, and I’ve seen them at Marshalls, Ross, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Home Goods. You can buy them online, for sure, and Amazon is a great place to start. However, if you don’t want to buy one, you could always turn on your oven broiler and toast the sugar that way. it’s just quicker and easier with the torch, and I personally love having that gadget in my kitchen.

I rounded out the week with another Peanut Butter & Company recipe, this time Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were simple to put together, and full of flavor! Again, another big StumbleUpon post! Not too many questions came from this post, other than wondering if they could be made with regular peanut butter. And sure, they can be, but it won’t be the same. Good, yes, but not the same. What makes these different is the dark chocolate that’s in the peanut butter. It mellows the sweetness of the peanut butter…and I love it!

So, that was my Blog in Review. Did you have a favorite?

Now let’s move on to some things I found around the blogosphere. Things that caught my eye on Twitter, on Facebook, or on StumbleUpon…or things I just lucked into finding!

Did You See These??

First up – Picky Palate. I love Jenny and her creations, but when I saw on Twitter that she had made Homemade Toaster Strudel, with THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, my heart stopped. How ingenious! And good Lord, they look absolutely delicious. I’ve never even thought about making Toaster Strudel, but now I will! Jon & Seven both love them, and I think having a stash on hand in the freezer would be a great time saver and easy breakfast on the go.

Next I visited Maria, of Two Peas & Their Pod, where I bookmarked this incredible Baked French Toast. I’ve only made it baked once before, but this version seems to be almost more of a casserole then just French Toast. I have a question, though, and I’ll ask you all versus Googling it. When I made mine baked, I made it in a ceramic baking dish. Once cooked, the eggs took on a greyish green color. Why? They tasted fine, but the color was a bit off-putting. Help?

Finally, I headed over to Brown Eyed Baker, and drooled over her Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars. Ridiculous. I could die. Wouldn’t these be great tonight, while curled up on the couch watching Big Love? (Sadly, I no longer have HBO and I can NOT tell you how much it pains me. If you know of a way I can watch it online, the CURRENT season, please share!

On the Agenda

Kind of a busy week here for me coming up. I have a new client that I will be catering lunch for, and I am really looking forward to that. I’ll also be working at the family store – the one day a week I get to get out of the house and socialize just a bit. Not that I don’t love staying at home and taking care of Seven, but sometimes just stepping away is a godsend.

On the blog, I’ll be posting our attempt at making Homemade Potstickers, which were, believe it or not, a success! I’ve also got a Family Post I am working on, concerning Technology and Toddlers. Seven loves his computer, the Wii, the iPhone, and his handheld games, so I am planning on weighing in on a few of the best things out there. If you know of something that should make it into the post, please weigh in!

And, in case you aren’t a Fan on Facebook, you may have missed my big news – I’ll be attending the Culinary Institute of America for a Boot Camp in April. I’ll be doing a full post on it soon, so maybe if some of you are able, you’ll be able to come too! I’m so excited! (Wait, why aren’t you a fan?)

You may not know, but one of my sponsors is Midstate Mills, who makes TendaBake. Yesterday they posted these Crepes, and they look so easy and delicious, I’m going to HAVE to make them one day this week. Maybe with some Nutella and strawberries for dessert? YUM.