Mostly Photo Blog: Diet approved PIZZA?

It’s true. Pizza.  Pizza with a twist. A big twist. HUGE, really.  The crust is made out of cauliflower.

Go ahead, read it again. Yes.  Cauliflower. That weird white vegetable that is, in my opinion, fairly terrible and bland. And if it’s overcooked? That’s closer to torture than food. But, given all my adventures as of late, I figured what could a little cauliflower crust hurt?

And so I armed myself with a recipe (http://www.thedoctorstv.com/forums/527/topics/9616) and set to work.

This is my steamer. I love my steamer. It makes amazing steamed veggies. !

The recipe calls for the cauliflower to be “riced.”  As usual, this is where I remind you, gentle readers, of the title of this blog.  I have heard of ricing vegetables before, specifically I think you do it to potatoes before you mash them.  Of course, I don’t own a ricer.  In fact, I don’t think I could readily identify one were I standing in front of it.

But what I do have….

My beloved and trusty food processor.

Yes, we’ve seen her before and I guarantee we’ll see her again.

(gratuitous photo of “dough” ingredients just because I liked how it looked)

After I mixed it all together, it was time to spice it up. Given the rather bland taste of cauliflower, I smothered it in a significant amount of spices.

(don’t skimp on the fennel seeds! delicious!)

While it was baking up in the oven, I got my ingredients together. Sauce, basil, spinach, onions, and cherry tomatoes.

I was quite disappointed I didn’t have any mushrooms. Mushrooms would have been awesome.  And just as an aside, I learned to ribbon (oh, excuse me… Chiffonade) my basil by watching “Worst Cooks in America.”  Man, I love that show.

And then, finally…..

PIZZA!!!

It sure did look pretty, but the million dollar question is how did it taste?

Surprisingly good!  Much better than I expected, actually.  But (because there is always a but)….

The crust was not crispy as I’d hoped it would be.  The edges were crispy, but the middle was not. It still had pizza like flavor, but not pizza like crust.  I do believe, however, that was MY error and not a fault of the recipe.  The next time I make it (yes, it was good enough there will be a next time), I will make my “crust” layer much thinner.  I will also let it set for a smidgeon of time before cutting in to it. When I ate a little slice much later on, the crust seemed to have firmed up some.  Thinner layer of “dough,” I think that may be the ticket.  Oh, and if I had one, I would definitely try it on a pizza stone.  Because I don’t, I’m going to try it on parchment paper rather than directly on the cookie sheet next time.  Anyone else have “crispy crust” suggestions?

Give it a try!  You may not be a disappointed as you think!

Laundry Closet Re-Do

It’s hard to believe any space in my house would require a “remodel” at this point; I moved in less than six months ago!  It seems to me most people would put things just how they like them upon moving into a new home.  I tried to do that, but ran into a unique problem – I still had the mentality of a short-term renter.

I have done a lot of moving from place to place. My average stay in a rental was about two years. First there were rooms, then apartments with roommates, then apartments without roommates, then the rental house, and now, finally this place. My house.  MY house (I still can’t believe it)!

Not being able to believe it is part of the problem. I unpacked everything just fine, but didn’t do it with the mindset that this was forever. Permanent. Whoa.  Permanent.  Long term. Forever??? Those are big words. Scary words I never apply to any part of my life, let alone my living arrangement.

Now that some time has passed and I have lived in my wonderful space for awhile, I’ve started looking at things differently. Instead of “put this thing in that space because that’s where it can go,” I’ve started really thinking about where the appropriate home for the item is. Where is the best place for it to live for the next five, ten, twenty years?

It was this mindset that began the wary eyeballing of my laundry closet.  The laundry closet has a lot of shelves and is conveniently hidden behind some lovely doors in a space off both the garage and kitchen.  Shelves + Doors + Chelle = recipe for one heck of a mess!  The first thing the closet became (besides the obvious laundry area) was a place to put my cleaning supplies.  There was a perfect shelf for my tools, which also meant slowly moving over the containers of nails and screws, various types of tape, sure those extra paintbrushes can go there.  The upper shelves were just right for kitchen spillover – the steamer can live there, the cupcake carriers, and this leftover case of beer I’ll never drink, why not?

Slowly, over the course of just a few months, this happened:

No, that’s not a scene from Hoarders, that’s my laundry closet.  Or rather, that was my laundry closet.

I couldn’t take it anymore. It was too crammed.  Too messy. Too dark (there is no overhead light in there, just a bendy lamp I clipped onto a shelf).  Something had to be done!

Step one: Pinterest

Step two: Head over to Target and find some storage containers.  I knew I wanted something bright. Something colorful. Something rather unlike my usual grey/black/white/brown choices. Something… Cute? (who AM i???)  Let it be known I have a serious problem when it comes to containers.  I love containers. I might even be addicted to containers. I blame my mother, she has a similar problem.  I love containers so much that I go directly to the buying of containers before any kind of plan is developed, let alone even a contemplation of measuring anything. I hate measuring. Numbers = Blech!  Sometimes I’m lucky.  But trust me, more often than not, I’m not lucky.  Plan. Measure. Then buy.  One day I’ll learn this. Until then, I hope you learn from the ongoing error of my ways.

Step three: Drink a six shot homemade latte far too late in the evening and step to it!.

I really would like to paint the inside of the closet, but that will have to wait as it’s far too much of an undertaking at this point in time. This “make over” was really more of an exercise in organization than in style.  So I took everything out and decided what really belonged and what really did not. Then I did the obvious thing: neatly placed it all into my new storage containers and loaded the closet back up.

My original thought was for the large boxes to line the top shelf. Woe is me!  My inability to measure came back to bite me. There was no way to get them up there on the top shelf!  Second shelf down it was.  As it turned out, this is one of those situations where my oops became a yay! The second shelf down was the perfect place (and they juuuuuuuust barely fit). I could load those containers up with items I don’t use all the time, but use often enough having them within easy reach is a must.  Given my not so tall stature, the shelf they ended up on is perfect as I can take the boxes on and off the shelves without climbing onto any kind of stool/ladder/chair.

Okay! We definitely have improvement, but I still wasn’t completely feeling it.  It felt, to me, like a closet full of containers. It lacked the little something extra.  And my hatred of cords had surfaced with a vengeance.  But what… What did it need?

Labels!

Now I would love to say I hopped on my computer and printed up some fancy labels like many of the experienced and hyper crafty bloggers out there.  But let’s not forget who and what I am.  Domestically Impaired.  I don’t have a plethora of labels on hand. And, to be completely honest, my new printer has been sitting on my entryway floor, still packed up in it’s pretty box of newness, for over a week and a half.  What I did have was a box of 4 x 6 photo paper and a bucket full o’ Sharpies.

A few more minor tweaks and the closet is done (at least for now). Sure maybe some day I’ll paint it, paper it, put up some bead board, hang a chandelier, whatever.  But for now it was all about decluttering and storage solutions.

And one last crowning touch – I added a lovely vinyl quote above the closet.  It was a gift from my Sister-In-Law about a year or so ago and I’ve been waiting for the perfect place to put it.  Found! A lot of time, a couple curse words, and some pretty sore arms later, the quote was up.  Here’s where I give mad props to my brother, owner/operator of Novato Signs.  He spends a lot of his time installing vinyl on a much larger scale than this.  My arms wouldn’t survive it!

What’s really amazing is 85% of what was in the “before” photo is still in the closet!  Okay, okay, the beer and a couple small items went to the garage and the tripod went to the office with all my camera gear, but most everything else still resides in the closet. It just does so in a more organized fashion.  Looking at the photo, I think I’ll redo the labels on the smaller baskets with smaller labels, but for now, we’re calling it done.

It’s a Candy Cornucopia (part one): Peppermint Bark

Merry (almost) New Year!

As happens each year, I found myself stymied when it came to gifting a little something to my coworkers. With so many different personalities and lifestyles in one little office, it’s hard to find small gifts for everyone.  Last year I packaged up a bit of peppermint bark and it went over incredibly well.  This year I decided to do the same, plus some. I was going to gift them a candy cornucopia!

Being domestically impaired (and incredibly busy at work & crunched for time), I needed things that were easy, relatively quick, and didn’t require a lot of fancy kitchen equipment. So began the scouring of the internet and, of course, my favorite website of all, Pinterest

Before all that, however, I knew I needed to make my SIL’s famous Peppermint Bark. Not only is this recipe incredibly easy, it’s incredibly addictive. I’ve never heard a single person turn this treat down but have, in fact, heard of people threatening bodily harm if it wasn’t made for them each year. Follow the recipe, share it with your friends and family, and be prepared to make it every year after for the rest of your life.

Shelby’s Famous Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
Saltines
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 bags chocolate chips
Vegetable oil spray
Crushed peppermint candy canes

Bashing the candy canes with a mallet – it’s my favorite part!

Directions
Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheet with foil, shiny side down, spray with cooking spray. Line the baking sheet with one layer of saltine crackers.

Over stove, melt butter and sugar, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, boil for 2-3 minutes untile white and fluffy.

Pour the butter/sugar mixture over the saltines and spread so crackers are evenly covered.  Bake in oven for six minutes .  Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Once chips are melted, spread evenly across the crackers.  Sprinkle the top with the crushed peppermint.  Refrigerate until the chocolate is solid again, then break apart into eating size pieces

The chocolate chips will melt just by sitting on the hot buttery/sugary mixture

You can alter this recipe in a variety of ways. This year I used Shelby’s recommended mixture of one bag of milk chocolate and one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips but last year I used a mixture of white and milk chocolate. Next year I may use a little dark chocolate. You can also alter your toppings.  I bet it would be delicious with a nut topping or with butterscotch (I love anything butterscotch, so that seems like a divine “a-ha!” idea I just had). My SIL seems to be a little more conservative with the peppermint, using a bit less and definitely smaller bits. I love the bold flavor, so I tend put a lot on there, complete with some larger chunks as well to give it the really awesome holiday taste!

ENJOY!

It’s a Candy Cornucopia (part two): White-Chocolate Clusters with Fruit & Nuts

With the tired and true bark recipe happily firming up in the fridge, it was time to tackle the second of my “happy holidays, have some sugar” gift bags with some White Chocolate Clusters w/Fruit & Nuts.

Now, this recipe didn’t scare me much at all, despite never having made it before. There was only one aspect that filled me with trepidation. The dreaded double boiler (also known as bowl over pot of hot water, generally used to melt something). This has so many ways to go horribly awry I have literally shrugged off many a recipe requiring its use. But it was a night of firsts. Besides, I had two back up dishes, so what’s the worst that could happen?

White-Chocolate Clusters with Fruit & Nuts

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups assorted dried fruits and toasted nuts, (choose among raisins, cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots, almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts).
1 package (12 ounces) white-chocolate chips

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. In a small bowl, combine dried fruits and nuts.

Heat white-chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth.

Drop level tablespoons of melted chocolate onto prepared sheet, 2 inches apart. Mound fruit-nut mixture on top, pressing in gently. Refrigerate until set, 15 to 20 minutes.

For topping, I chose to use roasted almonds (as I needed them for another recipe), dried cherries, apricots, and cranberries. I think next time I would try macadamia nuts or pecans, really just because I prefer those type of nuts in dessert recipes.  I’m not sure if you can put dried fruits into a food processor, but as I gummed up my chef knife chopping them (you can see my “stellar” knife skills above), I cursed I’d not had that stroke of genius first.

The moment of truth.  I did a bit of research and set to it.  Amazingly enough it worked beautifully!  In just a short bit of time (with a lot of stirring), I had beautifully smooth and shiny melted chocolate.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Make sure your bowl is over the water, not touching the water.

ENJOY!

It’s a Candy Cornucopia (part three): Brandini Toffee

Now that the two easy recipes were done, it was time to embark on the one that scared me the most, the Brandini Toffee. I had victoriously survived my first use of a double boiler, so now it was time for a big step: the dreaded candy thermometer! I have, over the years, avoided recipes requiring the use of this mysterious tool. But why? What’s so scary about a candy thermometer? Well… It’s less the use of the tool itself and more the secondary requirements of utilizing such a tool, namely: Patience & Attention to Detail. There’s a reason I’m “domestically impaired,” folks, and the lack of those two things there play a huge part. But I unpackaged my shiny new candy thermometer, studied it a bit, and off we went!

Brandini Toffee

Ingredients:
1/4 pound whole almonds
3 cups (6 sticks) salted butter
3 cups sugar
1 pound Guittard French vanilla dark chocolate

Now, before we start, I have to come clean about something. This blog, after all, is about my attempt to become a more domesticated version of myself. And with this will come some successes and a fair amount of failures. While my previous two pieces of the cornucopia went off without a hitch, the third? Not so much. I completely forgot the chocolate at the store. “Forgot” actually doesn’t even cover it, I had no idea I needed it at all! Given the late hour all this furious candy making was happening, I decided to just skip it entirely. I already had two chocolate desserts, I could leave the chocolate off this one. In the end, it worked out okay, but I think it would still have a little extra deliciousness with the chocolate included.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds evenly on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Roast until almonds are dark and fragrant, but not burned, about 15 minutes. Remove nuts from oven and let cool completely. Transfer cooled nuts to a large resealable plastic bag. Using a mallet or other heavy object, pound nuts until coarsely ground.

Or: throw them into a food processor!  After the nightmare that was chopping all those dried fruits and nuts for the white chocolate clusters, I threw the almonds I had reserved for the toffee into my mini food processor.  It worked awesomely!

Melt butter in an 8-quart pot over medium-low heat; stir in sugar. Continue stirring until toffee reaches 305 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes.

SIDE NOTE for my fellow domestically impaired peeps: When you inevitably drop your candy thermometer into the pot (because the pot is too large for you to clip the thermometer to it), resist any and all instinct to grab for it. Tongs, friends. Tongs are key!  And even with the tongs, once rescued from the pot of molten lava (aka boiling sugar), give the thing some time to cool down.  From personal experience, Ouch!

Pour toffee onto an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly to cover. Let cool until toffee is slightly hardened, but still tacky. Run a knife along the edges of the baking sheet to make toffee easier to remove.

Meanwhile, in a bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate. Remove chocolate from heat and let cool slightly until it reaches about 95 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour melted chocolate over toffee, spreading evenly to cover. Sprinkle over coarsely ground almonds, pressing down with offset spatula. Transfer to refrigerator until toffee is set, about 1 hour.

To remove toffee from pan, run a sharp knife along the edges and lift toffee from the bottom. Using your hands, break toffee into large pieces; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

ENJOY!

I’m Not Yet Public with this Blog, But I Guess That’s Okay

I’ve not yet told the world, well, my very small part of the world, about this blog.  But I do know a few people check in here and there, so I wanted to put it out there this blog is NOT dead.

I have been busy doing things to my beloved little house. Prior to moving in, the ceilings were sanded and I had the walls in every room but the two bathrooms & kitchen painted. I also had the outside painted and hired a gardener (if you saw my yard, you would understand). A friend and I took on my old baker’s rack with a can of spray paint so it would fit in with the motif in my home office – where I also hung up some rather elaborate, yet easy, shelving.  I replaced two doorknobs. I changed out the hardware on my hallway closet storage. I even replaced a toilet seat. Yes, all by myself!  New house numbers went up, along with a new mailbox.  Furniture and decorations were purchased, perhaps too extravagantly, but I can justify the necessity of them.  This week the new garage door went in, my living room rug arrived, and my friend Jeff changed out all the lighting for me (and fixed my fancy jet bubbles in the bathtub!). Some time after tax refund season, I will pay out the dough I need for 80ft of copper (aka: expensive) wire and get that hot tub up and running. My good friend, Laura, was over just yesterday helping me with a little secret project in my bedroom. 

It’s coming together.  Slowly but surely.  It needs to come together the rest of the way quite quickly now, however. I have over 60 people coming to my house in just ten short days!

So it either needs to come together or be conveniently hidden away in the garage.

Pictures and stories of the makeovers coming soon.

I promise

A Dream Come True

As of 5:00pm today, September 2, 2011, I am officially a HOME OWNER!

(and thus this blog officially begins)