Flour + Water = Love

This makes me so, so happy!

There is flour

(lot's and lot's of flour),

there are pots and pans

(sometimes sky high!),

but there is also

love!

Bellisimo!

Pancake Flowers, Hearts, and...Drumsticks!?!

Simple summer fun in the kitchen.

Does it get any better?

I Heart Thai!

If you have not tried Thai food you have not lived!

My favorite place,

Thai Chili in Rocklin.

Yes, it's true they work at a snail's place,

but if you have the time,

dine at the restaurant-it's beautiful but plan to stay awhile.

If you need to get out in a hurry,

order some take-out and arrive 15 minutes later

than the suggested pick-up time!

Some great things to try...

Panaang Curry with Chicken (yummy-spicy...)

Black Rice (so, so good...)

Spring Rolls (addictive...)

And after an "at-home" date night of take-out,

I couldn't resist making spring rolls for

the whole family the next day!

I'll post the recipe on my foodie blog soon,

but here it is...

H E A V E N  O N  A  P L A T E !

Homemade Popcornopolis

Popcorn + Marshmallows + Chocolate =

Happy Kids!

Nothing Better...

...then spending time in the kitchen with my kids!

These are magical moments:

{Teaching}

{Tasting}

{Togetherness}

(Is that a word?  It is now!)

Nine Years And Counting...

Happy Anniversary!

On February 9th, 2010 Samuel and I will celebrate nine years of marriage.  Like all couples we have experienced ups and, yes, even downs, but we are stronger for it and I am just as in love now as I was all those years ago!

If you know us well, 

you will not be surprised that our mini-getaway to the wine country, 

the Napa Valley,

centered around-what else?

Food! 

  

Our first stop was the Oxbow Public Market, the "go-to" spot to pick up fantastic gourmet items like these beauties from Kara's Cupcakes.  

  

 We opted for Organic Three Twins Ice Cream, because if it's organic it's fat-free, right?  Well, several extra fat grams is still cheaper than their $3,333.33 sundae, which is totally worth it if you call ahead for the cellist to perform!  Ha!

  

After some sightseeing and shopping we hit our new favorite restaurant, Neela's!  It's Indian cuisine, which is completely new to me, and I absolutely fell in love with it!

  

 The next day we headed north to St. Helena, California to visit the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.), where we had reservations for a cooking demo.

  

 I was in hog heaven and loved every minute of this experience!

  

 We learned how to make Italian Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini Soup with Meatballs.

  The highlight was seeing fresh pasta being made and seeing it stretch from a tiny ball of dough to strands and strands of long, thin, beautiful pasta.

  

You'll have to take my word for it, this soup was delish!  

I'll be sure and post the recipe on my food blog soon!

 

The views from the C.I.A. are stunning, or maybe I'm just biased because of the lovely "scenery"!

  

A moment I'm not proud of:

Plucking a "souvenir", a gorgeous lemon from the garden!

  

At the Greystone Restaurant we sat at the bar and watched the countless dishes being prepared at lightening speed by the talented chefs!

  

We had the good fortune of arriving as they debuted a stunning dessert sampler complete with a Lemon Curd Tart, Vanilla Panna Cotta, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream in an Almond Lace Cone, a Dried Fruit Tart, and...

...a decadent Chocolate Mousse covered in Dark Chocolate Ganache with an edible gold leaf!

  

 As you can imagine...

  

...we loved every bite!

  

 To round out the afternoon we stopped at the Castello de Amarosa, a stunning 13th century castle boasting, of all things, a torture chamber!

Be forewarned, the tours are pricey! 

 We opted to tour the open area on the first level instead.

  

Before heading home, we stopped at one final destination: 

V. Sattui Winery.

They have the most amazing deli and fine foods shop.  After sampling freshly made dark chocolate, artichoke & lemon cream cheese, and honey-dijon dip, we opted for the fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella pannini, gnocchi in a velvety tomato sauce, and an assortment of olives, fresh mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes.

It was heaven on a plate, and the company was 4-star as well.  

I love my sweetheart, and it wasn't quite nine years ago that we picniced at this same winery.  We were newlyweds then, and I was 7 months pregnant with Isabella.  So much has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same.

I love you sweetheart!

Really? Marshmallow Cream in...what?

A bizarre recipe in Samuel's family is the Marshmallow and peanut butter sandwich. Samuel says they taste great, and his sister Rachel even insists that marshmallow creme is healthier than jelly. Now, I don't know about that, but I did verify her claim that jelly has more sugar...so who knows?

But when I ran out of jelly for lunchtime p.b. & j.'s, the marshmallow creme seemed to glow on the shelf saying, "Use me!".

So to the happy cheers of my kids, we made the sandwiches and of course they loved them!

Later Sam came home and showed me where the whole jar of jelly was hiding in the fridge.

Go figure!

The Breakfast of Champions!

Digging in!

Thanks for showing me your feet Owen!

At our house, there is no other comfort food like the Elmer Classic:

Eggies & Toast with a side of Cold Chocolate Milk

It never fails to bring cheers and an eager rush to the table.

I love that we Elmers are pretty simple to please.

Pizza Night

On Sundays, since our ward meets from 1-4pm, I try to have something very simple and easy waiting for us at home. All the week prior I had been promising the kids homemade pizza, so finally, on Sunday, I managed to get the ingredients into my bread machine before we left for church, and presto! Delicious dough ready for sauce, cheese, and toppings. Everyone loves creating their own special pizza concoction, and of course, they all look, smell, and taste delicious.

Pizza Dough, 2 lbs. or 2 12" pies
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. olive oil
2 t. salt
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. sugar
2 t. yeast

Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed. Select "dough-only" cycle and wait! When done, remove to a floured board and shape accordingly. Sprinkle cornmeal as desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 18 minutes or until dough is a very light golden brown. Note: I don't like baking pizza dough on anything other than stoneware. It really does make a difference in the texture of the crust. If you don't have one, don't sweat it. It will still taste great!

Valentine's Traditions: Part V

Crab Feast!

There is nothing I love more than crab legs! And several years ago, when we obtained our Sam's Club membership, we learned that they sell 2 lbs. of frozen King Crab legs for under $15.00. That's a steal! We began by boiling the legs, but now prefer to bake them, and in 6-8 minutes you can have a feast!

Since we eat later than we normally would due to waiting until the kiddies are in bed, we keep the meal really simple:

Main Course

Steaming Crab Legs
Bubbling Butter & Fresh Lemon Wedges
Crisp Caesar Salad
Warmed Sourdough Boules

Dessert

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

The whole meal is exquisite and comes together for under $25.00!
You can't beat it!

Happy Valentine's Day!