Back to School Project: Crayonspiration

(Photo by saruhh01)

As a child, I used to obsess over my school supplies. Every time I got a new box of crayons or markers, I would dump them out and put the pieces back in the box—in rainbow order. The pinnacle of achievement was when Crayola started making boxes with 96 crayons. (My brother, for some reason, found it the pinnacle of annoyance to watch me organize.)

Dark and Stormy Fondue

Last night, J and I had a couple friends over to celebrate surviving the storm (and to watch the VMAs).

I grew up loving fondue. Ski trips to Keystone Resort in Colorado were often highlighted with dinner at Der Fondue Chessel. Cooking our own fondue and raclette at the table was thrilling for my siblings and I. Later, my parents bought their own set of raclette grills and fondue pots, and we continued the tradition at home (punctuated by occasional trips to The Melting Pot.) Many delicious meals and many happy memories around fondue. Sunday night, we made two pots of chocolate fondue.

Easter Framily Dinner

Sunday was our first Easter in the apartment, and we celebrated by inviting over several of our closest friends for a family dinner. The day marked several firsts for me: It was the first time I've used my china, and I've been given pieces since high school. (Doesn't it look pretty??) My mother and grandmother are excellent cooks, and growing up, I found cooking more frustrating than fun. My younger siblings are also good cooks, so they helped with kitchen duty. On major holidays, I was given the esteemed job of... table-setting. I know where the silverware goes and I can fold a mean napkin. But keeping all the steps and ingredients straight has always intimidated me. This year, one of my goals is to become more comfortable in the kitchen, to be able to cook things I'm not embarrassed for guests to try, and maybe even to start enjoying the process and not just the final product. Sunday was only the second time I cooked the main entree—and both times it was honey-baked ham! I also made blueberry muffins (Thanks for that one, too, Mom!) and mashed potatoes. Not feeling like an expert yet, but I definitely was pleased with the results. 

I don't have any great pictures of it, but the ham on the left-hand corner is my mother's recipe. It's the one I pull out for special occasions to make my friends believe I'm a better cook than I am. You know what I mean, I think everybody has one. But in the interests of helping out other aspiring-chefs, I'm sharing the top-secret-sugar-infused-honey-baked-ham. Enjoy!

The Great BBC

On our honeymoon, we discovered the BBC—Bailey's Banana Colada. Our resort in Costa Rica had a half-price happy hour each night, so we treated ourselves to several during the trip.

Of course, when you try to re-create fond memories, they never turn out quite as good as you remember. But our homemade BBCs were pretty close. Here is a general recipe, but feel free to tweak as you like. We've also added Malibu or piña colada to the mix. Note that we did bring home a set of bamboo straws which does add a great deal of authenticity. Enjoy!

Ingredients  

2 bananas, broken into chunks 

6 fluid ounces banana liqueur 

6 fluid ounces Irish cream liqueur 

6 fluid ounces coconut cream 

6 cups crushed ice

Directions

In a blender combine the bananas and banana liqueur; blend until smooth. Blend in the Irish cream and coconut cream (Note: Make sure the coconut cream is at room temperature, or you will not be able to pour it). Finally, add the ice and blend until smooth. 

Layered Strawberry Shortcake

On Easter, my aunt made a layered strawberry shortcake, and I was inspired by how simple it was to make, how lovely the final product looked and how delicious it tasted!

This recipe can be done in a hurry or made from scratch, depending on your motivation level. If you're buying a shortcake at the grocery store, skip to the topping recipe. If you're making your own, read on!

SHORTCAKE
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup light cream

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. Add in the slightly softened (not melted) butter until the mixture is crumbly.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and light cream. Add this to the large bowl and stir with a fork.

4. Spread the dough in a greased 8x1 1/2 inch round baking pan or a greased 8x8x2-inch baking pan, building up the edges slightly. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the dough no longer sticks to a fork. Remove from pan and cool on a rack for about 5 minutes.

FILLING
Ingredients:
butter, softened
1 cup whipping cream
3 to 4 cups sweetened, halved strawberries

1. Use a sharp knife or wire to gently split the shortcake horizontally into two or three layers. Lift off the top layer(s) carefully.

2. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread a little softened butter over this layer.

3. Now, in a bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks (this means the tips curl over).

4. You can either add half of the strawberries to the whipped cream when you spread it over the cake, or you can save it to put on top. Either way, spoon the whipped cream onto the bottom layer, then add the second layer (if you have three) and do the same thing.

5. Spoon the remaining whipped cream and the strawberries over the top. You can also add blueberries (like we did), bananas or any other fruit in with the strawberries. Makes 6-8 servings. Enjoy!