Adventures in food + travel

Archive for February, 2010

My Favorite Birthday “Cake”

In Baking, Friends, Julie on February 28, 2010 at 5:32 pm

I have no idea when my mom made the first Pistachio Pudding Cake.  I’m guessing she doesn’t rightly remember either!  It just always has been.  Since the beginning of time.  Or at least the beginning of Jell-o pudding.  It is the ultimate no-bake dessert.  Easy to put together (though not necessarily quick) and the result is a major people-pleaser.  I have been requesting this “cake” for my birthday since I was a little kid, and it almost always is reserved solely for birthdays, or other special occasions.   While it is certainly easy enough to whip up on any given Tuesday, it is made very rarely, and reverently in our household.

Our friend Jim made it for my birthday this year, and after experiencing the awesomeness that is PPC, he questioned why the recipe isn’t dusted off more often.  “It’s special,”  I replied, “that’s just the way it is.”  But later I thought, more accurately, “I don’t want to weigh 400 pounds.”  Because this is one of those desserts that a couple of people can sit down and polish off the whole pan.  Make it for your next special birthday, and you’ll understand in an instant!

Pistachio Pudding Cake

1 package Oreo Cookies, crushed (double bag in ziplocs and smash with a rolling pin, or pulse in a food processor), reserve 1/4 Cup crumbs
1 stick (4 oz) butter, melted
– Combine cookie crumbs and butter.  Pat into a 9″X13″ pan.  Set aside.

1 Qt (1/2 of a 1/2 gallon) Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
2 – 4 serving packages Pistachio Pudding mix
2 Cups Milk
– Combine ice cream, pudding mixes, and milk until smoothly.  Gently pour over the crust.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

1 – 12 oz. tub Cool Whip
1/4 Cup Reserved Cookie Crumbs
– Carefully spread Cool Whip over top of pistachio layer.  Sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs over Cool Whip.
Refrigerate for an additional 2 hours before serving (can be served directly from refrigerator, no need to “soften”).

Kitchen Update!

In Building, Julie on February 26, 2010 at 1:38 pm

The cabinets and counter tops are in.  And I love them.  I mean, really love them.  And I know I shouldn’t love as much as I do, but they’re gorgeous, and just what I wanted, and what we’ve waited and waited for.  Best birthday present ever!  Justin did such a great job putting everything together.  If building IKEA furniture was an Olympic sport, Justin would certainly be a gold medal favorite.  He rocks my face off.

I have to say though, I am a little overwhelmed now.  I finally have cabinets in place and beautiful counter tops, and I can’t even begin to think how I am going to organize everything!  The organization of a kitchen is no simple task.  What is the BEST location for my flour, sugar, and baking soda?  Do I want my spatulas in a drawer, or in a crock on the counter, or hanging on the wall?  Should my knife rail go on the right or left side of the oven?  Is it okay if the microwave goes right next to the sink?  Plus we still have 7 more drawers coming to fill in a few base cabinets!  And Justin will hang the shelves on the wall this weekend!  More space!  We have ingredients, food supplies, bowls, plates, utensils, pans and pots strewn all over our living space, and I NEED to get it put away.  Quality of life will greatly improve when everything is put away.

Did I mention how much I love this kitchen?  I do.  I love it a lot.

Happy Happy Happy

In Building, Julie on February 24, 2010 at 9:39 pm

Let me tell you.  I have never been more happy to do such a mundane chore.  Washing the dishes.  In a fully operational kitchen sink.  With a whole load of stored-up dirty dishes getting washed automatically by the fully operational dishwasher.  I have never really considered a kitchen sink a luxury item before now, but after trying to wash a stockpot in a bathroom sink (which is possible), I’ll no longer take it for granted!

Justin is working at assembling the last base cabinet, and then we’ll line them all into place.  Tomorrow the last two counter tops are attached.  Then shelves on the walls.  A place for everything and everything in its place.  So exciting!

For Maggie.

In Building, Julie on February 24, 2010 at 12:14 pm

We’re going as fast as we can! :)

Kitchen in a box… Ready to Assemble.

In Building, Julie on February 21, 2010 at 10:56 pm

After several months of waiting and making do with temporary shelving, our kitchen cabinets are officially here!  As I type this Justin is hammering the back of another cabinet into place.

We drove over to Ikea in Minneapolis for the day on Saturday.  We had the kitchen all planned out, so after only a couple small changes, we put our order in.  The vast majority of what we needed was in stock and ready for us, though we will have to go back in a couple of weeks to pick up a few drawers when they arrive.  As the base cabinets and counter tops were in stock, we are able to proceed to the Install Kitchen step of our renovation plan.

We were very thankful for Justin’s parents’ minivan and had it stuffed to the gills with boxes.

Upon our arrival home and following the tedious process of unpacking, Justin immediately grabbed one of the corner base cabinets to start working on.  This one turned out to be the most complicated one to do, but it has made subsequent cabinets a breeze!

The corner cabinets came with swiveling and extending shelves, to reach the far reaches of the corners.  Great use of space, though a bit more detailed to put together.  Add the extra complications to the notoriously vague instructions from Ikea and the result can be some headaches, but he barreled through and really has the process down.

Already he has three cabinets constructed (plus a bookshelf).  I’ve oiled and sealed the first butcher block counter top, which we’ll measure out and cut and lay down tomorrow in order to put in the sink.  This week is going to fly by!

A Momentous Day!

In Family, Julie on February 20, 2010 at 10:21 pm

Yesterday was a big day for my Mom and Stepdad, Paul.  Not only was February 19, 2010 my Mom’s birthday, it was also their last day of work.  Retirement!

Mom has worked in the Engineering Department for the City of Wausau and Paul has worked as a carrier with the USPS.  They have both put in many many years in these positions, have saved and planned through the years, and now they have the rest of their years to enjoy traveling and relaxing, forevermore Saturdays.

Several of Mom’s coworker’s planned a very nice retirement reception, complete with cake, ice cream, and cookies, and many people that have worked with Mom over the years stopped by to say good bye and congratulations.

She even received a few gifts and cards, and a number of beautiful flower bouquets.

After some last minute training with Laurie, the lady that is taking over Mom’s position, she was officially free to go.

Dressing alike - completely unplanned!

I also took some time in the morning to find Paul on his last day delivering mail.  He has had the same route through Rib Mountain for the past fifteen years or so, so many people were out wishing him well, and he also received numerous cards and gifts.  The weather certainly cooperated as well, as it was a beautiful sunny day.  Mom warned him that I might come try to find him with the camera, and he quite willingly submitted to a “last day of work” photograph.

They already have some great travel plans, with a short trip to Florida next week, and then a whole month of exploring the area around St. George, Utah.  They have definitely earned this time of rest and fun!

Supreme Shortbread

In Baking, Julie on February 18, 2010 at 9:47 pm

I definitely have a weakness for shortbread cookies.  The simplicity of a good shortbread, butter, sugar, flour, salt, definitely shines with high quality ingredients.  And so I had a hankering for shortbread cookies the other day.  But the butter in my fridge was the cheap kind, that probably would only shine slightly brighter than a burnt out bulb.  So the dilema presented itself.  How do you make a satisfying shortbread with lackluster ingredients?  Cover it up with dulce de leche or peanut butter, and coat it with amazing milk chocolate!  Ta Daa!  I found two separate recipes that were pretty much the same concept, just with different fillings.  The first is prepared with dulce de leche between the shortbread crust and the chocolate, and the other is spread simply with peanut butter, than coated in chocolate.  I followed the Martha Stewart recipe for the shortbread base, and divided the dough between two 8 inch round cake pans.

The recipe yielded the perfect amount of dough to do this.  The recipe calls for brown sugar, which results in a dough with a great flavor, though I have decided I am partial to granulated sugar-based shortbreads, just a bit more basic.

While the milk chocolate wafers were melting, Justin and I each claimed one of the shortbread crusts.  He generously spread his with Peanut Butter, while I layered dulce de leche over mine.  We then proceeded to pour the chocolate over this middle layer, and gently spread it into a smooth layer.

The results looked remarkably similar, and they were both home runs.  We are slightly partial to the “Millionaire’s Shortbread” with the dulce de leche, as the sweet caramel blends really well with brown sugar shortbread crust.  But the milk chocolate and peanut butter are always a winning combination in my book.  Both of these shortbread variations will be made again, though I’ll make the crust with white sugar next time.  Enjoy!

Planning the Mist

In Julie on February 12, 2010 at 1:17 pm

There have been lots of conversations about plans for the future between Justin and I in the past days, weeks, months, and years.  We all have dreams, goals, ambitions that then translate into plans.  Our calendars quickly fill up with appointments, work schedules, vacations and plans with friends and family.  I’ve always been a detail-oriented person, and love filling in the details of an event, and then getting miffed when details and plans change.  As I look back on the last couple of years, I see just how much I have changed in this fashion.  We’ve experienced too many sudden life changes, shooting all plans to pieces, to put too much stock in our thoughts for the future.  Buy a building, lose a job.  Walk through it.  Make dinner plans, attend a funeral instead.  Walk through it.    The plans we made for ourselves didn’t turn out to be part of the Big Plan.

Do I still make plans for the weeks and months ahead?  Absolutely.  I like purpose and a goal to move forward toward.  But those plans are drawn on an Etch a Sketch, ready to be shook about, smudged, changed, or in place so long that they become permanent.  I’ll just keep walking through my mist-like life, loving who I can love, and serving who I can serve.  That’s the Plan for now.

A Great Excuse for a Get-Away

In Friends, Julie, Travel on February 6, 2010 at 9:31 pm

Our dear friend Jenn had a birthday on Friday, and we had schemed with her husband Jim to have a fun night away.  The four of us drove over to Minneapolis yesterday afternoon, and checked into our hotel, right downtown among the skyway system.  We relaxed a bit, then changed and headed to dinner, which was conveniently located right off the hotel lobby.

We had chosen and made reservations at Firelake Restaurant (caution – music plays on website) ahead of time, and walked right in and were seated near the kitchen.  The restaurant uses local produce and meats, and smokes many of their items in house.  We started with freshly made kettle chips and narrowed down and selected entrees from their amazing menu.  Jenn chose a flat iron steak and frites (crazy good), Jim selected the Hickory Rotisserie Half Duckling (incredible), Justin picked the Honey-cured, Pecan-smoked Pork Chop (de-lic-ious), and I settled on the Duck Fettucine, with butternut squash, pine nuts, and a sage cream sauce (yum yum yum yum…).  Then, without being told, our waiter deduced that we were celebrating a birthday and brought a special dessert for us to share.

It was a special evening, a terrific meal, and fantastic service.

After dinner we walked around and explored the skyways a bit, thankful to inside and warm on a cold February night!  While many of the retail stores and sections were closed off, we still had a good time taking new turns and going through doors to see just how far we could go.

The next morning we checked out of the hotel and walked over to our breakfast local of choice, Hell’s Kitchen.  The restaurant came highly recommended by friends, and it did not disappoint.  The decor was quite entertaining and the menu was good enough that we all wavered a bit before making our selections.  We started with a couple Caramel Pecan rolls to share, which disappeared before we even thought about the camera.  Jenn decided on the All-American breakfast, with eggs, toast, bacon and hash browns, Jim chose good ol’ pancakes, Justin chose French Toast, and I landed on the Almost Classic Eggs Benedict, which had a slice of pit-smoked ham in place of the canadian bacon.  Everything was finished and enjoyed.

After spending some more time walking through the skyway system, we made our way back to the hotel to get the car.  We headed away from downtown, and made a not-so-quick stop at IKEA on our way home.  It was definitely two days of lots of laughs, amazing food and a happy, though tiring, birthday.  Hmmm… my birthday is just a few weeks away…

The Mind of the Master

In Activities, Julie on February 4, 2010 at 11:12 pm

Besides coddling eggs, eating sardines, sorting upc codes, and watching episodes of M.A.S.H, my Grandma and Grandpa and I would play round after round of Mastermind during my visits as a kid.

Is everyone familiar with this sadistic game?  One person hides a combination of colored pegs behind a blind, and the other person has to try to guess what it is, the only clues being smaller red and white pegs, representing correct colors and locations.  I don’t know if I ever beat Grandma or Grandpa, though I do have a very distinct memory of feeling frustrated and Grandpa laughing.

I think Justin has a very vivid picture of what that was like for me…