So Close

I'm working on a "reflection" piece for the new year. In the mean time, I'd say this is about right.

Snow Day

Looks like we might get a white Christmas this year - which is exciting even if it is old snow....

Keeps Gettin' Better

Hallway conversation:

K: I keep smelling cinnamon around the office.
R: Oh, yeah. They put a cinnamon air freshener in the women's bathroom!

I'm then called into my bosses office:

B: I bet they're trying to cover up bad smells coming from the drain.
K: Well, there's always an air freshener in there - I think the cinnamon is just more festive.
B: Well, you know, if you let a floor drain get dry, it starts to smell really bad.
K: Yeah, I think I knew that.
B: I think you need to go in once a week and pour a bottle of water down the drain to keep the smell down.
K: Um, well, have you talked to building maintenance about this?
B: Yeah, I mentioned it. I go into the men's every week and do that - it really keeps the smell down.
K: Uh-Huh.

Last Minute

Still looking for that perfect gift for me??? As Nick and I were decorating our tree last weekend I remembered that the last two Christmases I worked at a company who's CEO gave out the annual edition Swarovski Crystal ornaments. I have 2006 and 2007. I would like 2008 please.

Thank you.

Tis The Season

I could watch this over and over again.

And This!

Remember when I posted about this site? Well, Orangette has a book coming out in March! I want this book. Think on it.

Not Extreme Cakes, But...

Pictures from a dessert party that I hosted - there were a total of nine different desserts, all made by yours truly:

Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and chocolate cream frosting
Almond cake with lemon curd filling and vanilla buttercream
Pecan tarts with chocolate drizzle
Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Cheesecake bites with orange cream buttercream
Apple pie
Pecan pie
Oatmeal cookies
Nutmeg shortbread

Comforting, To Say The Least

A few months ago, someone introduced me to Orangette. I love this site. Unfortunately she does not update her posts daily, but when she does, it's always spot-on.

This was truly the best time of year to come across this site. All comfort food, all the time. (for now...) I've tried out several of her recipes, and they're wonderful every time. Now when she posts about something out of the ordinary, I don't hesitate before running to the grocery store. Her recipes are simple, inexpensive (except in the case of a really delicious triple cream cheese or two....), and oh-so-delightful.

Of course the conversations are always entertaining.

"What are you making?"
"You'll see. It's going to be epic."

chopping, braising, serving....

"Um, what the hell is this??"
"Just try it. Trust me on this one."
"Wow. That's really good."

Every time. Seriously.

I haven't tried out her most recent recipe - just not in the mood for a crisp refreshing salad, but her others are good enough to make again and again until the salad craving kicks in.

The ones I've tried (which are now favorite recipes):

Tomato Soup with Red Onion and Cilantro Stems
(Finally, a reason to keep the stems!)

Lima Beans in Cream
(Don't question it. Just make it and try not to cry when you taste it.)

Savoy Cabbage Gratin
(Melty deliciousness....)

So, get to it, and thank me when you're done.

The Next Chapter

1. Kim, you need to be more mindful of what you're doing when you're sitting at the front desk. When you put your elbow up and rest your chin in your hand, it makes you look tired. You don't want to be giving off the impression that you're tired at work.

I don't think the UPS guy gives a shit if I'm tired. And since he's the only one who ever comes in the front door.....

2. Wow. We went through a lot more toner than usual this last month, Kim. Maybe you should start keeping an eye out when people are using the printer to try to get an idea of what it's being used for.

Yeah. Better yet, why don't I send out a memo asking everyone to email me when they're about to print something so that I can run down the hall to watch what comes out of the machine!

Extreme Cakes?

Okay, now this is just cool.  Thank you cakewrecks for sharing this video!

And here's where you can see the behind-the-scenes stuff.  Brings extreme cakes to a new level!

Ahead of Schedule

Is it too early to post Christmas present ideas?

• These are so pretty! I love everything in their collection, but the cake plates are especially tempting.
  
• Still holding out for this shower set.
  
• Gift Cards! Business as usual: Here. Here. Here.
  
• I'm planning to expand my garden next year. A couple of these would be awesome.

Alright, that's all I have for now.

I'm Just Sayin'....

For those of you who are angry, shocked, ashamed and sickened....You're about 4 years behind schedule.

This is "An historic moment that none of us will ever forget.
...I'm sorry, but this is a day a lot of people never thought they'd see...what a monumental moment for America."

~As stated by The Superficial Writer, and felt by a land-slide inducing majority.

Stuck in The Middle

Email conversation:

Me to J: So, the manuals I shipped to you yesterday were damaged by UPS. They're sending them back to us. I know you needed them for your training - any thoughts?

J to Me: Go ahead and send me four more - next day air

Me to D: J's asked if I can send replacements next day air. Assuming I need approval due to cost of shipping.

D to Me: No, just send them ground. The classroom portion is where they use the training manuals, and that finished today.

Me to J: D says I can just send them ground since you're done with the classroom portion of training.

J to Me: No, ground shipping won't get them here until next week - I'd like them to arrive before I head back home.

Me to D: J wants the manuals before he leaves the site.

D to Me: Ground will be fine. J will just have to tell the trainees that the manuals will arrive next week.

Me to J: Alright. This isn't working. D says they need to go ground. You will have to discuss this further with D directly if you want them sent next day air.

J's Manager to Me: I just received an email from J. Please just send the manuals next day air.

OH MY GOD THE HELL!!!!

Weekend Recap!

We had a good weekend. Halloween was tons o' fun, and the costumes were low-stress:


I find it amusing that Nick and I never mean to have coordinating costumes, but somehow always manage to!

Saturday evening was a surprise 75th birthday party for Nick's grandfather. I was asked to make dessert - German Chocolate Cake - his favorite! I was happy with how it turned out looks-wise, and he was thrilled with the taste factor!

Recently....

1. "What do you have planned this weekend?"

"I'm making cheesecakes for a wedding. The rest of the year is going to be pretty crazy for my baking business!"

"Hm. About that. I don't think you should be broadcasting side endeavors at the office. This is your full time job, and that's all you should be talking about while you are here."

Verdict: Work is stifling, to say the least.


2. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm on the bus with 25 pounds of cream cheese. Thank you Baby Jesus for sturdy canvas shopping bags!"

"Wait. 25 pounds of cream cheese??"

"Yeah. I ran out and I have to finish these 100 cheesecakes so they can be picked up tomorrow. Is it too early to drink wine???"

"I'd say it's the perfect time to open a bottle of wine! Hang on. My mom wants the phone."

"Hi Kim, how are you? Ummm...HOW MUCH CREAM CHEESE????"

Verdict: I work too hard for my money.

Foodie

As posted on Confessions of a Young Woman:

The Omnivore’s Hundred is a list of 100 things
that every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all.

Here are the rules:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (Not together, but would be nice)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini (Well...Vodka, actually)
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Note: You may notice the lack of cross-outs. As most of you know, I'm pretty much open to anything, barring health issues, so I'm game for most anything. Perhaps this should be a life list???

Cheesecake Saga

I met with the bride and groom to be, and they were absolutely thrilled with my cheesecake - the exact quote from the wedding planner was "She said it was simply a matter of choosing between wonderful and even more wonderful!". I'm sure the champagne that I served for the tasting had nothing to do with that review.

So, I have a really good cheesecake recipe, but the bride's best friend is vegan, so she has asked if it would be possible to have a small vegan cheesecake. Since I had such success with previous cheesecake attempts, I told her it shouldn't be a problem at all. Since then, I've tried out several recipes, and I've decided two things.

1. Vegan cheesecake is THE DEVIL.
2. People who review vegan cheesecake recipes don't actually know what cheesecake is.

The first is based on the multiple recipes I've tried that have turned out terribly...one actually made me gag. Seriously. The second is based on the reviews that were posted on the recipes I've tried making. "This is so good! I'm so glad to find a vegan version that is just like the real thing!!!" I am very curious to know where these people were getting cheesecake prior to becoming vegan, because this stuff is truly disgusting.

I've tried all sorts of combinations of tofutti cream cheese, soft and hard tofu, soy milk and lemon juice. Nick won't even try my test cakes anymore if he hears the words "vegan" or "tofutti". I finally found a recipe that is rather similar to my standard. The only real difference is that it calls for fake cream cheese (tofutti - shhh!) and powdered egg replacer. Sofar, the texture seems right - we'll see about the flavor. Perhaps I could just douse it in sauce and call it good?

Closing opinion? I count myself very fortunate that I don't have to eat foods that are "almost as good as the real thing".

In Other News...

Did anyone else think it was interesting that Michelle Obama wore a blue dress tonight, and Cindy McCain wore a red dress? Coincidence? Methinks maybe not.

Update!

• Kim's Test Kitchen has had yet another success! Nick tried my first cheesecake attempt, and his response was that it was the best cheesecake he's ever had! Ta-Da! I plan to try out more recipes in the future, so please keep the ideas coming!
• I have an appointment with the happy couple on Sunday to try some cheesecake and various other items for their wedding...my first cake tasting!
  
• I went out with a very good friend for dinner the other night. She's a fairly new friend, but I suspect she will be around for a long time to come, because she's nice and sweet and actually GENUINE. She's so nice, in fact, that she has offered to do marketing for my business free of charge! (did I mention that she's a marketing manager?) I'm seeing a LOT of cookies in her future. Like, a TON. Seriously.
• New link under Sites I Like! Check out Cake Wrecks! This site cracks me up...and definitely makes me feel better about what I consider to be past personal cake wrecks.
  

A Little Help?

I received an email this week from someone that Nick works with, requesting help with a wedding. Her friends are getting married and they're doing all the food themselves. This is a great way to save money, but I think somewhere along the line they realized how much work it was turning into and so they are looking for an inexpensive option for dessert. The theme is Tea Party, so they're doing individual cheesecakes for the guests, and a 10" cheesecake for the head table. That's one 10" cheesecake and eighty 2" cheesecakes. Eighty. Eight-Oh. 80 cheesecakes on the 26th of THIS month. Good Lord.

A little background: I've never made cheesecake in my life. Well, not until last night anyway. It looked and smelled pretty good, but wasn't cool enough before bed time, so I'll be tasting them tonight.

Any of you out there have a good cheesecake recipe you'd like to share???? Please???? I'm really hoping this one works out, but I just found it randomly online, so there's certainly room for error.