10 pounds away

At the challenge of Diabloblanco, I am posting an updated pic 10 pounds away from goal. Yes, I think I still look pretty pudgy. Oh well. As Larry would say, "Onward and downward."

Viva la Cafe!

We had a new nurse start at work. He is from Puerto Rico. He complained about the coffee we drink at work (I happen to agree with him) so he started bringing in Cafe Bustelo. It is bold and wonderfully flavored. As the website says, it is the number one coffee among Cubans and how can they be wrong?

Oh...Claire

This is Claire, the new addition to the family. While not food related, this little thing will be an important part of our family.

The big one on top is Corbin, our 3 year old.

Ciabatta!

This weekend's bread was Ciabatta. It is a light, airy bread with a crispy crust with huge holes. It is great with olive oil.

Alton Brown on knives

Alton Brown, a Food Network icon, has a great knife tutorial here. Your knives are one of the most important parts of your kitchen. Treat them tenderly.

White Chocolate Scones

Ah, nurses week. Yet another chance to bake for the masses. Last night, I baked some "Pretzel Bread" (I will discuss on a future thread...maybe) and I decided I didn't have enough for the office party. So, this morning, I whipped up a batch of white chocolate scones. I followed a basic scone recipe, but jazzed it up a notch. They were quite tasty. Here is the recipe, if you are interested.

Ingredients

3.5 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

1 c. whole milk

2 large eggs

1 T. milk

1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a pastry blender (or two butter knives). Make a well in the center. Mix 1 cup milk and eggs together. Pour into well and stir until just blended. Pour out onto greased cookie sheet (I use a silpat) and pat into a 10 inch round (be gentle with it). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

They ain't healthy, but man are they good!

New Barbecue sauce

Given my recent post about Silver Spring Mustard, I tried a barbecue sauce tonight. It was 2 parts SS chipotle mustard, 2 parts chili sauce, 1 part honey, black pepper and red pepper. It was a bit too sweet for my liking, but DW loved it. If I were to make it again, I would add some cider vinegar, methinks...