Thursday, August 19, 2010
Check this out...
I love searching for other fascinating bloggers, and this blogger makes me wish every single day that I could go explore her house! Also, makes me wish I was much more crafty and creative than I am.
Delicious Weekend Crepes
I decided to make Steven breakfast last weekend as part of his birthday celebration. He loves having a big breakfast on the weekends but most times the last thing I want to do on my day off is spend the morning cooking and making a wreck of my kitchen!
I decided to try to make crepes for the first time, since pancakes tend to be a little heavy for me. I bought a jar of Nutella and some bananas and set about trying to re-create the amazing crepe we shared on our trip to Paris last year:
Steven eats a Nutella and banana crepe on the steps of Sacre Coeur in Paris, October 2009.
After searching through cookbooks and Web sites I wound up combining ingredients from various recipes until I got just the amount of sweetness that I wanted. So here it is!
BANANA NUTELLA CREPES
Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Extra butter, cut into small pieces (about 1/4 tablespoon)
1 jar Nutella spread
2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
whisk together eggs and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and 1/2 cup milk. Whisk until combined, slowling stirring in the rest of the milk until the batter has a smooth and liquid consistency. Set batter aside for 20 minutes to an hour. After resting, check the batter to make sure it has a consistency like that of heavy cream and is not too thick or lumpy.
Add a piece of butter to a small nonstick skillet (I use one about the size of the crepe I want to make) over medium to medium-high eat. Once the butter melts, use a paper towel to swirl it evenly around the skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup crepe batter into the skillet, swirling it around to make it round and even. Cook the crepe until it is almost cooked through, then flip it over and cook for another 15 seconds or until done. Crepes cook QUICKLY and are not a walk-away type food! Transfer the crepe to a plate and immediately spread with Nutella. Add thinly-sliced bananas and fold the crepe in half. Serve immediately.
The crepes taste best straight out of the pan because they cool off rapidly. I make four crepes for our breakfast, folded them each in half and then right before I served them I tossed them back into the pan for a quick re-heat, which worked out well.
The filling options for crepes are practically unlimited! For sweetness try fruit, chocolate and whipped cream. For a savory version try tomato sauce and tangy cheese.
I decided to try to make crepes for the first time, since pancakes tend to be a little heavy for me. I bought a jar of Nutella and some bananas and set about trying to re-create the amazing crepe we shared on our trip to Paris last year:
Steven eats a Nutella and banana crepe on the steps of Sacre Coeur in Paris, October 2009.
After searching through cookbooks and Web sites I wound up combining ingredients from various recipes until I got just the amount of sweetness that I wanted. So here it is!
BANANA NUTELLA CREPES
Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Extra butter, cut into small pieces (about 1/4 tablespoon)
1 jar Nutella spread
2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
whisk together eggs and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and 1/2 cup milk. Whisk until combined, slowling stirring in the rest of the milk until the batter has a smooth and liquid consistency. Set batter aside for 20 minutes to an hour. After resting, check the batter to make sure it has a consistency like that of heavy cream and is not too thick or lumpy.
Add a piece of butter to a small nonstick skillet (I use one about the size of the crepe I want to make) over medium to medium-high eat. Once the butter melts, use a paper towel to swirl it evenly around the skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup crepe batter into the skillet, swirling it around to make it round and even. Cook the crepe until it is almost cooked through, then flip it over and cook for another 15 seconds or until done. Crepes cook QUICKLY and are not a walk-away type food! Transfer the crepe to a plate and immediately spread with Nutella. Add thinly-sliced bananas and fold the crepe in half. Serve immediately.
The crepes taste best straight out of the pan because they cool off rapidly. I make four crepes for our breakfast, folded them each in half and then right before I served them I tossed them back into the pan for a quick re-heat, which worked out well.
The filling options for crepes are practically unlimited! For sweetness try fruit, chocolate and whipped cream. For a savory version try tomato sauce and tangy cheese.
A brush with famous-ness!
I was assigned a media escort at the Zoo last Friday for a film crew who was scouting out locations for a drama being filmed in Oklahoma this coming October. When they arrived, I immediately recognized one of them as a FAMOUS(ish) person!
It was Ben Foster! He is working as a director for the movie.
When he was younger, he also starred in a show called Flash Forward on the Disney Channel. Does anyone else remember that show? I had SUCH a big crush on him so it was extremely, extremely surreal to actually shake his hand.
After we scouted the location, he asked me what my favorite animals at the Zoo were. I told him it was probably the great apes since I find them incredibly fascinating. And he says, "Then lets go see the great apes!" So we did!
It was quite an exciting day for me. I didn't ask for a picture with him because I didn't want to be "that girl," but a co-worker managed to snap a photo of me standing with the group. So here's me! With a famous(ish) person! Cool!
It was Ben Foster! He is working as a director for the movie.
When he was younger, he also starred in a show called Flash Forward on the Disney Channel. Does anyone else remember that show? I had SUCH a big crush on him so it was extremely, extremely surreal to actually shake his hand.
After we scouted the location, he asked me what my favorite animals at the Zoo were. I told him it was probably the great apes since I find them incredibly fascinating. And he says, "Then lets go see the great apes!" So we did!
It was quite an exciting day for me. I didn't ask for a picture with him because I didn't want to be "that girl," but a co-worker managed to snap a photo of me standing with the group. So here's me! With a famous(ish) person! Cool!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
In Loving Memory
In Loving Memory of Grandma Jones
Steven's grandmother passed away on Thursday. She was 96 years old and was suffering from a broken hip, pneumonia and other ailments. It wasn't a surprise, but it was still heartbreaking. She was a sweet, loving woman who loved her son and grandsons fiercely and was incredibly proud of them. Steven and Mark spent every afternoon after school at her house and both have so many wonderful memories of her.
She was honored by a beautiful, touching funeral attended by dozens of people whose lives she touched in many ways - through her generosity, charity, kindness and faith. She was honored by the laughing stories told by her three brothers, their wives and countless other family members and dear friends. She was honored by the touching tributes of her two grandsons and the quiet grief of her son.
She was honored by our love.
Steven's grandmother passed away on Thursday. She was 96 years old and was suffering from a broken hip, pneumonia and other ailments. It wasn't a surprise, but it was still heartbreaking. She was a sweet, loving woman who loved her son and grandsons fiercely and was incredibly proud of them. Steven and Mark spent every afternoon after school at her house and both have so many wonderful memories of her.
She was honored by a beautiful, touching funeral attended by dozens of people whose lives she touched in many ways - through her generosity, charity, kindness and faith. She was honored by the laughing stories told by her three brothers, their wives and countless other family members and dear friends. She was honored by the touching tributes of her two grandsons and the quiet grief of her son.
She was honored by our love.
Friday, July 16, 2010
July 15, 2010 - Photo of the Day (Top Secret Craft Project Edition)
If any of you saw me reference to a "massive craft project" on Facebook last week and wondered what it was...
I made my first diaper cake! I made it for my boss, Candice, who is due to have a baby girl at the end of August. I had never made one before and couldn't really find any good instructions (even on the Internet) about how much material I would need, so I just kind of futzed around (and my engineer husband did some quick calculations regarding height and diameter...oh that makes my brain hurt).
I had a LOT of fun making it. Here's how I made it:
1. Wrap each individual diaper with a small rubber band.
2. Build your bottom layer around some form of spherical baby product (I used bubble bath). I used smaller rubber bands to hold the inner layers together and big huge rubber bands for the large outer layers. It's easier to put the rubber bands around a smaller layer and then tuck the diapers in. Make sure to build the layer on top of whatever you're using as a base (I used $2 foam board) so you don't have to try to move the cake on top of it after you're finished (like me).
3. Once your base is complete, build your second layer on top of it. Whatever you use for the center should be tall enough to reach at least halfway up the second layer.
4. Build your third layer seperately. I used a baby bottle for the center of my top layer, then attached a bright pink curly bow to the top of the bottle. It cascaded down the cake and looked very pretty.
5. Add some surprises! I took 3 diapers out from the bottome layer's second row (still visible, i.e. not covered by the second layer) and added three baby bibs in their places. I rolled up the bibs to look like little rosettes. I also tucked some travel-size baby shampoo, powder, lotion and body wash into the second layer (again, still visible and not covered by the top layer).
6. Decorate! I used wide pink ribbon around the bottom two layers and held it in place with some straight pins. I topped that with a coordinating, narrower ribbon. I attached two pink satin bows (purchased pre-made at Wal-Mart) to what I considered the "front" of the cake. On the top layer, I reversed the colors with a wide brown ribbon with a pink on top that said, "It's a Girl!" I also pinned a larger item (this was a rubber duck that indicates when the bath water is too hot. I filled in the gaps bewteen the layers with pink shredded paper, and added a few pacifiers to the layers as well.
7. Wrap! I bought a jumbo-sized basket gift bag at Michael's for $.99. It fit into the bag perfectly (without the base) and was a simple and easy way for her to transport it home.
Here's another picture of the completed cake, a bit blurry because I took it with my iPhone.
And here's me and the mama-to-be with my creation!
I made my first diaper cake! I made it for my boss, Candice, who is due to have a baby girl at the end of August. I had never made one before and couldn't really find any good instructions (even on the Internet) about how much material I would need, so I just kind of futzed around (and my engineer husband did some quick calculations regarding height and diameter...oh that makes my brain hurt).
I had a LOT of fun making it. Here's how I made it:
1. Wrap each individual diaper with a small rubber band.
2. Build your bottom layer around some form of spherical baby product (I used bubble bath). I used smaller rubber bands to hold the inner layers together and big huge rubber bands for the large outer layers. It's easier to put the rubber bands around a smaller layer and then tuck the diapers in. Make sure to build the layer on top of whatever you're using as a base (I used $2 foam board) so you don't have to try to move the cake on top of it after you're finished (like me).
3. Once your base is complete, build your second layer on top of it. Whatever you use for the center should be tall enough to reach at least halfway up the second layer.
4. Build your third layer seperately. I used a baby bottle for the center of my top layer, then attached a bright pink curly bow to the top of the bottle. It cascaded down the cake and looked very pretty.
5. Add some surprises! I took 3 diapers out from the bottome layer's second row (still visible, i.e. not covered by the second layer) and added three baby bibs in their places. I rolled up the bibs to look like little rosettes. I also tucked some travel-size baby shampoo, powder, lotion and body wash into the second layer (again, still visible and not covered by the top layer).
6. Decorate! I used wide pink ribbon around the bottom two layers and held it in place with some straight pins. I topped that with a coordinating, narrower ribbon. I attached two pink satin bows (purchased pre-made at Wal-Mart) to what I considered the "front" of the cake. On the top layer, I reversed the colors with a wide brown ribbon with a pink on top that said, "It's a Girl!" I also pinned a larger item (this was a rubber duck that indicates when the bath water is too hot. I filled in the gaps bewteen the layers with pink shredded paper, and added a few pacifiers to the layers as well.
7. Wrap! I bought a jumbo-sized basket gift bag at Michael's for $.99. It fit into the bag perfectly (without the base) and was a simple and easy way for her to transport it home.
Here's another picture of the completed cake, a bit blurry because I took it with my iPhone.
And here's me and the mama-to-be with my creation!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
July 14, 2010 - Photo of the Day (Kerfuffle Edition)
I have, after not very much consideration at all, decided to change the title of my blog from the oh-so-boring "Dianaisms" to something I feel is a little more reflective of my life. Not sure where this blog is going, but you can continue to expect a lot of photos! I like the peectures!
I discovered the word "kerfuffle" a couple of days ago by following a link to an article from someone's Facebook page. I had never heard the word before and instantly fell in love with it. Then today, I was cleaning out my purse (meaning, dumping it all into a drawer until I feel like dealing with it) when I found THIS:
I guess this little guy has been living in my purse for a while - an escapee from a bunch of toys I brought to work to donate to the kids drawer. I absentmindedly set him on my desk, and when I later looked down and saw him again I burst into laughter. I knew immediately that this guy (name TBD) was going to be the mascot for my renovated blog. The photo's a bit blurry, but for some reason it suits.
Anyway, I hope to be a lot more active on this site now that I've found the perfect title. I love to write and have been an active writer since I was a little girl.
Maybe I'll just keep it simple and name him Kerfuffle. So named.
I discovered the word "kerfuffle" a couple of days ago by following a link to an article from someone's Facebook page. I had never heard the word before and instantly fell in love with it. Then today, I was cleaning out my purse (meaning, dumping it all into a drawer until I feel like dealing with it) when I found THIS:
I guess this little guy has been living in my purse for a while - an escapee from a bunch of toys I brought to work to donate to the kids drawer. I absentmindedly set him on my desk, and when I later looked down and saw him again I burst into laughter. I knew immediately that this guy (name TBD) was going to be the mascot for my renovated blog. The photo's a bit blurry, but for some reason it suits.
Anyway, I hope to be a lot more active on this site now that I've found the perfect title. I love to write and have been an active writer since I was a little girl.
Maybe I'll just keep it simple and name him Kerfuffle. So named.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
June 8, 2010 - Photo(s) of the Day (Yosemite Edition Pt. 2)
Yosemite Day 2 - Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls
On our second day in the park, we tackled the infamous Mist Trail to the top of Vernal and then Nevada Falls. A steep, narrow trail with granite stairs made treacherous by the mist falling from Vernal Falls as you climb up the side. With the extra heavy spring snowmelt, the "mist" was more like a freezing, drenching rain. We took time at the top of Vernal Falls to dry off in the sun, before continuing on up to Nevada Falls at the very tippy top.
Above, Steven on the Mist Trail staircase. My camera was in a plastic bag to prevent it from being soaked.
Below, we get closer to the top of Nevada Falls.
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