Soul Food #79

I know why the caged bird sings.
Maya Angelou (1928 - )

I hope you love Maya Angelou as much as I do:)
Do you also love birds and nests and eggs and cages..as I do?
Treasures..

A most beautiful dessert~Star worthy~

When I saw this dessert at La Casserole Carrée..I knew I had to make it..her blog is exquisite..her creations sublime..No comments allowed..I have sometimes e-mailed to tell her how beautiful her blog is..this is a small tribute..



It's a special dessert sure to please the chocolate lover..I could have put more chocolates..but it's for my husband and he will have each piece w/ a chocolate:) Different if you have company..the more chocolates the merrier.I can see See's in many futures:)

I used these..



They are all seashells..fish..pretty ....
It's called Box Of Chocolates dessert..like a blog I follow:)..and like..

The recipe is at la Casserole Carrée..just follow the link above..

To sum it up.. you use a basic crust..you could even use a sweeter one.. I think a shortbread crust would be divine also..and blind bake.. then finish baking w/out the paper and weights until golden..

Once cooled you add your mousse type filling.. she makes hers w/ 3 egg yolks and whites..I did the same..I added my nuts to this mixture as well as the Frangelico..you spread on top and leave overnight to chill,covered in the fridge.... then dust w/ cocoa powder ..and press the chocolates in gently..
I think you could use your favorite mousse type filling..my daughter makes and excellent one with Silken Tofu..It would sit well in this also..

If you need any help in translating Vibi's(La Casserole Carrée's ) recipe just ask..


Take the time to browse through her blog..I think last year I spent a whole afternoon just admiring.

It takes your breath away if you are a Foodie..Plus the content..material..is always interesting..Thank you Vibi..

Keeper dessert..~If I was in California..there would be one on my friends doorstep..as a yay!!!!!!It would be the perfect dessert for her and her huband:)

Soul Food #78~ Lavender Eye Pillow~

At my yoga studio.. they sell eye pillows..I have made the little warm rice bags.. but needed an eye pillow..I find when listening to say..a relaxation cd or podcast on my IPOD....when they tell me to relax my eyes..It doesn't always happen..But I did notice that if I had a small weight on my eyelids ..they relaxed more..
So I used a Graphic's Fairy.. graphic..love her designs you know that.. I used the freezer Paper technique once again.. such a great idea....I see she has other techniques..one day:)...and sewed my own little eye pillow.. added some rice.. and essential lavender oil and lavender..
I don't warm it..it's just to have weight..It works beautifully..If you need one try it..very easy 4 straight stitches..and just a touch of hand sewing at the end to close the seams..

Give your stress wings and let it fly away. ~Terri Guillemets

With a little cup of tea..afterwards.. and a nice magazine or a good book..It's the best I can do ..:)


Footnote~: Imagine my surprise when my friend wrote..she does yoga at home..and told me she likes a weight on her eyes during the final relaxation period.
I was so happy she told me that.I stitched one up for her ..She lived in Paris once..so it had a little Paris dress on it:)She was happy:)

Little sweaters for your warm drinks~

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself. ~Ruth Stout
It was 0 F here yesterday..even our drinks need sweaters:)

Warm up your green teas,hot chocolates..with warm little sweaters cut from the sleeves of your old sweaters~Comfy.. cozy..country~

Soul Food #77

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
Robert Heinlein

Pretty VDay Downloads and Linzers~

With Valentine's Day approaching quickly..I knew I wanted to make special little home made packages for my darling little boys..

I know they all like Nutella and Linzers..so I stuck to those..with some heart shaped and I Love You and Kisses cookies..Lulu and Max are at the age when they say..Did you bring us a surprise nana?:)
God Bless them.I love them to bits..


I used little plastic Chinese take Out Boxes to package the treats..


I packed the goodies on a red heart doily..there are Cars and Toy Story chocolates in there too..Toy story for Noah..he loves Woody..
The bigger boys can have a pencil too:)

They're all differently sweet my little grandsons



So they each get their individual box with shiny hearts..


All these darling tags are from one of the most beautiful blogs I found when I started spending more time on the internet..Heather Bullard's Blog..I have linked to the Chocolate Bar downloads..keep peeking for all her other beautiful ones..So nice to do this..Many many thank yous Heather~



Everything is so adorable there you will want to download them all..

Have fun..I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did..


♥

You can find the Linzer recipe here

Soul Food #76~

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca



Love this little tree..it is magical..A weeping pussy willow~ I hope you can read the text..it's so sweet and I believe in it~

Ann Estelle's Friend and Orangette's French Yogurt Cake~

Remember Georgia?


Ann Estelle's friend in Mary Engelbreit's Home Comapanion..this little Valentine cut-out is from 1999~

I wish I had saved them all:)

I still love the look and idea of cut out dolls..memories of the past..Colorforms too:)
All the little outfits..like this special one for Valentine's♥


Too cute!

The magazine was always so inspirational to me..I don't know why I stopped picking it up..I think we were so busy moving..work etc..once our home was done.. I felt I had enough ideas..magazines..
I wish I had not stopped:)

I was also looking at the recipes from Molly Wizenberg's book again..A Homemade Life..


...because I had liked it so much when I read it.. It's a keeper book..I told you that..


So leafing through..I saw another recipe for a lemon yogurt cake..I have made a few..but I thought I would try hers..the double glaze sounded good:)

You will remember this little plate if you have visited me for a while..





La Recette

Ingredients
Cake:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup well-stirred plain whole-milk yogurt (not low-fat or non-fat)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and grease it too.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest, and whisk to mix thoroughly.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Serve immediately.

I did a few things differently.. I added the edible flowers that I had received from Hélène.. and VE~ I still love them♥

and when I added some of the sugar and lemon zest to the cake..I did what Dorie Greenspan did in a recipe I made of hers..I always do this now..I rub the zest with some sugar.. between my fingers...it releases the oils from the zest..perfumes the sugar and makes the lemon taste more pungent.I love lemons.. I also added a touch of lemon Olive Oil which she says you can do~

If you too enjoy the taste of lemons..rub the zests like that..a flavor kick! I added some zest to the icing also..and used some granulated sugar ..not all icing sugar.. dissolving the sugar in the lemon juice..I find all icing sugar tastes somewhat too artificial.


It's a very good little cake..I made mine in a large heart shape and cut smaller ones..

I dedicate this post to Sarah..
Who always posts such wonderful Mary Engelbreit ideas..books..decor..Thank you:)
I know every day when I read my daily page on my calendar./.that you are reading the same thing:)
It may mean something different to each of us that day..but that's what I love about that calendar:)

A footnote here..
I prepared this post a while ago..imagine my surprise when I saw Sarah's post..
I find it uncanny and quite charming in a way..:)