Originally, I was going to make a batch of truffles for Con, but as I'm leaving tomorrow morning I opted instead to go ahead and make fudge (which is significantly quicker). The husband has offered for me to take some of the truffles I made for him so we'll see if that's what I end up doing in addition to the fudge.
This batch of fudge I wanted to do something off the wall. I kicked around the idea of making mint fudge again (which would not be baby-poop green like the last batch - an unfortunate color for edibles, regardless of how good they taste - since I now had colorless mint flavoring) or of making cherry but nothing really struck me. Just before I made the batch I thought I might add banana to it - bananas and chocolate go really well together as I know from my truffle endeavors.
So, as I'm heating the butter, sugar and evaporated milk over the stove and I reach up to get the 99 bananas to add flavor to the mix I look up and see the Kahlua bottle. Eureka! I shall make mudslide fudge! I added a generous amount of Kahlua to the pot and proceeded with the directions for making fudge.
The fudge is now in a dish cooling. Both my husband and I have tasted the uncooled chocolate from the spoon and it is tasty, with just a hint of coffee to it. It's not as strong as I could have hoped, but seems to have added a certain depth to the fudge. We'll have to see how it comes out after it has cooled and hardened!
Update: Fudge was taken to con and consumed - everyone who had some said it was very tasty. I think the Kahlua flavor didn't come through quite as strongly as I had wanted it to, but it was still really good. The votes are in: this experiment was a Success!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Experiment in Sewing and in Crafting - KoL Con Costume
This has been an on-going experiment. I was keeping it pretty hush-hush because it's for a contest, but now that the contest is only a couple day away I suppose that it is safe to talk about it - and I'm super excited about it!
What contest is this, do you ask? Why, none other than the KoL Con 6 Costume Contest! I may also wear my gear to the LARP (which is actually what inspired the costume idea in the first place) but as of right now I know for sure that I'll be wearing it to the costume contest. My idea was to do an entire KoL costume from the game. This consists of a hat, a shirt, a two-handed weapon (or a one-handed weapon and an off hand, or 2 one-handed weapons), a pair of pants and three accessories.
What contest is this, do you ask? Why, none other than the KoL Con 6 Costume Contest! I may also wear my gear to the LARP (which is actually what inspired the costume idea in the first place) but as of right now I know for sure that I'll be wearing it to the costume contest. My idea was to do an entire KoL costume from the game. This consists of a hat, a shirt, a two-handed weapon (or a one-handed weapon and an off hand, or 2 one-handed weapons), a pair of pants and three accessories.
Experiment in the Kitchen - Tomato Cream Pasta Sauce
I am a blog failure. I haven't updated in a long time due to working on actually getting settled here in Ohio - not that I haven't been doing quite a few things in the kitchen and in sewing but I just haven't had the time to blog them. Expect a few back posts to follow this one.
Tonight is not so much an experiment as a revision of a previous recipe with a few tweaks. I am making spaghetti in a tomato-cream sauce this evening. The tweaks come in to the sauce and the ingredients I used in it.
Tonight is not so much an experiment as a revision of a previous recipe with a few tweaks. I am making spaghetti in a tomato-cream sauce this evening. The tweaks come in to the sauce and the ingredients I used in it.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Experiment in the Kitchen - Pesto Success!
Post from the past
Pesto, Take Two!
I have once again attempted to make homemade pesto. This time, I managed to find really fresh basil (and the Kroger, go figure). I also had a bit of red wine vinegar to add to it.
I made the pesto in the blender with two of the blister packs of basil, a goodly amount of olive oil, some Parmesan cheese, a splash of red wine vinegar and a clove of diced garlic. I blended it together until it was an even consistency throughout and was liquidy enough to be a sauce. I then poured it over some tortellini and tossed them together.
It was delicious! The pesto was everything I could have hoped. Fresh ingredients was the key, I think, as well as that bit of vinegar to really bring the flavors together in what I think of as pesto. Super tasty and I will be sure to make it again. This was a Success!
Pesto, Take Two!
I have once again attempted to make homemade pesto. This time, I managed to find really fresh basil (and the Kroger, go figure). I also had a bit of red wine vinegar to add to it.
I made the pesto in the blender with two of the blister packs of basil, a goodly amount of olive oil, some Parmesan cheese, a splash of red wine vinegar and a clove of diced garlic. I blended it together until it was an even consistency throughout and was liquidy enough to be a sauce. I then poured it over some tortellini and tossed them together.
It was delicious! The pesto was everything I could have hoped. Fresh ingredients was the key, I think, as well as that bit of vinegar to really bring the flavors together in what I think of as pesto. Super tasty and I will be sure to make it again. This was a Success!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Experiment in the Kitchen - Butterscotch Honor Cake
Post from the past!
Today is my husband's birthday. In addition to a handful of practical presents, the girls and I all decided that what he really needed for his birthday was a cake! How could we have a birthday with no cake?!?
Husband had the car today, so that meant that I could only bake with what ingredients I had in the house. Normally this wouldn't be a terribly difficult task - I keep my pantry and cupboards pretty well stocked - but (as I discovered) apparently while moving I had decided to get rid of a couple staples (read: vanilla, baking soda, baking powder) that would make most cakes impossible with the ingredients in the house. We also didn't have any frosting nor any powdered sugar for me to make some. Dilemma!
Today is my husband's birthday. In addition to a handful of practical presents, the girls and I all decided that what he really needed for his birthday was a cake! How could we have a birthday with no cake?!?
Husband had the car today, so that meant that I could only bake with what ingredients I had in the house. Normally this wouldn't be a terribly difficult task - I keep my pantry and cupboards pretty well stocked - but (as I discovered) apparently while moving I had decided to get rid of a couple staples (read: vanilla, baking soda, baking powder) that would make most cakes impossible with the ingredients in the house. We also didn't have any frosting nor any powdered sugar for me to make some. Dilemma!
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