sofia coppola grape girl.

Worked the whole weekend at the orchard. somerset galas, early gold, mollies. drove to brown co. yesterday after work and met mom and dad. daun was down there working at the playhouse.
they were out of my favourite soy cappucinos at hal's and dad was sang happy birthday.
this morning was flee marketing mainly for tylea and i's place. got a cute little turny pink chair, a "strawberries n' cream" saucepan with lid and giant plate, to match my small set of plates. then worked at the orchard.
baked apple crisp last night with mom using daytons and played golf, the card game.

Concord Grape Jam

Gourmet | October 2005

• 5 lb Concord grapes, stemmed
• 5 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• Special equipment: 7 (1/2-pt) canning jars with lids and screw bands; a boiling-water canner or an 8- to 10-qt deep pot; an instant-read thermometer; a food mill fitted with fine disk

Preparation

Sterilize jars:
Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Dry

screw bands. Put jars on a rack in canner or deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leaving jars in water. Heat lids in water to cover by 2 inches in a small saucepan until thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil). Remove from heat, leaving lids in water. Keep the jars and lids submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.

Cook jam:
Chill 2 small plates (for testing jam).

Slip skins from grapes and purée skins with 1 cup sugar in a food processor, then transfer to a 4- to 6-quart wide heavy pot. Stir in lemon juice, peeled grapes, and remaining 4 cups sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently and skimming foam, until pulp is broken down, about 20 minutes. Force jam through food mill set over a large bowl. Discard remaining solids. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow boil, skimming foam occasionally and stirring frequently as mixture thickens to prevent scorching, 35 minutes, then test for doneness.

To test jam, remove from heat, then drop a teaspoonful on a chilled plate and chill 1 minute. Tilt plate: Jam should remain in a mound and not run. If jam runs, continue cooking at a slow boil, testing every 5 minutes, until done, up to 25 minutes more.

Seal, process, and store jars:

Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a clean damp kitchen towel, then top with lids and firmly screw on screw bands. Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer jars to a towel-lined surface to cool.

Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, it signals that vacuum formed at the top of cooling preserves has made lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear that ping (some jars make the sound after you remove them from water, and others in same batch may take a few hours); the important thing is for jars to eventually have concave lids. Preserves will thicken as they cool.

After jars have cooled 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift off lid with your fingertips. If you can't, lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first.

Cooks' notes: · Let jam stand in jars at least 1 day for flavors to develop. · Jam keeps in sealed jars in a cool dark place 5 to 6 months.

all the sweet tears are gone

Got my first official car today. opens up a world of possibilities. i can now go back and forth to school and to work.
down to bloomington when i want, money permitting!
full-on with plans to move to b-ton next year with tylea. going to scour flee market and antique stores for cups, bowls, kitchen utensils, some furniture. i can't wait to have hopefully a 2 BR house with her, a claw foot tub....with a goldfish shower curtain like victoria has.
i want my bedroom covered in tulle, my john william waterhouse painting-the lady of shalott. my fav. painting.
a vintage feel.
high waisted panties and white camisole dresses <3. baking cakes and pies. house parties.

Pistachio and Cherry Mexican Wedding Cakes

Bon Appétit | December 2006

Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken

Border Grill

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar plus more for coating
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios (about 4 ounces), chopped
• 1 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
• 3 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups sifted all purpose flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 heavy large baking sheets. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups butter and 1 cup powdered sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt, then pistachios and cherries. Using spatula, stir in all flour (do not overmix dough).

Shape dough by generous tablespoonfuls into football-shaped ovals. Place on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bottoms just begin to color, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes before coating.

Pour generous amount of powdered sugar into medium bowl. Working with 5 or 6 warm cookies at a time, add cookies to bowl of sugar; gently turn to coat thickly. Transfer cookies to sheet of waxed paper. Repeat to coat cookies with sugar again; cool completely. do ahead Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

shaganapee.

Bloomington days! tuesday and all day wednesday. worked at the orchard on tuesday, TyLea picked me up and we headed to bloomington! helped rashad unpack a bit and met julia at b-foods. went back and hungout at her place, talkin' forever and eating a spicy curry she cooked. and sourdough bread, us bread lovers.
slept on her floor in the living room and woke early the next morning.
back to bed till 11 when we had toast and cereal, fruit and cheese breakfast. went out to the lake on the strangest day, sprinkled twice, crazy puffy and wispy clouds.
movie night when we returned, mulholland drive and more curry!

found a dress at target i fancy.
really planning with tyLea now for moving out!
today is dad's birthday.

*legs from audrey hepburn complex.
*fork cake from swissmiss.

Meringue Stars

Gourmet | December 2007

Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez and Lillian Chou

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes, divided
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 pinches of cream of tartar, divided
• 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bar 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• Equipment: 3 (12-inch) disposable pastry bags; a 1/2-inch star tip

Preparation

Make vanilla and coffee meringues:
Preheat oven to 200°F with racks in upper, middle, and lower thirds of oven (or use 2 racks and bake in batches). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat 1 egg white with vanilla (for vanilla meringues) and a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in 2 tablespoons superfine sugar gently but thoroughly.

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip, then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.

Make coffee meringues using same amounts and procedure as above but using espresso powder (1 1/2 teaspoons) in place of vanilla.

Make chocolate meringues:
Sift cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve and whisk together with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar.

Beat remaining egg white with a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in cocoa mixture gently but thoroughly.

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag and pipe more stars.

Bake meringues:
Bake, switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Meringues are done when they release from parchment.)

Turn off oven and cool meringues in oven with door propped open about 1/2 inch using handle of a wooden spoon 1 hour, then slide parchment with meringues onto racks to cool completely.

Dip meringues in chocolate:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Stir together chocolate and vegetable oil until completely smooth. Peel meringues off parchment, then dip bottom of each into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer meringues to lined baking sheet, arranging as close together as possible, and when baking sheet is full, freeze meringues just until chocolate is set, about 3 minutes. Remove meringues from freezer.

tarty girls.

Working at appleworks tomorrow! my local orchard, best job ever! i can't wait! I wish i knew if i had a full-time position there like last year though, I really hope I do. today i'm baking cake balls for my cousin's birthday, which is tomorrow. riding my bike over to their house tonight and taking a few photos of mandy in her new mini tulle skirt i made for her. also baking vegan peanut butter cookies to take to appleworks tomorrow as a small treat! i used to bring cupcakes and cookies and all sorts of sweets that we would dig into while sorting apples.
And tying adree's blue & green mini tulle skirt together today for her sailor shoot whenever we have it!
hot day again, but going to run like yesterday...in the 90's!

Aunt Sis’s Strawberry Tart Cookies

December 1993. from Gourmet magazine.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 2 large egg yolks, beaten lightly
• 1 cup strained strawberry jam

• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the sugar, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the egg yolks, blend the mixture until it forms a dough, and chill the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Let the dough soften slightly, roll level teaspoons of it into balls, and arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball, being careful not to crack the dough around the edges. (If the dough cracks, reroll it and try again.) Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon of the jam and bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, transfer them to racks, and let them cool completely. The cookies may be made 1 month in advance and kept frozen in airtight containers.

Makes about 100 cookies.

**girl deer from audrey hepburn complex, cotswolds in england, and mustache poster from amor-fati [tumblr].

"Faded the sight of beauty from my eyes......"-john keats

New marie claire magazine with ashley olsen pictured in oldey country house with high top panties and silken bras. also a movie, "bright star" directed by jane campion coming soon about the poet john keats and his love fanny brawne. the synopsis sounds wonderful. i haven't read much of john keats but i will have to start.
"Bright Star" by john keats
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art-- Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite, The moving waters at their priestlike task Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-- No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable, Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

I believe in this kind of love and nothing more.

party...dame darcy...bathtub vampires

Busy busy friday and yesterday. doll + pirate, vampire movie, hamburger & pie cake party on friday! watched "the fearless vampire killers" & played golf, the card game. tyLea spent the night and the next morning we woke early to go to her 'friend's' football game, he coaches 3rd graders. and we hungout with him a bit and i watched a hot dog show on the travel channel. got a pair of pink shorts from izod and more tulle for my skirts! made mandy a shimmer baby pink & purple one when i got home, and ate some of the cereal i've been craving, amazon organic corn flakes. kiddy cereal with ricemilk. attended a play with her and taylor at the local dinner theatre that some of the people we had went to school with did, The Monkey's Paw & some acting games that were hilarious!
today i am going to run and bike probably, exercise needs to get back in full swing! and car hunt and work on my 3rd cakewalk vegan recipe zine!

Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Pie with Crème Fraîche Topping

Bon Appétit | January 2008

by Alice Medrich

Crust:

• 1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about half of one 9-ounce package; about 23 cookies, finely ground in processor)

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped

Filling:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup chilled crème fraîche*
• 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Bittersweet chocolate shavings or curls (optional)

Preparation

Crust:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Blend cookie crumbs and sugar in proc

essor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides (not rim) of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Bake until crust begins to set and no longer looks moist, pressing gently with back of fork if crust puffs, about 12 minutes. Remove crust from oven, then sprinkle chopped chocolate over bottom of crust. Let stand until chocolate softens, 1 to 2 minutes. Using offset spatula or small rubber spatula, spread chocolate over bottom and up sides of crust to cover. Chill crust until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Filling:

Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt to blend in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add 1/3 cup milk, whisking until smooth paste forms. Whisk in remaining milk, then 1/4 cup cream. Using flat-bottom wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping bottom and sides of pan until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in rum and vanilla. Pour hot pudding into crust and spread evenly. Cool 1 hour at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap; chill overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Topping:

Using electric mixer, beat crème fraîche, whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl just until stiff peaks form and mixture is thick enough to spread (do not overbeat or mixture may curdle). Spread topping decoratively over top of pie, swirling to create peaks, if desired. DO AHEAD: Pie can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.

Sprinkle chocolate shavings decoratively atop pie, if desired. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

* Sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

NY! NY!

LATELY i have been really wanting to take a trip to new york city again, i think because my friends andy & victoria used to live there, and they have been going lately while i catsit for them. it could also have something to do with me wanting badly to visit BabycakesNYC bakery, and since now they have doughnuts....this summer i had a huge craving for donuts (which I never do) and i finally got one in july, vegan donut holes at a late night vegan dessert party.
back to NY, I visited there in march of 2003, so it's been awhile, i remember eating reese cups constantly and eating at Ollie's, best chinese restaurant! getting an awesome chocolate milkshake at Andrew's, and going to the Bronx Zoo with my sister.

*cupcakes from flickr=togflx. mini lavender tiered cake from sweetiepie in NY. black & white photograph by ellen von unwerth.

here's the cake recipe i am baking tonight!

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

By Melissa Ray Davis

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup natural, vegan unbleached sugar*
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (i used 1 tsp. of really fine cinnamon)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (i used almond instead)
  
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup cold water
• optional: 2/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (i didn't use any)
  

* Make sure that the sugar you use is unbleached sugar or sugar that is bleached in a vegan bleaching process (bleached sugar is often made in a process that uses animal bones).

Preparation instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. It is important to mix the ingredients in the right order to get the correct texture. First, combine the unbleached all-purpose flour, unbleached sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well (a fork seems to work best for this).

3. When the dry ingredients are well mixed, stir in the vanilla, distilled white vinegar, and canola oil.

4. Pour the water over the mixture and stir well.

5. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (preferably insulated) with vegetable shortening or margarine and scoop the batter into it. Spread it to make sure it is level and fills in the corners.

6. If you want to add the vegan chocolate chips, sprinkle them over the top of the batter, so that they are resting evenly across the top.

7. Bake for 40 minutes and check if it is done (it may need a little more time). Baking times will vary. It is ready when it no longer wiggles when you shake it and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least an hour, then you can either serve it straight from the pan or carefully loosen it from the sides and upend it onto a serving tray and apply vegan frosting (vegan chocolate frosting recipe can be found here). Enjoy!

Store in the refridgerator in an air-tight container.

~having a little movie party later tonight with Mandy, Taylor, and TyLea. mermaid, doll, pirate, faery party (dressing up) and watching "the fearless vampire killers" and playing some new games. eating cake and ice cream!
working on my cakewalk vegan recipe zine #3 today! going to start baking cakes and naming them, big cakes like on bjorked off's blog!

mandy-like.

i wish mandy could come over today and we could dress up and dip our fingers in glitter makeup pots and rake it under our eyes. deep blues and sparkley pink-purples. she'll be leaving for college in less than a week :( i will lose my model! and of course my best friend [& cousin], but she will be back home a lot, and i'll be busy with my classes and working.
have cut out all my sailor moon paper dolls that mom printed out for me. i need to go biking or running later on.

Hot-Tin-Roof-Sundae

Bon Appétit | February 2009

by Elizabeth Falkner

Chocolate-caramel sauce:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 60% cocoa), chopped

Ice cream:

• 3 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
• 12 tablespoons cocoa nibs,* divided
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 11/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Chili-Lime Peanuts

Preparation

For chocolate-caramel sauce:
Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Add cream and butter (mixture will bubble up). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in salt and vanilla. Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer sauce to medium bowl; cover and chill. Rewarm before using.

For ice cream:
Bring milk, 6 tablespoons cocoa nibs, sugar, and corn syrup just to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cover. Steep 20 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl until blended; gradually whisk in warm milk mixture. Return custard to same saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and just begins to boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain custard into large bowl; discard nibs. Whisk in cream and coarse salt. Chill custard until cold.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to container; mix in remaining 6 tablespoons cocoa nibs. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

For each sundae, place 2 scoops ice cream in short tumbler; spoon warm sauce over. Sprinkle with Chili-Lime Peanuts.

sources: death wears diamond jewelry, vamoose, necoration, tim walker photography.