Food & Entertaining

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

August 15, 2021 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Eric and I have this great, easy recipe for brownies that we came across on Pinch of Yum. We have made them several times and they do not disappoint.

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup salted butter, melted
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup DeLallo espresso powder
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the espresso powder and mix until combined. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add the flour and cocoa powder and stir to combine.
Transfer to a 9×13 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until set in the middle.

This weekend we made a slight change and used Dark Chocolate cocoa powder instead of the regular unsweetened cocoa and it made the brownies even darker and more decadent.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

December 5, 2018 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Every winter when it gets chilly outside (and I admit, sometimes in Texas when it’s winter but nowhere near chilly), Eric and I have one of our favorite things – Mexican hot chocolate. And every winter, I have friends asking for the recipe, so I thought I’d finally share it here on the blog.

This tradition for us actually started years ago when Eric’s mom and sister went to Mexico on vacation and brought me back some hot chocolate mix. They knew I loved my hot chocolate (and at the time I was a staunch non-coffee drinker). The first mug of that hot chocolate I had was heavenly. It wasn’t just regular hot chocolate…it was better. It had a bit of cinnamon in it and also a hint of heat too. Sooooo good.

So, as I worked my way through the box I began to panic that I would be super sad once it was all gone. So Eric started researching recipes and found the one that we still use today (it’s an Alton Brown recipe).

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. (Note: we usually double the recipe and keep our mix in a container we can easily scoop out of when we want a mug of the good stuff!)

To prepare: fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. This can also be made with milk instead of hot water for a richer flavor.

We seriously love this mixture and it’s pretty easy to put together and have on hand. I hope you give it a try and let me know if you do!

Whiskey Cake

May 30, 2018 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Back at the beginning of April, Eric and I celebrated our twelfth wedding anniversary. That seems so crazy to type. It hardly seems possible it has been twelve years. He brought me two dozen roses, one of the white roses went in our wedding vase and the rest I placed in my milk glass vase (my favorite, it was my mom’s). And the roses were beautiful. I just learned last year that the white roses are apparently hard to come by, so he has to special order them every year. I had no idea!

We usually go out to eat for our anniversary, and it seems the last few years we’ve gotten in a rut of going to the same place over and over again. It’s really good, but since we were going for birthdays and anniversary, I decided it was time for a change. I’ve been wanting to take him to a restaurant called Whiskey Cake. I had gone there a couple of times with coworkers and I knew he would love it, but they don’t take reservations. Since we are typically going on a Saturday night, it always kind of frustrated us that we couldn’t make a reservation. But, I suggested that we just go early and try to beat the crowd. So that’s what we did.

Whiskey Cake is a local restaurant that has a couple of locations and they are a farm to table restaurant using locally sourced ingredients, including their own herb garden on site. Their menu changes seasonally, as you would expect. And everything I have had there is delicious.

One of the things I really love about this place is the decor. Love the French ticking stripe napkins, the repurposed lightbulbs as bud vases with a sprig of fresh rosemary inside, the industrial napkin rings, etc.

So, what did we order? We couldn’t pass up the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.

For the entree, Eric decided to have the duck breast. He loves duck but very rarely has the chance to have it (and have it prepared well). It had a carrot-ginger puree, heirloom carrots, red onions, kale, and a citrus vinaigrette.

I opted for the OMG Burger, which stands for onions, mushrooms, and goodness. I had to leave off the M though (allergic). But it has a beer battered onion ring on it, muenster, grain mustard, red chile mayo, lettuce, and tomato on a challah bun. How good does that sound right now?

And of course, we had to have their signature dessert – whiskey cake. It is a toffee torte with bourbon anglaise, spiced pecans, and fresh whipped cream. So so so good. And I admit I have attempted to make whiskey cake and it tastes nothing like this.

We had a lovely dinner, and a lovely anniversary. And I’m so glad that I finally got the chance to take Eric to Whiskey Cake for dinner. Definitely check them out if you are in the area!

Things I Love Thursday: Birthday Crushes

August 15, 2013 by Michelle Leave a Comment

My birthday is coming up next week, so I thought it would be fun to use this week’s TILT post to show you some things I’m crushing on right now. Plus, what’s more fun than putting together a dream wish list?

Right now I seem to be all about bracelets. There’s such a fun selection of bangles available right now, probably due largely to the “arm party” trend. And I’m so happy to see gold making a comeback. I absolutely adore the arrow bracelet from Stella & Dot. There’s just something so simple about it. Makes me think of Katniss, Cupid, and my imagined alter ego who excels at archery.

My wishlists always seem to have something of the practical side to them too. Lately, I’ve been keeping a running tally of things I need rather than want – shorts, sandals, bras…basic stuff. So many things that are falling apart or don’t fit. One of the things that’s become a bit dire of late is that I’ve completely run out of perfume. I know – #firstworldproblems – but, I’ve even gone rummaging through my bathroom cabinets in the hopes of finding some of those little freebie tester perfumes. No dice. So, a bottle of perfume falls more into a necessity than a pure want, but I had to include it anyway. At the top of my list of perfume wants is Lady Gaga’s Fame. It’s black, which tickles my little Goth heart so much, and it smells delicious. It’s described as “Enriched with tears of belladonna, a black veil of incense, and pulverized apricot, this fragrance may cause illicit fits of extravagance, unrivaled rushes of adoration, and prolonged moments of ecstasy and rapture.” How could I not want this?

You may recall last year, when I decided that my birthday really needed to be an extravagant, Marie Antoinette-inspired, and fun? I’m absolutely going to continue that tradition this year. So, I’m thinking macarons are a must. Because, why not? It appears that there are a few bakeries in Dallas that are now offering macarons, so you know I will be scoping them out.

I have been seriously wanting a maxi dress for- I don’t know -ever. I’ve yet to own one and lately my interest has been rekindled by some IG photos of some lovely ladies who purchased this maxi from Target. It’s a steal at $29.99 and I love it. The kimono-style sleeves, the chevron print. Gimme.

And back to the bracelets. I’ve been really wanting a mint link bracelet, but since Fall seems to be quickly approaching, this tortoiseshell link bracelet from T+J Designs is killing me. Gorgeous!

And you know my continued love affair with all things Kate Spade. This KSNY Twist and Shout bracelet brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of my sweet German friend, and of course sharing a pretzel with my darling husband.

I’m also thinking forward to my springtime travel and realizing that I still don’t have a good camera bag. I’ve been looking at these Kelly Moore bags for a while now, and I really like the look of them. The B-Hobo bag looks roomy enough to carry what I need plus it has both a zipper and the flap to keep everything inside safe. I’d like to be able to try one out and see what I think in person, just have to see if someone in town carries them. But I really adore this mustard color.

The best gift I’m giving myself for my birthday this year – a week of vacation. I have been working so much this year and such crazy hours that I know I need some time to relax and regroup, plus time with my family. I intend to do some fun things like going to see the first Mortal Instruments movie with a friend, a fabric shopping day with a friend and maybe catching up on some of my reading or DVR’d shows.

March in Photos

April 10, 2013 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Something crazy has been going on with my blog and/or WordPress over the past week. I keep trying to come in and do a new blog post and haven’t been able to! So, finally here is March in photos.

March was kind of a month of indulgences. Between the Mozartkugeln from Germany, the yummy homemade pizza, a good book and some nail polish, I was kind of on a roll! Really, I think a good part of it was a bit of escapism from some stuff that hasn’t been so fun to deal with this month.

One of the best things this month was going to the Dallas Quilt Show with a friend. I haven’t been to the quilt show in years, and it was such a fabulous day full of inspiration and even a little shopping. And the inspiration hasn’t left yet. I’ve been itching to sew!! Once I finished my Kate Spain quilt in February, I was dying to get back to my Kiss Kiss quilt. In March, I managed to get all of the cutting finished and also got all of my pieced blocks sewn together. Next up is starting to assemble the rows. I can’t wait to see this beauty come together! And I finished up a hexy pincushion for a friend’s birthday and sent it on its way. And a beautiful little thank you card came in the mail for the birthday gift I’d sent to another friend last month. Isn’t that little bird with the blue and white bowls adorable?

Some days it really started to feel like Spring, and the trees were blooming with glorious color. But we keep getting days of temps dipping back into the 30s and 40s, so I indulged in a little Mexican hot chocolate in the evening.

In family life, my boys are getting so big! They are a year old and we are feeling so fortunate to have them in our lives. Their daily shenanigans really keep us on our toes!! In June it will mark one year that we’ve had them, which I find hard to believe!!

As always, I appreciate you stopping by! I’m really enjoying sharing some of what’s going on in my world here.

Honoring Her

April 4, 2013 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Easter never used to be more than a holiday for me. As I mentioned in my last post, over the past few years it has been made more special by spending our honeymoon in Rome for Easter. Eric’s love of family and traditions has also changed my perception of it, and we celebrate with a special meal and his special cake. But, this year things seemed to all fall into place to change me at some deep level, to focus on the true meaning of the days leading up to Easter.

On Good Friday, Eric’s grandmother passed away. And suddenly, we were faced with mourning this amazing woman who had helped to shape Eric into the man he is today. The past few years have been so full of loss, but somehow this was different. In the midst of our sadness and grief, we were presented with the message of Easter and for me at least, it brought some comfort.

While I had intended to make Eric’s special cassata cake for him, because of the tradition his Grandmother started, once we got the news on Friday I knew that making Easter special this year was something we both needed. When I did my last post and posted the photo of my dining room table decorated for the holiday, it reminded me that other than Christmas, I have done zero holiday decorating in several years. So, I decided that I wanted to make this Easter as special as possible for both of us. So, on Saturday, while Eric was gone I dug through my holiday decorations and did a little decorating around the house. Just a few touches, since I knew it wouldn’t be up for very long. I was so happy to see our dining room all dressed up for Spring.

I especially love my little glass bunnies. I think I got them from Williams Sonoma years and years ago. But, aren’t they cute?

And I’m glad I managed to get a photo of how pretty everything looked before the hoodlums got up on the table and ran off with an egg ornament in their mouths and proceeded to bat them around the house.

After I got the decorating finished, I got started on making the cassata cake. My recipe reminded me that it’s good to make the pound cake a day ahead so that it is completely cooled before I try to put the filling between the layers and frosting it.

On Sunday morning, I got started on finishing the cake. I made the filling and popped it in the fridge to chill so that it was easier to spread. Then I got started on making the whipped cream frosting. Homemade whipped cream is just the best, isn’t it? Reminded me of my chocolate bread pudding – I need to make that sometime soon.

Once I had my filling and frosting made, I cut my poundcake into layers and then brushed them with rum. I have actually forgotten this step before, so this time I made sure that I noted it on my recipe ingredients.

Once I had the cake assembled, into the fridge it went so that the ricotta filling and the whipped cream frosting could set up. Then it was time to make dinner. Eric made the fabulous Moroccan lamb burgers we’d agreed on for Easter dinner, from a recipe courtesy of our friends in Rhode Island. We opened a bottle of Barefoot Moscato for dinner and it was a delicious counterpoint to the spices in the burgers. Everything was so good!

And after dinner we dove into dessert. I sprinkled the top of the cake with some semi-sweet chocolate shavings. I loved the finishing touch it added.

Here’s a little view of the cake once we’d sliced into it. So so good! And don’t you love the little bees on the table runner?

It was a beautiful Easter Sunday, made all the more special because I felt like we were honoring Grandma’s life by celebrating with a wonderful meal, a beautiful table, and time with each other. She will be truly missed.