Food & Entertaining

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.

Preparing for Easter

March 27, 2013 by Michelle 1 Comment

This time of year is always special for Eric and I. Our wedding anniversary is at the beginning of April and we spent our honeymoon in Rome over that Easter weekend. It was the first Easter Mass for Pope Benedict XVI. With this Easter being the first for the newly elected Pope, it brings back some memories for us. Eric and I have also been watching The Bible on The History Channel, and it’s been an excellent conversation topic for us in these weeks leading up to Passover and Easter.

I haven’t been very inspired to do any holiday decorating around the house since Christmas, and the two boys with their kitten antics make me think twice about what I put out. But, after looking through some old photos, I found the one above of our Easter table and decided I would really like to have a special table setting for our Easter dinner.

And one of the traditions that we have is preparing a special Italian cake for Easter. Eric’s grandmother used to bring a cassata cake from the Italian bakery for Easter every year when he was growing up. When Eric and I got married, I decided that I wanted to recreate this cake from Eric’s past for him. Not as easy as it sounds. Cassata cake, I’ve found, can be interpreted in several different ways. So, over a series of Easters and birthdays, I tried out a number of recipes.

One of the first I tried was for a Sicilian cake that seemed to be similar to a cassata cake.

It was a two layer sponge cake with ladyfingers around the edges, and topped with walnuts, chocolate chips and candied cherries. Pretty good, but not anywhere close to Eric’s memories. Plus, with the ladyfingers and the topping, it was a rather labor intensive cake to make.

So, we refined our definition of what he remembered and I ended up cobbling several recipes together to try for my next attempt. Eric had told me that the cake of his dreams was a loaf cake, like a pound cake. So, I took a Martha Stewart pound cake recipe and started with that.

Notice the yummy vanilla that Eric’s mom brought us from Mexico? Love that stuff! Anyway, the Martha recipe was a total bust. There was so much butter in this batter that when it was cooking, you could see the cake swimming in a sea of butter. I’m all for butter, but this was ridiculous. And the cake itself was not soft and moist, but surprisingly crunchy.

Eric also remembered that the filling between the layers was a lot like cannoli filling. So, I borrowed a recipe for cannoli filling (ricotta, chocolate chips, etc.). That, at least, was pretty straightforward. I used the mini chocolate chips and mixed them in with the ricotta filling.

And then we got to the frosting for the cake. Eric said it was pretty close to the frosting his mom uses on his usual birthday cake, which is a whipped cream frosting (icing?). I hit her up again for her recipe and this also was pretty straightforward. I think it’s just heavy cream, sugar, cream of tartar. And it makes a ton!

And the final product Eric deemed pretty darn close to his memory. So, I made several notes, including a note to self to try a different pound cake recipe because the Martha recipe was a big yuck.

And when I made that very first Sicilian cake, it called for brushing the layers of spongecake with rum. So I added that in this attempt as well. It adds a little extra depth of flavor in the cake.

I’ve made the cake a couple more times since this initial try and refined it over the last few years. I’ve changed to a pound cake recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, which is very good. And I’ve started making the cake itself the day before, and it makes it a little easier to assemble the next day. I’ve also cut the filling and frosting recipes in half, because I seriously ended up with enough for a second cake. I’ll be making cassata cake for Easter Sunday this weekend, and I’m looking forward to it since I haven’t made it in a while. I’ll be sure to share how it turns out!

We’re also planning on having our Moroccan Lamb Burgers on Easter as well, because Eric knows that’s about the only way I will eat lamb. So, I’m looking forward to those – something else we haven’t had in awhile. Sounds like I’ll have a busy next few days getting everything ready for Easter, but I’m looking forward to it. And as always, it’s such a special time for us as a precursor to our anniversary, so it deserves to be done right!