Academy J

Here's a little sneak peek of my purchases at the Bijou Market on Saturday.

It's the Clara Headband by Academy J. I'm in love.

I loved this market. I love local. I love handmade. 

End of story.

Apron Giveaway

Something different pops up everyday at my job over at Shirley J. For instance, last week we got our new aprons in and we needed to get a photo up onto our Web site. Well, we have a pro photographer but needed this up pronto so I stepped in! It was fun. Nothing too fancy. Just nice to be outside and have some fun.

You like? I do. I've been using this apron a lot lately. I love the length and even more so I just love getting a white apron messy! It feels like I'm productive!

You want one? You can win one! We are having a giveaway over at Shirley J blog. All you have to do is comment! So head on over and you too can sport a fun Shirley J apron! {and help me at my job...seriously...this is would be a great favor to do for your bloggie friend!} 

Click here to enter! Deadline is Wednesday, June 30 at midnight EST.

June 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge - Bakewell Tarts...er...Pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

This challenge was pretty good. I realized that I really am gathering some wonderful techniques from my baking groups. I can feel myself becoming a lot more confident when challenged with a new recipe...it's kinda cool. I'm also feeling myself become a little more daring and creative. I love it.

I really would have liked to make some homemade jam but I got lazy. Plus, my MIL has this killer Agave Peach Raspberry Jam that I just couldn't help but use. It is delightful. I brought this dessert over to my parent's home and it was well recieved. Whipped cream was the perfect compliment and to be honest I can't imagine having anything else with it.

Also, I found that the dessert still delicious the next day. Especially the frangipane, which really collected all the wonderful almond flavor together. Anyway, I thought this was a simple and clean dessert. I think it would be fun to make again with a different (and homemade) jam...I'd probably double the amount too because I used about 1/3 cup.

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish (I dusted it with powdered sugar).

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

8oz (about 1 3/4 loose packed) all purpose flour
1oz (a little more than 1/8 c.) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4oz (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1-2 Tbsp cold water (I used three--I live in a dry environment.)

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

4.5oz (1 stick plus a little less than a Tbsp. for me) unsalted butter, softened
4.5oz powdered sugar (I'm not sure how much this is in cups--I forgot to measure)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
4.5oz (forgot to measure) ground almonds
1oz (forgot to measure) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose (light yellow) in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Utah Farmers Markets

I'm a fan of the farmer's market, that's for sure. I've had the pleasure of attending Provo and Park City's. I purchased the following:

Drake Family Farms: Jalepeno Goat

 Cheese Chevre 

Knight Family Honey: Honey Butter

Volker Bakery: Balsamic Bread Dip (aka Regular)

 

I hope you all have time this weekend to attend any local mar

ket. There is just something so fun about them! I love the feeling of buying local and of course the fres

hness!

Complete List of Utah Farmer's Markets

One Year Ago: 

Happy Anniversary!

It's been three wonderful years! I couldn't have asked for a better husband!

Happy Anniversary, Adam!

Tuesdays with Dorie - Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

So I've already told you how mixed up I am this month when I made the wrong recipe last week. Gosh, summer is killing my internal blogging clock/calendar! So naturally, I think this week was the perfect party cake and I'm posting the dacquoise late. Boo.

Anyway, I liked this recipe but totally struggled slash undercooked the meringue. I have no clue why. (altitude, under or over mixing the egg whites, oven temp? who knows)

With that said I loved this dessert. It's one that I would never think of making. The combo the three elements (meringue, roasted pineapple and white chocolate ganache) was incredible. Seriously.


Andrea of Andrea in the Kitchen chose this week's recipe and you can find it on her blog. Be sure to check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll to see the other baker's dacquoise.

German Chocolate Cake

I spent the greater part of the weekend baking.

The biggest project of all was this

German Chocolate Cake

I made for my mom's bday!

I love you, Mom! Hope you liked it!

The recipe came from BAKED: New Frontiers in Baking.

I hope to report more...but don't count on it anytime soon. I'm a bit burned out.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Honey Peach Ice Cream

Would you believe me if I told you I made the wrong recipe for this week?

Ugh. I did. I have been out of town a lot this last month, most recently in Oceanside, California...and well I returned thinking this week's recipe was the dacquoise. Funny, right? I'd say so... I seriously realized that this week's recipe was Honey Peach Ice Cream after midnight last night. Thankfully ice cream doesn't require a lot of work and thankfully I had all the ingredients besides the peaches on hand.

Probably the best news about this week's recipe being the Honey Peach Ice Cream (besides the fact that it was absolutely delicious) is that I bought myself an ice cream maker!!! For the last year I have been borrowing this one...and though I loved it, it was time to get my own. I purchased the Cuisinart Supreme™ Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC. I did all my research and found that this was the one for me. I was already spoiled with the Lello because it did the freezing as well and produced some of the best homemade ice cream I've ever eaten.

Tommi at Brown Interior chose the Honey Peach Ice Cream recipe for this week. I was very happy the my results. I used a very dark honey and regular California peaches. I must admit I added a full tablespoon of Mexican Vanilla. And oh, I did not like taking the time to cut the peaches up...boo. All in all I would make this again, but I know that I won't be anytime soon cause I have a gazillion new ice cream recipes to try out from The Perfect Scoop cookbook.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday with Dorie baker's blogs.

Next Week: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

Bridals

I meant to post these pictures of my bridals back in May since they were taken in May 2006.
Anyway...my 3-year anniversary is approaching and I've got it on my mind.

Location: Tahitian Noni International/Morinda Gardens in Provo, Utah
Photographer: Bob Boyd Photography
Dress: Allyses Bridal
Flowers: Day old white spider mums and tulips (first attempt at bridals included a rainstorm)
Choker: Ebay!

Martha Stewart's CUPCAKES: Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes

I've only baked one recipe out of my new cupcake cookbook by Martha Stewart and I'm in love. I have to admit, I haven't even looked all the way through it to give a complete review.

I have leftover buttermilk to thank. I hate waisting milk so naturally I had to find a way to use it and cupcakes are always the best option.The recipe I chose to bake was Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes. Though I'd say these are more muffin-esque, they are perfectly sweet and a wonderful dessert.

I had high hopes of giving you a step-by-step guide to these cupcakes, but I haven't quite mastered that skill. Though I love my kitchen the lighting is horrible so I always have to either deal with ucky light or move things toward the window. However, I did manage to get a few shots.

The beginning. This is my mis en place. I am adoring my little silver cups from IKEA; one is housing the salt. I love using berries in cupcakes, their tartness and health factor are always appealing. This recipe also feature cornmeal and I feel it offered a fabulous texture and heartiness.

One of the best parts of this recipe was that I got to stir it by hand. Always a joy and furthers my feelings that it is more of a muffin..but hey, who cares.

I made a few mistakes during the process. For instance, I forgot to spray my liners with PAM. I'm not sure if you guys normally this or not, but I tend to do so with most of my cupcake recipes. I find that the cupcake comes out easier. I actually prefer the PAM that has flour. The second mistake I made was not sprinkling the cupcakes with sugar before putting them in the oven. I'm thankful I remembered so quickly...only a minute passed by before I remembered. But still, I hate opening the oven more than necessary.

The third issue I ran into was overfilling the cups and possibly the consequence of having the cupcake sink. I'm not sure what the heck happened. My husband thinks it's altitude issues but I'm not sure. So if anyone in Utah or a similar elevation makes these please let me know your results. I know it's not my baking powder because it is not old by any means.

Here they are before and after baking. It was honestly such a pain to have them overflow and sink. I just hate when that happens! With that said, I didn't really care about the sinking once I bit into them. I thought they were just great! I loved the tartness of the berry, and how the berries changed to a pink after cooking. The cornmeal offered a sweet and salty hint to the cupcake, making me feel less guilty about eating a cupcake for part of my breakfast!


For some reason I always like to bake my cupcakes in two different liners...just to see how they turn out. I bought these souflee cups at Gygi Culinary Solutions a while back and love them. My husband is convinced these ones tasted better. :)


I really want to cook my way through this glorious cookbook. But I know I can't fit a weekly bake into my schedule or add that pressure to myself right now. My solution: still bake through it...just on a "whenever I can basis." Please let me know if you are trying out these recipes...I would love to see your results!

Utah Locavore #100: Ice Cream {Nielsen's Frozen Custard}

Once upon a time I was lucky enough to visit Nielsen's Frozen Custard on a weekly (if not more frequent) basis. My older sister worked there during high school and I would rollerblade to the Orem location. I have vivid memories ordering my favorites lemon or a concrete complete with cookie dough and carmel cashew. I also had my fare share of free ice cream. I guess she got to take hold old pints. So when she'd roll in after midnight we'd watch taped episodes (yes VHS) of Saved by The Bell and stuff our faces with that velvety smooth and dense custard.

Then one horrible day it was all of that goodness was taken away from me. My sister graduated high school and the location was axed. Now it's some lame-o piece of real estate that is either a car lot or vacant. However, from time to time I have the pleasure of visiting the Bountiful location like I did last Saturday for my first Utah Locavore 100 blog post!

Now I know the locavore list is for ice cream. But I have to tell you that the grinders (sandwiches) are equally incredible. I ordered my all-time favorite, "The Finer Things" that includes turkey, cream cheese, avocado, pepper relish, tomatoes and lettuce. My husband ordered the Spicy Italian with extra pepper relish. I wish I could remember what was on it.

I really think the stars were aligned for me that day, because the flavor of the day was Caramel Cashew...my very favorite! I ordered a small cup. The flavor was so deep and the cashews were so few and far between that they always made for a nice surprise when I bit into them. See, I'm normally not a fan of nuts in ice cream.

Nielsen's has a fun retro feel to it. The decor is black, white and red. Complete with a checkered floor. They only take cash or checks, which is a love hate thing for me. I love it because I think it's cool...and I hate it because I never carry cash. (Luckily they have a gas station close that has an ATM. I also love that there is no menu board above. When you get up to the counter you look at menus and you order. The cashier writes down your order on a piece of paper. Gosh, doesn't that feel so old school? I love it.

Nielsen's Frozen Custard also has a drive-thru and a walk up window. Their employees are mostly teenagers in white button-up shirts and those fun dorky hats. If you don't make it up to Bountiful as often as you'd like be sure to grab a pint of custard for the road!

Nielsen's Frozen Custard
570 W. 2600 South, Bountiful, 801-292-7479
3918 S. Highland, Holladay, 801-277-7479
378 N. Main St., Layton, 801-547-0775


Blog Post One Year Ago: Cupcake Candle Holders

Utah Locavore 100

The June 2009 edition of Salt Lake Magazine includes a list of 100 quintessential foods that are unique to Utah. I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw this article. You know I'm all about local products and always looking for a new place to discover. I'm making an attempt to experience this list in its entirety. I've already completed roughly 25 percent of it, but I'll be starting from scratch and blogging about my adventures. Make note that I'll have to do some substituting or miss a few because I don't drink alcohol or coffee.

If you live in Utah, I'd love for you to join me on this adventure. If you ever visit Utah, hit up some of the places on this list during your stay! It will be fun. Never again can anyone ever complain about Utah's food scene, eh?

This post will be ever growing with links to the actual posts of my Utah Locavore 100 adventures.


Here's to you, Utah!

1. JELL-O in Every Color - (Done! Had this one too many times!)
2. Pickle Pie at Sunglow in Bicknell
3. Chocolate Pudding at Ruth's Diner
4. Mole at Red Iguana
5. Lentil Soup at Lamb's
6. Tiger's Blood Rainbow from Pace's Dairy Ann
7. Raclette at Fireside Dining at Deer Valley
8. Belgian Waffle at Bruges
9. Cabrito Taco From Tacos Don Rafa
10. Tin Angel Bread Pudding
11. Maddox Chicken-Fried Steak and Root Beer
12. Moqui Mac at Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder
13. Morgan Valley Lamb at The Mariposa
14. Oyster Bar Bloody Mary
15. Potato Curry in a Hurry
16. Turkey Chili at Deer Valley
17. Lion Pups
18. Brigham City Peach From a Roadside Stand
19. Burgers and Champagne at The Paris
20. A Grinder from The Italian Place in Logan
21. Pink Pizza
22. Green River Melon from a Roadside Stand on I-70
23. S'mores at Log Haven
24. Some Dudes Fry Sauce (Have some in the fridge right now)
25. Creminelli's Sausage (had some at SP^RK last night)
26. Barely Buzzed - Beehive Cheese's Coffee Rubbed Cheddar
27. Berliner from Vosen's
28. Amano Artisan Chocolate
29. Lehi Roller Mills Heart Healthy Hotcakes Mix (Seriously, who hasn't had their pancake mixes?)
30. Cox Honeyland Honey (had this in the cupboard growing up)
31. Squeaky Cheese from Beaver's Cache Valley store
32. Utah-made Wine
33. Jerky from Samak Smoke House
34. Kouing Aman from Les Madeleines (you know I love this pastry!)
35. Fruit from a tree in Fruita
36. Week's Berries of Paradise Freezer Jam
37. Yanni's Gyros with White Sauce
38. Strawberry Chicken at The Mandarin
39. Salad at the Cinegrill
40. Muhamara at Mazza
41. Tollhouse Pie at The Dodo
42. Cuttthroat Trout
43. Steak and Eggs at Frost's Cowboy Corral
44. Buffalo Burger at Buffalo Point on Antelope Island
45. Cheese Fries with Dipping Sauce at Training Table (Um yeah...I always ordered these on the phone with the fam growing up and even now!)
46. Zucchini Fries at B&B
47. A Cup of Siphon Coffee
48. Locavore Hamburgers - Various Locations
49. Momos at Himalayan Kitchen (uh-mazing!)
50. Greek Oven Roasted Potatoes at Sugarhouse BBQ
51. Sourdough Pancakes at Silver Fork Lodge
52. Warren's Fried Mushrooms
53. A Churro at Liberty Park
54. Margaritas on a Lake Powell Houseboat
55. Bambara's Local Cheese Plate
56. Lunch on the Terrace at Zion Lodge
57. Hot Rolls at Lion House (so warm, so comforting)
58. Dinner in a Yurt
59. Morrison Meat Pies
60. Cup of Postum (the padres are huge fans of this...i always had mine w/ extra cream)
61. Funeral Potatoes (if i had a nickle for every time i've had this dish then...)
62. Puaka Tuna
63. 14-ounce Meatball at Lugano
64. Sweet Potato Pie at Q4U
65. Lunch from a cooler at Lagoon (yes...and i am afraid of the mouse ride)
66. Corn Cakes at The Blue Plate
67. Rico's Chicken Chipotle Tamale
68. Meatball Sandwich from Moochie's (killer! and I also love their cheesesteaks!)
69. Redmond Salt (have some in the cupboard)
70. "The Morning Ray" Scramble
71. Polygamy Porter
72. Amber's Almond Cake
73. Cobbler at a Dutch Oven Cook-Off
74. The Pile
75. Scones at Mom's Cafe
76. A Blues Dinner at Sun & Moon Cafe
77. Tomato Soup at Trio
78. Stephen's Hot Cocoa (it's a staple, especially during the Holiday season)
79. Peanuts and High West Rye at O'Shucks in Park City
80. "Free" Breadsticks at The Soup Kitchen
81. A "Big John" at Grove Market Deli
82. Italian Sausage and Pesto Omelet at The Jailhouse
83. Coffee-Rubbed Pork at 350 Main in Park City
84. Colosimo's Sausage on a Bun
85. Reef kitchen's Moroccan Salmon
86. Utah Cherries (you bet!)
87. The State Sweet Tooth Sugar High
* Iceberg's Raspberry Shake (uh huh)
* Iced Holiday Cookie from Mrs. Backers (their cupcakes are pretty too!)
* Apple Pie at Left Fork
88. Zappi at The Pie
89. Burnt ends at Pat's
90. Utah Mushrooms
91. Navajo Taco at Navajo Hogan
92. Happy Jack's Chicken Curry Soup
93. Food Storage Meal (duh...)
94. Cafe Rio Salad (sweet pork, half pinto/half black beans and house dressing por favor)
95. Freeze-Dried Dinner, Consumed in The High Uintas or Canyonlands
96. Lunch at Alf's
97. A Fruit Tart from a Wench
98. Settebello Pizza Bianca
99. Idleberry Pie
100. Ice Cream
* The Sink
* Frozen custard at Nielsen's (my baby fat was prolonged because of their concretes)
-Completed June 2009
* Premium Creamies (love to get some a Macey's)
* FatBoy (def a fan of these when I was young)
* Spotted Dog Ice Cream
* Snowball

BKE Madison

I have been shopping way too much at The Buckle lately ever since one of my besties started their management training program. I can't help it if an innocent purchase turns into jeans, a hat and three shirts, right?

My latest purchase:

BKE Madison Skinny Stretch Jeans (I'm pretty sure this is what they are!)

Anyway, I love them. I have needed some hot jeans for a while. I have this blog post (from a very smart woman and friend) to also thank for my decision in making the purchase! Read it and thank me later.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Parisian Apple Tartlets

Hey friends! I totally ran out of tome slash got super fristrated that I could not find all-butter puff pastry dough. I will be making my own and posting my results in the near future! Be sure to stop by the TWD blogroll to see the yummies!

Tahitian Vanilla Beans

So I purchase some Vanilla Beans in Tahiti and haven't done a dang thing with them. Shoot! They are tightly wrapped. Are they still good. I am debating on whether or not to make my own extract or just use them for creme brulee and other lighter desserts.

Thoughts?

SPARK Restaurant Lounge in Provo

photo from Spark Blog

If you follow any number of foodie or other reputable blogs in Utah then by now you should know that Spark Restaurant Lounge in Provo hosted it's First Annual Bloggers Dinner. (Do I sound snobby? ...shoot!)

I was seriously so lucky to be part of the event. You know I fully love and support Spark. Afterall, I did pay the hip spot a visit the first weekend it was openend, right? Remember this and this.

It was quite the event and I had a great time. If you were sitting next to me and I didn't talk as much as a normal person...then it was only because I was at one with my food. (That or I was engaged in serious convo with Adam of Adam's Sports Blog, yeah...the guy who had the handle bar mustache. He owns it my friends. ;) )


View from the lounge! Don't you love the ambience?

Nuff of this chatter. Let's talk about the food. Here's the menu:

Shrimp Roll: jicama | cilantro | sushi rice | tomato jalapeno salsa | guajillo puree


Cheese & Meat Assortment: Manchego, Shepherd's Chevre, Beehive Cheese Co. smoked promontory cheddar with fruit, Criminelli salamis (cacciatore, sopresatta, casalingo), membrillo (quince paste)


BLT Salad: Boston Bibb lettuce | heirloom tomatoes | cherry heartwood smoked bacon | blue cheese dressing


Pan-Roasted Filet Mignon: potato galette | Roquefort | red wine demi-glace | sauteed spinach

Basil Crusted Wild Alaskan Halibut: Parmesan gnocchi | heirloom tomatoes | sweet peas | tomato consomme

intermezzo: passion fruit sorbet


banana strudel: house-made mango ice cream | strawberry coulis | mango coconut foam


panna cotta: vanilla panna cotta | kiwi pearls

All in all I was very pleased. My palate was dancing and my stomach was full. By far my favorite dishes were the Basil Crusted Wild Alaskan Halibut (that Parm gnocchi is the devil in a heavenly sort of way) and the Shrimp Roll. The dish that didn't tickle my fancy was the BLT Salad. The lettuce felt a little too wet, the tomato too starchy and the dressing not bleu-cheesy enough nor thick enough. However, others around me loved it.

Spark Bar

I haven't even touched on the plethora of drinks I gulped down that night. They were on the house and I'm not afraid to take advantage of something like that! Spark is very much known for their non-alcoholic beverage offerings.


Did I go crazy or what! I just wanted to try everything. I loved the black lemonade and Shirley Temple. Yes, I ate all the cotton candy first then drank!

So you are thinking: "Gosh, Becky liked this place...and generally she gives descent recommendations, so maybe I should hit up Spark!" Yes my dear reader, YOU SHOULD! And I'm totally going to help you!

Spark has generously offered a $25 Gift Certificate to all Project Domestication readers! Oh-so-generous, no? All you have to do is print out this little puppy. Get yourself a date. Order two entrees and BAMMM....you've got $25 bones to spend. It is worth it my friends...worth it!



Keep up with the latest at SPARK!
Website: sparkrestaurantlounge.com
Facebook: tinyurl.com/sparkfb
Twitter: twitter.com/sparkprovo
Blog: sparkrestaurantlounge.blogspot.com
Restaurant phone: 801-701-6780
Address: 86 N University Ave. Provo, UT 84601

{did i spark your interest?}

Tuesdays with Dorie- Cinnamon Squares

Anytime we can make a cake in a square pan I get very happy. Why? Because it means there is less to eat. I swear if I don't give away these treats it goes straight into my mouth.

This week's recipe was chosen by Tracy of Tracy's Culinary Adventures. I always thought these little squares looked yummy by their delicious picture in the book. 

My thoughts/experience:

* I used semi-sweet instead of bittersweet choc. I didn't have any bittersweet on hand.

*my chocolate sunk a bit

* the cake was extremely moist

* i loved that i got to mix it by hand. this always brings me joy and makes me feel like an old-fashioned baker of some sort.

* i replaced espresso powder with Pero, which i'm not sure was the best move.

* my family loved it. i brought it over to my parent's for Sunday dinner. dad loved the frosting.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers' blogs for more cinnamon squares.

Next week: Parisian Apple Tartlet

Desserts in South Dakota!

I spent Memorial Day weekend in South Dakota. That's right peeps, South Dakota. The hub and I fulfilled (what we felt was) an American duty...and visited Mount Rushmore. I did a little foodie research, meaning I recalled an episode of Rachel Ray's "40 dollars a Day" and found some great local eats in Rapid City!

The first was The Corn Exchange. A restaurant that has is French inspired menu with a Midwestern twist. I knew I would love it when I found out their menu features locally raised meats and produce that are sustainably produced. Adam and I loved it! Here's what we ordered.

* Soup of the Night - Creamy Carrot Tarragon
* Three Pan fried, House made Pheasant Dumplings with a Japanese Dipping Sauce
* # 777 Buffalo - Porcini Bolognese; carrots, onion, celery sautéed with ground buffalo, dried porcini mushrooms, red pepper flakes simmered in red wine, fire-roasted tomatoes and tossed with rigatoni pasta and topped with grated Red Cow Parmesan cheese.
* Local Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers with Roasted Local Vegetables
* Pots de Creme - orange Valhorna chocolate

Dinner was so incredible. I highly recommend this restaurant. It was perfect. Portions, flavors, atmosphere...everything!

Next we headed off to Fjords for ice cream. Rachel Ray loved the Honey Vanilla Sunflower, so naturally we had to try it. The other flavors we tried were: Wild Maple, Dulce de leche and Blackberry. It was great ice cream and the Honey Vanilla Sunflower was really unique. I'd love to replicate it.

We spend way more than $40 that day but it was worth it! I don't have the nice photos of Rushmore on this computer but hope to show you those soon. (along with the rest of my Tahiti pix right? ...oops!)