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Saturday, May 5

cinco de mayo margaritas

mel, kate & i will be waking up to some great margaritas in highlands this weekend! enjoy a great cinco de mayo!

watermelon margaritas
what you need...2 teaspoons sugar
1 lime wedge
3 1/2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1/2 cup tequila
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
Lime wedges or watermelon balls for garnishing

what to do...Place 2 teaspoons sugar in a saucer. Rub the rims of 6 glasses with 1 lime wedge; spin rim of each glass in sugar to coat. Set prepared glasses aside.  Combine watermelon and next 4 ingredients (through Triple Sec) in a blender; process until smooth. Fill each prepared glass with 1/2 cup crushed ice. Add 1/2 cup margarita to each glass. Garnish with lime wedges or melon balls, if desired.

Friday, May 4

round 2...

here we go again! happy highlands birthday weekend!
glad mr. mimms is making it this year! 


Wednesday, May 2

meet a survivor

Blessed is the man who preserves under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.--James 1:12


suzanne is officially finished with her radiation, chemo, and cancer-free! my hope is that keith & suzanne's next year of marriage is far less eventful! 



Tuesday, May 1

vanilla madeleines with lemon glaze

another top contendor at this past weekend's dessert/app street get together...note that these take some prep time (ex. 2 hours in the fridge). if you don't know what a madeleine pan looks like or where to get one, williams-sonoma never fails
vanilla madeleines (with vanilla glaze)
what you need...2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more, softened, for pans
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

what to do...
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together eggs and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Sift flour mixture over top in 2 additions, folding in after each addition. Fold in melted butter in 2 additions, then honey and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Generously butter 2 standard-size or 2 mini nonstick or aluminum madeleine pans using a pastry brush. Transfer batter to a pastry bag, and snip tip to create a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe some batter into molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake on middle rack until pale gold, 8 to 11 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for mini madeleines). Immediately shake madeleines out. Wash and rebutter molds. Repeat with remaining batter. Dust baked madeleines with confectioners' sugar.

i dipped mine in a lemon glaze...which was 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about one lemon) and the zest of that lemon...wisk it up and then literally dip the madeleine in it! 

Monday, April 30

God is good


today I am thankful...

"for the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost"
-Luke 19:10

Sunday, April 29

chocolate salted brownies

by far the biggest hit of our dessert/apps on saturday night's festivities at our house...these were like fudge! i cannot wait to have them again!!! and to make it all worthwhile, its a cooking light recipe! 
Carmel Salted Brownies
Brownies...what you need...

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

what you need for the carmel topping & chocolate drizzle...1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk, divided  **by mistake, I used regular skim milk and these came out just fine!
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
the dry mixture
what to do...
Preheat oven to 350°.  To prepare brownies, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking powder) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 6 tablespoons butter, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add butter mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine. Scrape batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare topping, melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownies. Let stand 20 minutes or until set.

Combine 2 tablespoons milk and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted, stirring after 20 seconds. Stir just until smooth; drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt; let stand until set. Cut into squares.

this is right before the chocolate drizzle gets added...yum!