Saturday, February 26, 2011

Shrimp Scampi

This is a very simple and quick recipe that I make during the week!  My husband and both of my girls love it, so it's a winner in our house!  It's a Cooking Light recipe (I think I originally got this from a Nestie)....and this is one I follow exact, because it's very good,  light and delicious!  I throw it over angel hair pasta, but you can serve it with anything you want.  It's extra good with some garlic bread and salad!

Shrimp Scampi 
Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 7 shrimp)

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
28 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 seconds. Add parsley and juice; toss well to coat. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.




ENJOY!!!!!
Oh and for anyone who is still wondering what a Nestie is....you will probably see that term on here a lot.  I frequent a message board full of (mostly) married girls....who give wonderful advice on parenting, cooking, home decorating and many, many other topics!   A "Nestie" is a person who frequents this board with me!  :)


~Gianna~

Friday, February 18, 2011

Red Velvet Cake for a VERY Happy Birthday!

My Dad just turned 60 (shhhhh.....he's still in denial), but doesn't look a day over 50!  My Mom invited us to dinner and asked if I could bring the cake.  She (yes my Mom requested the kind of cake for my Dad) asked that I make a red velvet cake!  Being this is my absolute favorite kind of cake, I quickly started looking for a good recipe.  I had one for cupcakes that I had made for Olivia's birthday one year, and I had a slightly different recipe for red velvet cake balls I usually make around Christmas time....but I knew I had to find something even more delicious for my Dad.  If anyone deserves it, it's him! 
It didn't take me long to go over to one of my favorite baking blogs Bakeralla.  She has some of the cutest, yummiest ideas...and she didn't fail me this time either!  Within seconds I found my recipe...and after tasting it...I knew she would've been proud!   Of course..as you will see throughout this blog my picture taking skills of food aren't that great....but I am going to keep trying to get better! 

So without further ado....I present my first food entry to this blog and boy was it a good one!  This red velvet cake was so delicious and ooooo sooooo velvety!  Once you slather it in cream cheese frosting ......it's a red and white slice of yumminess!   Everyone loved it, including my Dad!  Happy, Happy...DAD (Mom picked a good cake!!)  xoxox



Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.

Then make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Sift sugar and set aside.

Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.

Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.

And frost.

ENJOY!!!!



~Gianna~

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes -- YES!!!!

I cannot remember where I stumbled upon this recipe.....so I apologize in advance to whomever it is.  I just know I C&Ped it as a word document and forgot to site a source!  I think I was just overly excited!

I actually made them with my kids.....for a Superbowl party we were going to.  I didn't give myself nearly enough time to make, bake, fill and frost them....so when you see the pictures...don't judge!   They are absolutely delicious...and the pictures DO NOT do these yummies any justice!  I promise, next time I make them.....I will fancify them, and post better pictures!  You have my word!























They do take some time to make, so make sure you give yourself enough time, unlike me....and they will be well worth the time.  They will have you at the smell of them cooking...then the taste of filling (you have to try it as you make it) and then the frosting (taste as you make..that's my motto!)....and then by the first bite, you will fall in love.....

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes


For the cupcakes:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

To make the cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350° F.

Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cream together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approx 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Alternating add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl with the milk on low speed, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Blend in the vanilla.

Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between 24 cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare your cookie dough filling.



For the cookie dough filling:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

To Make the Filling
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy(approx2 minutes).

Add flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, (approx1 hour).

After cupcakes have cooled, fill the cupcakes by cutting a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.




































For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

3½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. milk

2½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions to make icing

Beat butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment on high speed until creamy and fluffy.

Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Beat in the flour and salt.

Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

Frost cupcakes using a pastry bag --which as you can see...I did not, but plan on doing that next time...so they look fancier!  I wasn't going for fancy this time around!  Decorate with mini chocolate chips and top with a mini cookie!


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Told you, NOT FANCY....BUT REALLY, DAMN GOOD!!!!!
~Gianna~

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Another Chapter Ends.....

John and Craig's appearances have become few and far between because we are pretty much DONE!   It's so nice to be able to say that!  I can say that this chapter in our lives is over.....with only a few small things that need to be finished up!   It's been a LONG 7 months, but it's been such a great experience (for the most part).  While I wouldn't want to do it all again in the near future.....I would do it again in a heartbeat.......like maybe in 10 years and not as big of a project.    There were some rough times....trust me...but for the most part the whole thing was very smooth and happy for everyone!   We had our final inspections and except for 2 minor fixes that needed fixin'...we passed!   We still have a few items on our final punch list that still need to be fixed...but they are in the process.....and NOW.....WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO NOW?!?!?!   Now we get to decorate the house, make it our home...and enjoy every minute we have here with our 2 beautiful girls. 

A HUGE Thank You to John and Craig!  We will miss you.....it's been FUN!!!!!  Without you guys this would have never been possible!  You'll never meet another family like us....just remember who your favorites are!  Craig, I don't think anyone will miss you more than Ava!   She really thinks of you as part of our family.   You better come visit!!  And "Bezold" while Craig is #1 in her heart...you are a close 2nd....wellllll maybe 3rd behind Kevin!  :)   
Dan at Mendham Design was amazing to work with, and a HUGE Thank You to him and his talent!  Pete and the guys over at Horan Electrics......THANK YOU!!!!    Anthony, you never left us bored!  And Bob and the guys at Webster Plumbing....THANK YOU for all you did!   I know that Bob's got this "hotty" (other's words not mine) working for him...that gets requested often by ladies old and young......but Liam and Kevin were always here with a smile on their face, working hard and we wouldn't have wanted it any other way!  :)
While I am getting slightly weepy typing this all out....I am so happy to be finished and so thankful to everyone who had a part in this!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!  Muwahahahah! 

So now what happens with my blog??     You won't be disappointed....I plan on continuing, b/c I enjoy it!  So stay tuned for how we turn our house into our home......with decorating ideas, small house projects, and lots of recipes for tasty treats I make in my new kitchen!

Blueprints are done.....Footprints (and hand prints) are being made!  :)


~Gianna~

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Shower Doors and so much more!

What have we been up to???

WE HAVE HEAT!!!!!  HA HA HA!  We finally got it when we were supposed to, it did take 2.5 days, but we got it!  And WOW...what a difference!  We are able to sleep in our room, take showers in luxury and just enjoy everything in the warmth!    Not sure if I shared any of these......sorry if I did!

Shower doors are in!  And they look great!














































Front door is in!














































Outside is finished!  Siding.....railings....decks......LOOKING AMAZING!
















~Gianna~