Tomato Salad

I know its been a while...just gathering up lots of yummy real food recipes to share with you. This salad is courtesy of my super awesome sister-in-law, and its hugely delicious. Its great for tomato and mushroom enthusiasts, but Big D. is a tomato-hater, and he loves this salad. He believes the tomatoes are just a vehicle for the dressing, which makes an awesome dip. Whatever floats your boat, man! Its just really good, ok?

Tomato Salad

Dressing:

5 garlic cloves, diced

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

3 tablespoons vinegar

1teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon basil

1 bay leaf

Shake of black pepper

1 box cherry tomatoes, halved

1 box mushrooms, sliced

Combine all dressing ingredients together in container and shake well. Add the mushrooms, and let marinated for at least an hour. Add the tomatoes right before serving. 

Today's Philosophy Lesson

You know that weird philosophical question :
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" 
Really. Can you believe that there are grown adults in this world taking apart that thought and digesting it academically. Really? Let's get real people. If a tree falls, BAM. It makes a LOUD sound. Trust me. After last week's crazy blizzard, there were trees falling all over the place. And every time one fell we jumped. I guess Mr. Philosophical will argue with me that it made a sound because there people around. Which brings us to a stalemate. Because really, I think that whole thing is just a bunch of humbug. Let's get real people. Live life. Who cares if a tree falls down in a forest? I sure don't. Unless I'm standing under it. And if I am, let's face it- I have a lot more problems than if it makes a sound. Point is: I match Mr. Philosophical with a much more relevant philosophical question of my own:

If you make a cake, but do not post it to your food blog, does it exist?

Chew on that Mr. P. 

Does everyone realize I am having a fictional argument with an imaginary philosophy professor? Goodness, all this baking this week really has gotten to my brain.
 I need a vacation. Big D. - did you hear that? V a c a t i on.

 Because I do not want to waste 6 hours making a cake, and then worrying about whether it exists or not, I am going to share with you all the cakes I've made in the past few months, and for some reason or another, have not posted them  yet. Then we shall be secure in the knowledge that my cakes do in fact exist.


(Photo purists: Please pardon all the terrible lighting and color balance. This is what happens when you snap pictures of your cakes at 1,2 or 3 am.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Torte

Story of this cake in three sentences: 

1)I stayed up till 3AM making a 3D Teddy Bear Cake.

2) The cake collapsed in the middle of the night, and the kids woke up to their dream come true where it was raining cake and frosting (from the top of the bookshelf where said cake was kept for "safe" keeping).

3) I propped my eyelids open with toothpicks and at 8AM the next morning whipped up the above cake in less than 2 hours for customer who was coming to pick it up at 10AM. From scratch.

Embrace your failures, people. Embrace it.

(And don't worry, the customer requested any kind of teddy bear cake. I was the crazy lady who decided to make a 3D bear cake. After it flopped the first time around. Repeat after me: Crazy Lady. 

And the life lesson of the day is: If at first you don't succeed, try try again. And if you still don't succeed, then STOP.)

For Hyper D. This was 8 layers of sugar cookies. The whole thing is about 4 inches tall. 

If you want the story here, you'll just have to ask her.

Big D.'s boss ordered this one for the other bosses birthday.Awww, so sweet. 

Authentic Dodge font by the way. Just 'cuz I'm cool like that. 

Just a yummy cake someone ordered. No story here folks. 

This one was for Hyper D.'s birthday. My goodness Hyper D. 

You are just all over the place today.

Last but not least, a cake I made for my mother's friend whose son was getting married. 

Happy Monday guys! Take a lesson from me and stay sane. 

You can do it,  I'm a lost cause...

Boys and Baking

The CantStopBaking household is pretty much a male dominated domain. We've got a very masculine Big D., three very rambunctious Monkeys, and plain ole me. Sadly, my house does not smell like perfume and flowers. And you're more than likely to find a baseball mitt or stray piece of lego under the bed than hairbows and headbands. (Haven't even touched a scrunchie since 1993. Do they even make those anymore?) Having said that, I like to think that I raise my boys to have a healthy balance of boyish fun and domestic talent. I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be bonding with my oldest daughter on a chilly winter's night while baking cookies in our warm and cozy kitchen. We won't be planning our menus together or thinking up grand new recipe ideas. But whose to say I can't do that with my oldest son? I keep on telling Z-Monkey that the best cake decorators are men, and gourmet chefs are very often male. I'm not sure how much of it sinks into his seven year old brain, but hey, we can always try, right? He actually has this secret dream (that his mother is now broadcasting online) to bake and cook when he gets older, and by golly he will! As soon as he learns fractions, I am planting him in front of a cookbook and kitchen aid. And I have visions of my future daughter-in-law kissing the floor I walk on. (I've already trained all my boys to say "Mommy, you look so beautiful." Right down to Little S-Monkey.)  Anyways, the reason why I am all fired up about this now, is because we just picked up the most brilliant book from the library, and I just have to share it with you. My five year old generally pulls library books off the shelves that are: A. So long, I'd still be reading them long after the moon waxes and wanes or B. The title is so horrendous and inappropriate, it makes my eyeballs hurt and my ears turn red. (Yes, if you've seen them you know what I am talking about. In the children's section.) So when he came bouncing over to me in the library saying " Mommy, look look look at this book I found!" I was more than a little skeptical.  But the book he brought me was so adorable, and so delicious. Its just too cute for words. Here, let me show you:

Constructions trucks baking a cake. Absolute genius. My kids are enthralled with the concept. Its just too cute. Anyhow, now y'all will be wanting a recipe, I'm sure. So here's something insanely yummy to start off your week:

Brownie Cookie Dough Sandwiches

Spotted on Tracey's Culinary Adventures, who found it on Heat Oven to 350

Brownie Cookies
1 1/4 cups cocoa 
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cookie Dough Filling
1 cup margarine
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups  flour
1 13 oz container marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Using an electric mixer, cream the margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two addition, beating until just combined. The batter will be very thick. Roll dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with Pam, and press down on each cookie slightly to flatten. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set and the tops are puffed and cracked (but still soft). Allow cookies to cool completely on the tray. (Since I have zero patience when it comes to waiting, I let the pan cool for 2-3 minutes, and then stick the whole pan in the freezer. ZAP - cooled cookies in five minutes.)

To make the filling:Using an electric mixer, beat the margarine on medium speed until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour (the filling will be almost crumbly). Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is smooth and thick.

To assemble the sandwiches: Match the cookies in pairs by size. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the flat side of one of the cookies in each pair.  Put the other cookie on top and press to push the filling to the edges.

Makes about 15-3'' sandwich cookies