I know I said I'd share photos of the classroom, but it desparately needs cleaning and that takes some time! So I promise the photos are coming...just not quite yet! I thought, in the meantime, I'd share what's going on in our baking and cooking world. Because we've had some really good things going on.
Like....
1. I made this chocolate cake this past weekend for my friend's baby shower. It's Beatty's Chocolate Cake, and the icing is the dark chocolate icing from the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. It was delicious - if you need a chocolate cake recipe, definitely try this one out! Because I made the cake I was able to use my sweet little cake bunting that I got from this store on ebay. I bought the kit (which is cheaper than buying them already made)...I see me making many more of these in the future!
2. Butternut Squash Soup: I've made four batches of this soup in the past month and I'm still not tired of it! Next time I make it, I'm going to put some in bags and freeze them. With some homemade croutons and a dollop of sour cream, life tastes pretty darn good.
3. James just recently made roast chicken with vegetables. He put some of those leftover homemade croutons (from our soup) at the bottom of the roasting pan, and all the juices of the chicken ran into them. SO good. We loosely follow this recipe for what to stuff the chicken with, and then we just use whatever vegetables are in season.
4. Caramel Popcorn with Vanilla and Cinnamon: I don't remember how I found this recipe, but I've made it three times now, and it's really good. I make plain popcorn, then mix in this mixture of brown sugar, maple syrup (the real stuff), vanilla and cinnamon. Then you bake it in the oven for 15 minutes. Next time I make it I'm going to add some cashews to the mix. It's a great snack for a special treat in the fall.
Up next in the kitchen this fall: Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cupcakes for school next week, some curry recipes, Shepherd's Pie, Steak and Guinness Pie, and Beef Bourgignon. Ooh and maybe a Winter Panzanella.
