ooohhh.... pretty..... Thanks Bethany!

Thank You Miss Bethany!  

I'm having fun playing with the blog backgrounds and settings from

http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

boredom leads to bugs

So I took Nala outside for her lunch and was busy bring separating packaging into trash and recycling bins when I noticed the dragonflies hovering about.  I grabbed the camera and started snapping.  As I walked back in the house, noticed that there was something stuck to the side of the house - a praying mantis.  Took its picture too.   Once inside, I played with the colors and lighting of each of the photos and came up with this collection.  I call it "Bored to Bugs"

mmmm..... aebleskivers..... mmmmm....

from http://www.culinate.com/books/collections/all_books/The+Cast+Iron+Skillet+Cookbook/Ebelskivers+%28Scandinavian+Pancakes%29

Ebelskivers (Scandinavian Pancakes)

From the book The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne

Serves

4 to 6

Introduction

Ebelskivers (also spelled aebleskivers) are like little doughnuts without the fat. (They’re very similar to the Dutch pancakes called poffertjes.) Traditionally they’re filled with apples while cooking, but it’s much easier to simply slice them open and fill them by hand after they’re cooked.
This recipe calls for a special cast-iron pan with seven round molds. You drop some of the batter into each mold, cook for a few minutes, then turn the dough and cook on the other side.
Serve ebelskivers with maple syrup, or slice them in half and fill with jam or lemon curd and mascarpone; sprinkle a little powdered sugar over everything and you’re done.

Ingredients

	1½	cups all-purpose flour
	1	tsp. baking powder
	½	tsp. baking soda
	¼	tsp. salt
	2	eggs, beaten
	2	cups sour cream
	½	cup milk or buttermilk
	~	Butter or canola oil for greasing the pan
	~	Jam, maple syrup, and powdered sugar for serving

Steps

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and milk. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat by hand or with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Heat a cast-iron ebelskiver pan over medium-low heat. Place a tiny bit of butter or canola in each mold and spread it evenly around the molds before filling each mold with a spoonful of batter. Cook until light brown, about 2 or 3 minutes. Turn gently with a fork or skewer and brown the other side. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

This content is from the book The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis Hearne.

Copyright © 2004 Sasquatch Books

Chocolated Covered Cherry Cheesecake Cake

At the end of August, I was so excited that Dad & Mom were coming to visit and that it was shortly after Mom's birthday. That means CAKE!!!!

Let's see here... she likes...
chocolate...
chocolate covered cherries...
cheesecake...
What cake has all of these? None!
So I made one up!

Announcing the latest recipe creation....
CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY CHEESECAKE CAKE

Ingredients:
2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling - I prefer the Loaded with Extra Cherries one.
2 boxes of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix
    + water, oil, eggs to make according to the box's instructions
1 New York Style Cheesecake from the Joy of Cooking cookbook

Special Equipment:
6 tin-foil disposable 8" SQUARE cake pans
You'll need the disposable kind because you will cut the corners of the pans and peel it off of the cheesecake.

Instructions:
Brownies
Mix up the two boxes of brownie mix according to the instructions on the box.
Spray 3 of the tin-foil pans with Pam.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake according to the box.
Remove the brownies from the oven and let set and cool completely.
Once completely cooled, cover the pans with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Cheesecake
preheat oven 500F
2.5 pounds cream cheese (that's 5 of the 8oz blocks)at room temp
2 cups Splenda
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c Amaretto liqueur
Cream together until smooth.
Beat in one at a time just until mixed
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
Fold in
1/2 cup Sour Cream

Divide evenly between the three tin-foil cake pans.
Place pans on cookie sheet and back for 15 minutes at 500F
Turn down to 200F for about 45 minutes
-- Keep an eye on them !!! --
Shut the oven off when the edges start to golden.
Leave in oven over night with door slightly ajar.
Once completely cooled cover each pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.


Cherries:
Open each of the two cans and pour over a colander to separate the filling sauce from the cherries. Keep both!

Assembly:

Starting at the bottom
Layer 1 = Brownie.
Carefully turn the brownie out from the pan on to a cake plate.
Layer 2 = Cheesecake
When the cheesecake cools the center will fall, creating a ridge. This is a perfect ridge to hold the cherries. So, when placing it on the brownie, place it ridge side up. "But how in the world do I get the cheesecake out of the pan!?!" Easy. Cut a slice down each of the corners of the pan. Turn over on to a plate lined with plastic wrap. Carefully peel the pan off of the cheesecake. Then using the plate to help transfer, flip the cheesecake onto the brownie. Viola!
Layer 3 = Cherries
Spoon the cherries and a little bit of the sauce on to the center of the cheesecake, keeping it all within the ridges.
Layer 4 = Brownie
Layer 5 = Cheesecake
Layer 6 = Cherries
Layer 7 = Brownie
Layer 8 = Cheesecake
Layer 9 = Cherries and a lot more sauce than what was used in the middle.

I didn't have a very tall ridge on the top cheesecake layer, so I added a ridge of frosting to keep the cherries & sauce in.

Serve the remaining cherry filling sauce as a sauce over the slices when served.