Gingerbread Tart with Cranberry Curd

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While I technically did not finish off the month by posting everyday I still consider my crazy attempt a success.

In this current season of life my time is very limited and more structured then I ever would have wanted it to be. I have two little sweet boys who want my attention and continually need to be re-directed before they seriously injure themselves. They eat, three times a day, have pre-school and have many ideas of what they want to do with the day – often their ideas are much different than mine.

They also like to make a mess of their clothes. I think they just like to see how big the dirty clothes pile gets before mom goes crazy and does it all in one day leaving an even larger pile of clean clothes that, most likely, will never see hangers or drawers but will remain in a very large pile – perfect for wrestling in I might add.

This season is extremely demanding but the joy it brings is as abundant as our clothes piles. I am so incredibly thankful for my little testosterone filled blessings. Without them I wouldn’t laugh nearly as often and I would not know what it feels like to be  self-less – which is an ongoing process.

When the little crazies are snug in their bed and the legos have been picked up, this is the time I have to pursue the vast goals I have for myself. It is so easy for me to make excuses for this season of life, such as, there isn’t enough time to accomplish what I want to do.

Sure I am more tired than a teenager and coffee is often what is keeping me upright but I have become tired with the excuses. So I decided to see if I could blog everyday.

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Cannoli – my first daring baker’s challenge!

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The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long but I am so thrilled I finally made the plunge and became a Daring Baker.

What was even more thrilling was the fact that I’ve never made Cannoli and I surely didn’t have any plans to. But oh my goodness am I ever so glad I got around to giving this Italian pastry a try.

While the process was a bit complex the results far made up for it. I mean come on – anything deep fried is a winner in my book. But it was the lightly spicy and cocoa flavored shell that won my heart. I adored the wart-studded exterior as it crackled under the weight of my teeth. The deep rich flavor of its bath in oil was a perfect match for the cool and subtly sweet cream.

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The soft whispering flavors of cinnamon, cocoa, ginger, pepper and orange zest make this a festive and seasonal dessert that is sure to impress and delight all your holiday party guests – even if your guests are old Italian grandmothers.

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