Some Unsolicited Food and Baking Advice and Beating a Dead Horse

1. My preferred method to make buttercream frosting is to make a simple syrup and then beat into a butter, etc. This makes the creamiest, dreamiest buttercream. Like silk. However, a girl does not always have time for this. And I HATE canned frosting!! That is not ever an option. Ick! Gross! Disgusting! So, today I was making a chocolate cake and tried something new. I found a recipe where you beat heavy cream into the confectioner's sugar. Then melt your butter and unsweetened chocolate together and beat that melted mixture into the cream/sugar. The only drawback if you are in a hurry is that you need to let it cool in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before frosting your cake or cupcakes. It is not as smooth as the real deal, but is less grainy than the usual beat-sugar-into-butter variety.

2. I have to find time to get my lazy self to Dallas. I need (read: crave) some mojitos, a cubano, plantains, and QUATTRO LECHES!

3. After years of missing Pancho's green salsa (who knew your favorite salsa could come from a Mexican restaurant in Japan?), and never having been able to dupilcate it, I have found a tomatillo salsa that is so yummy!!! We have been eating it on everything. Grilled chicken, quesedillas, chips, fajitas. Once, I even caught Rich eating it with a spoon when all the chips were gone. Surprisingly it is made by regular old Pace. It is the salsa verde in their new collection. I highly reccomend it, and I am picky!

4. I am giving up chocolate for Lent. I am nuts. Not as nuts as the crazy ass lunatic who suggested I give up COFFEE or DIET COKE!!!! Do you know any crack addicts who are giving up crack for LENT?????



Okay, lastly, to keep beating a dead horse...My husband thought the red room was overly "chickish" but, this, THIS he liked????? Granted, it was our other house, but this is basically what the room looked like before last week....so his definition of chickish or girly is WHAT??? It is official. He is a nut-job and gets no vote anymore.