White Pizza

Homemade whole wheat pizza dough
Lightly sauteed sliced garlic in olive oil
pearl mozzarella cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
oregano

Ponies Cupcake Topper

White cupcakes

Pink Frosting

Scallop punch

Photoshop Elements design for Go Ponies!

Best Chocolate Chip Recipe ... For now

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres

New York Times July 9, 2008

Time 45 minutes - Chill time 24 hours

2 cups minus 2T (8.5 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8.5 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons corse salt

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2T (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate disks or feves,

at least 60% cacao ( I used about 14 ounces)

sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light and creamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time. Mixing well after each addition.
4. Stir in vanilla
5. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop in chocolate pieces and incorporate with wooden spoon as to not break the chocolate.
6. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for 72 hours.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick backing mat.
8. Scoop generous golf ball size mounds onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that may be poking up.
9. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
10. Bake until golden brown, about 16-20 minutes.
11. Transfer to wire rack for 10 minutes.

Camp Sherman Sept 09

We spent the weekend with the Mansberger's at their cabin in Camp Sherman

Camp Sherman buying penny candy.

Game night - Blokus

A ride to the Camp Sherman Store

watching the horses.

Walk to the Head of the Metolius River

Suttle Lake, Oregon Sept 2009

Some of my favorite photos of the year!

Santa Con Portland 2009

Santa Con - North Portland Saturday, December 5 2009.

Santa's on the MAX

Santa's outside Eagles Nest.

Inside Eagles Nest

they like it!

Jamison Square

Our friends come to visit from Bend. We had dinner downtown and then took the kids to run around in the park. There was still water in the fountain and everyone got wet. They had fun and it wasn't too cold.

Happy Birthday Alexa

It was Holly's good friend Alexa's birthday was last week. Her mom took us to Baskin Robbins after school. I think she liked her ice cream.

forget back blogging = Latourell Falls

Hike a Latourell Falls with Holly's friend Alexa a few days before school started

April Visit with Nana and Papa

Papa arrived a few days after Nana.

The girls decided to decorate their rooms with all their drawings.

Emma wall of photos. It turned into a competition between the two.

Playing at Ainsworth. The girls school

Grandparents day at school. Nana planned her trip around this day.

Tulips - April 2009

April 2009 visit to Woodburn Tulip Fields

Emma and Holly flying high as Mom and Dad cross our fingers
New iPhone!

I planted about 100 tulips bulbs in our front yard.

Basil and Black Pepper Ice Cream with White Balsamic Strawberries

Basil & White Peppercorn Ice Cream

with Strawberries in White Balsamic

Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

1 1/2 cups half and half

pinch of gray salt

3/4 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean or teas. of vanilla

10 whole white

3 yolks, slightly whisked

2 cups basil leaves chopped

Strawberries

2 cups strawberries cored & sliced

6 T white balsamic

1/4 cup sugar

gray salt

white pepper

Place milk, half and half, salt, sugar, vanilla bean in non reactive saucepan.

Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time till sugar dissolves.

Slowly temper eggs, whisk in milk and eggs. Slowly add eggs to milk in saucepan. Heat to 180 degrees, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

Turn off heat and immediately add basil and pepper. Stir. Allow to sit for 30 minutes in ice bath. Strain mixture. You can add fresh basil and place in blender mix till basil is small specs.

Place in refrigerator overnight. Follow manufactures directions to freeze ice cream.

Strawberries

combine all ingredients. mix well. place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Adapted from Michael Chiarello - Top Chef Masters

Fore Street - Portland, Maine

March Skating, Bowling and Zoo

Rain at the Zoo

The Zoo's newest baby!

Bowling @ Hollywood Bowl, Amanda and Emma

Bowling

Skating at Oaks Park