Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Nori Fix!


Tonight I went over to Megan and Jake's to bring some food over and to see sweet baby Norelle. She just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter! She is so content and happy, i just love her a ton!
It was great to hold her and feed her... Kelly, who also brought food, said that if i got started tonight i could have my own baby by October?!?! Hmmmm....I will have to think about that one!
It was fun to see the "S" clan... They are the perfect little family. For dinner, Kelly brought Balsamic Thyme Chicken and fresh bread from the Breadsmith. yum. And I made a Torte di Riso (picture is provided for a visual, not my pic)

and Angel Food Cake with Chocolate and Raspberries.

I think summer needs to hurry up so we can have more fresh berries and angel food cake! someday!



Torta Di Riso
From Special Occasions by Martha Stewart. Serves 10-15
6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup bread crumbs
10 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, and oregano
3 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter springform pan and coat with breadcrumbs, shaking out excess. Set aside In a large saucepan, heat stock to boiling, then lower to a simmer.
In a large heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 3 Tbsp. of butter. Add onion, garlic, and about 2/3 cup of the herbs and cook until onions are soft and transparent. Increase heat to medium and add rice. Stir well to coat all the grains.
Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until mostly evaporated. Add 1 cup of hot stock and simmer, stirring constantly until mostly absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add remaining stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Always wait until one ladleful is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Continue until rice is creamy and firm but not hard in the center (al dente) The cooking time should be about 15-20 minutes, but you must taste rice to judge doneness. Add remaining herbs about halfway through cooking time.
Stir in remaining 3 tblsp of butter, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into prepared pan and cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake torta for about 30 minutes, or until heated through (test by inserting a knife into the center for 15 seconds and checking the temperature of the blade upon removal to see that it is hot.)
Unmold torta carefully onto a plate, sprinkle additional Parmesan over the top, slice into wedges and serve.
Notes: This Torta is good for a party since it can be made ahead of time. It is essential that you use Italian short-grain rice; arborio is a widely available variety.

I wanna be a supermodel!

For my birthday, I received a gift card to one of my favorite places: Sephora!!! The creme de la creme of beauty products store. When i go there I am like a kid in a candy store. I really have a thing for makeup and beauty products. HOWEVER, the prices can be very high for some items... so when I go, I just am there to browse, try on the latest colors, smell the Philosophy body washes and spray my favorite perfumes. And then *maybe* I will buy something out of the $5 and under bins. But now with my gift card with a very sizable amount on the balance, what to buy?!? I wanted to be the most savy and get the most out of my gc. There were at least 3 things I was really wanting, Dior Diorshow Mascara, Stila Lip Glaze and Smashbox O-GLOW... but all those together were way over the amount I had to spend. Until.... I found the best deal ever! It is called the Supermodel Kit.
What it is: A glamourous gift set filled with products used by Sephora makeup artists for Fashion Week Live. Set includes a Stila Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar, Make Up For Ever Diamond Shadow in Diamond Black 307, Smashbox Mini Travel Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Original, Smashbox O-GLOW, Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black 090, Sephora Blush Me! Mono in Abricot Plaisir 6, all in a chic black sequined Sephora Brand clutch.

Fate had smiled upon me. All three things i wanted were in one set. Plus other fabulous products that i love! For one great price!
Now I am ready to walk the catwalk. Tyra, pick me! pick me!

Books I Read in 2019

Here it is, my once a year blog post. This year I read 38 books. I always aim for 52 books, but life happens. I read more non fiction last ...