Super Bowl cake & cookies

I bought this pan at Williams-Sonoma a few years back on a crazy sale, it was originally like $35 and I got it for $4, however, it's been sitting around ever since. I mean, how many occasions can you think of to make a 3D football trophy cake. Well, I finally came up with one - the Super Bowl.

Andy was out of town in Phoenix and I got the hair brain idea to make this cake because I had some "spare time" on my hands and we were going to the Super Bowl party of all Super Bowl Parties - the Kirkpatrick's. We've been attending their party for about the past 4 years and look forward to it every year. The company and the food are great! Did I mention they are from Louisiana, so this year was extra special in that their "home" team was playing, The Saints. They went all out, Gumbo, Jambalaya and Wings... delicious!

So after setting my sites on this project, I called up the only person I knew who could help me pull this cake off, Jeanie Smith - she and her husband Troy own the one and only Baja Burrito in Berry Hill and she makes the most amazing, detailed cookies I've ever seen. I knew she would have all the food coloring, frosting bags, tips, cookie cutters that I would need. I was right... and even more impressed by her stash than I had hoped for.

It was way more detailed of a task than I had estimated and ended up staying up well past 1 am decorating and assembly all my goodies. Mind you, I made the cake from scratch so that added a lot of time to my project, however it was well worth it.

Here are some pics of the evolution of the cookies and cake, I know my technique is a bit off, but I am super proud of the outcome.

Vanilla Cake Batter from scratch

Vanilla Buttercream

Chocolate Buttercream

The front of the cake

The back of the cake

Royal Icing

Our new friend Rue...

Andy & I have been dog-sitting (at our house) for the past 5 days and we have fallen in love with a sweet little Chichauau named Ruthie, which goes by Rue for short. 

She has so much personality - loves watching tv (currently the Olympics), snuggling, sleeping and barking at animals on TV and is even doggie litter trained. What a great life!

We'll see if she inspires us to buy a pup - we'll keep you posted!

Happy Valentine's Day

Right before Christmas I had these wires installed (I got them at Ikea) in our hallway - I first used them to display all of our Christmas cards, it was awesome! Well, when the season was over, down they came and up went "normal" photos for a while until February rolled around. I thought it would be fun to use it to write Andy a little message for this fun filled holiday. Happy Valentine's Day babe - I love you!

John Mayer Concert 2.10.10

Andy & I went to the John Mayer concert with our friends Erin & Sherman Bucher on 2.10.2010

It was AMAZING! I love John Mayer's music and have always been a big fan. I became an even bigger fan after getting to know Andy and being introduced to the world of drumming. One of Andy's top 3 drummers (Steve Jordan) is John Mayer's producer and drummer. He is amazing! We had the privilege of getting to meet and spent a little time with Steve. He was very gracious, funny and really a cool guy.

When I told him that I bought Andy a Yamaha "Steve Jordan" snare drum as a wedding present he light up and gave me a huge hug. It was a priceless moment. Here are some pics from the night...

FLOR

FLOR is by far one of my favorite home decor items ever! It's modular carpet squares that you can arrange and re-arrange into any design/pattern that you want - you can even cut them to fit your space. They are 19.7" squares and come in many different colors, patterns, textures, wares (light traffic, heavy) etc.

The best part of all is that if you get a stain on your "carpet" you can just lift it right up and wash it in the sink or bathtub - let the square air dry and put it right back into place. Brilliant!

I love FLOR so much I have it in my entryway, hallway, office and guest room. Where to put it next?

Check out their website, you can even get samples of the carpet before you buy.

www.flor.com 

SNOW!

It snowed in Nashville and I have been so happy! It's always so magical to have snow,  it reminds me of being a kid and growing up in Washington State. Skiing was the official family sport of the Jensen family, so I love the stuff. FYI: It hasn't snowed this much in Nashville since 2003, so this was a huge treat. I woke up Friday morning and it didn't stop pouring for at least 15 hours. It took a little break and dumped some more. My little ruler measured 7 inches in the backyard... Andy & I had a great time, we went on a walk through the neighborhood, made snow cream, sledded with the neighbor kids, played Wii and watched movies. It was a glorious snow filled weekend!

P.S. You might notice Andy & I have matching jackets, I know that's cute - but it's not our general style. When Andy was with Little Big Town we ended up in Steam Boat Springs for a gig and they gave us the jackets for FREE. As you know, I love FREE stuff - so we wear them proudly every winter.

Andy - wiped out on the sled

I'm headed down the hill

Sloppy Joes

Here's a new recipe I tried tonight, it was a hit - Andy & I both loved it! It's easy, very low cal and it tastes nothing like the lunch lady version we all hated growing up. Try it - trust me it's great! Enjoy...

Ingredients:

1                 8 oz can of no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 c           ketchup (i use the no sugar kind)
1 1/2 T        Worcestershire sauce
1 t               prepared yellow mustard
1/2 t           dry mustard
1 t               molasses
1                 clove garlic, finely minced
Pinch           ground clove
To taste       red peppers

1 lb             lean ground turkey
1/2             small onion, finely chopped
6                 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Directions:

In a saucepan over low heat, combine sauce ingredients. Mix well and simmer while preparing turkey meat. Next, heat a heavy, non-stick skillet, at least 10 inches in diameter, over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and saute, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until turkey meat is no longer pink. Pour contents of pan into a colander lined with paper towels and drain liquid out. Add onion to pan and saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until translucent. Return turkey meat to pan and add sauce. Heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional peppers, if desired. Spoon 1/2 C turkey mixture over bun. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings
Calories 297/serving
Fat 10 g
Protein 20 g
Carbs 32 g